Danny

I was the one who brought the word 'fickle' into this thread, and I qualified it with stating that only the most fickle fan would get on the team's back after that result in light of recent performances. I don't see anything wrong with the use of that word in that context - there's nothing fair, rational or reasonable about attacking the team which was exactly what was mostly happening by the time I replied. Especially given the praise we've given them this season. Other posts came in after mine and backed up my argument. To belittle this team after that solitary result is simply not on - constructive criticism of any bad result is valid, but terms like 'we threw it away', 'dumplin', 'defence was a joke' just seem a bit beyond the pale and extremely reactionary. I am not saying don't say anything negative, I am saying be constructive with criticism and be rational with it, if possible. Rather than calling our players dumplings and implying the defence is a joke. Especially when we're 13 points ahead of timmy, and the treble's on!

How? He goes by the handle 'Northampton_Loyalist' - where I use my name I'm also not sure how he's put himself 'out there'? I'm not questioning his honesty either, I'm just not believing things till they are verified. And that applies universally, not just to him.

I'd have been pleased at this a season ago when Brown was a bit of a public enemy, but these days he's a nothing.

Miller's having a wee bit of a dry patch - it's the way he is - he's either outstanding and crucial or patchy and scrappy. At the moment it's the latter. He'll come good again, just like he will go dry again as well. He's very much an up and down form player.

I'll let you off as you've rarely shown any positivity anyway so at least you're consistent.

I should clarify. I stand entirely by my view on the RST, indeed it's one of the reasons you and a couple of others quit. However I accept not all the staff on RM consider their board more important than the club, but a number of them absolutely do and they were the ones I referred to. I cannot especially speak for FF as I've successfully avoided it but the reputation it has earned itself thanks to who runs it seems to back up my point of view. I didn't entirely intend to smear all the staff members on both boards, but a disturbing number of them do indeed have the failings you refer to. Although my direct experience of at least one of these forums would make my view subjective. That said, I've no experience bar reputation and articles of the RST and FF - and my view of them is mirrored. No offence Frankie but you probably already have here. The opening post in this very thread slags off the RST on a personal basis citing agendas and hypocrisy - all I did was agree. It's an impossible situation you're in, and as someone who's been in your kind of shoes before I know how difficult it is to manage discussion and get the balance right. And when it's a thread about the RST, FF, RM or similar, you will inevitably get posts like mine or on the opposite fence.

A bit reactionary this thread. 3 flukey goals/defensive errors gave them a replay - one from a blind Whittaker pass, one from a Whittaker OG, and one where a fortunate rebound off the bar put it right on Kovacevic's heid. We played well today, and it was a full blooded cup tie. I read nothing into the result - we were unfortunate to get pegged back but given the way we've played in recent weeks and months, only the most fickle fan would get on the team's back after that result. We even played some bloody excellent football today. I counted 3 backheels and one turn in a particular passage of play. (that said neither of our penalties were penalties either)

I know. Only played against Sevilla. Blind lot of difference he made there... He's a good player, but not a great one.

Zappa Zappa - after what the likes of Unirea, Stuttgart and Sevilla did to us at Ibrox, you think Bougherra could handle teams like that on a regular basis? I don't disagree he can come forward well, but he'd get slaughtered at the back by the likes of Fabiano, C Ron, Villa, and Forlan.

Nearly 100% correct my friend. Well, in the context of mediums of communication such as forums like this. It doesn't pay to believe things presented as facts when they're posted, in my opinion, anonymously and publicly. The point is that I don't swallow anything at face value, I don't just believe because it's in black and white. But I would never lecture to anyone else that they should follow suit. It's just the way I am - I wait for cast iron verification before I buy into something as fact.

His touch and finish for timmy's first was a superb goal, as much as it pains me to say it. And he has 6 goals now - as much as he's not worth the cash, he does appear to be 'doing it' for them now.

Keane doesn't want to stay. He's playing for one of his many 'boyhood heroes' for a while and once it's over he wants to go back to Spurs. He's already said this.

