Gallowgate Toon

He's been class, looks a very decent midfielder.

Carroll is going to have some tough competition at set pieces today with Fellaini, it's going to be an interesting watch.

Not really, unless he plans on dropping Enrique and Coloccini. The group photo at the end looks like the end of team session to me. Edit: Sorry photo 2 of 9.

Judging by the new training pictures, it'll be the same team (orange bib 'theory').

No surprise there, he clearly said he thought we played well and were just unlucky not to win.

His passing isn't bad, seen him play some lovely reverse passes on numerous occasions and he's nifty with the outside of his boot it's just that nobody makes a run ahead of him to do these passes. The problem for Jonas is the way we play, he'd be a lot more effective with a striker that moves ahead of him and a CM that can keep up as i think Jonas suffers from a lack of options. His crossing is only poor with his left foot, he has a decent delivery on his right tbh but i don't see why this is Jonas' fault some of the best players in the world are ridiculously one-footed it's just their managers play to their strengths. His shooting isn't terrible either, he can hit them even Stevie G would have been over the moon with that strike last season.

After Hughton's recent comments about Ben Arfa it looks like we'll be starting Kev as a second striker for a little while yet with Hughton citing HBA's lack of English as a stumbling block.

Who says the way we're playing right now is the most effective considering the squad we have? One player playing in the focal point of our attack will of course affect the way we play as a team, never underestimate movement upfront, it is the key to opening space and creating chances. Nolan is NOT playing as an orthodox striker, his job is to provide a link between attack and midfield and create space. The kind of striker you described plays in a 4-4-2 and plays off the shoulder of defenders and is usually classed as a fox in the box (Michael Owen, RVN those types of players). People slated Barton yesterday (eventhough he played well in the 2nd half) for sloppy passing but imagine if you're him and you look up to our strike force, Nolan never dropped deep to make himself available or made any type of run to aim a ball at and he never will because he doesn't have what it takes against this standard of defender. He scored twice against Villa but was absolutely crap for the first hour, constantly caught in possession etc and he's fluffed great chances in the last 2 games. Look at Vela's goal yesterday, Barton has the ability to provide a pass like that but is Kevin Nolan going to make a similar run? Doubt it but Ben Arfa will if he sees the opportunity. When he came on against Blackpool, he constantly moved for the ball and made space for himself, if he does that we actually have something to pass to when on the attack and in him we have a player that will provide as well as chip in with some goals. Succesful football is about a system working well but our system is flawed and will be easy to defend against, i think we're already being found out with the current XI. Kevin Nolan may get 8 goals and assist 3 or 4 but what if Ben Arfa only gets 6 goals but creates 15? Surely that's more beneficial.

Mike Williamson in today's Northern Echo (http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/8387565.___It_just_wasn___t_our_day___/) said this about HBA: “Hatem is a hell of a player,” said the former Portsmouth and Watford defender. “He has great feet, a great strike and great vision. He is going to make a big impact on the team and the things you saw on the pitch, he’s been doing all week. “When you looked at the bench today you could see we’ve got a great squad now and I think that’s going to carry us through.

That's even worse! Nolan in centre midfield is twice as bad as Nolan in the supporting striker role! That is worse but imo it won't happen, i was just showing that Nolan's place upfront is under threat. In midfield we have Barton, who i think Hughton sees as our driving force and Tiote, who we paid a hefty (in relation to our financial spending) fee for, will not be a bench man.

Coloccini has been class so far this season. Why would we drop him for a player who is over the hill. Also, why are people talking about Cambell when we have a great young prospect like Kadar who grew in stature every game he played last year and who will probably go on to win 100 caps and lead his country in the future. I just dont get it. We got relegated by persisting with washed up overpaid hasbeens, and the purge is still not complete in my eyes yet. Campbell proved last season with Arsenal that he certainly isn't over the hill. Agree with your sentiments on Colo, he played well yesterday bar his stupid tackle, Williamson though looked a bit shakey at times as he seemed to be caught out by their movement and worryingly DJ Campbell outmuscled him on a few occasions as well.

It's going to be interesting because if we take Ben Arfa's word for it, Hughton promised him a playmaker role which would mean Nolan would probably drop back deep if he even gets a game at all. I think Hughton will surprise a few people tbh, he droppped Nolan back into midfield yesterday, showing his place 'upfront' is not as stable as it seems and it's not as if we don't have any replacements for captain, with both Barton and Coloccini taking the armband last season.

If we play this team, i'd be confident of picking up a point. Harper Perch Williamson Colo Enrique Routledge Tiote Barton Jonas Ben Arfa Carroll That's a really decent starting line-up imo, very solid. It's excellent away from home in particular because in HBA, Jonas and Routledge we have players that are very quick and possess good skill and close control, it gives the home team something to fear when they attack which can only ease the pressure on our defence.

Jonas will be fine, he just needs the pressure taken off him and he'll do his bit no problem. He'll really benefit from a player like HBA who will actually move for him when he has the ball, Jonas' main problem is his team-mates' fitness and movement or lack of. He'll be massive away from home, teams will fear us if we play Jonas, Routledge and HBA just because of their sheer pace and close control. Jonas is an excellent dribbler, he really has remarkable ball-retention, take the pressure off him to create and we'll see a totally different player imo.

