Dr Venkman

Tiote would be a good fit with Anita and Cabaye because he could concentrate on what he's good at.

He should have at least flagged it up, was a farce how Valencia didn't get his marching orders, already being on a yellow and all that. Was the worst decision of the match for me, if I was Pardew I would have been absolutely raging. Valencia sent off in the 94th minute makes no difference to us, the game was over. Pardew was rightly more concerned that Anita might miss some games. It might deter other Man U players from injuring ours in future? The correct decisions should still be made, regardless of how long's left.

That's really, really good news.

At worst it's greed, at best poor decision making. Funnily enough I think Drogba suffered from it too at times, but he obviously had more to his game to make up for it.

There definitely should be a less rigid option than 'Okay YOU must play here and YOU must play here'. I don't see why it can't be more fluid. A 4-3-3 but the players able to switch positions as and when. That said if both are desperate to play central it could throw up some problems and leave one side of the pitch a little bare. There was a less rigid option played last season, with Cisse starting centre but all of them filling in where needed, at times Cisse would be filling in at left back (as would Ba). This season when we have played 4-3-3 that system has been abandoned, with Ba either playing centrally or not on the pitch. I've said it before but if you want evidence of that (other than watching the games) look no further than Shola coming on to play in a front 3 and playing on the wing.

Lovely little player, just absolutely no excuse for Jonas being in the team ahead of him.

Fucking sucks this like, just when he's started to really look a player.

No complaints today, out of interest was Jonas dropped or injured? I think it's safe to say the players are still playing for him like. Nice to see our strongest formation being given time to work.

Dave, you know as well as I do that Cisse has only been asked to play out on the wing in the last couple of matches, coincidentally in the period where Pardew has tried to change the two men up top tactics and also a period in which our first choice right winger (Ben Arfa) has been out injured. To claim he hasn't been scoring goals this season because he has been asked to play out wide for a few matches is gross oversimplification I wouldn't expect from a good poster like you. He's been denied playing in his position (in the middle of a 3) all season though. Well, that would be because if what you are saying is true, "his position" does not exist in Pardew's apparently preferred formation, which begs the question: can he work as part of a front two or in other formations where he isn't the lone striker with two wide forwards, or is he another Darren Bent who needs the team/formation built around him? I would have hoped he was a bit more versatile than that, and based on what I've seen so far in terms of interplay and movement (mainly last season) I think he is to be honest. Apparently it is hard to accept for some people that a good striker can sometimes just have a bad spell of form in front of goal. I think his play when he drops off is pretty good yeah, his control is good and he can often twist and turn and find a team mate. I accept he's having a hard time in front of goal like, I'm more concerned about the team than him though. I feel like I have to keep reiterating that point. I think the team performs better with him central and two players wide of him. I think it's worth 'sacrificing results' for a few games to get him central and get him more chances and get him firing again, because I think the team will function better. The difference might be marginal but we need all the help we can get at the minute.

Trying to come up with reasons why his form has dipped and then only ending up with reasons outside of his control is what I call making excuses. Pretty sure that's what making excuses means too, but than again English is nog my mother tongue so I may be wrong.. As for the reason why Cisse has been so disappointing, I don't know and I din't want to theorise. What I do know though, and that's how this argument started, is that moving Ba who is scoring away from goal to accomodate a stuttering Cisse in the centre seems like utter madness to me. As mad as moving Cisse away from the centre to accommodate a sulking, stuttering Ba? Beggars f***ing belief this like. I knew this was coming. I for one am perfectly happy for our best players to request being played in their preferred position, as long as they deliver when they are. Ba has delivered whenever he has played in the centre for us, Cisse hasn't so far this season, so with a change from two to one central striker it was obvious he was the one going wide for a while or out of the first team altogether (which I would have preferred btw). I fully expect Cisse to get frustrated for being played out wide, just as Ba did. Four games in, and the first signs were there last Saturday. He will have to walk the walk too though, like Ba did when he requested to play centrally. As I said, in a 433 there is only one place for a real central striker, which they both are. May the best one win. At the moment that is Ba. I really hope Cisse refinds his form of last year and reclaims his place. That's primarily up to him though; if he keeps missing chances at this rate it may be a while yet. If he starts banging them in I am sure nobody will be more delighted than Pardew himself. The manager needs to do what's best for the team based on the evidence available. He's not doing it, and he wouldn't be sacrificing anything by trying something which worked so well last season. If Cisse was playing anywhere near as well as last season we wouldn't even be having this debate. As it is, displacing the forward who is doing the business to accomodate the one who isn't is indeed a huge sacrifice considering where we would be right now if Ba's form was like Cisse's this season. We did it at the start of this season for the sake of a sulking striker. Why can't we do it now for the sake of an under performing team getting s*** results? Except we didn't. We reverted to the tactic we employed for 80% of our matches last season to great effect and accommodated both Ba and Cisse in central forward positions in an attempt to combine our defensive solidity of last season with playing two top class strikers capable of scoring 50 goals between them in theory. Whilst it's clearly not worked out as we hoped it would, I find it extremely simplistic to discredit this concept with the benefit of hindsight considering the fact we have also looked extremely vulnerable at times with the 433 formation that's now considered to be some sort of silver bullet by some on here. Excuse me? Are you seriously suggesting that there aren't members of this forum who've expressed their concern about these players in a 4-4-2 since the beginning of last season? Pardew got away with 'keep it tight, nobody move, pass it to Ba' for a good while and it was fun but so many people on here were talking about it being unsustainable. We're discrediting the concept of these players in a 4-4-2 with hindsight? I've heard everything now. A 442 with Ba and Cisse up top, both central, both capable of 25 goals a season in that position in theory and Ben Arfa in support, starting from the right but with a license to roam? It worked with lesser players (Best, Shola) to an extent last season, so yes, I feel it was definitely worth a shot. If Cisse had brought his shooting boots from summer holiday we probably wouldn't even be having this discussion. Worth a shot? Fair enough. But saying that the 4-4-2 and the limitations of the way Pardew uses it are being judged in hindsight this season is just a lie, imo.

