Ronaldo

Quite clearly.

In other words he can't do a good job.

Those who can beat players and create.

Not enough creativity there, sadly. But it might be the best we can put out.

The above.

It's the 2nd best midfield we can put out but it's still unsuited to the league and the players in front of it.

We can't compete with Cardiff, man. Who the hell do you think we are, West Brom or one of them other sovereign states?

I wouldn't even say he tries to make out he's Silvo, more like he pretends to be a mate of Jackie Jr, and is proud of it. Wanker.

That wouldn't just be a waste of his best attributes, it would also be asking him to do something he's not very good at (bit like Pardew does with absolutely everyone). Plus, chipped passes have never worked in this team. Especially with our total lack of wingers. Cabaye needs to be the furthest midfielder forward. Anita or Sissoko should be the deepest. Tiote should be nowhere near the side. Cabaye's best attributes are his vision and passing. The deeper midfield role is perfect for him in the PL - when (as you've alluded to) we find ourselves with 2 good wide players. Deepest yes but not an out and out defensive midfielder. Remains to be seen whether Anita can build up the strength needed to play as a DM. He is great for cleaning up, receiving and passing the ball over short spaces and at a decent tempo. Just fear he gets lost due to his size. Potentially Cabs, Anita and Sissoko could work. Still think we lack goals through the middle with that though. Anita, Cabs and Sissoko is our 2nd best combination behind Marveaux, Cabs and Sissoko.

Tiote's never remotely looked like an intelligent player, though. Not even at his best.

That wouldn't just be a waste of his best attributes, it would also be asking him to do something he's not very good at (bit like Pardew does with absolutely everyone). Plus, chipped passes have never worked in this team. Especially with our total lack of wingers. Cabaye needs to be the furthest midfielder forward. Anita or Sissoko should be the deepest. Tiote should be nowhere near the side. Cabaye's best attributes are his vision and passing. The deeper midfield role is perfect for him in the PL - when (as you've alluded to) we find ourselves with 2 good wide players.

I still want Cabaye to be the deepest of the midfielders, getting forward when he can but primarily receiving the ball and pinging it out wide.

He looks very good going forward, but defensively he makes Lippi's OTT sentiment about Santon look totally accurate.

I didn't write him off, I'm talking here and now.

Quite blatantly. A DM's first responsibility is to be able to recieve the ball deep from the defence/keeper and play it. Tiote can't do that and as soon as opposing managers figured it out he became a liability for us.

Haidara, Anita, Bigirimana and Tiote aren't top 10 PL players, man.

I've only read the transcript but didn't he call Shola an up and coming young star or something to that effect? He should actually be in a facility.

Even Allardyce would go all out against a team with the Ameobi brothers and Nile Ranger as the main threat.

No, because he had the biggest window to get points on the board and failed to get the best out of the squad.

Shearer doesn't and never will have the intelligence to be a manager but most of the blame (from a managerial perspective) has to rest with JFK for the relegation. That said, I think we'd have stayed up had he not had his heart problem.

One thing's for sure, as good as some make our squad out to be Keegan would absolutely dismantle it if given free rein, and rightfully so.

We need a Rob Lee type alongside those two.

Taylor would be good enough for a team with our ambitions if he was fit enough to start 30 league games a season.

Williamson has better positional sense. Even if that were true it wouldn't matter too much given Williamson's inability to win one-on-one battles.

Taylor's better in every respect, man.