Andy

He's knocking in goals and getting quite a few half decent chances per game yet isn't a goal threat? Don't understand that logic like.

You said you could have scored them. I seriously doubt you would have stuck those away as calmly under that kind of pressure with an international-class keeper in front of you.

But it's a whole place higher!!! Probably about 5-7pts difference. Man Utd Arsenal Chelsea Citeh Spuds and as much as it pains me to say it, Liverpool are all likely to finish the season strongly and pick up more points than they drop. That extra place dropping down to 7th was our realistic chance. Liverpool aren't better than us. Whether they are better with Carroll remains to be seen -- depends on how effectively they use him and how long it takes them to adapt their game. I don't think he'll walk into their team and start banging goals in straight away.

Eh? He's saying that European football would be a hinderance.

When we play it out from the back and it works its fine, when it doesn't work we should have hoofed it. I'd love to know how any of our players are supposed to knew if it's going to work or not. We have to either accept that at times it will go wrong or we tell them to hoof it every time and give away possession more often than we currently do. Personally, Im willing to accept that every so often well make a mistake but more often than not it will work to our advantage. Agreed. But when we play it out of defense, and it works 90% of the time, it's in the full-back position. That was bang centre, thirty yards from goal, with four Bolton players in and around the area. Common sense should have come into play and Colo should have just booted it. It's easy saying that with the benefit of hindsight though, but again, that same ball is played from Coloccini to Tiote time and time again, and to good effect since it allows us to build more patiently.

If people thought we could finish 7th, I don't see how it's unrealistic that we could finish 6th. I wouldn't say there are six teams in the league that are categorically better than our first team.

Surely it's just best to play which ever way fits the situation. We shouldn't be stubborn to a philosophy, yesterday was an example when the ball should've been booted away. Of course, but how often would Tiote actually lose the ball in that situation? The examples of that across the season have been so isolated that you could probably name each one off the top of your head... Thus to Coloccini it probably seemed a safe pass.

I like the desire to play from the back tbh. Once you start hoofing it, it's easy to get into the habit of taking the easy route every time you have the ball at the back. I'd rather take the risk of slipping a few goals while playing decent football, personally.

It's definitely time to start looking in front of us instead of over our shoulders - not so much because of our points tally, but more because of the way we've actually been playing. It's starting to become apparent that, at full strength, we're easily on par with (if not better than) most of the teams around us.

It's a rare error, but probably one that will reoccur at some point down the line due to the way he plays. He often drops deep looking for the ball then looks to either carry it or play it short, so it's inevitable that it will ultimately cause the loss of possession in a dangerous area occasionally. It's unfortunate that it was punished this time and against Blackburn.

There's more to playing in the midfield than passing statistics, shots, tackles, or even touches of the ball. It's as much about being able to hold the shape of the team by being in the right positions - something that Nolan and Tiote are both very good at, whereas a lot of midfielders in this country seem to struggle; and that - combined with Tiote's athleticism and Nolan's leadership - is part of the reason why we've been more effective as a team with those two in the middle.

I'm genuinely mystified that you're using your own personal experience on a football pitch to make a judgement or comment about a professional football player. Unless, of course, you are a professional football player. Let me ask why? Maybe he's played at a competitive level? I can draw from personal experience that I would've score all the goals Best scored against WHAM no doubt. Easy as shit goals, did well to get into those positions but the finishing from there on are way to easy man. Jesus. You can't compare scoring at a "competitive level" to scoring in the Premiership, where there are added mental factors to take into account such as fan pressure and the like; as well as obvious factors such as top-class goalkeepers and defenders. If it were that easy there'd be no difference between a 20-goal-a-season league two player and a 20-goal-a-season premiership player.

He wasn't offside.

Barton?

They should really give Tiote the role of "The Negotiator" for all future contracts. SIGN IT. REDUCED WAGES OR CRUSHED SKULL. SIGN IT.

Assuming that the other players consider him one of their most capable team mates, I would expect that the thought process behind the timing is to give the team a boost going into the back-end of the season. Pardew has said they are chasing Europe - news like this will help with any push.

Exactly. I'm pretty confident now that Tiote will be here next season - I can't see any clubs paying too much over-the-odds for someone with the reputation of a "destroying" midfield player (even though he's more than that to us). If he is here next season then it is as good, to me, as any new signing, because I fully expected us to be replacing him with a lesser model.

Fuck yeah. This is the kind of shit that goes down on my birthday.

People are just saying that Ferguson moved Ronaldo from the wing to a centre forward and maybe Ben Arfa could do something similar. WOAH. Don't mention them in the same sentence, the world will end.

can i take that as, happy with the team but wish he'd keep his gob shut ? No, see, I think what you've done there is take the brief outline of my opinion and casually mould it into your own opinion. thats why i said can i take it, knowing that if not you'd expand. I'd rather be enigmatic and provide no further expansion.

can i take that as, happy with the team but wish he'd keep his gob shut ? No, see, I think what you've done there is take the brief outline of my opinion and casually mould it into your own opinion.

I am firmly in the Pardew sort-of-nearly-becoming-a-fan club.

They've had plenty of criticism for not talking to the media enough. i know that, but they just talk too much shit for my liking what kind of fucking prep work saw us 0-4 down at home to arsenal like? or maybe it was the analysis that got us 4 goals back? The players bottled it in the first half against Arsenal - no amount of analysis can prepare for that. Look at Real Madrid against Barcelona - do you think Mourinho didn't do everything in his power to analyse and prepare for that match? Sometimes things don't go to plan, but that doesn't mean it isn't encouraging that the management team are taking more thorough steps to try and get results. i was taking the piss man, of course it's good that we're actually preparing in this manner - what i don't like is that we're supposed to see it as new and revolutionary, we should be asking why haven't we been analysing our opponents and ourselves in depth for years Sorry, I don't associate you with having a sense of humour, so I just assumed you were being serious.

They've had plenty of criticism for not talking to the media enough. i know that, but they just talk too much shit for my liking what kind of fucking prep work saw us 0-4 down at home to arsenal like? or maybe it was the analysis that got us 4 goals back? The players bottled it in the first half against Arsenal - no amount of analysis can prepare for that. Look at Real Madrid against Barcelona - do you think Mourinho didn't do everything in his power to analyse and prepare for that match? Sometimes things don't go to plan, but that doesn't mean it isn't encouraging that the management team are taking more thorough steps to try and get results.

Posting a football video if I remember rightly.