Clutching at straws...

[HampsteadCanary 0]

Should the 4th goal have been offside? Surely if there''s a player on the penalty spot going for the ball and someone comes in behind him then the first player is interfering with play? Just thinking on another day, we hit the post twice, could have had a penalty and that fourth goal is debatable.

We don''t seem to get a lot of luck; no penalties, no lucky deflections etc, but you make your own luck. We need to be first to every ball on Saturday, and show West Brom that we mean business. Whether that means changes or not remains to be seen, but we need points!

[ron obvious 1,501]

Being even more clutchier ...

Perhaps it was a good thing? If we''d got the breaks it would''ve papered over the cracks. As somebody else here pointed out, you can learn a lot more from a defeat than a victory. So rather now than later (perhaps) & i reckon SAN''s a quick learner.

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

Yes, the 4th goal was crucial and the sky commentators (who were pretty even-handed to be fair - talking here about the commentators during the match, I didn''t watch the post-match analysis) made the point that it should probably have been ruled out as offside.

For me the key points are that we needed to score to equalise when we were on top at the start of the second half - you''ve got to take your chances when you''re dominating. And taking off Tettey left us open to the counter-attack, which destroyed us.

[Jacko 0]

I think it is offside personally and I am going to use the logic and rationale that the Premier League used when they stated that Bournemouth''s goal at Anfield should have been disallowed at the start of the season.

When that cross is put into the box, Ruddy''s attention is immediately drawn to the man attempting to make contact the ball. He waits to see if contact is made before moving across his goal. He has effectively been ''pinned'' in that position by the attacker.

If that man isn''t there then he instead positions himself on the far side of his goal in an attempt to save the effort from the man coming in at the far post. It''s unlikely that Ruddy would have saved the effort in any event but that''s irrelevant. The attacker has interfered with play and gained an unfair advantage for his team by being there. It''s a clear offside in my opinion.

But ultimately, let''s not even try to use that as an excuse. If Newcastle hadn''t scored from that attempt I am pretty sure they would have picked us off on the counter shortly afterwards. We were just an absolute sitting duck for it after Tettey went off.

[Lessingham Canary 99]

I think Saturdays line up will answer so much, were we just unlucky ? were the players (or some of) ignoring instructions and the "plan" ?

As mentioned elsewhere, Saturdays line up will shed some light, I wont even hazard a guess at what team we will put out, but in AN I still trust.

[Jacko 0]

That should, of course, read Liverpool''s goal against Bournemouth at Anfield.

[westcoastcanary 0]

[quote user="ron obvious"]Being even more clutchier ...

Perhaps it was a good thing? If we''d got the breaks it would''ve papered over the cracks. As somebody else here pointed out, you can learn a lot more from a defeat than a victory. So rather now than later (perhaps) & i reckon SAN''s a quick learner.[/quote]How come you reckon SAN''s "a quick learner" when the same weakness manifests itself game after game and isn''t addressed?

[ron obvious 1,501]

How come you reckon SAN''s "a quick learner" when the same weakness manifests itself game after game and isn''t addressed?

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Do you think he''s a slow learner then?

I think he''s trying to do the best with what is not one of the strongest squad''s in the Prem. This really shows when a few of our better players go missing in the same match.

Also, he is trying to find an alternative solution to the Pullis one, attempting to play attractive, attacking football first & foremost.

I think he is approaching the problem as he says, one game at a time. Whether he''ll be able to solve it before it''s too late is the question.

[HampsteadCanary 0]

I''m sure SAN knows what''s wrong, maybe the players just aren''t good enough to execute what he wants. They all need to play at 100% to stand a chance in this league, and that has only happened on a few occasions, and when other teams weren''t quite at it.