Unbelievable

Why do people always result to using words like 'magic' and 'automatically' when it comes to stuff like this? What does suggest that Cisse will be every bit as good as competent as Ba if he's deployed in his correct position, is his scoring record. Magic's got nowt to do with it. Cisse has played in the centre but struggled. This is why people are probably concerned. Maybe Cisse can only score if he is up top on his own which is fair enough if he does find his feet again but it's a risk to sell your leading scorer whilst hoping the one remaining who hasn't been in form finds it as soon as the other has left. We aren't really in a position to gamble imo, I know people have said 'well we aren't playing great as it is so why not!?' but we would be in a much bigger mess without Ba's goals if Cisse hadn't hit the ground running. We don't have a choice though Cajun. If Chelsea are indeed in for him he's gone, and I wouldn't even begrudge him it. What is really concerning is we are again at the mercy of tight arse Ashley, who has a record for gambling when it comes to transfer dealings, or more accurately, lack thereof. He's had that clause in the contract since day 1 and we've not tried very hard to remove it, despite him being a 1 in 2 striker. We haven't? How do you know?

Why did one have to go? You could argue because they can't work together..... either Cisse is outwide and quite frankly useless or Ba and Cisse are up top and the whole team can't function. Despite the dreams of rotating Ba and Cisse it was never going to happen under this management so maybe in the long run shipping Ba out for someone who could you actually make the attack function as Ba and Cisse have never really functioned together. Will probably end up with egg on our faces but that's the rationale behind it i believe. I'm not even on about rotation per se. Again, despite everybody here getting a hard on for 433/451, that doesn't seem to be the formation Pardew favours most of the time, rightly or wrongly. I completely fail to see why we couldn't have two quality strikers. Isn't that the least any Premiership club aiming for Europe should have? People have a hard on for it because it's what suits the majority of our best players if they are put in the right positions anyway.... Pardew has used almost exclusively since the Southampton defeat and i know it hasn't brought results ( mainly due to injuries and other factors so players are out of position) but i feel performances have performed. I agree but it was never going to happen, as a two they don't work and you know what this board is like..... In an ideal scenario i'd like to see us bring in a forward to play wide, rotate Ba and Cisse for central striker spot but Ashley will never sanction that in a million years. I'm still skeptical because im not confident in this board doing the right thing but if we bought a winger-cum striker like Remy to replace him and put Cisse back in the centre i'd believe the team would have actually improved. I share your skepticism. When have they ever replaced an important player in the same window? Only one I remember since Ashley took over is Nolan/Cabaye. Nolan was replaced by Cabaye in the same window. Yes, that was what I was saying.. Was pointing out that you answered your own question but in all seriousness. Carroll and Ba were in the same window. Enrique and Santon were in the same window as well I believe. 2 clear examples so you focus on my one mistake. Nice one. Fair enough on Enrique/Santon, but for crying out loud, Carroll not being replaced is the classic example of an Ashley transfer gamble. Can't believe you came out with that one, and then pointing out I'm an idiot for laughing at you.. Anyway, my point stands that more often than not we have not replaced important outgoing players in the same transfer window, so I'm obviously very concerned the same thing may happen again considering we stand to lose the man who has been responsible for half our goals this season.

Why did one have to go? You could argue because they can't work together..... either Cisse is outwide and quite frankly useless or Ba and Cisse are up top and the whole team can't function. Despite the dreams of rotating Ba and Cisse it was never going to happen under this management so maybe in the long run shipping Ba out for someone who could you actually make the attack function as Ba and Cisse have never really functioned together. Will probably end up with egg on our faces but that's the rationale behind it i believe. I'm not even on about rotation per se. Again, despite everybody here getting a hard on for 433/451, that doesn't seem to be the formation Pardew favours most of the time, rightly or wrongly. I completely fail to see why we couldn't have two quality strikers. Isn't that the least any Premiership club aiming for Europe should have? People have a hard on for it because it's what suits the majority of our best players if they are put in the right positions anyway.... Pardew has used almost exclusively since the Southampton defeat and i know it hasn't brought results ( mainly due to injuries and other factors so players are out of position) but i feel performances have performed. I agree but it was never going to happen, as a two they don't work and you know what this board is like..... In an ideal scenario i'd like to see us bring in a forward to play wide, rotate Ba and Cisse for central striker spot but Ashley will never sanction that in a million years. I'm still skeptical because im not confident in this board doing the right thing but if we bought a winger-cum striker like Remy to replace him and put Cisse back in the centre i'd believe the team would have actually improved. I share your skepticism. When have they ever replaced an important player in the same window? Only one I remember since Ashley took over is Nolan/Cabaye. Nolan was replaced by Cabaye in the same window. Yes, that was what I was saying.. Was pointing out that you answered your own question but in all seriousness. Carroll and Ba were in the same window. Enrique and Santon were in the same window as well I believe.

