Doug

Thank Mr. Ashley for that, we rarely take our full allocation as he doesnt want to have to pay for any returns.

We talk of deluded Liverpool fans, Its more deluded to think you can let them have your two best players and still outperform them. They have invested heavily in their playing assets while Ashley and his apologists think we can neglect ours. Dalglish has been given the best chance to come good for the run in with the backing he has been given. If Pardew keeps us above them now it will be nothing short of miraculous as our football has now become pretty dire in recent weeks. Ashley is to blame for not getting the manager the defenders he needed in January to compliment the excellent Collocini, it makes me feel so let down and it is compounded when you walk up to the Gallowgate staring at the appalling SDA signs. I hate the man more than ever and can't wait for him to f*** off.

I,m sure we will give Mr. Barlow a clap from our end. One of the better away days. Pre match Pint and a curry in the Vines. Would be great if we could win this one for a change then the Liverpool game would not heap so much pressure on us.

No offense, but this is bullshit, OK, you might not be able to play as tight and risky, but other teams with poor "footballers" manage to play it from the back ten times more often than us. I must be mistaken then, Please tell me how you are going to get the other half of our back four to play this creative football, I am keen to be enlightened further by you. Surely there's a difference between playing "creative foootball" and not hoofing it so much? Don't know if it's Pardew's tactics or whatever, but surely these two are capable of passing the ball on the deck a helluva lot more often than they do now? Dunno how many times i've seen them try for the longer option when not even under pressure, and they simply don't have the footballing ability to do this with quality anyway, that's why i think it would be better to not hoof it as much unless it's a risky pass. Don't know what more to say/how to explain it to you. I think you just answered our question right there. Read my post!! And surely it's harder to make a long pass with quality than the shorter option when not under big pressure. Christ.. No offense, but this is bullshit, OK, you might not be able to play as tight and risky, but other teams with poor "footballers" manage to play it from the back ten times more often than us. I must be mistaken then, Please tell me how you are going to get the other half of our back four to play this creative football, I am keen to be enlightened further by you. Surely there's a difference between playing "creative foootball" and not hoofing it so much? Don't know if it's Pardew's tactics or whatever, but surely these two are capable of passing the ball on the deck a helluva lot more often than they do now? Dunno how many times i've seen them try for the longer option when not even under pressure, and they simply don't have the footballing ability to do this with quality anyway, that's why i think it would be better to not hoof it as much unless it's a risky pass. Don't know what more to say/how to explain it to you. I think you just answered our question right there. Personally, i think they are under instructions to hoof the ball when under pressure or to pass it back to krul to repeat the cycle. If they werent under instructions they would have made more misplace wayward passes, i think pardew prefer not to loose the ball in key dangerous areas hence the strict tactic. Actually, too much focus is being debated on the defence, the midfield that has balls of chains on them are the problem. Attacking wise, we have very little to offer if its Pardew's choice of 11. You may have a point. It could be Pardew would like to play more inventively from the back but he is limited by the number of quality defenders he has. I think he would like to have signed a footballing defender in January but that opens up another story about the tight miserable barstards above him.

Concentrate on the restart in future and lets celebrate at the end of the game.

No offense, but this is bullshit, OK, you might not be able to play as tight and risky, but other teams with poor "footballers" manage to play it from the back ten times more often than us. I must be mistaken then, Please tell me how you are going to get the other half of our back four to play this creative football, I am keen to be enlightened further by you. Surely there's a difference between playing "creative foootball" and not hoofing it so much? Don't know if it's Pardew's tactics or whatever, but surely these two are capable of passing the ball on the deck a helluva lot more often than they do now? Dunno how many times i've seen them try for the longer option when not even under pressure, and they simply don't have the footballing ability to do this with quality anyway, that's why i think it would be better to not hoof it as much unless it's a risky pass. Don't know what more to say/how to explain it to you. I think you just answered our question right there.

No offense, but this is bullshit, OK, you might not be able to play as tight and risky, but other teams with poor "footballers" manage to play it from the back ten times more often than us. I must be mistaken then, Please tell me how you are going to get the other half of our back four to play this creative football, I am keen to be enlightened further by you.

With a back 4 containing only two comfortable footballers you cannot play passing football built from the back. That is the simple reason why Krul has to club the ball forward on a regular basis. If Colo or Santon are not showing or are closed down what else can Krul be expected to do. Pardew would be better off picking 3 defenders and getting the most creative of his remaining wide men to work the flanks box to box.

This is why we still lose tonight.

I'm with you on this bro. You sound like you are advocating that we pick players who will want to receive the ball and look to use it confidently and creatively from the back. We can't have that. We'll end up attacking down both flanks and dominating possesion. Before you know it we'll be picking HBA aswell and then the other team might not get a sniff of the ball and it would be over as a contest. How boring, Pardew would never put up with that.

We would have been enjoying another 5-1 type victory instead of salvaging a draw if we had started yesterday with that line up alongside HBA.

Reserves at Villa park tonight 7pm kick off for any midlands fans.

Sessegnon is their best player who O'neil allows a free role to roam where he wants. We all now know after todays second half that we have an even better playmaker than him in HBA. Even stuck out on the wing he dominated the game. Our manager won't give him a full game. Why?

aye bit disappointed looking at the table but pleased at the result. no way should we be letting liverpool finish ahead of us now. Finishing above them has to be one of our seasons priorities

Behind the Geordies for another couple of weeks at least, Magnificent!!

Suarez would go down holding his shin and waving his arm if a stiff breeze got up against him

I thought that Vermaelan was supposed to be good. He looks no better than Williamson on this showing.

This, also releasing it to Simpson is just giving away possession anycase. Releasing it to Simpson or Williamson on the right side of our defence you mean. If our formation was likened to the human body, then it has had a stroke affecting its right side. Add Raylor and it becomes total paralysis rather than just slurring and slobbering. HBA and Ferguson are the bionic body parts ready for the cure. Get them fitted Pardew you twerp.

Exactly Right.

You cannot pass it sideways and back forever. Eventually you have to attempt to breakout. If you don't have enough players capable of creating the breakout you are going to get turned over. HBA is arguably our most capable as an outlet. His lack of opportunities makes no sense if we want to change this recent pattern of negativity.

Took me 35mns to get the online radio working and on and it seems we have stopped playing. I swear they wait for me to come along then give up!

We regularly pick players who are incapable of retaining posession while trying to pass negatively square and back towards our own goal, We might as well pick someone who at least would cause the opposition some problems while ocasionally risking that posession. The Spurs game made me want to weep we gave it away so poorly with little or no creativity. HBA would be a superstar if unleashed in their team.

Duff has gone another 4 years if he wants, while the mackem is what 24? and twice the player at the least. No-one had heard of the Mackem before this season, there is no reason to say Ferguson can't go on to do the same tbf. Seen enough of both to know how it will pan out. Ferguson doesn't have the pace or strength the mackem does, can't impact the game anywhere near as well and isn't a goal threat whatsoever. I don't see mcmackem improving that much either, think this is him, slight tightening of his skills, but that's the player. Ferguson has potential, but I don't think it will ever get fulfilled, a tidy passer but that's about it for me...would make a good wingback, but who plays with them these days? You really are wrong to be writing Ferguson off at this early stage. Those of us who saw him come on at Stoke last season were treated to a Georgie Best cameo the way he set about Stokes giants that day.

Our defence is woeful, I'll be surprised if Colo signs again to be part of it.

Most underwhelming thread title of the year contender.