Trying to come up with reasons why his form has dipped and then only ending up with reasons outside of his control is what I call making excuses. Pretty sure that's what making excuses means too, but than again English is nog my mother tongue so I may be wrong.. As for the reason why Cisse has been so disappointing, I don't know and I din't want to theorise. What I do know though, and that's how this argument started, is that moving Ba who is scoring away from goal to accomodate a stuttering Cisse in the centre seems like utter madness to me. As mad as moving Cisse away from the centre to accommodate a sulking, stuttering Ba? Beggars f***ing belief this like. I knew this was coming. I for one am perfectly happy for our best players to request being played in their preferred position, as long as they deliver when they are. Ba has delivered whenever he has played in the centre for us, Cisse hasn't so far this season, so with a change from two to one central striker it was obvious he was the one going wide for a while or out of the first team altogether (which I would have preferred btw). I fully expect Cisse to get frustrated for being played out wide, just as Ba did. Four games in, and the first signs were there last Saturday. He will have to walk the walk too though, like Ba did when he requested to play centrally. As I said, in a 433 there is only one place for a real central striker, which they both are. May the best one win. At the moment that is Ba. I really hope Cisse refinds his form of last year and reclaims his place. That's primarily up to him though; if he keeps missing chances at this rate it may be a while yet. If he starts banging them in I am sure nobody will be more delighted than Pardew himself. The manager needs to do what's best for the team based on the evidence available. He's not doing it, and he wouldn't be sacrificing anything by trying something which worked so well last season. If Cisse was playing anywhere near as well as last season we wouldn't even be having this debate. As it is, displacing the forward who is doing the business to accomodate the one who isn't is indeed a huge sacrifice considering where we would be right now if Ba's form was like Cisse's this season. We did it at the start of this season for the sake of a sulking striker. Why can't we do it now for the sake of an under performing team getting s*** results? Except we didn't. We reverted to the tactic we employed for 80% of our matches last season to great effect and accommodated both Ba and Cisse in central forward positions in an attempt to combine our defensive solidity of last season with playing two top class strikers capable of scoring 50 goals between them in theory. Whilst it's clearly not worked out as we hoped it would, I find it extremely simplistic to discredit this concept with the benefit of hindsight considering the fact we have also looked extremely vulnerable at times with the 433 formation that's now considered to be some sort of silver bullet by some on here. Excuse me? Are you seriously suggesting that there aren't members of this forum who've expressed their concern about these players in a 4-4-2 since the beginning of last season? Pardew got away with 'keep it tight, nobody move, pass it to Ba' for a good while and it was fun but so many people on here were talking about it being unsustainable. We're discrediting the concept of these players in a 4-4-2 with hindsight? I've heard everything now.

