Madmax

My word Torres how did you miss. Sturridge saves his blushes.

I'm more worried about the bench than the initial lineup. 4 defenders and no attackers - the only injury concern confirmed yesterday was Meireles, so how have atleast one of Drogba and Lukaku not made it? Romeu remains invisible. He might just be a myth at this point. There's nothing on that bench to come and change things for us. Let's hope the starting 11 don't let it come to that.

Where's Lukaku?

^ Of course, didn't mean to sound ungrateful.

Has the forum become a bit slower for anyone else? That's the case for me, especially when multiple tabs are open.

Putting everything aside, we really should be beating Villa today. Bent, N'Zogbia, Dunne, Hutton and Petrov all missing - no excuse for anything less than 3 points.

Ye just saw the highlights .. Seb Kehl was clearly fouled in the buildup to their third goal. Oh well, will just have to beat Bayern again to make the title absolutley sure.

Okay then.

Sure, I'll do it. But what happens in case I'm not around when a match has just finished?

I missed it

Not 14 individual polls, what I'm thinking about is something like this : Cech 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x Ivanovic 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x Terry 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x .... ... ... 'x' denotes the point and click option for respective numerical values. So every member would have to rate each player out of 10 instead of merely choosing one player name.

Wow. Hope things turn out well for him.

I've been thinking about this awhile - how about modifying the MOTM poll from choice-based to ratings-based? Members can rate each player on a numerical scale (1-10 would be perfect since 1-5 offers unrealistic variation of 20% per rating point) and then the player with the highest average rating gets voted MOTM. With the current system only individual match-winners are recognised while a ratings-based system would ensure that players who did well without being outstanding are also duly credited. It'll help to offer a better picture of who (the members think) performed most consistently over the course of the season. In any case we have posts where members rate players in the comments section or qualify their vote with riders like "player x for me but notable mention to y .." Maybe introduce it ona trial basis for some of the forthcoming games? No worries if it's too much of a hassle though.

Peeved. Got called into work on Sunday. Fuck you, work.

It's Friday, how do you think I'm feeling? Like Rebecca Black

Stick with the club through the barren patch that looks likely up ahead and you won't be one.

Not altogether surprising to see people believing these stories. Whatever suits an agenda ..

Load of steaming horseshit. How convenient to claim AVB wanted to do X, Y and Z and then hide behind a supposition that he won't actually speak out because it's part of the contract severence agreement. Well who gave you the info then? Someone from the club? But it's hush-hush territory according to your report itself, remember? Journalists are the bane of the written word form.

You yourself have been decent but some have come on here ranting about a perceived slight by Drogba, failing to see reason. A vast majority of the members here have tried to calm things down but to no avail. Then there are posts accusing us of being disrespectful and belittling Benfica while all we're doing is celebrating an excellent - and unlikely - result. You'd be doing the same were you in our shoes. We've had a mightily frustrating season and we have every right to rejoice when things go our way. Celebrating a good first leg result doesn't equate to an automatic semifinal place and people here, myself included have been at pains to point out that it's only half time in the tie. Yet when posters keep banging on about perceived insults, it gets a little tedious, that's all. Glad you're enjoying yourself btw, it's what the forum is for. Hope for a cracking return leg at the Bridge.

Apparently had a hand in Vialli's sacking.

AVB lacked tact. Young blood, I suppose.

How many times have we said that for Villa and Everton games over the years

Piss-take comments from Rodgers. 'Grown as a person'. We sent out our brightest prospect for him to 'experience living in another city'.

Favourite street food for anyone from Mumbai has to be the vada pav - We live on this stuff. My favourite though is the lovely samosa! Must. Not. Lick. Screen. Cows are 'sacred' in Hinduism.