Rich

Pardew comes out before the game, tells Mourinho what our game plan is, dares him to do something about it and still wins the tactical battle. I was as delighted as anyone with the win, but as I alluded to in another pre-match post: setting up like that at home will never be for me and shows why I'll never be able to back a manager like Pardew. Ruined by Keegan and Robson, I suppose. To me it's actually as high risk to be so ultra-defensive from the outset as it is to play our normal game, but I can't deny that it seems to suit Pardew's management style more. It's the best chance we have of coming away from these games with a result. Wouldn't say we were ultra-defensive either. Unless we get some nutjob like Bielsa in, the approach against the likes of Chelsea isn't going to vary much. Keegan and Robson benefited from having teams with nearly as much quality as the best in the league. Not sure this is entirely true as it sort of assumes there's only one way to play against the "big clubs", which definitely isn't the case. Just like I wouldn't advocate going all-out attack every single time either. Off the back of the derby defeat and another loss to City it was probably the way to go here, though, I'll give you that.

Pardew comes out before the game, tells Mourinho what our game plan is, dares him to do something about it and still wins the tactical battle. I was as delighted as anyone with the win, but as I alluded to in another pre-match post: setting up like that at home will never be for me and shows why I'll never be able to back a manager like Pardew. Ruined by Keegan and Robson, I suppose. To me it's actually as high risk to be so ultra-defensive from the outset as it is to play our normal game, but I can't deny that it seems to suit Pardew's management style more. Do you think this performance fits that theory though Rich? I know what you mean, it's high risk to invite pressure and just sit back. But we didn't quite do it like that, we just conserved our attacking energy for later in the game, made sure we were organised and closed them down well. Easy to say don't set up like that at home, and in theory I would like to agree, but sadly there are many teams in the league with top attacking talent that will rip you to shreds if given the space. I definitely think we set up in a very defensive manner for a home game and the first quarter especially made for very difficult viewing. You could tell by the atmosphere in the stadium and the comments on here that it wasn't just me who was uncomfortable with the approach either. If you're being honest you probably would have to agree that you couldn't have seen the way things would turn out at that point. Moving the timeline on a bit I don't remember many being happy at half time either, even though we'd begun to turn the tide by about the half hour mark and controlled things from there. The approach worked for Pardew here but who is to say that the outcome yesterday would have been different had we just gone for it from the start? Obviously it's impossible to gauge but Chelsea weren't exactly at-it yesterday, though I suppose some may argue that's because we squeezed the life out of them (something I wouldn't go along with). My pre-match comments were influenced after seeing the team selection and hearing the same spiel that the manager has put out before (when the approach hasn't worked, by the way) as much as anything, glad they've come back to bite me on the harris.

Pardew comes out before the game, tells Mourinho what our game plan is, dares him to do something about it and still wins the tactical battle. I was as delighted as anyone with the win, but as I alluded to in another pre-match post: setting up like that at home will never be for me and shows why I'll never be able to back a manager like Pardew. Ruined by Keegan and Robson, I suppose. To me it's actually as high risk to be so ultra-defensive from the outset as it is to play our normal game, but I can't deny that it seems to suit Pardew's management style more.

Used to love the Beye/Taylor celebration combo. Don't really recall seeing Taylor being "slaughtered" for it too often, if at all.

Now Wraith's on. This build up has hurt.

"Undeserved criticism."

"If we get to the last 15-20 minutes of the game." Jesus fucking Christ.

Thought both Ben Arfa and Cisse showed signs of recovery in the bits of the City game I saw, so no surprise to see them both on the bench. Anita as well, obviously. Even if we get something here a selection like that just proves there's no light at the end of the tunnel under Pardew.

Knew it.

Ronaldo would have put him in a Full Nelson until he agreed to resign. Or died.

Step one is definitely Pardew leaving the club, although where we go from there is anyone's guess. I'm fully aware that the problems go far deeper. I'm personally willing to take the gamble ahead of what we currently have as something needs to change, we're treading water at best.

http://niketalk.com/content/type/61/id/143303/width/350/height/700/flags/LL

Hundreds of billions to one?

Aye, I liked Vurnon on the right last season.

We either don't turn up like at the derby or we 'give it a go'. Fucking sick of it. Can we not just for once turn up, perform to our potential, trounce the opposition and get a win? Pards doesn't do trouncing. Raises expectations too far.

I want to change my vote.

Need a Popiss Cosse image making.

Always so bitter You mean always so right and have to wait for everyone else to catch up. Yes, very true, it's a curse. You are right that Krul has been strangely off this term, dunno what's been up with him.

Always so bitter

Course not, but things are definitely worse now than they were then There's never been any of that sort of thing, though, at least in the ones I've played.

Unquestionably.

The Mole is back.

Like watching two one-legged men in an arse kicking contest.