Why do people always result to using words like 'magic' and 'automatically' when it comes to stuff like this? What does suggest that Cisse will be every bit as good as competent as Ba if he's deployed in his correct position, is his scoring record. Magic's got nowt to do with it. Cisse has played in the centre but struggled. This is why people are probably concerned. Maybe Cisse can only score if he is up top on his own which is fair enough if he does find his feet again but it's a risk to sell your leading scorer whilst hoping the one remaining who hasn't been in form finds it as soon as the other has left. We aren't really in a position to gamble imo, I know people have said 'well we aren't playing great as it is so why not!?' but we would be in a much bigger mess without Ba's goals if Cisse hadn't hit the ground running. We don't have a choice though Cajun. If Chelsea are indeed in for him he's gone, and I wouldn't even begrudge him it. What is really concerning is we are again at the mercy of tight arse Ashley, who has a record for gambling when it comes to transfer dealings, or more accurately, lack thereof.

Why did one have to go? You could argue because they can't work together..... either Cisse is outwide and quite frankly useless or Ba and Cisse are up top and the whole team can't function. Despite the dreams of rotating Ba and Cisse it was never going to happen under this management so maybe in the long run shipping Ba out for someone who could you actually make the attack function as Ba and Cisse have never really functioned together. Will probably end up with egg on our faces but that's the rationale behind it i believe. I'm not even on about rotation per se. Again, despite everybody here getting a hard on for 433/451, that doesn't seem to be the formation Pardew favours most of the time, rightly or wrongly. I completely fail to see why we couldn't have two quality strikers. Isn't that the least any Premiership club aiming for Europe should have? People have a hard on for it because it's what suits the majority of our best players if they are put in the right positions anyway.... Pardew has used almost exclusively since the Southampton defeat and i know it hasn't brought results ( mainly due to injuries and other factors so players are out of position) but i feel performances have performed. I agree but it was never going to happen, as a two they don't work and you know what this board is like..... In an ideal scenario i'd like to see us bring in a forward to play wide, rotate Ba and Cisse for central striker spot but Ashley will never sanction that in a million years. I'm still skeptical because im not confident in this board doing the right thing but if we bought a winger-cum striker like Remy to replace him and put Cisse back in the centre i'd believe the team would have actually improved. I share your skepticism. When have they ever replaced an important player in the same window? Only one I remember since Ashley took over is Nolan/Cabaye. Nolan was replaced by Cabaye in the same window. Yes, that was what I was saying.. Was pointing out that you answered your own question but in all seriousness. Carroll and Ba were in the same window. Enrique and Santon were in the same window as well I believe.

Why did one have to go? You could argue because they can't work together..... either Cisse is outwide and quite frankly useless or Ba and Cisse are up top and the whole team can't function. Despite the dreams of rotating Ba and Cisse it was never going to happen under this management so maybe in the long run shipping Ba out for someone who could you actually make the attack function as Ba and Cisse have never really functioned together. Will probably end up with egg on our faces but that's the rationale behind it i believe. I'm not even on about rotation per se. Again, despite everybody here getting a hard on for 433/451, that doesn't seem to be the formation Pardew favours most of the time, rightly or wrongly. I completely fail to see why we couldn't have two quality strikers. Isn't that the least any Premiership club aiming for Europe should have? People have a hard on for it because it's what suits the majority of our best players if they are put in the right positions anyway.... Pardew has used almost exclusively since the Southampton defeat and i know it hasn't brought results ( mainly due to injuries and other factors so players are out of position) but i feel performances have performed. I agree but it was never going to happen, as a two they don't work and you know what this board is like..... In an ideal scenario i'd like to see us bring in a forward to play wide, rotate Ba and Cisse for central striker spot but Ashley will never sanction that in a million years. I'm still skeptical because im not confident in this board doing the right thing but if we bought a winger-cum striker like Remy to replace him and put Cisse back in the centre i'd believe the team would have actually improved. I share your skepticism. When have they ever replaced an important player in the same window? Only one I remember since Ashley took over is Nolan/Cabaye. Nolan was replaced by Cabaye in the same window. Yes, that was what I was saying.. We replaced Nzogbia with Ryan Taylor in same window Not sure if serious

