Lotus

In the 2nd half we managed to string more than 4 passes together once while in their half of the pitch. We really need to address this. We have the players for it.

They will have lots of energy and will get about us early. Close us down, pack the midfield, force to play Cabaye to play balls over it. Unfortunately, we'll be knackered,we'll look knackered and the players will lack confidence and the manager will lack confidence. If we stay compact and don't make silly mistakes, keep it at 0-0, i think we'll grow into the game.

It was a very weird sub. Their back line was so high and we brought our (literally) slowest player.

He's much better for Cisse than anyone we've got when he's playing the no. 10 role. Don't think he'll be a regular under Pardew as he values different things in a player. Can see both side to that argument if I'm honest.

Odd thing to say, he didn't hold it up once!

They've not lost all season. The only thing going for us is if they turn up over confident.

He has 'moments' too often.

Think Benefica are quite dodgy at the back. Still, don't think we've got enough to win the tie.

You love that though.

Tugas are poofs.

Hope we can keep it respectable.

Ouch.

3rd time now.

15 mins in and we've strung more than 4 passes together just twice. We really need to practice with the ball more!

Good for the 1st 15 mins, a bit all over the place for the last 30. We seem very static. I expect that when we have the ball but I'm a bit surprised that we not picking up runners when they have the ball. We need a good team talk.

Morte aos Mouros !!!!!

Aye, Ashley and Llambias recruiting someone respected for their achievements. Likely. Their history of managerial appointments is not promising, I agree.

This constant mantra of 'well, the players like him.' I don't give a toss. I'd rather they were a little more in awe of him tbh, a bit more worried about putting in another average or worse performance. I'd rather our players respected him for his achievements and/or philosophy than just like cause he's 'really nice guy'.

I'm of the belief that his biggest problem is that he doesn't give a s*** about West Ham or Liverpool. Playing for us he had the lure of playing for the team he supports and playing to further his career. He had friends and family around him to look out for him if necessary. Once he got his "big" move and huge wage packet though, what more was there left for him to play for? Who was there to look after him on and off the pitch? Coming back here could give him the chance to redeem himself and become the player he looked like he could become before he left. Is that really the attitude a professional should adopt? Especially one who had actually proved nothing in his career.

Carroll is very capable of bringing other, more potent players into the game off scraps. He'll also attack the corners that our lot put their heads down for. You never saw that based on his Newcastle performances so you must be referring to his time at Preston and Liverpool. Never watched him there so i'll have to take your work for it. I saw it clearly in the final year of his Newcastle career and occassionally since. Nice try, though. Nah.

Carroll is very capable of bringing other, more potent players into the game off scraps. He'll also attack the corners that our lot put their heads down for. You never saw that based on his Newcastle performances so you must be referring to his time at Preston and Liverpool. Never watched him there so i'll have to take your work for it.

Agreed, people talk about him being a Pardew type player but we rarely deliver quality balls into the box. Fair enough he can hold the ball up but Shola would be first team regular if that's all we wanted. Both Shola and Carroll are alright at taking the ball on the chest, neither have been that good at flick ons, Carroll's weren't particularly accurate (a lot to do with the other player anticipating though) and Shola rarely gets any height. Neither bring the ball under control quickly so playing hard and low into feet wasn't much use. As you say, getting whipped balls into the box would be the kind of thing Carroll could really exploit. Not something we're any good at. Ironically, Liverpool look to me top have the players who could put the ball just where he'd want it.

He needs the type of service that we don't deliver so don't see the point of signing him tbh.

Think it was the 'loyalty fee' he waived from Toulouse. Ah, ok. Cheers.

Didn't Moussa waive his signing on fee for us to get the deal done? If so surely that would balance out the transfer fee we paid for him. So, one would expect the siginificant expense will be paying him from January instead of July.