am i right in assuming that all of our goals were the direct product of blistering pace coupled with a cute, telling pass at exactly the right time? It seems we will almost definitely score when we play this game. With SuperBellamy back for Villa, will Cort miss out?

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2002

Answers

swift, Cort would be my choice to leave out.

If, and when, Robert, Solano, Dyer, Jenas and Bellamy play together (with Big Al up front), we'll scare the $h!t out of most defences (esp. next season + they're all, apart from Shearer, very young).

Admittedly, with our current defence, we'll concede a few(!) but, we should certainly score a lot more than we concede - a bit like the Keegan days (even like Manure's current style of play).

All we need (IMHO) is a hard man in the middle and a commanding "centre-half" (Yip Yap?)

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2002

Even though Cort and Shearer both played well yesterday, as a pair I didn't see much to encourage me.

I think ideally one or the other will play with Bellamy. Cort is probably a better finisher than Bellamy and has more pace than Shearer, but I bet AS wouldn't be too happy at being left out every other game.

How about 3 up front and 4 in midfield? Defenders aren't our strong point and we are really playing 4 centre backs, so why not drop the weakest one and play another striker? Jenas would have to play a more reserved role but it could certainly work. (in my dreams)

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2002

Shearer is going to have to start getting used to the idea of not playing every game. It's going to happen sooner or later. But I don't think there's much point resting him for the remainder of this season unless he picks up some kind of knock. But it is something to think about next season with the potential addition of European matches. ALL the players will have to get used to the idea of rotation, whether they like it or not.

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2002

Shearer should have been subbed yesterday at 5-2 and 15 mins to go. It was ludicrous to take off Cort who has only played 4 games all season when AS is just about on his bloody knees. Ludicrous.

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2002

Alex Ferguson has got the right idea at Manure. Even the players are in favour of rotation as they believe it helps them avoid injuries from over working - which is perfectly correct.

We don't really have the squad depth for that yet, but if Ferguson can convince his players that rotation is right then surely Robson can too?

Obviously this may have all been a set up by Manure as a cheap shot at Wenger, as Pires has blamed his injury on being overplayed.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2002

We don't have the squad to rest players as much as they should be. However, even when we have the chance we fail to do so - viz. Cort's crazy substitution on Friday.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2002

To be fair, I think Cort's substitution was to give him a bit confidence, to get the fans applauding him as he went off. He might have got the impression that the fans were impatient with him so took him off after a good performance to boost his ego a bit.

However, I think he would have realised yesterday that the fans were firmly behind him and shouldn't have needed to be taken off for that.

Shearer should have been the one taken off, and I would have said Nobby as well who has looked a bit knackered, but if LR was carrying an injury then that one made sense.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2002

YBR will probably start with Cort and sub him later for Bellamy. He won't drop him from the starting line up for fear of messing up his confidence, which he has been painfully building up for the last month. Hopefully Bobby will also follow through with his implied criticism of Dabs by moving Distin into his slot, and starting OB at LB, thus neatly killing three birds with one stone. (YBR and I have a strange telepathic understanding. Then again, if it's foggy between London and the Midlands, maybe my message won't get through in time............)

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2002

Cort's goal against the toffees was the best of the bunch, IMO, pure instinct, and finished perfectly, so I'd love Bobby to come up with a format that will include Cort.

Should have been the Premiership goal of the week I reckon.

I think it will have done Cort the world of good.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2002

Dear Miss Terious, If Distin comes in for Dabs and Any (sic) O'Brien goes to LB, who will fill the hole in the middle of the defence left by OB? Oh - maybe you mean it won't make any differnce as we always seem to play with a hole in the middle of defence. Could well confuse Graham Taylor. Nice to see some innovation on this BBS.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2002

Doh! I just realised that OB is not O Brien but that other Irishman O'Bernard. Silly me :-( IMHO, if YBR does carry out his threat, it could well be O'Brien that misses out and it is likely to be Robbie Williams Elliott who will come into the side.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2002

Pit, the Bill. Although Corts was well taken I thought the Bernard goal was a tad smarter.

My Video shows that Bernard actually started the move on the edge of our own box then passed to LLL on the half way line then make up the 30 yds to be level with him to receive the ball back and score. He covered box to penalty spot in the time LLL got from the halw way line to the by line,

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2002

...whereas Robert just whipped the cross in low and hard and, Cort just stuck his boot oot?

Well, that's how I saw it anyway ;7)

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2002

Cort's was easily the best. A pass out wide from Shearer after he held the ball up, Robert powers past one and gets half a yard on the second before putting in a perfect ball.

Cort's finish was top drawer but we can't overlook the cross. Sometimes LR gets the crosses wrong when he tries to be too precise, but this one he pulled off. Perfect height, as Cort needed no lift on his foot.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2002