On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[JamesG]

Mr Piers we drew with Soton!

Re Bentley, when her turned up at Norwich on loan from Arsenal as a clearly talented but still very inexperienced player he brought an ??$%ing entourage! What a !?^?%!

[Keef]

Wenger doesn't often get it wrong, and he showed him the door, along with Pennant, 2 promising players who on their day can look like they belong in any great team, but who don't have enough of those days and seem happy just picking up a lot of cash.

[Jah Lush]

David Bentley definitely has the talent but he just doesn't work hard enough. He's all flash and not enough graft. To be a great player you must have both and at the moment he doesn't have either. Still living off that 40 yarder against the Arsenal in that 4-4 earlier in the season.

He only likes playing on the right. Against Stoke in midweek he played quite well but when him and Aaron Lennon switched wings in the second half guess who disappeared?

By contrast Lennon has been brilliant for us this despite the team having a poor season. He is lightening quick, great skill, works very hard, always wants the ball, scores goals and his final ball is finally coming together. Should be back in the England reckoning very soon.

[Annasfield]

Would be gutted to see Norwich relegated as they are my second team. Thought that Gunn had sorted things out with his first win. Hopefully things will turn around before May.

Went to the home game v QPR last season. Was an entertaining game, but more of a circus than a footy match. QPR's keeper was a shambles.

[matthew123]

Norwich was actually the first team I saw from the Kop - what a day, what a feeling, walking up the steep steps and than gazing down on that wide open terrace. Norwich were a good team back then and got a 0-0 result in a season when Liverpool demolished most teams at Anfield 4-0. Does anyone know what season I am talking about?

[zephyr]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> Mind you, losing to Southampton!!! Times must be

> bad!!!

> Still, should cheer Fear'n'boozing up a bit at

> least.

Oi... thats my team your talking about! I will have you know that according to a number of journos Saints have one of the most exciting young teams in the league. Its just a pity we cannot score sometimes.... or play very well..... or stop other teams scoring....

Anyway we have a new manager and looking forward to beating Swansea tomorrow and going down to watch the game on Tuesday.

[matthew123]

Swansea on a roll, from what I can gather they're back in the zone ... so big prediction ... they'll score 4 or 5 tomorrow on the South Coast..

Pass the bucket... Honest 'Arry explaining how he ain't been tapping up Robbie Keane - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7862151.stm

[SimonM]

Southampton's game on Tuesday is against Sheffield United.....assuming we can find 11 fit players...:-S

[ratty]

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Jermain Defoe HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA wnaker HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Good things come to those that wait! PUP

[zephyr]

Ratty

now saggy chops has left pompey, what do you honestly think of him?

[Annasfield]

Not very sporting that Ratty. :-S

[ratty]

zephyr Wrote:

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> Ratty

>

> now saggy chops has left pompey, what do you

> honestly think of him?

What I have thought of him since he went to S**thampton. That he is a self publicising gobsh1te that has the media ( and a few brown envelopes) in his pocket. Teflon harry he should be called. :)

Rather be in the Championship with Tony Adams than anywhere with Redknapp!

[Annasfield]

JamesG - Take it you're from Norfolk then. Whereabouts? I lived up there for a few years.

[Keef]

Annasfield Wrote:

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> Not very sporting that Ratty. :-S

If a player came to Liverpool, did well for us, but then fucked off within a year, and asked us for a loyalty payment, I think my reaction would be exactly the same as ratty's if he then got injured!

[zephyr]

ratty Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> What I have thought of him since he went to

> S**thampton. That he is a self publicising

> gobsh1te that has the media ( and a few brown

> envelopes) in his pocket. Teflon harry he should

> be called. :)

>

You are right of course. I did welcome himwhen he came to Saints even though he had come from the skates but turned against him as soon as he started openly critising the players in public (much the same as he is doing now). I still think is abject disinterest in entering the transfer market (when money was available) was a hint at his agenda at being at saints.

He may have skill at rallying players around him but he is a s**t coach.

Even if you go down this season we may not even get a chance to play you!

[Mick Mac]

Norwich have "borrowed" Celtic striker Chris Killen for the rest of the season - hope he scores a few for you, he did not get a proper chance at Celtic.

Could Villa go top today - are Villa fans starting to dream of the title rather than a ch league place? who knows...if Celtic fans know Martin O'Neill, he'll be in it to win it.

I'm predicting a final four as follows:

1) Man U

2) Villa

3) Chelsea

4) liverpool....

[????]

Happy with that....

oh.....and bad luck Spuds.......B)

[zephyr]

Phew... coming back to 2-2 with 10 men against Swansea who apparently are on a roll!

[matthew123]

Haha that's why I'm not making any more predictions about Liverpool or Man United results!

[Keef]

I think Villa have a realistic chance of 2nd or 3rd. He's a very good manager.

[mockney piers]

Huzzah, nice to have a bit of luck for a change.

[matthew123]

Villa might finish 3rd if they quietly go about their business picking up wins but I think 2nd is unrealistic because it would take both Liverpool and Chelsea to implode. With the new pressure of top 4 becoming more an expectation I think ultimately they'd be very, very happy to just keep Arsenal at bay for 4th spot.

[Keef]

Not sure Liverpool and Chelsea would need to implode as such, Villa are right up there, it's not like they need the other 2 to drop many points if they can keep up the pace. Obviously I'd like to see them in 2nd behind Liverpool as champs, but I think that might be wishfull thinking ;-)

[Keef]

Bloody Everton!

[Annasfield]

They were singing "united top of the league" at Anfield last week. Wonder if they were singing that today?! (td)