Guzan and Benteke in Crooks's team of the season

[Toronto Villa]

Robbie Savage and Attention Seeking Penis work well together in the same sentence

[neo_Villan]

Our improvement did coincide with Vlaar's return.

Actually it coincided with us changing from 3-5-2 back to 4-3-3. Your argument would only carry weight if our upturn was down to our defensive record. Which it obviously wasn't.

[PaulWinch again]

He ruins his credibility a bit though by saying we avoided relegation thanks to the presence of Ron Vlaar though.

Yeah, I did an eyebrow raise at that as well.

Does Crooks actually watch much football, I wonder?

Yes bit of a surpise that, although it should be noted for all his frailties the awful run we went through over the Christmas period was when Vlaar was out of the team.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm convinced there is a lot more to come from Ron Vlaar. He needs a strong player next to him so he can concentrate on his game as opposed to baby sitting a CB and LB that are mistake prone. I think it has affected his game. He's a good leader and you can see he commands respect but he's not good enough on his own to make up for his own deficiencies as well as those around him.

I agree.

[curiousorange]

I find Crooks most amusing on Final Score. He's so intense. Plus one day, his shirt is going to collapse under the strain, and his gut will spring out and envelop that desk between him and Gabby Logan.

[paul_e]

I actually get the point about Vlaar, I think he's a big part of the reason that, since the new year, we've developed a bit more steel and stopped looking like a goal against us was going to lead to a complete collapse.  Yes we've conceded more than we'd like, a lot from errors, but we've been battle hardened since Vlaar has come back, I think he's done a good job as captain in a difficult season.

[ktvillan]

I like the fact that you can generally rely on Guzan to come and claim crosses although he almost gifted Norwich an equalizer recently when misjudging one.   I've started having some doubts about his shot stopping though - there's been one or two where I've thought his reflexes were a bit on the slow side and that maybe Given would have stopped them.   But he's a better all round keeper than Given.   

As for Joe Hart, he must be the most overrated keeper since Shilton turned 35.   Lacks agility, not the best reflexes, fumbles plenty of crosses, and prone to needless errors.  Ben Foster should walk into the England team ahead of him.

[PaulWinch again]

On a related note, if Lawros predictions had been correct we would have finished 19th with 27 points.

[VillaAlways]

On a related note, if Lawros predictions had been correct we would have finished 19th with 27 points.

And QPR 8th on 56 points.Did it not ever click with him that QPR were utter crap

[SoccerHQ]

Robbie "Wanker" Savage was scoffing at this on Football Focus on Sunday saying the two players were on a team nearly relegated and Garth responded by saying that Savage had predicted 100% we would be relegated. It was a getting a bit tasty before the presenter stepped into intervene and change topics. Good old Garth.

Yeah I saw that too. As we've seen elsewhere Savage just loves having digs at us. It was only two season ago after all West Ham were relegated and Scott Parker won player of the year!

[rob_bridge]

I like the fact that you can generally rely on Guzan to come and claim crosses although he almost gifted Norwich an equalizer recently when misjudging one.   I've started having some doubts about his shot stopping though - there's been one or two where I've thought his reflexes were a bit on the slow side and that maybe Given would have stopped them.   But he's a better all round keeper than Given.   

As for Joe Hart, he must be the most overrated keeper since Shilton turned 35.   Lacks agility, not the best reflexes, fumbles plenty of crosses, and prone to needless errors.  Ben Foster should walk into the England team ahead of him.

Agree - a string of good games and Hart as he is English he must be World Class. Load of hyped up bollards.
Shilts was passed his best by about 1984-5 so agree there.
Seaman other than Euro 96 was not great for England probably because the defence was not as good as Arse's
Don't think Foster is any better than Hart  if truth be told

Guzan better than both

[olaftab]

He's just in total control of his box. He's like a Mother Superior.

But she has never ever caught anything

[olaftab]

Not sure if Yaya Toure should be in that team but can't think who else could replace him other than Delph!

[OCD]

Not sure if Yaya Toure should be in that team but can't think who else could replace him other than Delph!

Maybe they could if it were team of the last 2 months.