AyeDubbleYoo

For CM, Perch is a better option that Raylor IMO. Just hope neither of them play really.

He played well for us, but he left us in the shit, but being in the shit actually helped long term, so overall I haven't got much of a problem with him. Can't help but be pleased he's knocking around mid table with Villa rather than playing for a top team. Like a lot of the players who have left us for "better things".

Just saw the highlights, the penalty looks fair enough to me. Bit soft, but clumsy to go into the back of him in the box like that. If we'd won it I wouldn't have been complaining. Nice finish by Obertan too.

I really like the new design, the match reports and fixtures are much accessible as well. If I was on that web team I would be very pleased with it.

Aye, the potential of Ben Arfa was definitely a big factor.

He seems to have quite a non-aggressive, non-assertive personality which is quite unusual for a footballer. Shola seems to have it as well. I think booing him will do nothing other than make it much more difficult for him to play well, I really don't think he's the type that would respond to being heavily criticised as a form of motivation.

Didn't we hire him to be on our coaching staff as a defensive coach years ago and then sack him after the first day on the job because he was total shite? Don't know if it was his first day, but it didn't go well. Defensive coach FFS, imagine being coached by Lawro.

One of the most important parts of management is making all the players seem part of the team effort, even the ones who aren't playing. Pardew seems pretty good at that, even Ben Arfa hasn't kicked off (yet) and Obertan is making the right noises as well.

Pretty much my view as well, he seems to have firmly accepted his role as bit-part player and isn't bothered what anyone thinks of him now. Combined with declining mobility it's not a good recipe for success. Overall in his career I think he's done OK for us, not good enough to be a regular starter for a top-half team but he has played through the pain, delivered some brilliant moments and he clearly loves the club. It's time to thoroughly relegate him down the pecking order now, at least for a period where it's made clear what he has to do to get back in. Ideally I would see Ba and Cisse with another young-ish striker signed/developed to play the bit-part. Best can fill that role in the meantime.

Same, neverr thought I'd be so happy after such a terrible game.

Agree, that is the weakness of SJP at times, our dodgy defenders have suffered it in the past.

He was pretty close to being right last night TBF.

It's like me on FIFA, have 65% of possession, twice as many shots and end up losing by 2 or 3. I feel for Keano.

So based on that we should win nearly all of the rest of our games, and therefore win the league? Seems logical.

Totally agree, diving is in real danger of ruining the game for me.

There's no need to ship him out really, just make sure our team is strong enough that he doesn't have to play very much. Which is kind of already the case when it isn't the African cup.

Good week for me, could have been amazing if Spurs had held on for the clean sheet. Also no goal from RvP, strange. The short-term signing of Carroll worked out well though, two assists and a goal while Ba was away.

He had to be eropped, you could see he was falling apart, fans reactions when he was being subbed must have really taken its toll on him mentally. Fair point, not being at the home games live much I probably underestimated this. Hopefully he'll get a chance to regroup and come back stronger, still think he has most of the attributes to do well.

I always thought he had been treated harshly TBH, I would never have dropped him at the time. I am too soft like.

Don't think I've ever been so keen to see a player get a new deal. It's a no-brainer, do whatever it takes, sign and recline.

Fantasy League pick of the season.

I don't want to let myself think what we could achieve this season TBH. Still 5th even after missing all these players, and with Tiote, Ba and Cisse to drop back into the team. We could genuinely get into Europe.

Can't get my head round that stat at all, it's incredible.

I like having him in the team TBH, always have. He makes a few errors but he carries real threat to the opposition. He was never really given the opportunity to settle in for long enough IMO. I would still rather have HBA up front with one other and Obertan wide than a front two of Best and Shola.

He's a very different player to Modric, I think we need to embrace him and stop trying to change him so much. His main problem recently has been the lack of other good players in the team IMO. Stick Ba and Cisse ahead of him and we will rip teams apart. (Obviously he sometimes holds onto the ball "too long", but that's just the minor downside to how he plays. Other players give the ball away a lot more, just in more acceptable ways).