Ronaldo

Pardew really needs to explain what he sees in what Jonas offers going forward. It's absolutely nothing to anyone with eyes. He's not in the team for what he offers going forward. Shouldn't be in the team at all, then.

I'd usually not advocate putting Sissoko wide but that's probably what I'd do today, Marveaux into midfield, Jonas off.

Tool. :lol:

Two defensive midfielders against Stoke equals this.

Fair point. I'd genuinely have almost anyone out there instead of Jonas, though.

He isn't a winger in this league. He'll never win the one-on-one battle consistently. I'm not sure he needs to. He'd just be bullied out of it. I much prefer him through the middle when we need to make something happen.

You know fine well he'd be targeted today, even in a cameo. Probably the right decision.

His biggest test so far by a mile.

He isn't a winger in this league. He'll never win the one-on-one battle consistently.

Par for the course for this thread.

He's been awful almost every time I've seen him.

Should've flown. They're incapable of moving it along the ground.

Ranger's better though.

We're pretty decent a nullifying the opposition when we're behind the ball, tbh. It's only problematic when teams get in behind us, then we're the worst of the worst. The teams we've come up against so far haven't tested us in this way, fortunately.

Was it not Waddle who said Shola would be disappointed with his finish (that went in) against Bordeaux?

Aye, not even Hughton would do that. Oh, wait.

Aye, we give him a 4 year contract which a fair few didn't expect us to give him, within a year he's wanting to leave. We convince him to stay until May, he gets injured and goes home anyway. Absolutely ludicrous isn't it. I just hope he's replaced. MYM has probably shown enough to say he can be our main defender but like f*** do we want to be relying on Saylor and Williamson AGAIN. It could actually work out well, he might be able to use his time to sort his family problems out while he's injured, we'll see. You mad.

Love it when folk try to attach daft labels to players not worthy of them in a month of Sundays. 2 years back Jonas was getting recommended for that role.

We both know that Sissoko will be far further up the pitch than Cabaye, like.

And the summer before.

Who?

He did the right thing tonight.

Lawro, you're doing an OK job.

He's bucked up his ideas since last season, like. Rarely do I read one of these predictions and want to pull his hair so hard his neck breaks.

The lad's quality. No reason him and Taylor (if the latter can stay fit) can form one bastarding hell of a partnership. MYM, not Boumsong.