"Sunderland, Boss."

"How did they go yesterday then?"

"Went to Chelsea and pasted them 3-0."

"Scrivens ? we'd best stick to what we do best then, keep it tight and try and pinch one... any tea going then?"

If you look at the really good attacking teams ? Utd, Chelsea, Spurs ? they play with an attacker in their formation (Rooney/Berbatov; Van der Vaart/Modric; Drogba/Anelka/Malouda) who comes off the front man into space and makes himself available for the little forward ball from a midfielder. It pulls the opposing full backs in, the opposing centre halves out and it leaves GAPS for the other forwards, full backs, whatever to get into.

We dont do this at all, Saha tries but always looses the ball or delays the pass or tries to shoot from all angles. Cahill doesn't do it and our only method of attack is to try and get Baines, Coleman around the back by little intricate 5-6 midfield passes 30/40 yds from goal. Their defenders aren't drawn out at all and, when the cross arrives for Cahill's head, they have so much cover.

I know Cahill is our leading goalscorer but he is also the reason why we don't create more chances, it's a terrible situation as he is truly the heartbeat of the team. Arteta and Pienaar need an oulet in front of their defenders and at the moment they are not getting one. I do believe that an on form Yakubu or Beckford, with clear-cut opportunities created for them, would score more than Cahill.

When will we see something different? At Sunderland? Or more of the same?

Steve Bruce and Sunderland's back four.

We have to bring subs on with enough time left for them to make in impact. We have to try the Yak and Beckford more. Arteta should relinquish the free-kick and corner kicks to Baines. Or anyone.

Jags should be made, using a cattle prod if necessary, to give the ball short, to someone who can pass the ball, not hoof it into the sky. He can do it for England, why not us?

Coleman should be in the team every week. He's not a youngster, he's 23, and playing as well as anyone.

Arteta is not as good as he has been but form is temporary, class is permanent, as they say. He'll come good again.

Peter (17) .... No Coleman, why? What's he done wrong, he must be a better choice than Arteta for right midfield... or what?

It's all so obvious.

Saha can't pass water. Play Becks or Yak.

I don't have a problem with 4-5-1. If you look at stats from our recent games there have been plenty of shots on goal, plenty of corners and reasonable amounts of possession. Many of our bad results could so easily have been improved with better finishing and improved positioning.

I haven't felt confident with a four-man midfield for a while now. Is this because our midfielders are not up to it or because our strikers are not versatile enough to help out when needed?

I think 4-5-1 is here to stay and we just have to get used to it.

Get a grip, the player who is guarenteed to put in a shift (injured or not) and pop up with goals consistently year-in, year-out; a player who doesn't stop running and closing down opposition players; a player who has equaled a Dixie Dean record against the Shite..... but hey, let's drop him and play someone like Bily instead. Unbelievable!

As an aside, did anyone see our Club Captain?s effort in answering questions about our club on Soccer AM? I am not calling for his head, but it was woeful. I was both shocked and glad that DM substituted both Micky (out of Fabregas?s pocket and onto the bench) and Pip on Sunday.

And just ?how poor? has Heitinga been this season? He promised so much going on last season?s performances but he has been totally ?off of the pace? this season. This added to his recent flirtation with the ?bigger? clubs of this World via the press. Best case scenario would see DM get rid of both Heitinga and Bily in January and find affordable, better players that are somewhere ?out there?.

My starting eleven would be:

Goalkeeper: Mucha ? I would like to have a look at Mucha, because, as much as I think Howard is a very athletic goalkeeper with really good shot-stopping qualities, he doesn?t command his area as well as he should do, and how many gaffs does he have to make before he is dropped and Mucha (Howard?s ?competition?) is tested?

Defence: Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines.

Midfield: Arteta (RM), Fellaini or Rodwell (?Holding? Midfielder, given license to push forward only when it suits us for him to do so [rotated - yes, that?s a cop-out I know, but I honestly can?t decide who I would play instead of the other!]), Pienaar (LM), Cahill (completing the midfield ?diamond? formation).

Strikers: Beckford and Yakubu (Not much of an aerial threat, I know [Tiny Tim?s aerial presence would never be too far away], but Beckford is the man whom we have at our club that DM should start games with; with Beckford having been given the order to make fast, intelligent runs behind ?their? defence and onto the ball (Beckford is an asset that would provide this ?missing? capability for the team and he is being grossly under-employed). Beckford making these runs would consequently permit the ?hustling and bustling? Yak to find more space than he has been whilst playing of late.

??QUE SERA, SERA...??.
COYB!!

Unfortunately, Tim Cahill, who by the way I have great admiration for, should be sacrificed, temporarily, to try something new. The argument is probably pointless as Moyes doesn't go for something new.

Incidentally. and I don't mean this in a snide way, what is your answer to get us a few goals?

I've said in the past that Beckford will never be a lone striker and his hunger should be exploited but I'd drop Saha and play him with Yakubu as Saha to me is too fancy dan dicking about instead of shooting on sight.

I fancy the Cahill question may be answered soon though as he got battered against Arsenal and looked injured and I'm sure knowing Everton's luck he'll get crocked by some dirty yard dog soon enough and be unavailable for some weeks.

I'd also say not to drop Coleman to RB as his defending needs a lot of coaching; I would fancy seeing him in front of Hibbert rather than Neville as Hibbert is a better defender... sadly we don't have a right-sided Baines on the books so best of a bad choice. I'd also give Gueye a chance as he does look to have a good cross or two in him even if its a sub appearance at last.

Fantasy football wise and if we ever get anywhere near what we paid for Bily I'd go all out for N'Zogbia as he has looked a great player for Wigan this season, running at players and has a good cross and shot in him too.