Muddle, puddle, toil and trouble

It seems we are one of a number of clubs under investigation for giving too much money to agents and claiming the VAT back illegally. I doubt we have done anything wrong, surely Freddy is not that stupid. I don't actually fully understand what is going on but nothing big has been made of it yet. I think Glenn would be ever so slightly peed off if we got a points deduction, as has been suggested. We have strongly denied it like any club would.

Fulham (h)

This game should be the easiest of our season but it never ever is. Fulham have won just once at SJP in the Premiership but that was a freakish 1-4 battering and they drew here last season when Owen made his debut thanks to a late Charles N'Zogbia beauty of a freekick. Our now-Captain Scott Parker was sent off that day just as we had the chance to win it. Our squad for this game is arguably a lot stronger bar the Owen disaster at the World Cup. Only Bernard, Owen and Dyer aren't available, the first and last there looking to build up match fitness over the next few weeks. Shola and Taylor face late fitness tests after the latter picked up a bruised foot on international duty. We have quite a few options upfront today especially if Shola is fit, but hopefully Sibierski has not done enough in training to convince Glenn to give him a place on the bench or even worse the starting line up, I think we need a win under our belts and a few whisky's before fielding the frenchman. The word is that Sibierski was good in training at Man City but then crap in a match. Apparently Rossi can jump to match the head of Peter Crouch, how they have measured this I don't know, but if Shola isn't available I think Wor Loan Pepe should get his debut having been "breathtaking" in training according to the big GR.

If I was manager today:

---Given---
---Carr---Taylor---Moore---Ramage---
----Milner---Parker---Emre---Duff----
-------Martins---Ameobi-------

Bench: Harper - Bramble - N'Zogbia - Butt - Rossi

If Shola and Taylor are absent then Bramble goes into the centre of defence and Rossi goes upfront. Babayaro rises to the bench and Luque or Sibierski follow suit. Shola, though, could be fit enough for the subs list.

The best thing that could happen today is that we emerge rampant and win 6-0. The worst is that we lose three strikers to long term injury. One of those is more likely, and it ain't the first one.