Cronky

I don't think there's a big difference between our performances this season and last. Obviously overall results were a bit better, but we still had difficulty in retaining possession and building up play through the midfield. We tended to hit the strikers early and rely on moments of individual class to get us by. Yesterday, we didn't just play 4-4-2, but an old-fashioned version of it, with two hard workers in CM, two wide men, and two strikers. That was partly brought about by injuries, but the preference to keep Ba and Cisse together tends to lead to a conservative formation. I'd say there are three main issues - 1) The strikers need to link with the midfield more effectively, and for that we need a more mobile, pacey player who can play in a more withdrawn position (or wider as well if we're going 4-3-3) I hope Sammy can step up to the mark for us there. 2) The balance in midfield doesn't look right, even when we go for 4-3-3. Neither Jonas nor Tiote pass the ball well or release it quickly, and that tends to slow things up when they play together. 3) Buying Anita may have sorted out the problem of a complete lack of attacking threat from right back, but perhaps Pardew thinks that, in a 4-4-2, Anita and Ben Arfa together leaves us too vulnerable defensively. Let's hope that gets sorted.

'I will keep private the discussions Stewart and I have had but he is under no illusion that he has to fight.’ Hmmmm......

I tell myself that if we can get results playing mediocre football, think what'll happen if we start playing well. And to be fair, there are signs of improvement on that front.

I'm more optimistic about the youngsters. I think Ferguson and Sammy will be pushing for first team places this season. Bigi might not be ready to displace anyone, but I have no worries about him appearing in the first team. We're a bit of a mixed bag, because while we do have some good players, there are also some gaps.

I'm a bit uneasy about 8 year contracts for all the backroom staff. There's often a case for bringing in someone with new ideas and fresh energy. But in general, I applaud the boldness of the management's approach. It's a big vote of confidence in Pardew, and that will help him to be bold in his decision making in turn. By way of contrast, Liverpool make noises about finally getting the right man, but they only offer him a 3 year deal. He's on shaky ground to start with.

Fuck! Cabaye's wife is a real dog to look at. Je disagree.

I thought he looked a bit more determined last night. He had some good moments in the first half, to be fair. His limitations were still apparent. He reminds me a bit of Nani. They both seem to be trying to impersonate a different player rather than making best use of what they've got.

My view - Well we could have actually won the game, because Man U had a very inexperienced back four. They couldn't handle Shola or set pieces and we had plenty of chances. Having said that, Man U's passing and ability to keep the ball was a lot better and they created chances as well. It could have gone either way. We did look decent going forward at times, but we seemed to get far more time and space in their half than we'd get in a normal Premiership game.

My latest theory is that he's a good athlete who should use his main assets of strength and pace. Unfortunately, he's got it in his head that he's a skilful player who is capable of all sorts of sophisticated stuff on the ball. He isn't, so he ends up confused. Just a thought.

In possession, he seemed to slow down the momentum of our attacks at times.

Disappointing that we only scored once against a poor defence. We had quite a few chances. Special mention for Bigi, who I thought played with great confidence and authority from the minute he came on.

long way off yet Up there with Pedro in terms of talent. Best ever for me. Not yet in terms of what he's achieved or contribution to the club, but in terms of pure natural skill he's number one. I've certainly never seen a more skilful player than him, in our colours. Not even Gazza. Like you say, it remains to be seen how much he can achieve in time, but his game has matured remarkably over the last year. There have been times recently where he's looked in a different zone to the opposition. If they dive in, he beats them or they bounce off him. If they back off, he can get past them, or look up and pick a pass at leisure. To use an old fashioned word, he's the best dribbler in the Premiership at the moment.

Got to admit, I have him down as a contender. And he's improving at a great rate.

Thought it was a horrible tackle myself. And Mark Halsey is our best referee. Hopefully this incident might lead to a brake on all the holier-than-thou stuff that comes from Merseyside.

Unprofessional imo, almost schoolboyish. If we're winning 4-0 then maybe that's different. Not even then IMO. Team always comes first. Concentrate on winning and the goals for Cisse will come. The more they try to force it, the longer it'll take. A lack of consistent penalty taker is never a good idea in my book. Assert your authority, have 1, 2, 3 sorted out and stick to it. Otherwise only problems can arise (when penalties are missed and the such). I think part of the problem may be the lack of authority held by the captain of a football team - a phenomenon that is unusual in team sports. You never see two rugby players arguing about who's going to take a kick, because the captain decides. In football, there seems to be a power vacuum because the captain's role in tactics is small compared to the manager, but the manager is off the field and can't intervene in arguments between players. I'd agree that the manager has to have a plan for penalties, but it's equally important that the captain has the authority to enforce it.

I don't think he should be tried twice for the same offence, which is effectively what the FA are doing, but he should have got the boot much earlier ie when the Wayne Bridge issue came up.

Didn't one of his aimless hoofs result in a goal last week? His distribution is no worse than Taylor's, and usually better.

That would surprise me tbh. After a gap of over 20 years, Man U were desperate for just one title. Liverpool's total looked unassailable and I don't think anyone dreamed that it could be overtaken that quickly.

Yep, I lived in Manchester from 1966 to 1976 and undoubtedly the main rivalry was between Man U and Man City. Liverpool were only rivals in the same way that Leeds, Spurs, Everton and the other leading teams were rivals. Things changed with Man City's decline. I think the Liverpool - Man U thing has become more talked about over the last 15 years or so, with Liverpool's frustration and anger at their inability to crack the Man U stranglehold. That's added a bit of spice to their matches.

The Kevin Nolan comparison is a distraction, but broadly I agree. We could do with a different type of striker to choose from, and selling him may give us the opportunity to bring someone else in. The other factor is he's unhappy with his situation at the club and is itching to move on to greener pastures. It can't be good for team morale to have a player like that, especially if he's one of the stronger personalities. Pardew should stop pussy-footing around. We've seen with Shearer what can happen when one player starts to effectively dictate to the manager.

Harper didn't play badly, but it shows how many points Tim has earned for us over the last year. He gets down very quickly, his reflexes are very sharp, and he would probably have blocked the first shot. Possibly the second as well.

I think he's our best right back and it showed last night. He gets closer to his opponent than either Perch or Simpson, and is nimble enough to recover when he's slightly out of position. He's also much more confident than those two when going forward. That's where we should play him. As Dyezzon has said, it's more difficult for him to adjust in CM, coming from the continent. There's not as much time on the ball, and referees will allow challenges that would be called fouls elsewhere.

I agree. It was an odd decision to try a new line-up when we were away from home against a decent side. Maybe Pardew had got fed up with Ba's casual attitude and wanted to shake him up a bit. Marveaux didn't stand much chance of making an impact because he was expected to defend a lot, which he's no good at, and he couldn't participate in the attack because we were hitting the ball long to a lone striker, with the inevitable result that we couldn't keep hold of it. Marveaux has to be given a freer role, in which case I don't think we can play him and Ben Arfa together.

He played with a lot more commitment tonight. Good to see.

Might be a bit harsh on Harps, but Tim gets down very quickly and could probably have got at the first goal. At the second, he looked out of position. Gary Neville was right in pointing out how dangerous Everton are down the left, but wrong in his analysis of our response. Marveaux is not a good defender, and if playing him was intended to help the full back that was a rank bad decision. I don't think we can play Marveaux and Ben Arfa together. It leaves us too vulnerable defensively. Altogether though, a welcome return of the battling spirit of last season.