buzza

What a sh*t game between two thoroughly sh*t sides. The game has left me totally apathetic as I realize that unless something "radical" is done (433 with one striker), we are going to struggle like this for the rest of the season. I know, fickle as funk, had we won we would all be crowing about how we can shut out teams whilst playing badly etc...etc.. NO! We have the tools to outplay teams and we should be more offensive!!! What is going on? To be fair, the only reason West Ham won it was because of an off target shot, they were as bad as we were... Diame was the stand out performer today, he apsolutely shat on our midfield every time he had possession, was very positive with it aswell... Wouldn't be a bad buy eh? As an aside, I really feel sorry for these two players: Ben arfa, he literally has to take on the whole opposing team to move us forward and isn't helped in the slightest by his team mates due to lack of movement of any sort or options open to him... We should be making the most of this kid but we are restraining him and putting him in a position where he can't inflict damage (winger 442). Cabaye, he is having to do everything without any help from the formation, it is obvious that when he plays further forward he can pull strings majestically, it's like Pards has him playing with shackles on.

Wouldn't mind seeing this tomorrow: --------------Krul-------------------- Simpson----Saylor----Willo----Santon -----Cabaye----Anita-----Jonas HBA----------Ba------------Sammy

Their play against everton and us was pretty decent to be honest. They will be in the top half I would have thought. They only have Suarez up front on his own, I think that is half the reason their possession play doesn't quite develop as well as they wish...

Any wins: Nowt to do with Pardew, just individual brilliance. Not at all. Are you not at all concerned by our inability to retain possession? And do you think Pardew is currently getting the best out of what he has got at his disposal? Possession is undoubtably a concern. As for what Pardew has at his disposal; I'd say we're a top half side with a handful of top players who massively overachieved last season. I personally feel we over rate some of our players such as Cisse, Cabaye and Tiote. A fair finish for this squad would be between 7th-9th. To finish 5th last year was incredible and considering we didn't really push on in the summer with transfers, i never really thought we'd match it this year. I reckon we'll finish 8th, do fairly well in the EL and I think that will represent a pretty good season. The bar has been raised very high. Very good post! I agree with this a lot, have a look at what players we have that could make a top four team and we should get a dose of reality: Krul Colo Cabaye Then we have top eight players: Tiote HBA Cisse BA Santon Jonas Saylor We deffo need to get some reality into our predictions. Q: Who's saying we can/should be able to get into the top four with this squad? A: See thread title. Well aware of the thread title but want to make the point that Pards can only make a meal with the ingredients at his disposal and people are wanting "haute cuisine" performances from the team week in week out... Bollocks man. If Swansea can knock the ball around are we that incapable? No one's asking for nutmegs and overhead kicks, just some basic passing and ball retention that most half decent sides can manage. Of course we are capable! I honestly don't think it's worth doing if you don't have the players who are constantly moving and have good technique as well as vision. You can see what Liverpool want to do now and the players they play in midfield, all of which like the ball and can pass and move well. Today was a good example. I don't think we have as many "ball players" as people think we have to play this type of tikki takka style, maybes Cabaye, colo, HBA and Jonas could be ones apt for this...

Any wins: Nowt to do with Pardew, just individual brilliance. Not at all. Are you not at all concerned by our inability to retain possession? And do you think Pardew is currently getting the best out of what he has got at his disposal? Possession is undoubtably a concern. As for what Pardew has at his disposal; I'd say we're a top half side with a handful of top players who massively overachieved last season. I personally feel we over rate some of our players such as Cisse, Cabaye and Tiote. A fair finish for this squad would be between 7th-9th. To finish 5th last year was incredible and considering we didn't really push on in the summer with transfers, i never really thought we'd match it this year. I reckon we'll finish 8th, do fairly well in the EL and I think that will represent a pretty good season. The bar has been raised very high. Very good post! I agree with this a lot, have a look at what players we have that could make a top four team and we should get a dose of reality: Krul Colo Cabaye Then we have top eight players: Tiote HBA Cisse BA Santon Jonas Saylor We deffo need to get some reality into our predictions. Q: Who's saying we can/should be able to get into the top four with this squad? A: See thread title. Well aware of the thread title but want to make the point that Pards can only make a meal with the ingredients at his disposal and people are wanting "haute cuisine" performances from the team week in week out...

The person who passed it back to him when there were three players surrounding him was more to blame if you ask me!!! His passing was pretty average today but we can't fualt his graft and dedication to the team. If Anita gets a bit of consistency to his game it is possible we could see a midfield three of tiote cabaye and anita at some point in the future. He isn't reaching the levels produced over a year ago but he is still an important cog in the machine...

Any wins: Nowt to do with Pardew, just individual brilliance. Not at all. Are you not at all concerned by our inability to retain possession? And do you think Pardew is currently getting the best out of what he has got at his disposal? Possession is undoubtably a concern. As for what Pardew has at his disposal; I'd say we're a top half side with a handful of top players who massively overachieved last season. I personally feel we over rate some of our players such as Cisse, Cabaye and Tiote. A fair finish for this squad would be between 7th-9th. To finish 5th last year was incredible and considering we didn't really push on in the summer with transfers, i never really thought we'd match it this year. I reckon we'll finish 8th, do fairly well in the EL and I think that will represent a pretty good season. The bar has been raised very high. Very good post! I agree with this a lot, have a look at what players we have that could make a top four team and we should get a dose of reality: Krul Colo Cabaye Then we have top eight players: Tiote HBA Cisse BA Santon Jonas Saylor We deffo need to get some reality into our predictions.

