AlanSkÃrare

And what we need to provide for him (and the team) are players who are also "Always open, always moving, always an option, always finds space." I saw a fare few times yesterday where Anita moved into space to receive the ball from the defense and then looking for the next pass but no one else was opening up to get in a position to receive his pass. He saw the need to move into space to make himself open for a pass, but it looks like none of the others are Ajax trained for this pass and move style football. Fully agreed. I think Rémy can stretch teams and allow Ben Arfa some more space, Fulham doubled up on him all the time. Our full backs should be open more when Anita's on the ball, and Cabaye in a more advanced position than the quarter-back role would be another thing to make us more open and fluid in possession.

Everton in for McCarthy. We'll never go there unless Cabaye is going.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/26/article-0-184CE523000005DC-279_196x180.jpg

Don't really care. Another meaningless bid for Thauvin, perhaps something pathetic about Demba. We'll be busy trying to flog Cabaye all day anyway. Expect McCarthy to leave Wigan for Everton with us trying to "hijack" it but failing on purpose.

Asking them to put up or shit up yesterday etc. is just our way of trying to rekindle their interest. They want nothing more than to cash in.

Lots of powerful running yesterday. Still want to see him and Anita behind Cabaye in a midfield three. Superb energy and good movement to go with Anita and Cabaye's vision. We'd be very good if the three of them clicked and hade Rémy/Cissé/Ben Arfa in front of them.

Where did you find that stat?

We're apparantley hoofing less than any other team so far this season. Down to this man. Always open, always moving, always an option, always finds space. Has to play, our most important midfielder.

Awesome. Makes us pass the ball.

Well in Douglas. Now for Pardew as well.

Oh dear

FLORIAN GET BACK

He's whole success at Chelsea is built on over spending, albeit combined with tactical master class and inspiration compared to none. It's a pisstake.

"That's certainly news to me. What we do have is a very tight and committed group of lads".

Back already? In training pics from today. Wasn't involved in their last game.

Sales for Fulham suggest its starting... How many sold?

Reading thopse GolfMag posts again brings me back to the feeling most of us had at the time Pardew was appointed. It was easy to forget who he is, where he came from and under what circumstances he accepted the job when he took us to 5th place. Now though, those issues seem far more pressing and illustrative of the way our club is being operated. He's a manager whose misfortunes forced him to take charge of a League One club - a club that eventually wanted to keep evolving and got rid of him. The complete liberation from logic that lies behind Ashley and Llambias decision to appoint him in the first place was never confronted in the press. Not to the degree it should have been. Our clubs sporting ambition ceased to exist the moment this man was brought in. If his contract is constructed the way GolfMag describes it, it's even more of a scandal. But Pardew made himself out to be a manager of some sort of calibre at once, and he seemingly has a way of getting along with a lot of people. There's not much reason to be angry with him for taking the opportunity to manage in the Premier League again, even though his previous record should have made that impossible. There's however loads of reason to despise his acceptance of a role where he would serve as a football manager under the control of people who had no intention of achieving any footballing success. Add to that the unfairly displacing an honest professional in the process, which he evidently knew about. Hopefully someone inside the club can document exactly what's going on, because this all seems as if it could make for a smashing documentary at some stage. I'd love to know the full story.

This is a new low. Desperately trying to sell our best players to clubs with arguably worse finances than ourselves. Get this man out of my life.

"What if Everton sell Fellaini then coming knocking on our door for Ben Arfa?" Absolute cretin. Fuck him.

David

Really good post. Agree on all points.

He could have done something to address it through team selection/tactics? He could have not created five million problems over the past 12 months.

1. Hopefully 2. one 3. or 4. two Four words I want to stab in the neck.