Lotus

How much more do they have to do than be clearly better footballers than Jonas and Tiote? As for making themselves undroppable, that's down to the manager...... Listen, i don't like Jonas and i don't like Tiote (much) but Anita is powder puff and Marveaux goes missing. Simple. Neither of them have put in the kind of perfomance that screams for inclusion. That's a shame because we could do with their talents but they need to show more competitve spirit. More fire.

But how can they, when they've never been given a chance? They have actually been on the pitch if you remember. It was easy to miss at times, i know...

Neither Anita nor Marveaux have done enough to make their inclusion an absolute necessity. I love the 'Marveaux type' player, absolutely love them, but, he doesn't go looking for the ball nearly enough. Tons of ability, great control, gets his head, fantastic range of passing (best at the club), good spurt of speed when he wants. Shown a lack the competitive edge to dominate his opponents with his ability though. He's only got the likes of Jonas to compete against for a place. He should make himself undroppable.

Thing is, if we're honest. Anita hasn't looked like a EPL holding midfielder, Marveaux hasn't looked like a player who can bother his arse for 90 mins and we've all seen Gouffran run out of puff after 70 mins.

We aren't talking of playing with 3 genuine strikers 1 striker 2 wing forwards. More like a 4-2-3-1 then?

What other teams play a genuine 4-3-3 in the EPL out of interest? I mean with 3 genuine strikers?

Could argue that happened to SBR. The Window when we only signed Bowyer Speed sold without his prior knowledge Sacked after finishing the season before in 5th. We were a totally different club with ambition then. The Bowyer summer was the exception, never the rule. Plus, who did we attract then? The worst manager in recent NUFC history. I reckon Pardew has a worst win % Win % can be a problematic way to assess managers. Especially if it shows them in a worst light than you want them to

Could argue that happened to SBR. The Window when we only signed Bowyer Speed sold without his prior knowledge Sacked after finishing the season before in 5th. We were a totally different club with ambition then. The Bowyer summer was the exception, never the rule. Plus, who did we attract then? The worst manager in recent NUFC history. I reckon Pardew has a worst win %

Could argue that happened to SBR. The Window when we only signed Bowyer Speed sold without his prior knowledge Sacked after finishing the season before in 5th.

What do you mean? I mean, just because it's three runs of bad form doesn't mean he should have been sacked. It's still only one bad season, so it doesn't really affect the debate we were having above. A bad season isn't normally enough to see a manager sacked? Regardless of what you want, just saying that, looking around at football throughout the European top tiers, a bad season seems more than enough to see you sacked. In fact a bad year is more than enough to get you sacked from just about any job in the world tbh. I know it's enough to get you sacked, that's obvious. But that doesn't mean it's a massive mistake for a club to stick with the manager. In fact, as we were saying on the previous page, we would probably giving credit to someone else for having faith in the manager. It's not mistake if you can't hire anyone better. Otherwise it is.

I think if any posters here had watched this guy for 5 consecutive games last season they would have marvelled at the fact we bid £8m for him. There really are better players about.

What do you mean? I mean, just because it's three runs of bad form doesn't mean he should have been sacked. It's still only one bad season, so it doesn't really affect the debate we were having above. A bad season isn't normally enough to see a manager sacked? Regardless of what you want, just saying that, looking around at football throughout the European top tiers, a bad season seems more than enough to see you sacked. In fact a bad year is more than enough to get you sacked from just about any job in the world tbh.

What do you mean?

^^ It is actually. Hard to believe he made it through the summer but now that he has, i think the fixture list (opening day conceding) has blessed him with a decent set. IF there's anything about him he should be able to dig himself out of the hole he fell in somewhat.

Nobody can expect much against Man City. We'll then have 2 home games with a trip to Morecambe in between. Pardew will have to keep the players morale up if we take a heavy beating on the first day and tell them the season starts againts WHAM. We haven't got a bad start on paper and, if the players believe in themselves we could have decent set of results through to September.

Problem is their going to be good down the wings and good through the middle. I would have wondered if Krul Debuchey Colo MYM Santon Sissoko Anita Cabaye HBA Cisse Gouffran I think though we'd be too short at the back and Anita will get blown over by the wind as Toure strides past him. Saylor would give height at the back. Tiote for Anita is a choice but i believe he'll give away the ball in difficult areas and fouls in even worse.. Also, with the above, their attacking FBs would had a fairly easy afternoon. Can only hope they have an off day tbh.

What's City's likely lineup? Something like this? I think Nastasic is injured and Aguero just coming back from an injury... Hart Zableta Kompany Lescott Clichey Barry Toure Fernadinho Navas Silva Negredo

Thought he looked better than Cabaye tbh.

Should be a player coach this coming season and take over as manager the season after (if he's even doing his badges). That's my dream, like.

Good analogy. When he does try to attack this happens. It's not a great analogy, really. Given that most fighters who keep their hands high are actually offensive boxers. Tell me you sit at home in your over sized satin shorts scouring the threads for references to boxing! Bet you do....

Pardew's like a boxer who keeps his hands high and is frightened to throw punch because it leaves him open. In his mind, as soon as you attack, you're vunerable.

Tbh, i wouldn't be positive at all until we get the striker situation sorted. Because if we don't, we'll be kicking around the bottom 5. He must know that something is imminent.

Yep. A NUFC 11 vs him. Plenty of time on the ball for us i reckon. Nope his retired.

Is he suggesting he wants us to play a little narrower, more compact? If the opposition do the same thing he thinks we have the players to play in tight spaces. Also, if we're more compact then it's harder to play through us, something that seemed delightfully easy for the oppostion last season. Not hard to imagine that Cabaye, Marveaux and Anita can play that way. Can't ever imagine those 3 starting in MF though. Wonder what his idea is?

We definitely need someone who can play wide as well as Gouff. Really really really really want Cisse to stay though, he's f***ing lovely. Tbh, i think we need someone wide instead of Gouff. Be that Remy or Thauvin (if we could manage it) and we'd look quite a different prospect on paper.