merlin

This - too many weaknesses in key positions as the squad currently stands. Keep the same squad, add a striker and a winger with pace and Top 4 is possible....but only under a good manager. Pardew should still be getting this squad into Europa League spots.

I'm not disputing, or trying to use a few games (where he was deployed on the wing) as the underlying cause behind his missing shooting boots - in this case imho is a lack of composure in front of goal. The way Pardew has used him (which is better suited to Ba's physical gifts, and as pairing this season they never fed off one another in the final 1/3) upfront, with the type of delivery fed forward, has borne consequence It will take more than just one day a week in training (ie working on each attacking element of the team's play) to correct/restore what Cisse has lost this year. I think we're relying too much on the players' (particularly Carr's continental assembly of well schooled technical types) prior football education & individual brilliance, and with this a capability make an immediate impact hot off the plane, to push this team forward. Age-wise Cisse isn't at the stage of a career where it basically falls apart in the space of 6 months and his game isn't reliant Ba-like power, and his record in the Bundesliga isn't exactly indicative of Carr falling in love with a one season wonder. Bundesliga form is usually good form ie. high quality technical football, coupled with a tempo & pace which is comparable to the PL For a club that want's to unearth & develop young technical players, ala Arsenal, we're backing the wrong horse in Pardew ie. as the figurehead & coaching whiz needed to drive the programe forward As a footballer standalone, with a football brain, i have faith in Cisse with the right management & coaching philosophies/methods etc guiding him. As for Pardew's ability to extract the full potential of Carr's targets, and this includes the continued development of the early 20's like Anita & Moussa (and i mean mid to long term,beyond a dream home debut) i don't share the same level of optimism. Agree - excellent post.

The Spurs result has nothing to do with it - Mourinho was happy to part with Santon and I can see why although he had far more choice than we have. F--- off yourself - a pity you can't enter a debate with out resorting to that sort of crap.... Use it again and that will be the last time I bother to respond to your posts because it aint worth it.

Er - Bosnich DID play football, believe it or not and he was a decent keeper too - he thought Perch was wrong and he also thought Krul was badly postioned. As Bosnich played for Man U at one time I think his opinion has some credibility...don't you ?

We are going to sell somebody in summer,regardless of Llambias' comments and if Haidara is a better player I would rather sell Santon than either HBA or Cabaye....

In the summer, I would agree but sadly I can't see it unless we escape relegation by the skin of our teeth...

Better performance than last season, but once again, a defeat and Spurs were deserving of their win. We were only in the game with a chance of a result until Gouffran went off because he was the only one making dangerous runs that caused their defence any major alarms. The opening goal was very poor keeping from Krul - even Mark Bosnich picked this up on Aussie Foxtel and said that Krul's positioning had been poor at the free kick. He also blamed Perch for not attempting to jump when in the wall as the kick was taken - both good points. Krul has been getting complacent recently and I reckon this is because he has no real competition...we should have given more time to Foster to see if he was any good before selling him because Harper is on his way out of the club and Hooper not a PL keeper. Krul DID make up for his sloppiness later in the game with 2 decent saves from Bale, but the damage was done early on and we had to come from behind - again. Spurs had clearly done their homework on Sissoko and Santon because both were far less effective than in the last game...Lennon constantly had Santon caught up-field and they were able to catch us out with cross-field passes, mainly from Bale. The one time Sissoko really escaped his marker(s)he made the goal for Gouffran who was our main danger up front with his clever runs from deep. Even one of the useless commentators picked this up and said that if anyone had picked Gouffran out on at least 2 occasions, he was in on goal, but nobody did. Cabaye was good up until HT then he started getting drawn into m/f battles...Spurs kept tabs on him too. Cisse was hardly ever a threat, but I have gone over this in the thread about him. A major part of our problem is the general lack of movement from forward/m/f players when we win the ball in defence...there are very limited options of players unmarked and available for a pass. This has been the case ALL season with the exception of last week with Gouffran and Sissoko....I lost count of how many times 3 of our players were crowded together on the right as we were attacking late in the game and we inevitably ended up losing possession when better movement off the ball would have created more danger.... Spurs were more mobile all over the pitch and I don't hold that it was only Bale that gave them the result - they moved better off the ball and looked fitter. We could have lost 3 or 4 goals in the second half when we were chasing the game. The new players we have signed will have learned a valuable lesson today about PL football and that is that you have to be 100% committed in every game - so far, Gouffran looks to have made the transition from French football well, but he wasn't involved for 90 mins. They are too good not to adapt but it will take time. As for Yanga-Mbiwa, I thought he should have been given a good 20 mins, even if that meant taking Colo off...he is leaving in summer whether we like it or not and the new guy was an expensive signing with International caps - we need to know what he can do. Colo was, unfortunately, involved in the concession of both goals.... We still have a long way to go to match Spurs' league position and there is a lot of work to do in order to stay out of danger - Southampton - our next opponents - proved that with their result against Man C, at least as good a result as ours last week.....