Trying to come up with reasons why his form has dipped and then only ending up with reasons outside of his control is what I call making excuses. Pretty sure that's what making excuses means too, but than again English is nog my mother tongue so I may be wrong.. As for the reason why Cisse has been so disappointing, I don't know and I din't want to theorise. What I do know though, and that's how this argument started, is that moving Ba who is scoring away from goal to accomodate a stuttering Cisse in the centre seems like utter madness to me. As mad as moving Cisse away from the centre to accommodate a sulking, stuttering Ba? Beggars f***ing belief this like. I knew this was coming. I for one am perfectly happy for our best players to request being played in their preferred position, as long as they deliver when they are. Ba has delivered whenever he has played in the centre for us, Cisse hasn't so far this season, so with a change from two to one central striker it was obvious he was the one going wide for a while or out of the first team altogether (which I would have preferred btw). I fully expect Cisse to get frustrated for being played out wide, just as Ba did. Four games in, and the first signs were there last Saturday. He will have to walk the walk too though, like Ba did when he requested to play centrally. As I said, in a 433 there is only one place for a real central striker, which they both are. May the best one win. At the moment that is Ba. I really hope Cisse refinds his form of last year and reclaims his place. That's primarily up to him though; if he keeps missing chances at this rate it may be a while yet. If he starts banging them in I am sure nobody will be more delighted than Pardew himself. The manager needs to do what's best for the team based on the evidence available. He's not doing it, and he wouldn't be sacrificing anything by trying something which worked so well last season. If Cisse was playing anywhere near as well as last season we wouldn't even be having this debate. As it is, displacing the forward who is doing the business to accomodate the one who isn't is indeed a huge sacrifice considering where we would be right now if Ba's form was like Cisse's this season. None of that takes into account the fact that Cisse hasn't once been sent out as the middle striker of a 3 this season, and that may have something to do with his drop in form. I get it though, we're playing badly and getting shit results but you two are concerned about changing anything Cisse has had chances and missed them, it's very odd that the only way he can perform is if he is specifically in the middle of a front 3. Doing the man a massive discredit there, he isn't Defore/Bent, he is just going through a poor patch which isn't the time you move one forward to a position he doesn't score in the hope an underperforming one will start. Cisse will get more chances playing in the middle. Ba will get the chances Cisse is getting now if he plays wide, just as he did last season. More importantly than all of that, the team will function better.

Dave, you know as well as I do that Cisse has only been asked to play out on the wing in the last couple of matches, coincidentally in the period where Pardew has tried to change the two men up top tactics and also a period in which our first choice right winger (Ben Arfa) has been out injured. To claim he hasn't been scoring goals this season because he has been asked to play out wide for a few matches is gross oversimplification I wouldn't expect from a good poster like you. He's been denied playing in his position (in the middle of a 3) all season though.

I'm expecting us to make Man United's shaky defence look competent, 4-0.

I wouldn't assume us not wanting Shola to go = Ba is definitely off like. We can't afford to lose Shola as it is.

Merry Christmas you lot.

He could have remedied that partly by playing Marveaux, he's full of shit.

Trying to come up with reasons why his form has dipped and then only ending up with reasons outside of his control is what I call making excuses. Pretty sure that's what making excuses means too, but than again English is nog my mother tongue so I may be wrong.. As for the reason why Cisse has been so disappointing, I don't know and I din't want to theorise. What I do know though, and that's how this argument started, is that moving Ba who is scoring away from goal to accomodate a stuttering Cisse in the centre seems like utter madness to me. As mad as moving Cisse away from the centre to accommodate a sulking, stuttering Ba? Beggars f***ing belief this like. I knew this was coming. I for one am perfectly happy for our best players to request being played in their preferred position, as long as they deliver when they are. Ba has delivered whenever he has played in the centre for us, Cisse hasn't so far this season, so with a change from two to one central striker it was obvious he was the one going wide for a while or out of the first team altogether (which I would have preferred btw). I fully expect Cisse to get frustrated for being played out wide, just as Ba did. Four games in, and the first signs were there last Saturday. He will have to walk the walk too though, like Ba did when he requested to play centrally. As I said, in a 433 there is only one place for a real central striker, which they both are. May the best one win. At the moment that is Ba. I really hope Cisse refinds his form of last year and reclaims his place. That's primarily up to him though; if he keeps missing chances at this rate it may be a while yet. If he starts banging them in I am sure nobody will be more delighted than Pardew himself. The manager needs to do what's best for the team based on the evidence available. He's not doing it, and he wouldn't be sacrificing anything by trying something which worked so well last season. If Cisse was playing anywhere near as well as last season we wouldn't even be having this debate. As it is, displacing the forward who is doing the business to accomodate the one who isn't is indeed a huge sacrifice considering where we would be right now if Ba's form was like Cisse's this season. None of that takes into account the fact that Cisse hasn't once been sent out as the middle striker of a 3 this season, and that may have something to do with his drop in form. I get it though, we're playing badly and getting shit results but you two are concerned about changing anything

How would playing Ba wide left and Cisse in the centre help having a stable back 5 and cut out individual errors from the likes of Colo and Tiote? Should we give it a try and see if it works? Do you think we'll miss out on any points by doing so? We've played this way before and it worked well, these aren't wild philosophical musings.

