Bailey

I don't think he was as bad with Soton the year before though was he?

In fairness Martinez made him into the player he is in those first couple of seasons and allowed him to flourish... The problem was the players in front of him stopped defending (because if Martinez too) and I don't care how good you are you are going to get exposed and that knocked his confidence and its been downhill since then. When he focuses on his defending he is still a bloody good defender and he has the potential to be one of the greatest in our time. He has plenty of time to get there too.

From what I have seen so far I don't see it ending well. Spurs still look pretty lively in pre-season and well... we don't! I think it will be important for Koeman to get off to a good start but I must admit I do fear a tonking.

I could see him doing a decent job but I would be worried if Lukaku went and he was the only striker that came in. I'd prefer Aguero

I hope this is a goer. Financially it probably doesn't make much sense but he is the type of defender we are missing at the moment being big, strong and a leader. He is also less of a risk than some of the players we have been linked with for mega money and have never played over here.

Van Persie hasn't been there for a couple of seasons Mike

I dont think its quite as dramatic as that. It happens plenty of times, it just so happens that Sky dissected it like they did. He shouldnt have done it, give him a bollocking and lets move on.

I only say that just because of how fickle some fans are. One player scores a goal, he should be starting. Someone has one bad game they should be dropped etc. Yeh exactly, its only natural. The performance against West Ham wasnt one of a squad that arent as one.

West Brom came with no intent last night. I would put money on no other team playing us in such a way again for the rest of the season. I dont know if you have ever played or managed against a team that sits back and digs in but it isnt easy and in the top flight I bet it is even more difficult. I have watched plenty of top teams struggle to break down a Pulis side, especially not one where everyone is playing for their place in the team. You have to take your chances when they come and the few we did have we didnt take. We didnt stop trying, we didnt stop making runs and when we did get some space we tried to work in behind. This will probably sound harsh but if you take Barkley out of that side and replace him with Osman then we probably win. That was as poor as I have seen Ross who seemed more interested in going backwards or dwelling on the ball rather than anything else. I dont think thats something you can really say about the rest. Stones was always coming forward, the FB's were getting up the pitch, Barry and Besic were breaking forward and also trying to overlap but sometimes it just doesnt work and that was last night.

No I agree in that it shouldn't matter whether he scores or not because he is being a tosser either way however you wouldn't have heard a whisper about it today if he had. None of this cliques, changing room troubles, fallouts and other bollocks. In fact if he had scored I bet some would even be saying he should be our new number one taker.

I think there is a big over reaction to yesterdays game. The Mirallas thing is silly but some of the shit I have heard is way OTT. He was acting like a cock and by not scoring he has piled pressure on the matter. Had he scored and we won there wouldnt be half the crap I have heard last night and today. On the whole I thought the lads gave it a right good go. You cant say anyone out there wasnt trying their hardest to break the lock, but a combination of very good defending, bad decision making and players without confidence just meant we didnt pick the lock. We deserved the 3 points and West Brom didnt deserve anything for just sitting deep and playing for the point. Annoyingly its the players we relied on last season to add a little spark that just dont have that at the moment, mainly Barkley who slowed the play down every single time he was on the ball and neglected forward balls all day and then Naismith who constantly gave the ball away under little or no pressure. Oviedo was never going to add that spark but with Mirallas off we didnt have much else to bring on. The sub thing is a joke too. Who cares if Barry or Besic come off for an attacking player? If they had come off for a defender then I would be at the front of the queue and while I do think Besic was having the better game, Barry was the one more likely to create an opportunity which is backed up by his 2 key passes compared to 0 for Besic. Thats even before it comes out that he picked up a knock. My view of that game is that if the penalty goes in we score 3 or 4, but until you get that first goal, the frustration grows and the confidence gets lower. We wont meet many more teams in the league as resilient as West Brom were last night, and whilst we didnt have as many shots on goal as I would have liked, there were plenty of times the ball was in the right areas but we couldnt get our foot to the ball or when we did we scuffed the crap out of it. We have played much better in the last 4 days. The pressure on the ball is much better, we arent letting teams waltz into our half anymore and we will start winning games and when our confidence grows, and Ross especially gets his head up, then we will start showing our form from last year.

I can comment on the game comments/bbc commentery and also what I saw at the end of the Hull game. I'm not saying the interview didn't seem downbeat, not arguing that, I'm just saying that the reasons they might be down would on the face of it be different or for other reasons than the ones you are suggesting. It surprises me a little with Jags but I have seen Rom interviewed post game before and he is a bit like that. Similar to Ross but in better English

Wouldn't disagree with this. One direct Mirallas style winger and another play making type that could also play centrally if he really needs to.

Butland has been crap whenever I have seen him. He is/was only hyped because he is English.

Im I haven't seen the game so can't comment on the interview but the comments on here and what I heard over the radio of the first half, the last 10 and also Roms overall performance don't suggest to me that the dressing room is in to bad a place. Yes confidence is low, which is understandable but players that aren't happy don't put in one of their best performances and the teams don't keep pushing until the last minute. Obviously don't know what the Jags interview was about but by the sounds of it he was pretty useless so may be more to do with his own game than anything else.

On the whole Barkley out wide comments I think it's only because we don't have better options. I would have him ahead of McGeady or one of the FB'S and he will be expected to play in that Pienaar style role whereby he is mainly cutting inside anyway. He is clearly better centrally and will cock up out wide but it is probably worth getting Naismiths work rate and tenacity in the middle at the moment until we are firing again. If you need more width then you at least have the option of throwing McGeady on and subbing one of those two off.

Not seen him before but just watching an old Ajax game and Schone looks a really tidy player. It surprises me that he is 28 but he is technically excellent, creates plenty of chances and finds some really good positions. He isn't quick or big and in some ways is a lot like Pienaar but a Pienaar that can pick a pass and score a goal.

Get in! That's much better! Now get another quickly!

Sounds like the players have gone into their shell since the goal.

Can only listen to this tonight but sounds better with the exception of Jags who seems he is on a mission to sack the momentum out of anything we do. Lukaku sounds as if he is having a good game with Mirallas and Barkley showing signs of quality. Also sounds like we are the front foot a little more too, just need to finish a couple of chances.

Only against the top 4 at home!

If you think that Martinez is in the treatment room with each player assessing them himself that you are delusional. Martinez will be going on the advice of his physio team when he comes up with any of the time frames. The way he benefits is that he actually understands exactly what the team is saying unlike most managers. He was answering questions about injuries, he gives a prognosis based on the opinions he has been given. Maybe this bloke left for completely unrelated reasons? I'm also not to convinced by the article in terms of its mention about the previous regime and Hamstring injuries because Mirallas has always had problems, Rodwell always suffered from then, Vic had niggles in this area along with a few others I am sure. The most interesting aspect of that article is probably to do with the fitness coach leaving in the summer. I think a lot of the sharpness factor is mental (for example I have never seen us play at the same intensity as we did against Chelsea) and against Hull Baines and Naismith covered every blade of grass.

So Martinez was giving lengthy prognosis to different injuries and then taking longer to get them back playing and now that's his fault too? The man can't win... Unfortunately that's literally at the moment too!

Yeh the Premier League only but that's still an impressive record in his first season. He hasn't had a chance to do anything with a top 6 time in the long term. He did alright with Swansea don't forget!

He says that when we are on it then we are exciting to watch which I agree we are. Playing in the style we are at the moment isn't.