AyeDubbleYoo

Have you got a direct line to Derek?

Some of the footage of HBA and Benzema is amazing. [/youtube fan talking shite etc etc]

Also wonder if HBA could play in actual central midfield like Modric does for Spurs. Alongside Tiote it might be possible?

Look at how Howard Wilkinson and Alex Ferguson treated Cantona, loads of exceptions to the norms of behaviour and the club rules. Look at how QPR got the best out of Taraabt - by building the entire team around him. Sometimes you have a special player on your hands and you have to make compromises to get the best out of him, that's all part of good management.

I know what you mean Canuck, even if you expressed it in an incredibly patronising way, but it's not as simple as that. Sometimes you need something a bit special, and fans like to see exciting players. Even if HBA doesn't graft as hard as some others in training etc (which we don't know) he is one of those special players that exceptions sometimes have to be made for.

He needs to cost at least as much as Carroll really.

Aye, possibly.

Makes sense I suppose, bloody Pardew and his mastery of the media!

And if he's not doing his thing in the first couple of games, just keep playing him out of blind faith? Basically, yes. His quality is proven to be far beyond anyone else we've got on the books, all we need to do is make him feel wanted and allow him to show it. The amount of game time he's had so far isn't enough for anyone to reach top form.

For me he just needs us to put our faith in him and play him for 5 or 6 games without him thinking he has the win every one single-handed. Just play him, take the pressure off and let him do his thing.

Fair point.

Who, me? Just that they both had pretty serious question marks about their fitness in the past.

Seems strange we've gone for Ba and Marveaux but not this guy.

Great to have another game so soon, really enjoy the Christmas period. If we've got Colo and Tiote again we've got a great chance to win. Would love to see HBA given a chance (as usual), or at least introduced early in the second half.

Love watching Wilshere, the way he moves around and takes the ball at players is brilliant. Annoying person, but good footballer. Actually enjoy Carrick as well, lovely passer of the ball. Craig Bellamy is one, although he's ex-Toon.

I'm disappointed Pardew didn't bring on HBA today, but he might have had his reasons. I don't agree with the decision, but I'm not goin to hammer Pards too much because of it.

Didn't see the game, but when you're dominating possession and attacks against a 'lesser' side it seems the ideal time to introduce HBA. Anyway, sounds like we played quite well without scoring, which is basically fine.

not just me then. Same. Knees gone. You guys.

Aye, it's not just now though, it goes on constantly. What does being "linked with other clubs" even mean anyway? One journo has printed a story and a load of others have plagiarised it usually.

We'll struggle to pick up any points with Perch and Simpson playing CB really. Fact is we've just run out of players.

This must end.

I know real people too.

So sick of all these 'Tiote is going', 'selling club' shite posts. I wish we could be allowed to enjoy our good players for more than five minutes without convincing ourselves they're being sold.

That just re-enforces my belief that Kadar must be woeful in training. If he was good enough, I'm pretty confident Pardew would play him. Yeah, maybe, no way of knowing really.

I know what you mean, I just can't see how Kadar (who was considered promising even as recently as pre-season) can possibly be worse than Simpson and Perch (who are both embarrassingly bad at CB). Obviously I don't know the full story, it just seems mad not to play Kadar. We know how bad the alternatives are.