AlanSkÃrare

I want Sammy now

Simpson needs to stop waving and thank everyone that crosses to him

This is almost a pisstake. We quit the long ball and play a completley different game. Hope this continues.

Ferguson 3 assists in 3, decent

We're not hoofing.

First time we get to see Anita with Cheick and Cabaye. Could be a turning point if they gel.

Can think of no other club that I feel deserve success as much as I want Dortmund to succeed. Homegrown players, awesome fans and a really likeable manager.

We played the exact same way during parts of this spring. This didn't change until that 2nd half against the mackems.

Ba, Cisse and Ben Arfa vs Jonny Evans Shearer is saying we'll beat them because their defense is awful. If we start focusing on our strengths and not those of the opposing teams we should be fine. A Keegan-style "try and outscore them" would work in our favour. Yeah that'll be our approach If I don't understand a post I don't bother replying tbh. I wasn't trying to have a dig at you. Seems you don't understand, yet you replied.

Ba, Cisse and Ben Arfa vs Jonny Evans Shearer is saying we'll beat them because their defense is awful. If we start focusing on our strengths and not those of the opposing teams we should be fine. A Keegan-style "try and outscore them" would work in our favour. Yeah that'll be our approach

Really weird. 8 year deal with Greggs on the cards?

Wasn't nice to see that. So much for our much vaunted team spirit. Why are teammates shouting at each other? Signs that the team knows they're doing poorly. Have you ever played football ? That's just part and parcel of the game. Poor performances should never been taken lightly or encouraged. These people are professionals, they should have played enough to know when they deserve stick, even from team mates. If you can't react with determination to improve your not cut out for it.

Shearer and Bellamy was a joy to watch. Bellamy stretching them and making up so much ground to create space for Robert and Solano's crosses while also latching on to throughballs from them and Dyer. Shearer on the end of everything. Demba does some legwork, but neither of him and Papiss could ever be the sort of whirlwind Bellamy was. The perfect foil.

Should not be forgotten that Colo is integral to our style of play as he doesn't hoof at first sight of the ball. He solves so many situations by playing it on the ground and into Cabaye. Still waiting to see a midfield three of Anita-Tioté-Cabaye, I think that's the formula. Colo and Taylor playing it into Anita or Cabaye, Tioté murdering everyone. Ben Arfa in a free role and Ba just behind Cissé. Ferguson, Sammy and Marveaux as wide alternatives if we need width.

Exactly what I think. This approach is what he reverts to when he has no idea.

Not that it mattered today, but Krul missing as well is another element.

Rest everyone, we need to resurrect our Premiership season.

Surely this performance has prompted Pardew to reconsider some of his tactical approach. If we want to become fluid and play with exuberance again, the hoofing does no good whatsoever. Cissé and Ben Arfa completley wasted today, not seeing anything of the ball. It's the same story with Cabaye when he's played this season. Go back to how we played in April, I don't mind dropping Cissé on current form. Ba in the middle, stick Ferguson on the left and let's fucking have em.

He's direct, he gets the ball in the box all the time. Simple for me, play him.

What is the problem? Does he not trust the players to pass the ball? Hoofing is getting ridiculous

Fucking start him

We've garbage, this is horrible, players look disjointed and confused

U21s playing tonight I think?

I don't really rate these players in the same bracket as the Huntington/Edgar/O'Brien/Pattison/Ramage/Chopra generation that came through 5-6 years ago. They didn't have an honest chance, they were given a chance because Roeder used to manage them at youth level. The only one with any real ability was always Steven Taylor. Bradley Orr went on to be a Premiership player as well, but he was around a bit earlier I reckon. I don't recall us having this many players knocking on the first team door at the same time.

Hopefully in time this ability to control matches will develop. I am certainly prepared to give Pardew a fair amount of leeway on this given what he has achieved since he has been here. And to be honest, if he carries on delivering top 6 places each season (especially given the resources of the teams in the top 4), I am not sure I am really that bothered about whether or not we control matches sufficiently. Whether we can do that without controlling matches as you say is up for debate. I think it's been difficult for him to install the passing game we all crave. Sure, the ingredients are all there, but fringe players and backup are not that gifted. The distance in quality between some of our first team players and those replacing them is huge in my opinion. Putting in the likes of Ryan Taylor, Gosling, Williamson and Shola when Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Cissé and Coloccini are out - any team would struggle to keep to their ideological approach. However, I do share concerns about Pardew's ability to get the best out of our current squad. He's really struggling to optimize a couple of our players and he's very persistent in some tactical aspects that clearly aren't working for us. I just wish he would look back at some of the games from the end of last season and try to see what worked well in those games. For me, Stoke (h) in April is the best football we've played for fucking ages.