I agree with the majority of what you say here, but what you're suggesting is he's good enough to play for the best team on earth. That he can stand shoulder to shoulder with Alvez, Puyol and Pique etc - I am at best extremely skeptical of this. He struggled badly in the Emirates Cup, was poor at best in the CL bar a single goal, and while he did extemely well at the ACN, there's a difference between a fairly weak national team championship, and doing it in La Liga for a team as good as Barcelona. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Walter does have the eye for a defender - Weir, Cuellar, Ehiogu, Broadfoot, Whittaker, Dailly, and Bougherra have all been successes by and large. So I agree that he can find a decent replacement - but I think I'd rather he didn't have to.

And I gave you a reason Just because my reply doesn't fit with your beliefs doesn't mean I have less right to post it than your supportive comments.

I consider them politicians with egos. They operate under the guise of what you describe, when really it appears to me and others to have little to do with what they do. I have no doubt they are Rangers fans, but I believe they consider their own organisation more important than the club. FF and RM staff have a similar kind of problem.

The admin and mods were some of those posting the lies, half lies and nonsense I suppose I could have chosen to defend myself against the negative stuff, but I really couldn't give a rat's ass what the vast vast majority of people on that board think about...anything really. It had a real chance to become a great forum, but principles of quality got lost along the way when trying to become as big as FF, and now both forums are effectively one and the same. Shame. Just to clarify one thing I did see there, and it's been trotted out time and time again about me - I didn't leave because of the size of it and because it was getting big. I left because of the content and the way it was being run (the things they let posters away with was, and is, absolutely shocking), and the fact that as an admin my every input was being overlooked and undermined by the likes of Canadaready and Jadams. I'm not the only one to quit the place on this basis.

I suppose it's flattering that months after I quite, they're still going on about me. And send me emails to advertise the fact.

I know there was a thread about me so I had a quick look few weeks back. It appeared to be half hate, half love and half confusion. It was also full of lies, half truths, and smears. I felt like I was reading a tabloid paper article about myself. Didn't know you were on there though.

You give folk more credit than I believe they deserve sometimes.

True, I thought you were a sound guy when I joined up on here. Now I think you're a dick

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/7916814.stm I've been eulogising about this interview ever since he was appointed Celtic manager, and it's amazing in hindsight to see Celtic appointing a manager who refuses to budge from his 'principles' even if it means the club suffering. This was a time when West Brom were already pretty much relegated, and Mowbray, as you can see, had no interest in remedying the situation by modifying his management style. How he managed to win the Championship and get to the FA cup semi final with West Brom is truly beyond me.

It's remarkable how catastrophically poor this timmy team is. They've got a Bayern player, a Spurs player, an ex Sevilla and Stuttgart player, a Nancy player, a Fulham striker, an ex Man City striker, plus some other good players, yet their manager has them looking absolutely staggeringly shite. As I said before, you give Tony Mowbray C Ron, Messi, Iniesa, Xavi and Torres and he'll still not be able to get them to win. It's saying something that he's 13 points behind us and has a worse managerial record than the dreadful Barnes era. And again today it's Killie who look like scoring.

I'd agree entirely if it remained at objectivity - but when most folks sees something they don't like the personal attacks on said author become pretty obvious. I've seen it get pretty harsh on Hateley - particularly when he made some comment last year critical of Rangers and was challenged on it on ESPN. On forums it was a lot less diplomatic. So it's then a bit 2 faced to turn round and praise them for something they like.

Madjid Bougherra does not have the ability to play for Barcelona. Walter can spot a defender alright, but let's be a bit sensible about how good Bougherra is. He's a great SPL defender who was hit and miss at best in the CL - he did well in the ACN by all accounts but I guess the WC will be his real acid test.

See the Hateley thread... When DJ comes out with something you guys like, suddenly he'll get praise and be lauded. I don't include all of you, but some really do take the fickle biscuit.