Lotus

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.

Thought we played the game with a kind of pre-season attitude tbh. We were obviously trying to play it out from the back which was encouraging but we were very slow about it. Service to Cisse was poor. He's a top player in the box and has the ability to drop deep to lay the ball off, etc. Problem was we had no penetration from the Marv, Gosling nor Obertan running beyond him. No dangerous crosses. Nothing really. Obertan didn't have a bad game tbf. He was certainly trying to do more than Marv who just sort of disappeared for me!

I think we're getting found out when we play 4-4-2 a bit too often actually.

Remy would be ideal, and available. Imagine a front 3 of Remy......Cisse.......HBA swapping postions and popping left, right and centre. IF the Remy deal has any legs it surely has to be a better option?

Cissokho still wouldn't be a bad punt imo.

Nothing against QPR but i have an irrational dislike of Mark Hughes.

Seriously, where are you guys getting these reports from? Guy, not guys. I might be talking s**** but that's what the 'reports' were early on in the window, regardless of if it's true or not I think he's made it pretty clear he wants to leave. Lotus and Yorkie not blerks then? Every inch a blerk, me like. It was Dave that said it though. Can't vouch for him though.... Sounds masculine.

Dave said he hadn't submitted one which i found quite surprising.

I don't Colo let alone Saylor to play 50 games this season so i think if we bought him he'd get plenty of games.

Nothing agreed yet though quite likely. Stoke want an option to buy, Spurs want to leave it out at this time. If Luongo does as well at Ipswich as everyone expects, Hudd could go next summer and Luongo take his place in the squad. Rated as highly as Caulker was this time last year. Well, i am surprised. Especially as i remember many a Spurs fan telling me a few years ago that 'The Hud' was as good, if not better then Fabregas. Seems unlikely that Spurs fans could have been so wrong, must be that Huddlestone just stopped performing to those high standards. Was it an attitude problem MJ(L) ?

I think blaming Simpson for the Bale header is a bit much. I mean, how often to Lennon's crosses ever get that much air under them? The bloke's a grass cutter specialist and Simpson was well placed if a ball was put in along the floor which is what i would have expected. He floated one in (rare) and it was a good ball tbh. It happens.

I think in one of the Anita vidoes you can see him wor Vurnon skip past Pieters as if he wasn't there. I haven't watched Pieters much but when i did, pacy wasn't a word that sprung to mind.

Or past Simpson Tbf, Simpson's alright in the air actually. It's anything to do with the ball being on the floor where it seems a bit tricky for him.

I think a midfield 3 of Tiote, Cabaye and Anita could press the f**k out of most teams tbh. A very energetic trio. Would be no fun trying to play through that. Would force teams to go a bit more direct i reckon. A big CB like Douglas would sort that out too.

About 5 foot 6'' i think.

Saw him a few months ago. He looked a little fragile tbh. Every right to i guess!

Probs see a 4-4-2 with Marveux on one wing and Jonas on the other.

Probably see a lot more of Ross Barkley now. He'll probs end up a better player than Rodwell too (injuries permitting). As long as Everton got a fiar bit of wedge for this then i reckon it'll be good business for them.