Parky

Think it's cause their very high workrate works out against stronger sides, but the lack of creativity fails against sides that sit.

Capello has been a complete wonker about this whole situation.

They'll be lucky to finish above us tbh. For we are Ba2.

What's tired is the same old tedious straw man of arguing that anyone who'd criticize Ben Arfa in the slightest is somebody who'd like to see us start with Shola and Obertan every game. He's obviously a good player but he had abysmally bad games against Brighton and Blackburn that highlighted his weaknesses. I don't think that's an unreasonable statement to make. Well done, deal with an alleged strawman with a strawman of your own. Whose saying you can't criticize him? What's the point though if it's not in the context of how we should line up against Villa? I guess if you just like to moan, then by all means go ahead If that's a straw man, what exactly is the main point of Wullie's argument then? Because I never said he should be dropped, I never said he wast terrible, I merely criticized his recent performances and that is apparently grounds for ridicule. How is that qualitatively different from "you can't criticize him?" Again, your argument seems to boil down to "if you're criticizing him you must argue for dropping him or else you're just moaning." Where's the straw man then? We're going around in circles. You can criticize HBA (or any other player for that matter), no one is saying you can't. It's just pointless if you're not relating to a) our potential future line up and the b) the alternatives we have. So others (myself) included are well justified to say that you're just moaning. Do you expect everyone to just nod in agreement with you? We are going in circles because you're argument is unreasonable. I'm "moaning" if I say "he played badly and that highlighted his weaknesses"? I don't expect people to nod in agreement but I expect people to be civil and speak intelligently as opposed to just misrepresenting and belittling anyone they don't agree with. "You think Obertan should start? " doesn't count as intelligent discussion. Nice! So others should not belittle your argument and you start your first sentence by already saying that my argument is unreasonable...good example right there! The whole point of the Obertan point is just to put the argument in context i.e. despite HBA's weaknesses he is still the best we have for that particular position because relative to the other options we have, he is still the best we have. I'm sorry you don't find that as intelligent discussion. The best I can say is that we are just arguing from two different angles. You just want to highlight his weaknesses (and perhaps strengths) whereas others and myself are looking at the debate from the context of how the team should line up going forward. Is accusing me of doing whatever I say you're doing your "thing"? There's a clear difference between "I think you're being unreasonable" and "Obertan/Shola lover LOLZ" If you only care about how the team is going to line up then why do you feel the need to attack me for mentioning his weaknesses? It's not like I disagree that he should start ahead of Obertan in the first place? I'm being attacked on the internets!!

Everyone must track back forever!! /Pards I don't think I;ve ever seen Krul track back. Out!! Out! with heeeeeeem.

which logic is this ? Logic of the universe.

Nobody is starting!!

He was a young and rebel die hard. He said he has changed (But that's was not the subject. Dem BABA said his last two clubs relinquished his services. It's not true.) Pardew early days wanted to float it over the mf to Obertans as quick as poss who was to run down and hit loads of well directed crosses at two big lads. Pards plan: Tell everyone slyly that Hatem was a lazy c***. Result: a load of donkeys believed him for months till they realised Obertans was actually s***. ...which meant we won a bunch of games and were in 5th place at the end of January, defying everyone's expectations. Happy with the wins.

He was a young and rebel die hard. He said he has changed (But that's was not the subject. Dem BABA said his last two clubs relinquished his services. It's not true.) Pardew early days wanted to float it over the mf to Obertans as quick as poss who was to run down and hit loads of well directed crosses at two big lads. Pards plan: Tell everyone slyly that Hatem was a lazy cunt. Result: a load of donkeys believed him for months till they realised Obertans was actually shit.

Worrying about losing posession! Want to get half the side to stop hoofing it then.

Should be barred from playing for England, tbh. Should be barred from playing IN England tbh. Dispicable creature.

It's a legacy of the hustle and bustle of the PL that truly gifted players are seen as misfits of a sort, just because it is a bit harder to synthesise them into the overall play (breakneck end to end).

Agree entirely. Top post.

Good idea imo.

The shambles over Suarez should have garnered more points tbf.

If the Yak plays well, we're gonna be in all sorts of trouble. That is all.

Both are better than Williamson.

We seem to play better when the players react to what is actually happening in the game or during the game themselves rather than when reacting to Pardew's tactics or changes which often seem to dumbfound them or help the opposition. YOu've alluded to this before. You think the players re-adjust in gametime to what's happening on the park and the initial tactics go out the window? To be fair I believe most players from most sides react better to what is happening or isn't happening during a game than to the tactics and whathave you from their manager. Super Mac said he was always told to do this, do that, and play this way and that way and what did he do when he crossed that white line? Totally ignore the manager's instructions and played to how he felt he could play. He said one day he was told to go out and rough up some brick shit house of a player and Super Mac was like but he's slow as fuck, I'll just take him on. Back to our games this season and even last season, again our better moments have come during periods of the game where tactics and what have you were left by the wayside. Take at home to Spurs for example, we played some great football in the final 25 minutes and really got at them. The players were not playing to instruction or to tactics, they were playing to the tune of that particular game and of course the atmosphere. Likewise at home to Arsenal last season in coming back from 4-0 down and even against man Utd at home this season. When we go out there set up to a certain system or set of tactics like against QPR we looked and performed poor. Likewise last night in which we were shocking. Constantly hitting it on the diagonal to Best to err, what, whip it into Shola who was 10 yards outside the box? Awful tactics from a manager who should be much smater than that. For me the Swansea and Wba games were the most telling one passed it all around us and the other just ripped our high line to shreds by veiled and timed attacks (what Hodgson has always done). I've erased the Fulham game from the mind.

We seem to play better when the players react to what is actually happening in the game or during the game themselves rather than when reacting to Pardew's tactics or changes which often seem to dumbfound them or help the opposition. YOu've alluded to this before. You think the players re-adjust in gametime to what's happening on the park and the initial tactics go out the window?

He's put on too much bulk.

When the fuck is this Pardew hunt starting proper?

Interesting read. For me he's a good organiser and we hold our shape a lot more than we used to. He drilled the def into something or a wonder those early games. But the bottom line with him is that he is a thinly veiled long ball merchant and would have persevered with the bigun over the top to Obartan if he hadn't proved to be a total disaster. When Tiote and Cab play we play on the ground a bit more and try and keep posession more. He's been a bit underhand with his handling of Hatem yet let shit performances from others slide. He has an agenda.

Small pitches. Its ridiculous how kids as young as 10 are asked to play footy on adult size pitches. Go and watch an under-11 game in England and its ferocious, hoof ball, tackles flying in and very little football played. A typical championship game or average Premier League game really but with kids. Go and watch the equiverlent in Holland or Argentina... its a different ball game man. Oh I agree. Most Eng players will laugh if you tell them that the best part of a top class game is played in the mind.

Small pitches.