Lotus

It's true that Jonas doesn't add much to our flow or buildup play. He does make a significant defensive contribution though. I would think we should play the Tiote-Anita Cabaye trio in games where we want to boss possession and then play Jonas against the bigger clubs. See. This is what´s wrong here. Everyone is happy if a player is running around and then hoof it long and hard. How can anyone be happy with that? I think we just have to be honest about the fact that when we come up against the big clubs like the Manchesters, Chelsea and Arsenal we don't have a squad that can outplay them. Or West Brom.

What does he offer going forward as a LB?

What does Santon offer going forward from LB? Crosses, no. Cutting in and playing a killer through ball? No. Shots? No. Running towards the byline, stopping turning around and rolling the ball to someone else? Yes.

I'd take him. Was a very good defender and it would do us the world of good to have a bit balance and actually have a left footer on the left. He also had a very good partnership with Colo.

I think you get managers who have an idea of how they want a team set up, formations, etc and then encourage/coach/coerce the players to fit into that system. Other managers look at what they've got and choose a system/style that suits the players at his disposal. Both these attitudes have there merits imo and there have been very successful managers from both schools of thought. I think Pardew is in the former camp. His problem is that the team isn't really performing the way he wants because they're not best suited to that style. His other (and massive) problem is that i don't think he gets to choose (100%) the players that are bought and sold. So, i think he's looking at it and is trying to find a system that suits the players he's got. But he's not getting it right (yet). He'll know this better than anyone but to keep the players believing in him he focuses on the positives of the performances

I thought he looked utterly disinterested and unmotivated.

Said a while ago that i reckoned he would look better on the left. Thought he played well last night, gave the youngsters some confidence to have him there.

Thought he was good enough at RB last night.

....................Elliot................ Tav......Willo.......Saylor.....Fergie ..........Bigi....Tiote...Anita......... ..Sammy........................Obertan ..................Papisto..................

I'd never thought of that. It would be awesome. I dream he'd get us playing like Simeone gets his Athletic Madrid team did against Chelsea. Utterly irrational... Shola director of football? Club Chef. Lots of apple based dishes then. You shouldn't have said anything, I really want this to happen now. Every day i wake and he's not the manager, it hurts man! HURTS!

I'd never thought of that. It would be awesome. I dream he'd get us playing like Simeone gets his Athletic Madrid team did against Chelsea. Utterly irrational... Shola director of football? Club Chef.

I'd never thought of that. It would be awesome. I dream he'd get us playing like Simeone gets his Athletic Madrid team did against Chelsea. Utterly irrational...

I have a totally irrantional wish that he ends up being our manager one day.

Vuckic was being played as a forward.

Champions league? You're aving a larf!

Well, you can look at your players and use a system that best utilises their natural game, or if you're good enough, you coach them to fulfill a role in a system that you think would be most effective against the majority of the oppostion.

Is it really £24m over 4 years? Is that all? What a terrible deal!

It's only a problem if it's not managed properly. Most teams have at least two quality strikers, it doesn't mean they have to start together every game. Personally I think they are perfectly capable of playing together provided we get the football right in the other parts of the pitch. Full backs overlapping and midfielders passing and moving rather than standing in defensive formations and playing long balls to the forwards is as big a problem. No striker in the world is going to look good playing in that formation unless he's in an Allardyce team. So, all we've go to do is buy and LW, RW and LB who can cross and we can make it work!!!!

It's incredible how he can go from Super Slick to Complete OAF and back again. Strong as an ox though.

Thought he got better as the game went on. Started anticipating the ball to his man and either intercepting it or getting tight early. He's 21 so he's got time to toughen up. Think he could make a decent FB tbh. Lovely left peg too.

Yep.

Me too.

Thought Bordeaux were very poor, have to agree with Jack Flash on that. When we went to 4-4-1-1 Anita played RM and didn't get in the game much, wouldn't blame him for that though. He'll come good, good skill set and athletic ability and seems smart enough, will just take a season to adjust. Could see what Cisse's natural game was today when he went central. I'm going to stick my neck out and say i don't think Cisse and Ba will ever form good partnership. Ba needs someone to run the channels and make a nuisance of themselves like Best did and Cole before him, Cisse looks like he'd benefit from genuine No. 10 for a partner and Ba's isn't that kind of player. They've not sacrificed their game to get it working for Senegal and i don't see them doing it here. Our problem is we don't have an ideal partner for either of them.

I've said a couple of times i thought he would be better on the left, one swallow doesn't make a summer but i thought on the whole he looked better. The think with him on the left is the FB has a genuine problem, if he shows him inside Gabs is on his stronger foot but he knows he'll probably be done for pace going down the outside. That indecision seems to give the FB a bad starting body position.