The 2011/12 Gary Speed Memorial Thread

[Gazz]

We're missing Steven Taylor

[Crybaby Bunting]

Who has missed Steven Taylor since he put in a transfer request

[Colly]

Us for three games I'd say, Williamsons okay but Taylors far better. Injury crisis is over though with him and Colo back in, would be interesting to see where we'd have been had we not lost two against Chelsea.

[Lineker]

Fergie has said that Smalling has tonsilitus rather than glandular fever and will not be missing three months.

Also, Mick McCarthy pulling up the Milijas tackle on a big screen and analysing why it was a great challenge was fantastic.

[DavidMarrio]

God bless Mick. Guys a legend

Is there a video of it anywhere I haven't seen that?

[Lineker]

Probably. It's on SSN.

[Lineker]

Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish has urged Stephen Ireland to create headlines on the pitch following the appearance of a controversial photo on Twitter.

The picture was posted on the account of Ireland's girlfriend, Jessica Lawlor, on 22 December.

It shows Ireland wearing silver snakeskin trousers, with a smoking pipe in one hand and a drink in the other.

McLeish said: "You don't want to be bringing attention to yourself. It is not something I want to be discussing."

He added: "Was it a shisha pipe [Arabic smoking pipe] or something? I don't know what is in that stuff. For all I know he could have been blowing bubbles into it or something.

"It is not my world, the way the players live nowadays, with the tweeting and posting pictures of themselves and that.

"Any opinion I have on that will be delivered to Stephen rather than discussing it in the newspapers."

Ireland joined Villa from Manchester City 18 months ago but is yet to cement a first-team place at the club.

McLeish said: "He has been training well and played really well in the first half of the Arsenal game [on 21 December].

"He's got to take that kind of attitude into other games. We know what he can do when he has got the ball. We know he has a got a decent touch.

"But he showed the other attributes in the Arsenal game with his closing down and harrying of people. He has to do more of that.

"We know that he has not really done himself total justice in a Villa shirt. There is still a chance for him, there is still a chance for everybody.

"There will be opportunities over the next two or three games for him to show us what he is really capable of."

[DanLowth]

Think this Anderson emerged from Fat Anderson, like an Alien or something.

[DavidMarrio]

Liverpool team to play Newcastle:

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Enrique, Skrtel, Agger, Adam, Henderson, Spearing, Downing, Carroll, Bellamy. Subs: Doni, Maxi, Kuyt, Gerrard, Carragher, Shelvey, Kelly.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Carroll AND Bellamy?

This is going to be interesting ^_^

[Colly]

I'm not looking forward to this one, but that really doesn't look that formidable a lineup. No doubt good enough to beat us, and I know Suarez, Lucas and Gerrard are missing, but did anyone truly believe it could be 'their year' with that team? The midfield is so average its untrue, and certainly not worth the £50m+ it cost in the last few windows.

Edit: Newcastle team; Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Taylor, Obertan, Tiote, Cabaye, Jonas, Vuckic, Ba.

Like it, looks like balls on the ground possession rather than lumping it to Best. That said Vuckic is a big lad too, please don't just hoof at him...

Edited December 30, 2011 by Colly

[Hobo]

I'm not looking forward to this one, but that really doesn't look that formidable a lineup. No doubt good enough to beat us, and I know Suarez, Lucas and Gerrard are missing, but did anyone truly believe it could be 'their year' with that team? The midfield is so average its untrue, and certainly not worth the £50m+ it cost in the last few windows.

If anyone did, they were clearly delusional. This year was never going to be Liverpool's year.

[Crybaby Bunting]

By 'that year' I'm presuming he means Champions League qualification, the title was never in question >_>

[Colly]

Champions League, Europa League, anything. Henderson and Adam?

[stokeriño]

Anyone else see the Sky Sports stats that listed Daniel Sturridge as the fourth-best Premier League striker of all time (and Demba Ba as #1)?

[Colly]

Yep, it confused the hell out of me. Torres was there too, makes you wonder how high he'd be if he was still firing.

[stokeriño]

It was 'minutes per goal', with players requiring a minimum of 20 PL goals to qualify. No doubt Torres being on the bench has helped.

[Baddar]

Also, fuck the ''Goal of the Year'' vote on SSN. Modric's should've won, but only got 8% - RVP just shaded it ahead of Rooney's against Man City.

[Matt]

Which RVP goal? And which Modric goal for that matter.

[MJB]

RVP vs Everton

Modric vs Liverpool

I guess, anyway.