EskWeston

The Roma game was somewhat of a freak i feel. We were very comfortable for a long while and then the first went in! After that the players were so determined to attack and get back into the game that Roma managed to nick another couple. I think we are going about things the right way this season, it is a big change and it will not always be perfect but i feel it is the right way for us to move forward. We have had some great results this season.

Well if he is good enough then fine, Ferreira is clearly not in Scolari's plans and Ivanovic is a centre back. Belletti is better in midfield. Have not seen anything of this guy but playing at Westerlo and coming to Chelsea are completely different playing levels.

Kalou is a very talented winger, the only winger we have other than Sinclair who will run at defenders, and get passed them more often than not too. Malouda has been a vast improvement on last season even if he does still sometimes look a bit on the lazy side he has still been very very good for us last season. There are not many players around who we could replace these 2 for and be an improvement.

Excellant news, Mikel is awesome. Lets not forget his age, if he was at the Arse he would be lauded as a wonderkid whereas here he his classed among world class players, which is a very good compliment to him actually. Barring the Roma game Mikel has just got better and better, but Mikel wasn't the only player having an off day that game. Mikel is pure class.

Of all the teams to lose our home record to it had to be the scousers didn't it!!! We are going to have to find ways around the teams that sit so deep and defend with so many players. We can't find a way around them, Roma midweek and now the vermin.We need ways to break these teams down and make some chances. Thought Mikel was first class today and probably our best player. Di Santo seemed to do more in 20 minutes than Anelka did all game. On the plus side, Liverpoo missed Torres. We missed Essien, Ballack, Drogba and Joe Cole.

It doesn't look good for sure when you think our first choice back 5 could be out. But our second choice back 5 is bloody good still: Cudicini, Ferreira, Alex, Ivanovic and Bridge. I would be comfortbale with that for sure. The problem is that it loos like Alex and Cudicini are carrying knocks too.

I suppose time will tell on this point. Scolari is really the first one to seriously benefit from our new academy as it has taken time to get to this standard. Certainly more young players are involved regulary - Mancienne, Di Santo, Sinclair - and more recently Stoch. Which is an excellant start, the next stage is giving them game time! The question is can the players be patient enough?

You are absolutely correct. The only problem is, that being the case we may as well scrap the youth policy altogether. Mancienne should get his chance and i hope he does. He could be as good as Carvalho for us one day.

How much more exceptional can a Centre Back be at 19/20? Very impressive for the England U21's

Not a lot of time between the internationals and the Boro' game so it is hard to know just who will be ready. But the selection certainly will be interesting. I am sure we will be able to put together a very strong 11 still.. Would be nice for Mancienne to get a start, although it is big game to come into, not a lower league cup game or anything.

It certainly is, but we won't care if we get the money back!

Even with all of our injuries i am confident that we can beat Middlesbrough. Although we are piling up the injuries at the moment, if we were to put together the best 11 from players who we know 100% are going to fit it would look like this: .............................Hilario/Taylor............................. Belletti........Ivanovic..............Mancienne.........Bridge .................................Mikel..................................... .....................Lampard.......Malouda......................... Sinclair....................Di Santo..........................Kalou Cech, Cudicini, Bosingwa, Terry, Carvalho, Alex, A.Cole, Essien, Ballack, Deco, J.Cole, Anelka and Drogba are all injury doubts as of now. All though i am sure a lot of them will be fine for Saturday.

It is hard to blame him for being frustrated. But i really don't want us to lose him. It was clear from many years ago that Mancienne had what it takes to make it with our first team. He excelled in the reserves, went out on loan and impressed big time there and has now made a big impact at the England U21 level. We have brought Mancienne through from a young age and he is one we should be trying to get in. Unfortunately we have 4 top top class centre backs in our first team squad! We should do what we can to keep him on, a loan to another prem club maybe.....

Hopefully our injury concerns are not as bad as is being portrayed. Players like Deco, Anelka, Carvalho, J.Cole, Alex, A.Cole and Terry could all be ready for the weekend. Not sure what the situation is with Bosingwa at the moment but hopefully he will be fine too. We are picking up a lot of injuries, but it happens and at the moment we are coping with it very well.

Exactly right, and because it is with Lyn where the contract was forged they are the ones we claim from....

The deal was done initially to just bring a conclusion. Since then it has been proved that Mikels contract with Lyn was forged, which meant that they could not sell him to Man you or to us, so because of that we are asking for our money back from Lyn.

To get any money back would be amazing, especially considering Mikel is well worth the £16m paid, there were some screw ups and dodgy dealings in this transfer tho.

This is good news. To have a set up where the board and manager work together for the good of the team means everything runs smoother! Things so far are going very very well under Scolari, i am sure it will continue as well..

Ashley Cole is having a sensational season. He is working well with Malouda, Kalou or Cole. But it is good to see that so many of our players have stepped their games up this season.

Would being on loan at FC Twente be any better than being on loan at Southampton or Norwich?

Yup, thats the fella.

I think the comment is more about for the academy that the first team. Buying English players for the first team is not easy at all, we need to trying to develop our crop of English talent, which i think we are doing very well at: Mancienne, Cork and Bertrand in the England U21's set up and plenty more down the ages. Taylor (although Welsh) is being involved with the first team a lot now. Then we have an excellant crop in the reserves: Magnay, Nana-Ofori, Hutchinson, Bridcutt, Woods, Mellis.... So i think it more in that sense than finding English players for the first team outside of our academy.

Should have thought about his "rights" when he was snorting all sorts of s**t up his nose shouldn't he.

The player would have to be pretty special for PSV to play on a regular basis, as Rajkovic found out last season, he has ended up at FC Twente this season. Plus the English game is what the players need to get used to and the Championship is the perfect step up for them, physical competition.

Malouda still very much up and down, but an improvement on last season for sure! Cole and Kalou would always be my prefered starting pair.