Am I the only one who feels that 6th place is really up for grabs and we should have a real chance of snatching it?

Looking around - Villa are average. Spurs, the newspaper favourites rely on some key players in their mid thirties and may find the season catches up with their legs.Chelsea have some class- but well are just Chelsea. Seemingly set to be constant under achievers.

We really should be pushing to get this European slot, BUT as usual it comes back to this issue of our central midfield.Again. The next 6 weeks is important and 8 games in December is too much for Rob Lee at 35 and with his mind set on a way out. Surely Bob has got to get someone in before Xmas

Please

See Leeds want to invest in another midfielder - Isset being tipped as cover for Bowyer who is out until the New Year

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Answers

I don't think we should buy Izzet but I agree that we really need a new midfielder in and quickly.

I am expecting this to happen but if it doesn't then Christmas will bring it's usual mixed bag of dodgy results.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

To be honest, I don't expect us to bring anyone in before Xmas. Our primary targets appear to be Sinclair and Emerton. I can't see us paying what WHU want for Sinclair, and it doesn't look as though Emerton will move in the near future. Even when he does move, we certainly are not guaranteed to get him.

I expect us to fanny around with this situation until our season is all but lost - much as we did last season. We seem to be pathologically incapable of learning from our mistakes.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

5th place is a possibility. Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool and Leeds are all a couple of years ahead of us. Take out Derby, Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton and you are left with 12 clubs who could get 5th/6th.

So... we are perfectly capable of finishing 5th or 16th and I wouldn't rule out either.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

going down would teach Southampton a lesson, never poach TOP coaches

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

I don't think Saints can be accused of poaching... and who is the TOP coach that they've had? ... or are you taking the pi**

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

There are certain games where Acuna can play (and let's face it, he can have good games even if he's not the complete midfielder we want).

The one thing I would say is that last season there were some very good reasons such as incredible injuries that halted our progress. Touching wood, there is no such excuse this season. Even with the first team we have, we should really be capable of beating most teams we meet. We have decent cover at the back and a few options up front: even resting Rob Lee shouldn't be that much of a hardship since Clarence can provide some cover. The only thing stopping us is a pathological, clubwide, tendency to over-react to good results and relax for the next game. STOP IT.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Shirley, sorry dougal, the whole point is that we should beat all these mid table and bottom sides, but, we never do.

No jinx or hoodoo just bad management. Why is every team up for it against us?

Why do sides below us thump the cellar dwellars and we struggle? 2 things, we are tactically niaive and we are not as good as we think we are.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

It's because we are perceived as a big side and therefore they are all up for it, the way we are always up for Man Utd. Unfortunately, we haven't got the strength of mind to play against and beat sides who are treating the game like a Cup Final (in fact, we can't even play in a Cup Final as though it's a Cup Final). In the past we've had excuses like injury, poor players, poor managers etc for not stringing together lots of results. We don't have this excuse now: we have a decent manager, the best squad for some years and better luck with injury: if, against this backdrop, we can't start winning consistently, then the management has to look at underlying reasons. I actually wouldn't be averse to a club psychologist coming in.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

We need a sports psychologist.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

To further prove the point of other teams raising their game against us, can't remember now who said it, but someone from Fulham interviewed after our match said this was probably the best they'd played all season. Other teams not only perceive us as a big team, but also one that can be beaten if they work hard enough. Not sure why this concept of consistent hard work is so difficult for our lot to understand.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

i think you'll find they haven't...broken record that is...

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

I firmly believe we should bring in a sports psychologist. Can't think why they haven't. This is actually my area of work (psychology and changing behaviour that is, not sports) and it is so clear to me that the team are stuck in a particular way of thinking which impacts on their behaviour.

Psychology is not rocket science but they need to do some work on changing their thoughts and feelings about playing in London or the behaviour won't change, we will therefore keep on losing.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

I also believe we could go either way this season.

If we win 3 in a row would u be that suprised? I think it really could happen. If it does we probably will be top and talking of maintaining our position.

But.. Would u be that supried if we lost the next 3?

Me neither. Therefore little games like Fulham really do make a difference. We would have been top, now we are 6th..

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

At the end of the say (sorry for that cliche) luck plays a part as well.

Remember that against Bolton and Boro we had a bit of luck with the offside decision and the 'keeper being sent off. Against Fulham and West Ham, we've had a bad bit of luck that's changed te game. The early non-penalty against West Ham, and the fact that Saha will probably miss the target the next 20 times he attempts that same shot. Goals change games. When we are 1-0 up we can counter attack teams and really go for the game, but 1-0 down and we are clueless to a certain extent. Getting a bit of luck to get the first goal always helps, but we are still a team in transistion and will be until Rob Lee's replacement is settled in the team.

We need to be able to attack like Man Utd and really scare the opposition, not be easy to defend against once we're 1-0 down. This stems from midfield I reckon, as well as up front.

Shearer is not worth a lot when we are losing, I hate to say it but I would only play him if we are winning, as he is superb at holding the ball up. His lack of pace gives defences that extra second to react. Cort would start with Bellamy for me when fit, and Shearer would be a sub for when we need to keep the ball.

The main problem is midfield though. If Rob Lee has a bad game, the entire midfield as a bad game. As the playmaker of our side, it is his responsibility to put the ball wide, or forward to Gary Speed who can then give it to the forwards. If Lee has an off day (currently about 2 in 3 matches) then the wingers get none of the ball (and get slated) and the strikers get very little service. It may be a little bit unfair on Rob Lee, but he's done a fine job of that in the past.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Lynda, regarding Psychologists, on TOTT, a Southampton lad came on moaning about Wadsworth, saying that Hoddle had bequeathed the team a wonderful, eloquent psychologist who seemed to make a real difference and that Wadsworth's first action as coach was to sack this bloke on the basis that he could do all the inspiring that was needed.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Interesting. I wonder if Bobby might also be old school when it comes to the idea of a sports psychologist?

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Psychology is not rocket science.

Bliddy shame that. That lot could do with a few rockets, strategically aimed.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

-We need a sports psychologist-

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Could this be the beginning of a new song at matches? Other teams sing things like 'Sack the board' or "X's on the dole", we could sing "We need a sports psychologist". Not sure what tune to use, I'll leave that to you more creative songwriting types.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Yeah - me too. I'll leave the melody to somebody else. But I can suggest a few rhymes. Geologist (for that rock in defence that we need), Psychiatrist (for approx 49,000 fans), Gynacologist (not quite sure) and Dyer's p!$$ed.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

over to you, Sting.....

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001