Lotus

It's been very poor (the fullback situation) tbh. We didn't even need to sign a RB we would have done just as well to sign a LB and move Santon across. If we identify 2-3 players per position that means we missed out on between 4-6 targets. Stupid really. We also needed a CB. We haven't signed a single 1st team player after finishing 5th on then prattled on about pushing on for the CL.

Resting Cisse on Thursday to rest him again on Sunday, makes sense like. Not resting him, Ba's form is better. Cisse to come on later.

Why? What will have changed? What changed in 4 months with Cisse? They'll have had their Champions League come January. I don't know what changed with Cisse. Different player and different club so not relevant. Won't Lille want to challenge for the CL for the following season? Won't they find it harder and more expensive to sign a replacement in January? Why would they be wiling to disrupt their season half way through by losing one of their better players?

Why? What will have changed?

Bet he won't.

I have a worry that the club will look back on this window and see it was an opportunity missed to really compete for a CL place. I don't think we'll come as close again next year. Our squad will be very stretched this season. We won't have the 'surprise package' thing going on like we did last season and Cisse will not average a goal a game throughout the year. We've missed a trick which is a shame. Not saying we'll fall away but, 6th-8th will be a fair position given our 1st team squad.

I'd like to see: ..................Krul............. Perch...Saylor.. Colo...Santon ..................Anita............... ..........Cabaye.....Jonas....... HBA.........................Obertan ....................Ba................. See if Obertan can kick on from last night. Think he would be better on the left anyway as he can't cross for f**k so he might as well cut in. Cisse and Marveaux to come on when needed.

This. Think last year's transfer window was really, really a great one. This year it's not been bad, just not as good as last summer. Shifting Best, Lovenkrands, Smith, Guthrie off the wage bill and only bringing in one first team player and a few kids is a mediocre window at best. It's certainly not a bad window... just could have been better. Well, we haven't bought a single first team player. I would consider that quite poor tbh.

I think his player role model should be someone like Cantona. We'll be extremely lucky if he gets to be half as good though !

8 for execution but a 10 for attitude. He gave it a go. Glad for him.

Guy's got great technique and touch, really has. Didn't seem to have the attitude to dictate the game tonight. Something, with his talent, he clearly could have. Maybe it's because he's been out a long time. Or maybe he's not the 'grab the game by the scruff of the neck' kind of bloke. Time will tell i guess.

Probably contributed more to the public purse in a week than you and I will all year. That's true. Wonder how much the premiership pays in wages goes into the public purse. Has to be 100's billions (erm millions) I'd be surprised if they pay their fair share. Lots of tax engineering at work, for sure. Joey Barton is a good footballer, but a terrible human being. Sad thing that the first can so easily trump the second and he still gets paid millions. Much harder to do here (I suspect it's more rife in Spain where your players pay under 30% still I believe?), the tax schemes arsenal and rangers used were illegal and arsenal had to pay a good amount to stop court action. That tax break got abolished years ago, but since it wasn't retroactive some players still enjoy it (Kaká and Cronaldo, for example). It only applied to foreign players. But yeah, lots of cheating at work. Eto'o got done recently for tax evasion during his years in Spain, for example. And I'm sure there would be loads more if they really investigated it. Regarding Barton, do OM know who are they signing? I'd be a bit more hesitant to sign a lucrative contract with a player with his history of issues everywhere he's been. The fact he's a racist violent thug notwithstanding. He's racist?

I know it'll really upset Mole but Santon consistently looks fantastic when he drives at the full back but is then consistently unable to deliver a final ball, either because his left is a swinger or because he cuts inside, is reluctant to shoot and ends up easily crowded out. I want Debuchy too but I'd also take a left back instead so we could switch him over. I agree. Santon's becoming a bit easy to read. I'd love a decent LB so we could switch this over to the right.

Christ! I thought it was a great shot! I'm willing to bet Torres wouldn't score that 9 times out of 10 but today was the day it went in.

It's not about one system over another, it's about having a system that suits the players you have. Personally, and everyone is entitled to their opinion, i think Cabaye, HBA and Cisse played better last season (on the whole) in our version of 4-3-3. I have yet to see Ba and Cisse link up effectively yet, i think Cisse in the middle with Ba left drifting in when we're attacking has been more dangerous. I also think having 3 in the middle has choked out other teams (in general) and provided better protection to our back 4.

He'll start scoring soon. He's still popping up in good positions. It'll happen.

I agree with this. However, it's not just the line up. The wide men are clearly concentrating on the defensive side of the game and offering nothing in the final 3rd. If you have our 2 strikers in the box but never get a winger bursting down the wing and whipping a ball in then i'm struggling to see what threat we offer with OUR particular players.

He's done ok, apart from that challenge.

I think you can see a change in our style. We're trying to play it from the back and we can get the ball around half way but we're struggling to pass it incisively in the final third. Ba and Cisse have their backs to goal and there's no clever runs from Jonas or HBA to get the ball in space.

Yes, i was there too. They were all over us for the 1st 15 mins. It was there sloppy midfield passing that kept it even. Then Cisse did his stuff.

Our persistence with 4-4-2 is quite strange.

Saying that though, i can only imagine 3 of them having a role on Saturday.

In terms of the pace, I think Pardew and co were very very aware of the heat and not tiring themselves out for Saturday. All the interviews on NUFCTV say that we were grateful that they didn't press us too much and we were happy to just pass it around and keep the ball. Aye, it did look like it might have been a tad warm!

I think he might be better on the left. Would give a RB more to think about. When he plays RW, he's either going look to go forward, have a change of heart and end up doing nothing. Or, he'll cut inside still keep the ball on his right foot and pass it straight into traffic. On the left, the RB will be wary of him having the pace to go along the line but also worried he'll cut inside onto his stronger foot. Don't think him switching to the left will solve his 'problems' but i think he might offer more than he does currently.

I thought Bigi and Anita looked very good actually. Always getting into space to give the other guy an option for a pass. Tidy feet, good engine. Liked them both.