Why did one have to go? You could argue because they can't work together..... either Cisse is outwide and quite frankly useless or Ba and Cisse are up top and the whole team can't function. Despite the dreams of rotating Ba and Cisse it was never going to happen under this management so maybe in the long run shipping Ba out for someone who could you actually make the attack function as Ba and Cisse have never really functioned together. Will probably end up with egg on our faces but that's the rationale behind it i believe. I'm not even on about rotation per se. Again, despite everybody here getting a hard on for 433/451, that doesn't seem to be the formation Pardew favours most of the time, rightly or wrongly. I completely fail to see why we couldn't have two quality strikers. Isn't that the least any Premiership club aiming for Europe should have? People have a hard on for it because it's what suits the majority of our best players if they are put in the right positions anyway.... Pardew has used almost exclusively since the Southampton defeat and i know it hasn't brought results ( mainly due to injuries and other factors so players are out of position) but i feel performances have performed. I agree but it was never going to happen, as a two they don't work and you know what this board is like..... In an ideal scenario i'd like to see us bring in a forward to play wide, rotate Ba and Cisse for central striker spot but Ashley will never sanction that in a million years. I'm still skeptical because im not confident in this board doing the right thing but if we bought a winger-cum striker like Remy to replace him and put Cisse back in the centre i'd believe the team would have actually improved. I share your skepticism. When have they ever replaced an important player in the same window? Only one I remember since Ashley took over is Nolan/Cabaye. Nolan was replaced by Cabaye in the same window. Yes, that was what I was saying..

No they're not..

Why did one have to go? You could argue because they can't work together..... either Cisse is outwide and quite frankly useless or Ba and Cisse are up top and the whole team can't function. Despite the dreams of rotating Ba and Cisse it was never going to happen under this management so maybe in the long run shipping Ba out for someone who could you actually make the attack function as Ba and Cisse have never really functioned together. Will probably end up with egg on our faces but that's the rationale behind it i believe. I'm not even on about rotation per se. Again, despite everybody here getting a hard on for 433/451, that doesn't seem to be the formation Pardew favours most of the time, rightly or wrongly. I completely fail to see why we couldn't have two quality strikers. Isn't that the least any Premiership club aiming for Europe should have? People have a hard on for it because it's what suits the majority of our best players if they are put in the right positions anyway.... Pardew has used almost exclusively since the Southampton defeat and i know it hasn't brought results ( mainly due to injuries and other factors so players are out of position) but i feel performances have performed. I agree but it was never going to happen, as a two they don't work and you know what this board is like..... In an ideal scenario i'd like to see us bring in a forward to play wide, rotate Ba and Cisse for central striker spot but Ashley will never sanction that in a million years. I'm still skeptical because im not confident in this board doing the right thing but if we bought a winger-cum striker like Remy to replace him and put Cisse back in the centre i'd believe the team would have actually improved. I share your skepticism. When have they ever replaced an important player in the same window? Only one I remember since Ashley took over is Nolan/Cabaye.

Why did one have to go? You could argue because they can't work together..... either Cisse is outwide and quite frankly useless or Ba and Cisse are up top and the whole team can't function. Despite the dreams of rotating Ba and Cisse it was never going to happen under this management so maybe in the long run shipping Ba out for someone who could you actually make the attack function as Ba and Cisse have never really functioned together. Will probably end up with egg on our faces but that's the rationale behind it i believe. I'm not even on about rotation per se. Again, despite everybody here getting a hard on for 433/451, that doesn't seem to be the formation Pardew favours most of the time, rightly or wrongly. I completely fail to see why we couldn't have two quality strikers. Isn't that the least any Premiership club aiming for Europe should have?

Has it occured to you that Cisse played on the right wing because our first choice right wing player has been out injured?

Why did one have to go?

If this happens it will be the first time this season I will consider relegation a not too outlandish proposition. Don't trust Ashley to free up funds needed to adequately replace him at all, and we would be a mere Cisse injury away from being virtually impotent up front, that's if Papiss refinds his goalscoring form in the first place.

Replacing Sturridge with Ba and being up 5 million in the process. Well done Chelsea..

Oh fuck..

Agreed.

NSIS

La Voix du Nord is a serious journal. They are citing an English source. Have there been any suggestions in the local hacks lately? Would be excellent news if true. Make it happen Mike!

Well, at least we're more entertaining for the neutral viewers.. In all seriousness, whilst we look a damn sight more dangerous and attractive going forward in a 433/451 for some reason we also are considerably more vulnerable defensively, despite what some people say. Personally I think it is worth persevering with as a tactical setup (although not with a striker shoehorned in a wide position), but for it to work long term it needs better defenders first and foremost, Tiote (or defensive midfield replacement) to focus on his defensive role and hard working wide players that track back when the opposition full back likes to get forward. It's not just a matter of simply organising the frontline differently, it requires a transformation to our entire team dynamics. For all the flack Pardew gets lately, I think he has been badly let down by Ashley & co this summer in terms of not getting the defensive reinforcements he wanted and has massively overachieved last season, mainly thanks to giving our mediocre defenders as much protection as possible. It may have been negative, but at least it was effective. Discuss.

4-3 and 7-3..

Giroud close to making it 8

Feel sorry for Marv, Ba and Obertan. Played so well yet are part of a collective shambles on the day..

Dat defense..