Before the TRoyes game I`d have said if we concede 2 we lose. Conceding 4 is yet another joke in the annals of NUFC non-defending. And BTW I include the midfielders in the blame as you start defending from there. I`ve said it before countless times - we will NEVER win anything with a team that includes all of Speed, Barton & Dabizas. Unfortunately drastic surgery is not an option for a squad lacking strength in depth like ours but IMO Bobby HAS to start ringing the changes and letting go of yesterday`s men

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001

Answers

I agree completely, y the F**k have we not signed a centre back this close season?!?! No doubt there was one ready 2 sign had we reached the UEFA...

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001

and BTW this is not an invite to kick the 3 players I named following a defeat. more to turn up the noise on YBR and for him to acknowledge that they just aren`t good enough. No shame in that, just thanks for all your efforts over the years and see you all later. much later

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001

I think bernard must play some part on sunday, it sounded as though he was having a blinder. Why wasn't griffin playing??

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001

Yes why wsn't Griffin playing. he is MUCH better than Barton who was appalling tonight. Drop Barton and sorry Given, you need a rest to regain your confidence. Lee and Speed are not much better, over the hill.

We just looked better attacking, with Bernard on the pitch.

In the end at least we go out with something, in the way we fought back. Alas Europe wasn't to be. But with Robert and Shearer in the side we will be a better team.

Please, please. please Bobby drop Barton now!

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001

Isn't it amazing what a single game will do?

After the Chelsea game almost all postees were praising Barton to the hilt. Now he is once again the scapegoat for some. -phoenix

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001

He's noyt a scape goat, he was rubbish. I've had goes in the past but praised his performance on Sunday, you could do nothing else. Tonight he was appalling. If he had done what Ben (11 next month) would have done they wouldn't have score the decisive 4th.

Don't defend the indefensible, he couldn't for sure.

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001

Barton was absoultely atrocious tonight. He was class on Sunday but complete rubbish tonight.

This happens most seasons - Barton starts well then becomes bad, but I can't honestly say I've witnessed Barton play that bad in my life before.

Given was also very much below par, it looked like he should have kept their free kick out to me and his kicking was back to his best by the looks of things.

Lee and Speed in centre midfield didn't do a lot to help. More often than not, Lee was sitting back in a defensive midfielders position - except he didn't defend. It was like having 10 men.

The rest weren't much better. In the first half, I can honestly only praise Bellamy who worked his socks off for the team. Unfortunately, when he beat his man more often than not the rest of the team didn't join him in the Troyes half, meaning wasted opportunities.

Second half was just as bad to begin with - Bobby's "magical" triple substitution came far too late IMHO. If the same subs were made just 10 minutes earlier I reckon we could have stolen the tie.

Unfortunately, with the timing of the substitutions, we were always fighting a losing battle, especially with their players who enjoy the feeling of grass on their face and the referee who enjoys watching the players enjoying the feeling of grass on their faces.

In a way, it was a much more entertaining game than if Solano's opener was the only goal, but I'd much rather have a UEFA Cup spot.

Main points to come out of the game:

Barton HAS TO BE REPLACED BY GRIFFIN! He has been a loyal servant to the club, but his time has passed now, he has become a liability, his performance at Chelsea is irrelevant after than monstrosity of a game.

Given needs to go to his room and think about what he has done, maybe read some goalkeeping coaching books to teach him the basic skills.

Wayne Quinn is no left winger - OK not really his fault, he plays his trade as a left back, but Bernard was more than adequate when he came on, why not start him?

£10m for Solano is a great bit of business. With Robert to return and Gavilan, Bernard, and Lua Lua all with potential as wingers, we may well survive without him.

Clarence Acuna is a better midfielder than Lee or Speed, many have doubts about him mainly because he isn't English, but if he is fit why the hell isn't he played? If Acuna isn't liked by Robson, then he really needs to find some quality replacements for Lee and Speed. Their time has past.

I really hope I'm not saying the same about Shearer in a few months time.

Overall, although the attempted fightback had my pulse racing like mad, we still gifted them all four goals. If only Bobby could get a seat in Level 7, it would all be so painfully obvious what was going wrong.

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001

Griffin for Barton. Barton is still useful as a squad player, but we really have to stop relying on him. Same for Dabs, play O'Brien in his place. Acuna for Lee or Speed. We need to find a strong center half and central midfielder asap. Central midfield if we can only have one.

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001

Troyes aren't a bad side. They're not great, but they have a VERY tactically astute manger who clearly did his homework on us. After Sunday's game it was blindingly OBVIOUS that the defence was being pulled all over the park when Celseas got the ball wide to Gronkjaer and Zenden. That was very nearly our undoing in the 1st 45 then. Tonight, it WAS our undoing. We were caught out on numerous counter-attacks time and time again.

We overcommitted to attacks, the back 4 were out of position, Barton looked tired, Nobby glowed then sort of fizzled out like an indoor firework. As a TEAM performance it was very poor - no one working for each other, no one LEADING the team or TALKING to each other which is quite honestly UNFORGIVABLE. Individually, errors cost us very dear. Back to BASICS, lads =

COMMUNICATION. PASS. MOVE.

I think YBR was all set to leave the team that started out on the field for the full 90 to show his absolute disgust and that he wasn't going to rescure them with a substitution so they could hide. When Ameobi scored i think he realised that we still had a [remote] chance, so hauled off Solano, Barton and Quinn. Had he had the option, I'm sure Given would've been next. But this is a TEAM game and the TEAM lost a VERY important match. Make no mistake. Bobby will leave them clear on that and he'll remember it...

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001

Firstly, defence starts at the front and neither of our front lads yesterday could hold onto the ball. Our midfield plays well one game in five and gave the lads at the back no protection. We desperately need a new holding midfielder. If we can't manage this, then put Hughesie into that spot and put Andy O'Brien into Hughesie's spot (I can't see him complaining). Shay is having a bit of a poor run but I'm not sure that replacing him will do much good at this point. Wayne Quinn should never play first team football again: he just isn't good enough. For Christ's sake, give Griffin a run.

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2001