The main complaint on here is that he plays 442 when we all think he should play 433... We can't complain about his team selection today? Everybody moans about simpson and he left him out, played a 433ish format... I wonder if he reads this forum?

Thought he had a really good second half, provided a lot of the danger down the left wing...

I thought it looked pretty intentional, at least on a grainly stream. He was miles late though...

las twenty minutes of game, mentally and physically tired, typical overzealous tackle gone wrong... Another ref might have given a yellow but we can't complain about the red, his studs were up and he was above ankle when he went in... Worried about missing him for three games though.

In the first half we were certainly comfortable, don't know about controlling becuase our possession stats don't give that impression. Second half it was obvious we were playing defensively and with possession counter attacking football, didn't think his game plan was all that bad tbf just caught out once with a long ball

Great goal took the 3 pounts from us. I honestly didn't think they looked like scoring unless Suarez pulled something out of the hat...which he did! Thought Anita played well, cabaye was a monster as per usual and Saylor put in a great shift. Still not convinced by both Ba and cisse playing together...

The front lads Sahin, Sterling and suso are all very good technically gifted players bit all lack experience and hopefully if we come out of the blocks with more intensity we can affect their confidence and play. Suarez and gerrard are the game breakers. Their defence looks pretty vulnerable down the wings, I would have HBA and sammy today with Ciisse or Ba up frpnt on their own, neither agger or skrotel are great at bringing the ball out so we wouldn't give them much advantage with a 433

Aye, lack of movement or lack of running off the ball is what does my head in most. Whether it is that they are told to hold certain strategic positions on the pitch or they just don't train well enough to do it.... No idea!

Mostly have an anxious feeling if going to away matches when entering and leaving periphery of ground, Liverpool and/or Leeds were always the worst back in the day... Used to properly crap myself when I worked as a steward at Bradford FC for a couple of months, stand in a line between home and away fans and try to keep the peace (gulp). I have once been "scared" to say something but properly annoyed about it at SJF, two very big ugly tattoed "knackas" marched to the fornt of the food queue at half time and ordered their food without anyone saying a word. Looked like they'd both come out of prison the day before. I was with my two kids and one of them was moaning about them, quietly covered his mouth... I have always felt uneasy at England matches, seem to attract only scum of the earth, don't know why...

I would go for the Williamson back post corner & free kick plan this weekend as they are a team full of midgets, apart from Skrote-l and Gerrrrrro. The main difference in tactic being that williamson is absent and saylor in his place. Colo needs to man mark Buck-Cheat and that will render them completely useless...

Another issue is that he's always played on the left, he's a right footer so when we moan about his crosses it's because he either has to turn back on his right or put in a crappy cross with his weak foot... We may see a different player if he was on the right, wouldn't do us any harm to see HBA on his stronger left side either??? Another thing Jonas does well is hold the ball up well under pressure, when we are under the cosh he is great at drawing a foul or getting the ball out of tricky places and to one of ours.

Aye, he is much more suited to a 433. Fergie, sammy or Oberton would be much better for us in a 442 (**if we want to win the game, rather than hedge our bets!**)

I am not sure whether he is under instruction not to push as far up the field, he doesn't seem to commit to attacks as much as he used to and he never hugs the byline like he used to when playing 442. As for names on the team sheet his would be in amongst the definites, in this order: Krul-Colo-Ba-Cabaye-HBA-Jonas-Tiote

The pace for me, they are used to much more time on the ball and more elaborate paly therefore. When against prem league sides they struggle to do this and make more mistakes, apart from one or two obvious teams (Barca)

Any news on Ba's injury?

Let's just hope they spend it on movement off the ball and passing to our own team...

They play in the fizzy cup tomorrow, let's hope Gerrro and Buck Teeth Cheat both get injured or extremely tired. I never like this fixture, we never turn up to be honest. Would be nice for Pards to have them making space and passing & running this week, we just don't seem to be clicking. A bit of confidence would be nice. I think we need Saylor back in defence just for a bit of extra pace, Williamson and Colo leave us bereft of speed at the back. Would also like Pards to grow a set of balls and Put Ba back on the left of a 433: ----------------------Krul---------------------- Simpson-----Saylor---Colo--------Santon ----Cabaye-------Bigi--------Jonas ---- HBA----------------Cisse--------------Ba

"Confidence" is the main word missing here. I think I have only seen bits and pieces this season when the team has played with a little verve and passed the ball around like a team that knows they're not going to lose it. Lately, we seem to play only the "safe pass" unless we are twenty yards into the opposition half, our movement has also been very pedestrian and predictable, we need more freedom and interchange of positons to compliment our attacks. The only attacking formats we employ at the moment are: Ben arfa... on your own mate! Santon overlap Long ball to ... Shola/Ba/cisse (whoever is last man) On paper we should be a lot better... Who is to blame? players and confidence (we didn't buy anyone of note in summer, are they disgruntled? Is it that they don't fit into either a 442/433?) Or Are Pards and the backroom getting all the decisions wron? Team selection...System...Training Team selection and system for me... Sorry but we just aren't doing it, Cut Pard's cock off so that he can friggin concentrate on what he's supposed to be doin!!!