...cough....it should be '1pt ahead of the 38pt curve'.....

I think we're doing fine considering how many new player we needed to blood and with a new head coach too!

I don't see why Saido can't keep scoring. Provided he keeps his head he could prove to be our best ever Premiership striker.

I've never been much of a fan of Anichebe. Yes he's big and strong but the stats speak for themselves. Poor goals return and poor injury record. We should never have bought him in my opinion!

Much of our season will depend on Lescott staying fir and Saido keeping his form, for which we'll need a big slice of luck. Without those two we could struggle.

As for Villa, Blues (i totally forgot about them), Wolves and Leicester. I couldn't care less!

I've got a feeling that we may cut our loses with Vic.

If I remember correctly, we paid £3m up front for him with the rest based on appearances and performance?

We should be pretty safe with that...

I don't think any manager would have found it easy when you ship out 13 players and bring in 11. In the circumstances he is doing OK. Saido will keep scoring goals and progressing and if so, I expect JP to get big money for him. Anichebe will always be a problem but is still a good squad member. Lescott will break down but we still have decent cover there.
As for Villa -no better than last year despite their start. Blues relegated and Wolves mid-table.

It was never going to be easy for AI and, like him or not, you give him some credit for rising above the abuse and cracking on.

As for Villa...

Has Roy Keane been spammed to play Santa at their Christmas party?

What is that beard about?

Do we think AI is adjusting to life in the Prem?
Yes, the last few games have shown me that he can organise a team well.

Will Saido keep scoring goals?
As long as he stays at striker. I saw him as overrated last season, maybe because he was being played out wide almost all the time but no complaints from previous managers because perhaps he wasn't ready to play up front.

Will Big Vic ever be fit?
Nope, Just one of those players

Will Lescott go the distance?
I think so, yes. I imagine him to be more focused and driven on fitness than other team mates, considering.

Jury still out on AI for me. Definitely steps in the right direction over the past couple of weeks though. As we have seen things can change very quickly.

http://www.wba.co.uk/news/article/bournemouth-cup-tickets-sold-out-2003404.aspx

2,000 ticket allocation sold out for a cold Tuesday night in Bournemouth in no time.

Best fans in the world

That's pretty impressive, Teix. I really hope we are just as up for it on the pitch.

Could this be the cup run we have been hoping for?

The jury's still out on Al for me as well, but there's no doubt we're doing ok under him so far. I do believe that at last he's got a decent squad and spending power to show what he can do as a head coach, compared to the squads and spending power he had at Preston and Sheffield Wednesday.
Anichebe - I just can't see him ever doing anything for us.
I'm also concerned about Brown Ideye too - a £10 million player being kept out by a 20 year old.
Lescott - I'm confident we can keep him fit as we've got one of the best medical and physio teams in the country. Remember Derby County giving up on Giles Barnes and cancelling his contract and releasing him? We got him fit and playing again.
Saido - simply brilliant what he's achieving.
Other teams - not bothered, except I don't want Villa to go down. Struggle yes, but not go down.

Thing is, do we want the BCD revived?

That would mean Wolves getting promoted of course.

Wolves are a poorly-managed club who have paid for not doing the right things off the pitch.
Jez Moxey once said he wanted Wolves to emulate Albion. Now he's said he wants to emulate Everton.
I hope Wolves keep Jez Moxey for ever.

Re. Ideye, I think it's unfair to suggest Berahino's been keeping him out. He got himself injured in the process of scoring his first goal. Who knows what might have been if he'd continued. He could be the guy everybody's talking about given that his confidence would've been up.

Unfortunately Ideye now has to start again. He'll be training again next week so we'll have to keep our fingers crossed that he comes back and picks up from where he finished. Far too early to judge either way but 1 goal from 2 or 3 starts is hardly cause for concern at this stage.

True re Brown Ideye's injury! I retract my comment about Saido keeping him out of the team, and let's hope the two of them can play together in a 4-4-2 sometime. I'd love to see that.

Strange that the 'bulk' of our team each week this year are the same players that could not 'get' what Pepe wanted last year...

Was it the players or was it Mr Mel?

Heis, I wonder if it was just that they didn't really rate and therefore didn't wholly respect Pepe Mel - and off the top of my head, I couldn't tell you Mel's managerial record. But he didn't often come across as very dynamic, did he.