Ronaldo

How's that? Surely, if you have a player who is better in the air than your defenders, then it makes sense for him to mark the opposition's biggest aerial threat. We used to do it with Carroll. I never said it didn't make sense given our personnel. I said it hurts us that our defenders don't defend set pieces. They should be taking responsibility for them and they can't/don't which is going to cause us problems given that the rest of the team aren't anything approaching effective in the air.

It tends to, yes.

No, because fortunately even Pardew has more sense than to start him these days.

Aye. Me and every PL manager who tells his players to target him.

Dude, you can't seriously be surprised so many of us want his head. This is a man who gets beat 0-6 at home playing 3 defensive mids then blames the fans.

Pretty short for a CB, Williams. Very good in the air for his height.

See, nobody was doing that, at all. I was using a set piece situation which wasn't defended by those who should be our best bet for doing so, whether it was Benteke or Patrice Evra. The 'aerial prowess' in the squad is nonexistent. Sissoko being the one marking Benteke is the key point, not the fact he scored.

He was doing it 4 weeks ago. Things have changed.

If Sissoko's agents wanted an extra £500K we'd have gone down, imo.

Me too. In comes Anichebe and 4-3-3.

Is that the same George who said Sammy Ameobi was better than Danny Welbeck?

It's fact. That you're a bit of a frustrated fairy? Yep.

We had Ba, Ben Arfa and Cisse fit for virtually all of the first half of the season and managed something like 20 points from 20 games. Relegation form. Players not being available as an excuse is fucking bullshit.

I do, but it just isn't going to happen with our current 2.

Or a striker who'll do everything that Cisse does plus offer what Shearer would do defensively.

so that doesn't make tiote a footballer? which is what you've said bollocks He's a defensive midfielder who can't be trusted to retain or distribute the ball. What's his purpose?

Anita, as much as I'm not his biggest fan, is in another world when it comes to receiving, retaining and distributing the ball at the right time in the right place.

I've said twice now that I'm not blaming Mapou. Watch the goal, watch Mapou's positioning. It's not his fault who he been told to mark, obviously, but at the same time if Sissoko's a better bet (and he might be) than him and Colo to mark the opposition's main threat, we've got a problem, and it'll cost us.

ronaldo backs up flimsy opinion with nothing shocker Flimsy opinion. 90% of the forum and pretty much every PL manager have Tiote's weaknesses sussed. If you wanna carry on being silly or pretending to be silly, fine.

I can't even be bothered.

What's that got to do with the defenders taking responsibility for nullifying set pieces?