Jimmy Bone - Superstar

Probably the best comparison is us and Swansea: Both promoted to the Prem together Neither have a multi billionaire backer Both now have a rookie ex player as manager Both invested quite heavily in the summer considering their resources Both have had fairly poor seasons this season and been in trouble near the foot of the table So - why are they staying up and we''re not: They have built on what they''ve had each season with continuous improvement, we haven''t. They invested in a decent striker (Bonie), we got RVW and Hooper. They play a style of football that allows them to get forward and score goals - we don''t. Perhaps most importantly, they changed manager while they still had a chance - we didn''t.

We''ll agree to disagree on that then Cambridge. I do agree that the diamond could work though. The big question, as always, is how we find a goal threat.

I know he''s only on loan and he''s had his critics this season, but I think arguably, Elmander has been our best striker this season when he''s played.

You wouldn''t seriously play those two up front would you Cambridge?

I agree, Snoddy gots his faults but he''s about the best we''ve got at the moment. I bet Leeds would take him back if they ever had the opportunity - which they won''t.

At least Snoddy give us some sort of a goal threat, from what I saw of Redmond today - he certainly doesn''t. I dread to think how much worse our season could have been without Snodgrass.

It was awful on TV, too. Just need to give MOTD a wide birth now. For the first time in years - I can''t bring myself to watch MOTD tonight, just too depressing.

[quote user="RUDOLPH HUCKER"]That''s spot on Ricardo. We have failed to do it for ourselves.[/quote] Here, here.

My point about WBA is the timing of it and little chance to recover from the defeat. I agree, there were probably much worse performances, I just think the mood after that game told you everything.

We''ve just got to go again now against Chelsea and see where that takes us, this would be my team: Ruddy Whittaker Yobo (if fit or Martin if not) Turner Olsson Tettey Johnson E Bennett Howson Snodgrass Elmander

What we have all been fearing for a while Ricardo. I think this season, league positions haven''t meant that much when you look at points on the board.

I know, and you''re correct. It''s just that I think up until West Brom, most of us thought we would find a way out of it, after that - with or without Hughton, the mood changed. A win against Fulham would have changed things again, but how likely was that to happen!

Yes, but the timing of the WBA game was such that a win against them off the back of beating Sunderland would have given us a real lift as well as dragging them right into it. I think we always feared losing to Fulham. The other games you mention were earlier on and even though we should have done better against those side, the WBA game was the one that did the real damage, we didn''t have time to recover from that with the games that were left.

I think at the end of the season we''ll look back at that as the game that did us. If only we could have got 3 points from that, which we should easily have done, we would probably be safe now. Hughton losing his job off the back of it doesn''t help us much now.

I''m sorry to say - I think you''re right - about us, not Villa, although the way they''re looking at the moment they could be joining us!

I really hope I''m wrong but I think the most likely scenario is that we will finish rock bottom. I think today has probably knocked the stuffing out of us. The most frustrating thing is that we haven''t been in the bottom three all season until the time that we really don''t want to be.

Pete - Forgot about Davies, emphasises my point even more I guess. Why on earth weren''t we in for these players last summer.

[quote user="Herman "]No point going backwards. Look for someone new.[/quote] See my post ''Hull City'' re Steve Bruce

Exactly - my point.

Yes - I''ve said for a long while now that someone like Steve Bruce is what we needed, not too many agreed with me though. I don''t suppose there is anyway we could attract him now, but him with Mike Phelan could be fantastic for us no matter what league we are playing in next season.

I can''t help thinking that we could / should have learnt from them this season. What a top manager in Steve Bruce - vastly underrated in my opinion, he''s done a fantastic job there this season in both league and cup. Then look at the players that he brought in - Huddlestone, Livermore, Jelavic & Long, what a different proposition we could have been with them in the squad and a proper manager.

I don''t remember us playing with 12 men back then CR? Perhaps we should try that again and maybe stay up! (I''m looking at the team v 1p5wich in your first game).

He should be made skipper for the rest of this season. At least has something about him to gee them up bait and kick some a..

Perhaps he will sign George McCartney and we can then be the ''new Beatles''.

What about Neil (Colin) Warnock until the end of the season - could he keep us up? I think if we are going to do anything about changing the management at this stage, it would have to be something along these lines. Unless McNally''s earlier ''homework'' on potential replacements for CH has born any fruit and he has someone already lined up - highly unlikely though.