KaKa

this game isn't exciting me.

It isn't meant too. It's supposed to get you to appreciate how much more enjoyable it is to watch your team play.

Unfortunately, it doesn't serve this purpose at the moment either.

A bit sad we let Nolan leave. Many here should pat their back for all his negative antics. He could have done a job in the current toothless side.

It's not about being toothless, or lacking desire, or lacking leadership etc etc etc. Don't like these cliches that get thrown about anytime a team isn't playing well.

It's clear the team isn't being set out in a way they're comfortable with, or that suits their strengths, and on top of this there si no clear plan of approach in how they move the ball around to create chances.

Pardew, unfortunately isn't adept in coaching these things it seems. It's just not as simple as setting out good players and expecting it to magically happen.

This football is so wild and chaotic, and yet more rhythmic than Pardew's. Sad.

What the hell is Nolan playing at there? Twit.

Talked to a basketball coach a few weeks ago for a good 20 minutes about corners in football and inbound pass routines in basketball. Stoke showed right there how to work space and set screens to free someone up for a shot, just as you would in basketball. Fantastic.

Did look very much like a set play in basketball. Worked brilliantly.

The guy has no real plan or idea of how to implement football that involves decent passing and movement. Man manager at best, and that's it.

It's clear that he just stumbled onto that formation last year, and that's what carried us. he doesn't truly believe in that system, or we would have stuck with it regardless of Ba's whinging.

Can't believe we still started a game with both Ba and Cisse upfront. Pardew's lost.

It's November and the manager still has no idea how to best setup the team to play anything resembling decent football.

At best Pardew is a good man manager, but is looking increasingly hopeless tactically. He talks about passing and playing football, but its clear he has no idea of how to implement or train the players to play this type of football.

Criminal waste of the players we currently have at our disposal.

Niall Quinn: Arse-shaving 

Says it every time!

Having to get their shirts back  :lol:

This game was just crazy.

Wonder if the red card Koscielny should've got will be mentioned at all after that

Happy they didn't give that. Roberts was pulling him down by the shirt.

Arsenal players have extraordinary fitness levels. They literally never seem to tire. Ultimately what got the best of Reading.

Love how Milner's crossing still hasn't improved since his time here.

 

I just dont get him, never did

I do. He's shite.

Did like the player he was becoming at Vill though, when played in central midfield.

Shame he decided to join Man City, where he has just returned to being a clogger out wide.

Shola! Come on!

Hurry back Tim

Tim, Elliott whoever! Harper is certainly the worst of the three.

Steve Harper is such a friggin stiff moron.

Just look at the difference in the quality of our football when we line up this way. It's like night and day.

My mistake. Great save. Not completely over.

Ha! Over the line by a mile!

Cisse seems more of a sound character who won't have such a problem with starting out wide. Also noticed he was doing a great job of getting into good positions in the box at the right times.

it's easy to ask why we didn't play the same in the opening 15 or 20 mins, but Man Utd were already 2-0 by that point - they're able to sit back and conserve their energy. that's probably the biggest reason why we've looked better - they're no longer in first gear.

Completely disagree.

After the ridiculously poor start, quite pleased with that.

 

Difficult to know what conclusions to draw from that first half though - has our style/formation given us dominance over them because it's genuinely good - or are they quite happy to sit on the 2-goal lead atm?

Man U happy to sit back at 2-0 in the first half?

Did you see what they were doing to us at the start? If we stayed in that 4-4-2 it would have been at least 4-0 to them by now.

If we lined up correctly to start the game Man U would be struggling big time. We're a match for anyone in this current setup.

We just don't have the personnel for a 4-4-2. It's just that simple.

Missed the first 15 minutes but (given Man Utd are 2 goals up) we are comfortably the better team.

Yeah, we lined up 4-4-2 initially and Man U had about 80% possession initially.

Why didn't we just start the game like this?

Cisse doing a great job of getting into good positions in the box from that right side.