alexf

This is what I'm talking about. Are we supposed to forget the City game, the sunderland game last season, the liverpool 0-6? All off the top of my head that he has been involved in recently. Taylor is only decent once he gets a run of games under his belt for me. Always looks a little suspect when he's returning from injuries like he has the past year or so.

When was the last time he had his day though? Maybe the season we came 5th?

I sometimes write Pards for some reason, then go back and change it as I realise it makes me sound as if I like the guy

glad someone said it

Feel Taylor has only survived at the club this long due to being a local lad. His injury record is ridiculous and getting worse each year. I agree with most things you say on here Ronaldo and like you I do rate Taylor when he's on form and fit but feel like there seems to be an ongoing thing on here atm about how great Taylor is compared to the other options etc. The problem every time though is he is never available when you need him. He's been taking up a valuable squad place and I think we'd be far better off getting rid and bringing in someone new.

Those who watched him in france before he joined. Was he quick then? What I mean is, he has looked like a player going through a period of adjustment, getting used to the fact he isn't as quick as he once was. When he first joined he was getting square on to attackers like he felt he could beat them for pace. Also when he went forward he was bombing on and trying to go down the outside only to again get done for pace. Just thinking after a number of injuries he seemed to have in his final year at Lille perhaps he has lost a yard and it's taken him awhile to realise he needs to step back and give himself extra space to defend against faster players?

2 years ago when he sat Ben Arfa on the bench and started the like of Obertan and R.Taylor in his place I was fuming. This time however, while I agree he still gets treated harshly by Pardew in comparison to others, I think it's slightly more justified now. The contrast in performance between the Villa game and the Hull game was shocking. It really did seem like he had something personal going on because he was awful and defensively all he had to do was make some kind of attempt to run back but he failed to do that. Now I personally think he showed enough in his little cameo against Man City to earn a spot against Chelsea, atleast from the bench but obviously not according to Pardew. I hope this makes him knuckle down, lose a few of those extra pounds (unless he was told to put on the extra weight for some reason) and get back to doing his thing.

I'd worry about him being benched for the long term but it's not going to happen as Cisse is beyond shit at the moment. Pardew was getting visable frustrated with im after he came on against Chelsea. So the only real other forward option is Shola. Ben Arfa just needs to take his chance next time he gets in. I've always agreed with people saying he struggles in the middle. However I don't see why we can't set up like we did against Chelsea but play Ben Arfa instead of Shola and let him go wherever the fuck he wants, through the middle or out wide. Keep people like Gouffran and Sissoko in the team who hold their positions and then let Ben Arfa give the opponents something to worry about as he drifts all across the front line.

Don't think he is physically capable of putting in a shift like Gouffran. He's no where near the fitness levels Gouff is these days. The last few times i've seen him you could see he looked knackered after a run forward.

They were having a debate about something, Was Remy at QPR the same time as Anton Ferdinand? Might explain it?

Been really bugging me how the game has been completely swept under the carpet. Normally any team beating Chelsea would be seen as a big deal by Sky but I watched SSN for half an hour this morning and not a single mention of our game. Then only seen the intro to goals on sunday but again no clip or mention of it in the intro. I know BT had the rights but come on atleast mention it even if you can't show the footage.

Ian man you can't have it both ways? You can't down play the negatives then exaggerate the positives. Today was a fantastic result but don't forget we beat Chelsea at home last season too and look where we ended up then. Sure praise for winning a game but you don't just forget all the other shit the manager has served up because of it.

I'd like to give Pardew the credit for this I really would. But until he gets our side looking this compact and well drilled defensively against the lesser teams then I just can't. For me it's the typical big team are in town mentality of our players in that when we come up against Liverpool and now today Chelsea they are far more motivated. They work harder, are more worried about getting exposed so don't go missing from their positions etc (Santon/Debuchy). I mean if we had defended anywhere near as well as this in some of our other games, such as the Hull game and the Everton away game we could be having a great season.

He's slowly been building up with each game. Just looks a quality full back now.

That run where he just bulldozed his way through Most i've seen him run in about 8 years that moment Have to say he is comfortably bringing more to the table than Cisse. Seemed a silly game to play him as he got fuck all out of Terry as everyone on here said days ago. Still think I'd prefer Ben Arfa to start instead but Shola has a use at the moment, certainly ahead of Cisse that's for sure.

Worried that sub could cost us. He was poor from the moment he came on and i'd have been much happier with Ben Arfa on or dare I say even Shola staying on. Cisse is just a liability in this condition.

I thought Jose obviously knew him well and told his players to show him on to his left foot. Easily the weakest of our defensive line but he played his part and some good headers away, one in-particular off the line.

He was class today. When we decided to start taking the game to them at around the hour mark he came alive and was superb.

Strange game. Up till his injury I thought Tiote was our best player today, looked like the old Tiote the way he was controlling the midfield. The he goes off and suddenly the whole team turns around and goes on the attack? Coincidence? No idea but Anita should never have been dropped, he's been quality every time he's played this season.

What a tank. Shame about the sending off against Liverpool as he'd started that game in the same way and we could have done with him in the derby. Class act today and think he may prefer that left side of defence like Colo does.

BTsport are a a joke. Why do they need Mark Halsey on every decision like he was some kind of good ref. Not to mention the fact that before the game he proved why he was a dodgy ref with his predetermined opinions of each player and also the fact he basically admitted being pally with fergie.

Yeah Terry is one of the best defenders there is in the air. Shola wouldn't get much out of him.

He was up against Jesus fucking Navas. I'll bet he's a hell of a lot faster than most left backs

What if he went to Crystal Palace and did well? like got them above us who would probably be free-falling under the stewardship of Mr.Kinnear actually don't want to even think how bad that would be.

Like I said, there's no shame in losing to Man City if you go for it but still come up short. The team selection just spoke volumes to me that we wern't fussed about going through or not. We were more concerned about saving some key players for the premier league and saving a bit of face so that our best team wern't beaten by City's B team.