So was Reading - have you seen Southampton's result v City ? I bet their fans are not moaning about a new manager coming in now...

Basically kept busy all day coping with Lennon and Walker - Spurs clearly sussed that he comes forward a lot and ensured they nullified that - we were left exposed time and again down that side by cross-field passes. His lack of ability to cross on the run with his left foot takes away much of his effectiveness for me. If Haidara shows real promise I would probably sell if an Italian club came up with enough money.

All strikers have a dry spell - even Shearer was coming under the spotlight before the 1996 Euros and he finished top scorer. He also had a poor spell just before SBR arrived, but Bobby put that right... Read the last 4 words...Bobby told Shearer that he was not getting into the positions he needed to in order to score and what happened? 5 goals for him in the next game v Sheff Weds... The problem with Cisse is not as simple - he IS having to do more donkey work outside the box, but so did Shearer. SBR helped Shearer by signing Gallacher(stop gap) and then Bellamy and all was well. With the current style of play, Cisse is basically isolated - he is having to come back too deep in order to get the ball and whilst his hold-up play was better yesterday, that is not his prime purpose. Once Gouffran went off, the problem was worse and we basically lost the game from that time. Our forward m/f players are too static when our defenders win the ball - they should be making runs a la' Gouffran in order to create options for passing to a man in space...this has been a problem ALL season until Sissoko did it against Chelsea last week. Guttierez is one of the culprits because he is spending too much time propping defenders up. I am beginning to think that Cisse is something of an enigma - something midway between the player of last season and this. He is not getting many chances in the box and is beginning to snatch at the ones he does get because he knows there won't be many. He lacks real pace so will never threaten defenders on the break unless put in by someone else's cross or shot and he isn't great at winning the ball in the air with his back to goal....that is not to say he wouldn't score goals in another team...or under a different manager. We have to remember that he will be 28 next birthday - the time when a striker should be at his peak and he won't improve after that. Time will tell....

Not interested in whether he is getting stick from the stands or not - because of his past record - and some of the crazy decisions he has made this season - he still has to prove he is a long-term successful manager in my book. We now have a very good squad of players and if we start back-sliding again - not necessarily in this game because it is a tough one - I reckon many fans who HAVE been patient and blamed the results on Ashley - will lose patience very quickly. I know we don't want instability but we need to be getting decent results and performances with this squad now. Time will tell....

Yes, the change in the atmosphere from the last home game was unbelievable and we had a full stadium...at that time the ground could only hold 29,000 safely.... The whole ground humming as he walked out and waved to the fans before the game started and the buzz that he had obviously created among the players. Fantastic when the final whistle blew, we had won 3-0 and the ground chanting 'Kee-gan, Kee-gan'.... I'm not a person who is over-emotional, but I did have tears in my eyes at the sight and sound of it all. You just KNEW that if he kept us up - and it WAS a tough ask - we would go from strength to strength - it was the start of the best 5 years I have seen since I began going to games in the 60s.

If he admits they were wrong to skimp on necessary squad strengthening in the summer, fine - the crucial thing now is that they don't do it again and set back the club's progress. Everyone makes mistakes - its whether you learn from them that determines what sort of individual you are. We shall see.

...and they won't be as long as it suits people like Platini to have things the way they are. Its a bit like EU rules...some countries(France, anyone..!?) ignore them at will whilst UK Civil Servant Mandarins gold-plate them and ensure the UK gets fined if it ignores them. Why would UEFA be any different..?