Trying to come up with reasons why his form has dipped and then only ending up with reasons outside of his control is what I call making excuses. Pretty sure that's what making excuses means too, but than again English is nog my mother tongue so I may be wrong.. As for the reason why Cisse has been so disappointing, I don't know and I din't want to theorise. What I do know though, and that's how this argument started, is that moving Ba who is scoring away from goal to accomodate a stuttering Cisse in the centre seems like utter madness to me. As mad as moving Cisse away from the centre to accommodate a sulking, stuttering Ba? Beggars f***ing belief this like. I knew this was coming. I for one am perfectly happy for our best players to request being played in their preferred position, as long as they deliver when they are. Ba has delivered whenever he has played in the centre for us, Cisse hasn't so far this season, so with a change from two to one central striker it was obvious he was the one going wide for a while or out of the first team altogether (which I would have preferred btw). I fully expect Cisse to get frustrated for being played out wide, just as Ba did. Four games in, and the first signs were there last Saturday. He will have to walk the walk too though, like Ba did when he requested to play centrally. As I said, in a 433 there is only one place for a real central striker, which they both are. May the best one win. At the moment that is Ba. I really hope Cisse refinds his form of last year and reclaims his place. That's primarily up to him though; if he keeps missing chances at this rate it may be a while yet. If he starts banging them in I am sure nobody will be more delighted than Pardew himself. The manager needs to do what's best for the team based on the evidence available. He's not doing it, and he wouldn't be sacrificing anything by trying something which worked so well last season. If Cisse was playing anywhere near as well as last season we wouldn't even be having this debate. As it is, displacing the forward who is doing the business to accomodate the one who isn't is indeed a huge sacrifice considering where we would be right now if Ba's form was like Cisse's this season. We did it at the start of this season for the sake of a sulking striker. Why can't we do it now for the sake of an under performing team getting shit results?

If he didn't instantly do it do you think it likely we'd gain less points? Your argument would be understandable if we were having a good or even 'on par' season, we're not. And that's not even mentioning performances, which have been terrible.

Trying to come up with reasons why his form has dipped and then only ending up with reasons outside of his control is what I call making excuses. Pretty sure that's what making excuses means too, but than again English is nog my mother tongue so I may be wrong.. As for the reason why Cisse has been so disappointing, I don't know and I din't want to theorise. What I do know though, and that's how this argument started, is that moving Ba who is scoring away from goal to accomodate a stuttering Cisse in the centre seems like utter madness to me. As mad as moving Cisse away from the centre to accommodate a sulking, stuttering Ba? Beggars f***ing belief this like. I knew this was coming. I for one am perfectly happy for our best players to request being played in their preferred position, as long as they deliver when they are. Ba has delivered whenever he has played in the centre for us, Cisse hasn't so far this season, so with a change from two to one central striker it was obvious he was the one going wide for a while or out of the first team altogether (which I would have preferred btw). I fully expect Cisse to get frustrated for being played out wide, just as Ba did. Four games in, and the first signs were there last Saturday. He will have to walk the walk too though, like Ba did when he requested to play centrally. As I said, in a 433 there is only one place for a real central striker, which they both are. May the best one win. At the moment that is Ba. I really hope Cisse refinds his form of last year and reclaims his place. That's primarily up to him though; if he keeps missing chances at this rate it may be a while yet. If he starts banging them in I am sure nobody will be more delighted than Pardew himself. The manager needs to do what's best for the team based on the evidence available. He's not doing it, and he wouldn't be sacrificing anything by trying something which worked so well last season.

Trying to come up with reasons why his form has dipped and then only ending up with reasons outside of his control is what I call making excuses. Pretty sure that's what making excuses means too, but than again English is nog my mother tongue so I may be wrong.. As for the reason why Cisse has been so disappointing, I don't know and I din't want to theorise. What I do know though, and that's how this argument started, is that moving Ba who is scoring away from goal to accomodate a stuttering Cisse in the centre seems like utter madness to me. As mad as moving Cisse away from the centre to accommodate a sulking, stuttering Ba? Beggars fucking belief this like.

Not sure why he won't answer this question. Should we sacrifice results whilst he regains his form. What is this s***? It's unbelievable. Funny, the person that was aimed at understood what I meant. Maybe that statement in the context of the rest of the post had a slightly different meaning..? Nothing like taking a few words out of context to make yourself look smart. Keep it up lads.. Give it a rest. Suggesting we'd be 'sacrificing results' if we gave Cisse a run in the middle of a three is just a really, really stupid thing to say. There's been no results to sacrifice.

Not sure why he won't answer this question. Should we sacrifice results whilst he regains his form. What is this shit?