Parky

In other news, Spurs are pretty much out.

I said much the same about Cisse in the match thread. It never seems to me that he wants to make absolutely sure when he has time to think. For a right footed striker he hits the ball with his left too often, I don't mind when there it's an instinctive finish but today for the last chance I was screaming for him to check inside and hit it with his right and he did what he does too often - something a bit smooth and languid that doesn't deliver a goal. Other than that they deserved the win but we could have kept it to two.

Looking forward to the diving, timewasting, faceholding, ref niggling, cheating, fight starting second leg performance from Benfica.

Just looked knackered and confused. Improved a bit when he came on the pitch.

Pards did alright tonight. You can't legislate for the two clown moments.

They aren't anything special and at 2-1 I'd was pretty confident of going through, not sure we can keep a clean sheet if we go for it at home as we have to now. The 2nd half performance was as expected we lacked momentum and invited them onto us. Cisse scoring one of his two other chances however would have been tie over. I was really hoping with the last chance he would pull back inside onto his right as his left is a bit hit and miss...Very unlucky for the chip not to go in however. He never seems to want to make absolutely sure which I find irritating - he seems to just want to make first contact whatever and however that is. When we showed purpose in the first half an hour we had them well in hand and I wanted Pards to really drill it into them that they tie was winnable at 1-1 which is what you should do and then be happy to take the draw. Watching the players it felt like they were marking time and fiddling around at the back...Which is basically what led to the Santon howler. Taylor always seems to want to do these kinds of things the clown. Not all over but it won't be as possible as it would have been at 2-1. They aren't that good.

Falling apart.

There needs to be some real intenet there in the first 15min.

Priceless away goal even if they score another.

Beauty.

I heard he holds us fully back.

Getting a decent result tonight will also be a massive boost for the run in. In the situation we're in confidence is everything.

Feel quite jaunty about this today. Are we in for a Pardew spring?

It's no secret they're looking for a new manager.

Think Mancini would run him close tbh Aye and actually i'd argue Man City have struggled for similar reasons. ( i know they are 2nd but have underperformed a lot due to similar reasons) If yaya doesn't play or Aguero as well...They struggle.

Pulis is one of his best mates and Pards said he rings him regularly.

But who's gonna do the tackling and running fast further up the park?!!! [/Pardew]

Those black leather gloves are a bit of a giveaway Paolo.

YOu can't scare us with all these foreign sounding names.

It'll be like the City game.

Agreed. There is a kind of fragility about Barca at the moment.

This, he is just superb. Amazed how he's kept his fitness up.