And yes. I’d go as far as to say, had he recieved the normal 20 plus budget, the Keane money and the money from sales, we would have been in far better shape.

Funny thing is… I don’t even think we are that badly off. In fact, I haven’t really said how I see things because everytime I come in here, I usually end up countering some tantrum or another.

That’s what the dummy spitting always leads to. But if you look at it properly… how far behind all the Rafa bashers favourite team, Arsenal?

And yet they are playing sublime sumptious football well, so the media would tell us everytime they string more than two passes together. And according to them we are complete shit on a stick.

In any other industry all our problems would be takein into consideration, but of course that would mean telling some truth and jibbing the sensationalist headlines. But anyway, he way I see it is, considering how bad things have been the damage isn’t that bad.

There’s plenty of time to make up the ground we’ve lost in the Prem and even if we go out the CL I don’t see that as some huge disaster…. It means we can concentrate on the league, and it might even help get shut of the other pair. Well, at least a bit faster anyway. And I don’t even mind being in the Europa. I’d certainly still go to as many games in it as I could.

I also think that very soon some team is going to get a terrible hiding off us, and I’m also expecting us to go on a great run of games and other teams to hit their slump.

A lot of people think it’s Chelsea’s now. I can’t understand that sort of thinking anyway. But besides that, why have people forgotten how shit they were up until a couple of weeks ago and how many games they have tweaked through with late late goals?

Short memories some footy fans, eh.

And look at that game yesterday. Man U, except for Rooney, were absolute shit. I don’t think they made one clear cut chance, but the Chavs could only beat them with one rather dodgy goal.

Add to that City’s result and the fact Arsenal needed two own goals to finally break down Wolves – who then had to go for it and so they left themselves open to the counter.

But I do fully expect Man U and Chelsea to go on a bit of a spending spree in January, and I know how hard it’s going to be this season. Still I see no reason whatsoever to count ourselves out of it. And as for tantrums, I’d like to think our fans would learn to reserve them for H&G.

In fact, that is the most upsetting thing of all… The depths our support has started to plummet since Istanbul, or was it even as far back as 04?

Funny thing is, if they just got a grip and kept a bit of faith they might actually get to enjoy this season and celebrate a bit at the end when we turn it around instead of looking foolish.

Oh well, I’m going on one again. So I’ll just say, I’m very optomistic for the rest of the season. I’m really looking forward to it. And I’m certainly not counting us out of anything just yet.

PS… if Rafa had known how all this was going to turn out, he’d have probably kept hold of Keane. But even with only Vroninn and NGog to fall back on, I still don’t think letting go of KEane was a bad thing.

Anyways, in my opinion, lucas has lot more to learn yet, but he has shown the determination and hardwork to win over a number of critics… i do believe that wen a person is instilled wid responsibility, he either succumbs or learn at a very fast pace… Lucas has proved himself to be in the later category..

Regarding manx players behaviour, maybe you are right… i shudnt be surprised by wat i saw today.. but for me, that was the exact sort of behaviour that got masch in trouble in not so distant past… oh forgot.. Masch is a liverpool player .. sorry .. my bad!

He has improved considerably in the last year or two though.The reason i`m saying this that with hard work and dedication one can improve themselves if given a chance.I`m refering to the Lucas saga in our team.Two years back the general consensus was he was shit.He has improved greatly and there`s lots more room for improvment.Those who think he`ll never be good enough to do a job for us should look at Fletcher.He`ll never be world player of the year but he does the dirty work for them.I know most in here don`t slate Lucas as they are intelligent enough to see he`s improving.

and i agree the media would be up fungus faces arse if he had suffuered what we have gone upto now.

notice today his players are just like him attck the ref in numbers what that about,it about time they grew some balls and set one or two of them off for their appauling behavier.

Johnson is exactly the sort of purchase we should be making. .. then he gets injured.
Aquaman too, but his rehab took longer than expected… then when he was ready, he cops the virus and is out for another couple of weeks.

FS you yourself made a point of the dignified way Rafa has handled all this… maybe we should be doing the same?
There’s what could happen, what should happen… then there’s the shit that has happened…
…imagine the crapload of excuses we’d be wading through in the media if Fungus had this many injuries and Owen and Valencia had gotten crocked/ill!

But I do consider that when we bought Crouch, he didn’t score for half a season… When we bought Robbie Keane, he missed a hatload of sitters… we had Torres out for half a season last year.

I suppose if you are talking about 3 players of the calibre of Torres, (you know, truly world class… which is a phrase bandied about far too easily in my opinion,) then yes the likelihood is that would have made some difference… but…

…how much of a difference?
…would any “optional purchase” have caught swine flu?
…or injured their gonads tripping over their dog?
…or bumped into a doorpost and be in a coma for 6 months?
… coz in my oinion, that is seriously the kind of fuckin voodoo we’ve been facing since August 16th!

AND… I think we KNOW that the reality of any alternate purchases would have been in a “lower” mold than that “world class” type we need.

All I’m saying is I’m not convinced 2 or even 3 better purchases in the summer… given the run of bad luck and Murphy’s Law we’ve had… would have made a drastic difference to our current fortunes.

Of course, even a marginally better signing COULD have made a difference, but shit happens and this season, its mostly happening to us.
And I think if we could accept at least a little bit of that, maybe it would quell the fuckin hysteria some people seem bent on bandying about.

As i said earlier its or own form and luck we need to turn around and when we do,hopefully sooner the better,we will go on a run and bring ourselves back into the hunt.I have no doubt about that.Weather we can sustain form for long enough to actually win it is another thing but at one stage or another we will be within touching distance.

I can`t predict at this stage who`s going to win it but at the moment the Chavs are setting the pace and look the team to beat.They seem to have it all going for them at the moment in contrast to our fortunes but it won`t last forever and we will be back.