Manny

Gives me an excuse to post a laughable article that one of my geordie mates has used as an argument about Shay Given's brilliance: THE LIST: Sportsmail's top 10 goalkeepers in the history of football | Mail Online You'll have to click back through to find the rest of the list. It's one of the most jingoistic things I've ever seen.

As someone mentioned, he's one of those fan opinion-polarising players. When he plays reasonably well, some will big up his performance. When he's below par, some will destroy him for it. The majority of his performances are somewhere in between. I think this season we've had a bit of a mixed bag; he's never really scaled the heights of the end of last season but he's not been as bad as he was the season before. He was really poor against Lyon though.

I think he learned a hell of a lot last season, but unfortunately there's no money to realise the ideas. Considering that the players we got this close season were all replacements for departures, I genuinely believe a budget of about £30-£40m (I know, never going to happen with our pair) would see us better off. Someone like Silva, who can adequately play across the 3 attacking midfield positions, and a reasonable striker in the £10m bracket (I always liked the look of Negredo) would improve us immensely. Sadly, there was no money and the light squad that we were retrospectively lucky with last season has been depleted, and there's no reinforcements to call on so to speak. Some of that is Rafa's fault, most definitely if he'd learned these lessons when he had his £2om annual budget we'd be better off, but sadly it's all too late now.

January will be like a fucking trolley dash for them then.

I was at Vitesse Arnhem. It was dreadful. I can't remember a thing about it, other than a massive bogey I pulled out of my nose.

If he can't get ahead of that joke Marcelo, then he might as well resign and go for constructive dismissal.

Presumably it's only for a set term? I can see it setting a precedent: after relegation and the loss of the TV money, sell the naming rights to your stadium to raise a quick buck to keep hold of some key players, then if you've been promoted when the rights end, go back to the original name if it's still causing issues or sell them again for Premier League rates if people don't give a shit anymore.

Kuyt was shite tonight, definitely. It was a good effort for the goal, but he did nothing else, and on nights like this with other senior players out, he needs to step up to the plate.

Good point about the previous shitty performances. That kind of application against Fiorentina from a better side would have seen us come back with at least a point.

Cheers. With regards to the thread, I'd be in two minds. I'd like to think that the lack of games would help keep the squad fresh, but Chelsea look pretty ominous and we've quite a bit of ground to make up. Quite frankly, at the moment I'd take seeing the first XI out there and putting together a run of form to put a fucking smile on everyone's face. A new striker in January would be nice as well.

When the mancs didn't get out of their group a few years back, did they get in the UEFA Cup or did they finish bottom? Serious question, I can't remember.

The referee was dreadful. His decision to give a freekick against Carra when he put his arm straight out to shield the ball from Lopez was one of the worst I've ever seen.

Babel made no-one look like a cunt. He scored a good goal, granted, but he's stunk the place out far more.

Or maybe he would have done anyway, seeing as the loss didn't completely matter to them and a draw would take them through?

Thanks for the revenge neg.

And yet despite all that we deserved to win.

With the team that we put out, we played well and the manager deserves credit. He can't be blamed for the defence being so fucking leaden footed at the death.

Don't be such a smug tart. It wouldn't have made a blind bit of fucking difference and you know it.

Spawny bastards. They've deserved a point at best from two matches, but somehow got 4. Krygiakos should have done better but we were very good tonight, and didn't deserve that at all. At least we can focus on the league now(!)

Fucking shitty bearded cunt. They don't deserve that AT ALL.

I take it all back Ryan. Rap on, son, rap on.

Fuck me, Reina is good.

Shit! Come on redmen!

Good half that*. More of the same, please. *Except from Voronin, but he is putting the effort in I suppose.

Haha! Gomis looks like he's going to fucking cry!