Parky

Didn't Ben Arfa have a go about our style of football under Pardew? He said he liked the way Swansea played in the game they passed us off the pitch. The game where they barely ventured out of their own half? Swansea were pathetic in that game. They're a better passing side than us by a country mile. Maybe but they certainly weren't in that game. 57% possession, 17-3 shots, 6-0 shots on target. They were the worst and most unambitious side to come to SJP this season, whatever their other exploits are. If we'd played a game like that away from home Pardew would be getting roundly criticised. Think they came for a draw and stayed in their own half, having a poor away record at that point.

We should have scored iirc. Hit the woodwork. In saying that they moved the ball around nicely which is what Hatem was refrerring to I guess. [/full backtrack mode]

Didn't Ben Arfa have a go about our style of football under Pardew? He said he liked the way Swansea played in the game they passed us off the pitch. I dunno what game you were at.... It's what Hatem was insinuating. That he liked their passing game. Take it up with him.

They passed the ball better than us and got what they came for. Is it a crime?

Didn't Ben Arfa have a go about our style of football under Pardew? He said he liked the way Swansea played in the game they passed us off the pitch. The game where they barely ventured out of their own half? Swansea were pathetic in that game. They're a better passing side than us by a country mile.

Didn't Ben Arfa have a go about our style of football under Pardew? He said he liked the way Swansea played in the game they passed us off the pitch.

Play a defensive screen behind him and play him behind the two forwards. Job done. Pards won't do it cause he'll start hyperventilating if the fullbacks aren't protected if we play narrow. How many assists have the wingers got anyway? 3-4? 4-1-2-1-2

Pardfluke.

Goal for KKKD's idiocy I take it.

What I found really annoying was that Adebayor had morphed from his usual languid and careless (no goals for ages) self into Ronaldo.

Play him at lb and Santon on the right and do away with Wilson who's just so negligent it's untrue (wrong side of Saha for that goal and just chillin )

The bottom line is you really don't play 2 up away to Spurs with your main midfield missing. Everything else is secondary.

Spot on.

Today of all days was screaming out for a tight 451.

You can see he is very angry to come out with something as direct as, "They should get rid of him".

Obertan, Jonas, Guthrie and Perch don't provide enough quality for us to have a real go at places like spurs. We should have done 4-5-1 and tried to contain them. Yes. It wasn't the day with key players missing to play 2 up. Spurs are just lethal at home.

All season bar the odd 5 min we've had trouble keeping the ball and have got away with it. Today we came up against a crack side who punish teams who give them the ball back frequently. This is the core of the trouble with the footabll we play. Players missing of course IS THE TIME that keeping the ball is at its most important...But we don't really know how to do it/aren't setup to do it.

Just shows how light the squad really is. That is all.

Nowhere near as bad as terrible? Agree on Spurs btw. Streets ahead. Thought it was a bit risky with the light midfield to play two up away to Spurs...The most attacking side in the whole league.

It was always a gamble playing two up against Spurs away. Pards of all people. Mr safety himself.

Ben Arfa is likely to take too many touches while trying to do something to keep him in the team, he hasn't the luxury of being able to do anything else. Agreed. He is overworking the ball conscious of the fact that he feels he needs to do special things to keep a foothold in the side. Must be very difficult time for him.

Harry would just get swamped at international level tbh.

They should off Mourinho whatever money he wants. Think he'll be out at Real in the summer.

Redknapp "i've heard a whisper that Torres has a clause in his contract so he can deflect to england" wouldn't surprise me The luck he has, Bale will end up playing for England.

Eng never go to a tournament without drama first.