There have been plenty of players who have been late developers and haven't really shown their potential until they were 21 or over....we have had at least 2 I can think of, Chris Waddle and Geoff Allen. Waddle most people on here know about, but Allen was a left-winger who was in and out of our first team in the mid-late 60s until finally, he came good against Feyenoord in what as then the Fairs Cup...our first match in Europe in 1968. He was the architecht of our 4-0 win, tearing the right side of their defence to shreds. He went on to show this form in the First Div until he was victim of a desperate tackle by Hindley at Notts Forest, we won the match 1-4. He had cruciate ligament damage and in those days it was curtains, The other most notable 21 year old to make the big time was Steve Heighway at Liverpool...had been a University student playing part-time for Skelmersdale until Shankly signed him in 1971 and he went on to create Liverpool's goal against Arsenal in the FA Cup Final and had a long successful career at Anfield. Players still have a chance to make the big time at that age, and Inman has scored enough goals - and created them for others - to warrant a go in our first team at some stage.

one problem with the man u theory, Fergie seems ignorant purposefully or otherwise of the need for a better central midfield, its not a new thing for them Lets hope so....we'll see in Summer...

I've said before that Cabaye is just the sort of player Ferguson likes - skillful, committed and a settled family life. Ferguson needs to improve that midfield too. I reckon Man U would be in for him given the slightest encouragement next summer and I think they would pay 20m to get him too....that may include a player-exchange offer. As others have said, unless we are in the mix for trophies every season, our players will always be targets for clubs that are, and the players will probably leave in due course. Its a fact of life.......

A difficult game right now - they are playing well and getting results, Bale esp in top goal-scoring form. They will be anxious to build on their good run in order to try for CL, and if we get anything here, we will have well and truly earned it. The midfield battle will be interesting esp if Tiote is back alongside Cabaye and Sissoko and we will certainly give them a tough game, hopefully better than last season there.... My worries centre more on our defence,esp the FBs who are good at going forward, less so in defence and we need to keep the ball when we gain possession. Will be delighted with a draw.

I think that when you play them with their current set up, you either need a very early goal or a late one, as per Reading. They are designed basically to contain and hit teams on the break with Sessegnon and McClean using their pace. Last season at SJP, we pounded away at them for almost all of the second half and only a late goal by Shola got a point....they had got a penalty in the first half, thanks to Williamson and then basically sat on it, especially after Sessegnon was sent off. They are tight in m/f and hoofing it long a'la Pardew/Krul etc is not good because they tend to win a lot of second balls by virtue of their numbers in m/f. You have to keep the ball and make then chase ; undoubtedly, we have better players in most areas now, but they need to impose their skills on the game as opposed to getting drawn in to a long ball battle. Colo always seems to enjoy playing against them...! Should be a very interesting game with 2 contrasting styles...unless Pardew reverts to type....

Reminds me of one of Cabaye's quotes after impressing at the Euros where he said it's really much easier to play well when you're surrounded by good players. I guess it must give you a sense of freedom, when there aren't players you avoid passing to! He's been so commanding since his return, a real leader. Should Colo still decide he wants to leave in the summer, for whatever reason (and I still don't understand the situation tbh), then I'd have no qualms about making Cabaye the captain. Again, trying not to get carried away, but Cabaye has just been outstanding tbh. Someone on here said he goes missing in big games, and all three of our last games have been huge, and he's imposed himself on every last one of them. Thanks Beren - agree about Cabaye being next Capt if Colo leaves, he seems to want the responsibility and would take it seriously. Much happier now he has evidence that the club has been strengthening the squad but our biggest problem will be keeping him if the likes of Man U come in summer...not that I think he is in a rush to leave right now.

He got the subs correct against Chelsea and I gave him due credit for it in my post about the game - that doesn't mean he's suddenly become a top manager and I want to see a lot more decent decisions by him before he convinces me that he should stay....that also applies to responses to other managers' team re-jigging. This squad is now comprised of some top players who would grace any side in the PL, esp our m/f..if he can't steer us clear of the relegation scrap within a few weeks he doesn't have what it takes. We shall see....

Yes, this is a problem - I reckon he will be on Ferguson's radar although I'd rather they took Tiote. Unfortunately, Cabaye is the type of player teams like Man U really want and I reckon he's above sides like Spurs now. Obviously, we will need a Colo replacement although I reckon MYM is going to be that, and a striker with pace is a must.

