Utrecht Build up

[Lecter]

And Reina, Skrtel and the Greek. Anyone would think he's desperately trying to impress the owners who will be there.

I actually think he does do this or at least tries to

Look in the past his outbursts about things "not being good enough" usually coincide with owners visits just like his team meetings normally coincide with owner visits

Then as soon as they are out of the door hes back to bigging up the opposition and dumbing down expectation

[Craig_H]

"Pepe Reina likes to play. He would like to play in this one and I'm not going to be the one who says to him, 'You want to play, so you don't play.'

But you dont mind maybe being the one to say it to Dirk?

"Dirk is in the squad of 18 players. If it was up to him he would start the game, but he'll have to see if he can persuade me or not!"

What a self-preserving cunt.

[dww]

He clearly has a lot of confidence in Jones ability, no?

[Craig_H]

He clearly has a lot of confidence in Jones ability, no?

I'd have to actually side with Hodgson on that one though.

And besides, Jones is probably one of the few non-english players that he's actually heard of and seen play.

[dww]

I'd have to actually side with Hodgson on that one though.

And besides, Jones is probably one of the few non-english players that he's actually heard of and seen play.

You might have hoped he would have used that knowledge before buying him really.

[Craig_H]

Dont be silly. The man has a system that's worked brilliantly in top level footballing hotbeds like Malmo, Örebro and Halmstad. Who the **** are we to question his methods?

[The_weatherman]

"Paul Konchesky has a slight injury problem. He's not injured and if it was a crucial game he could play, but it's good I've got Fabio Aurelio and I don't have to consider him."

He really thinks of world PFK doesn't he?

[Craig_H]

Anyone who'd just turned up here and hadnt followed football or any idea of Konchesky, would think he was the second coming of Maldini.

[Chris]

Konchesky rested for the weekend. Great!

[Craig_H]

Let's hope he rests into a season-lasting slumber.

[The Birdman]

So we've already qualified as group winners yeah??

If so then even taking into consideration what The Bodge has been saying I would honestly like to see Kelly, Wilson, Robinson, Shelvey, Pacheco, Suso and Sterling play.

If we can't give some experience to some really promising kids in a nothing game with even less riding on the result then we never will.

The fact he is talking about playing Torres even as a sub is a massive sign he feels under pressure for a result to help him keep his job.

He'd get a lot more respect from me by leaving all the established players out and picking those 7 younger players with Cole, Jovanovich, Skrtel/Kyriakos, Babel, Aurelio etc...

[Craig_H]

It's purely to try and get a win, to relieve the pressure from him - nothing more, nothing less. It's all about him, not the club.

[RichC]

It's purely to try and get a win, to relieve the pressure from him - nothing more, nothing less. It's all about him, not the club.

So transparent it's not ****ing funny!

[Mattshark]

This will be the first game I'll have gone to in 2 seasons.

[Shaggy]

He told his pre-Utrecht press conference: "The only team with better results than us over the past five or six games is Arsenal or Manchester United. If you take the last five or six games we are right up there in terms of results.

What the **** is he talking about? Is our **** record in the last 6 games really the third best in the league? I very much ****ing doubt it.

We’ve taken 7 points from our last 6 games! He keeps banging on about this so-called improvement and our great form, but it’s 7 points from 6 games, with three defeats in those six games FFS.

Wigan – drew
Stoke – lost
West Ham – won
Spurs – lost
Villa – won
Newcastle – lost