We were complacent today, no urgency at all in the first half we just strolled about casual as anything. Unfortunately they got the pen and then just sat back and absorbed the pressure from then on and we didn't have the creativity to open them up. We missed 2 glorious chances and a couple of other good half chances but we really need to be making more at home aginst teams like this. All the movement and nice passing we've seen so far was non-existent, instead we just hoofed it up to Andy when we couldn't find another way through. I especially felt really sorry for Barton and Jonas, Barton constantly looked for the ball but when he got it, who was there? There was no movement so it's no wonder he played some wayward passes. It was the same for Jonas, he'd go past a few players look up to see 4 Tangerine shirts in front of him with no NUFC player within 10 metres, it was embarassing at times and he was wrongfully taken off.

Since we started this season, the only justification for him starting was that he could score goals. In the last 2 matches he has missed numerous gilt-edged opportunities in positions he should be scoring from, so now his only justification has gone. Football is a fickle and cut-throat world, he was a luxury player last season, he didn't create anything and rarely contributed just put the finishing touches on our attacks we don't have the luxury any more, we need a player who actually does something playing in the hole to survive.

Judging by those photos, neither Tiote or Ben Arfa will be starting as they aren't wearing bibs but Nolan, Smith, Carroll and Jose all are.

Just to back my point further, go here > http://www.nufc-forum.com/nufcforum/index.php?board=3.0 and check out the Hatem Ben Arfa Informations thread. There are 5/6 videos posted by a French fan, i've only watched one video so far in a game against Stuttgart in the CL but his vision, creativity and great passing range are there for all to see as much as his famed dribbling ability, this guy will unlock defences.

I agree with the first part of your post, we should definitely start with the same side until results aren't going our way, then it's time to change things around. On Ben Arfa, he's never been given a 'chief' playmaker role and the problem with looking at stats is that you never get the full picture. He could have played a defence splitting pass to a forward who then passed it along the penalty area to another player who scores, Ben Arfa wouldn't be credited for the assist but he would have made the goal. The same goes for a mazy run etc or a great cross, these factors are just as important as the assist but they aren't 'counted'. Kevin Nolan doesn't offer any of the above as i've never seen him play a great pass or skin a player. If we're going to go to the next level and push a bit higher we need players to play through that have vision and something different. Every good team needs a great playmaker, we have a decent one in Joey Barton but there's no variety, we have nobody in the middle that can create that extra spark which we will need. Nolan is useful in terms of survival, Ben Arfa is someone who can take us to the next level.

Even if he scores 10-12 goals this season? He won't, he's not good enough. He's too predictable and slow and will be easily snuffed by better opposition. Nolan provides nothing else, Ben Arfa will get assists as well as chipping in with some goals and he has good delivery from set pieces. Ben Arfa is twice the player Kevin Nolan could ever dream of being and will offer us a lot more as a team. I agree, he's slow and limited, but he showed us last season that he's a very clever player. His positioning in the box is top class and he is a decent finisher as well. Still, Ben Arfa is a much better player. It's nice to have players with different qualities to choose from. Don't get me wrong i think Nolan is a decent player in certain aspects, he scored some important goals last season and is deserving of a start on Saturday. You say he's a clever player and he's certainly not thick in terms of a football brain but you have to consider the intelligence of the opposition last season. Defenders are more about physicality in the Championship not intelligence otherwise they would be playing in the big league(s) the decent to good CBs in this division will be stuck to Nolan's arse throughout the game and what does he have in his locker to shake them off? I like him, he's a great bloke and it's a shame we have found somebody potentially a lot better so soon (for him) but I'm looking at it from the angle of the opposition we face over the rest of the season. Who would i rather be up against? A quick, highly skillful and dangerous player who gives me so many different things to think about or a player who is slow, fairly easy to track and i know won't turn me. He'll get a few games this season, regardless of Ben Arfa, i think Hughton will want him to play in the tough away games and he'll get plenty of substitute appearances as well.

Even if he scores 10-12 goals this season? He won't, he's not good enough. He's too predictable and slow and will be easily snuffed by better opposition. Nolan provides nothing else, Ben Arfa will get assists as well as chipping in with some goals and he has good delivery from set pieces. Ben Arfa is twice the player Kevin Nolan could ever dream of being and will offer us a lot more as a team.

If it ain't broke don't fix it, we're not really in a luxury position to start changing things round when we have a good chance of winning, survival is of the highest importance. Nolan will start on Saturday and that's fine, he deserves it. As much as i want Ben Arfa in the team and know he's a much better player, he shouldn't be allowed to walk in to the side but i know he will get the chance. Nolan's lucky that this week we're playing crap opposition, his days are numbered.

This will be a brilliant signing for us, his attitude appears to be outstanding. He knows he's coming to a smaller club where he will most likely start every game yet he still trained and kept the fitness levels up while waiting for the move. A lot of players with his calibre would have just assumed they'd walk into the side and not bother staying in shape, i am very pleased he's not in that comfort zone and is desperate to play, it can only be good for us.

He's not Walcott/Lennon quick but i'd say he's in the next tier down from that very similar to Rouledge in terms of pace.

Because you can do the strongest 11 'on paper'. For example Hatem Ben Arfa is technically the best player in the squad and possesses more natural talent in his little finger than the competition for his position, Kevin Nolan, therefore he should be in the strongest 11.