Beren's great post earlier summed up the game, but I will add a few views of my own. Best game seen at SJP for years...both sides going for it and we just about shaded it for the chances and dominance we had in the first half. The addition of the new guys has made a huge difference and both Sissoko(obviously)and Gouffran(less obviously)were instumental in this win although everyone busted a gut to get the result. As some have said, Gouffran was a revelation up front in that he was always prepared to make runs with the ball and then come back to bolster the defence/m/f when we were under the cosh.He is far more mobile than Cisse and quicker over a distance even though he is not blessed with scorching pace and he holds the ball up well and usually finds his own man with the resultant pass. Will never score a mountain of goals but will get his share and create chances for others too. This guy was a steal if this performance is an indicator of his regular standard and he lasted the pace really well. Sissoko was of course the star of this match - he has the best engine of any m/f player we have had since Rob Lee and reminds me of Terry Mac in many ways with his lung-bursting runs and clever play. Just Like McDermott, he will get quite a few goals, more than average for a m/f player because teams will find it difficult to track him for 90 mins. Considering this guy has just come from the French league his 2 performances so far have been a credit to his fitness and stamina. Undoubtedly the buy of the window and may be the buy of the whole season. Will be worth an absolute fortune if he keeps this up..... Cabaye was back to his brilliant best, undoubtedly lifted by the presence of his big mate and the new signings....he was always in the thick of it and looked a perfect example of a top midfielder, tackling and creating with equal gusto. We have some great choices in m/f now and once everyone really settles, there are few PL sides with better midfielders. STaylor and Colo were strong at the back and needed to be in the second half - did NOT think the Colo/Ba incident was a pen, Webb got it right because Ba's head was low and Colo, as the defender, had to try to clear the ball....its a different matter from tripping or holding a forward in the box. We were lucky to get away with it though, because Ba was a whisker away from scoring.. Cisse is not yet back to his best..should have had at least one and probably 2 in the first half and we can only hope he clicks soon because up front is where we are lightest now. Chelsea have some great players and we did well to come back after they went ahead...Mata was excellent in second half, and Lampard was always a threat. They lost their shape a bit after we eqiualized and fortunately we finished the stronger. Both our first and winning goals came at a good time, esp the last one as they had little time to respond. Cannot finish without holding my hands up about Pardew's subs...I'm not a great fan of this guy but he did get it right today....Gouffran had run himself into the ground and needed to go and although Sissoko looked strong, he must have been shattered after all the ground he covered. Must also credit Jonas for a fine goal and much improved display. Fabulous entertainment and the promise of a better future as there is some real class in the side now - delighted for the fans and credit due to Ashley for once because the gamble will hopefully now pay off...even though we all knew it needed doing.

You are never going to get football mercenaries from another country feeling the same about NUFC as NE born players, or even other Brits....both Supermac and Rob Lee have an abiding love for the club despite being southerners. They might tell a few home truths about the club but so what ? They gave 100% whilst playing for us and were great players who were a credit to the club. Ba, and indeed, all the other foreigners will not feel the same and we should not expect it...its just a job for them. Ginola, Solano, Bernard? Ginola and Solano I can accept...esp Nobby. They are exceptions though...think of the UK players who have played here and still talk about us fondly ; Beardsley, Shearer, Gazza, Lee, Macdonald, Kennedy, Tommy Craig, Gary Speed(RIP) even Waddle. I stand by what I said...there is no doubt that some of the foreign players that have played here genuinely have feeling for the club but in the main, local and UK born players have more genuine loyalty and it wasn't just a job for them. Of the current group, I would say Cabaye enjoys the feel of the club and Colo has enjoyed his time too but both will be on their way as soon as it suits them - in Colo's case, by the end of the season for sure...

You are never going to get football mercenaries from another country feeling the same about NUFC as NE born players, or even other Brits....both Supermac and Rob Lee have an abiding love for the club despite being southerners. They might tell a few home truths about the club but so what ? They gave 100% whilst playing for us and were great players who were a credit to the club. Ba, and indeed, all the other foreigners will not feel the same and we should not expect it...its just a job for them. What a load of rubbish man. There's plenty of people from home soil who only care for the money, and we've had many a foreigner who have had a genuine affinity to the club/area. You think this is 'a load of rubbish', do you, 'man'? Then tell me who these 'many a foreigner' that have had a genuine affinity to the club and area are...also, who are the greedy locals you referred to..?