alexf

Like we did on that epic losing run last season?

yeah but watching the game you can't tell me they were up for it and motivated. We stopped them from playing, we targeted their two centre backs and looked to hound them soon as they received the ball in the middle. Always quick to double up on Navas and not allow him much space to run in to. Don't think Pellegrini deserves stick for not having his players up for it, just thought we did well nullifying their biggest assets. Do you not agree if Remy plays instead of Cisse, Cabaye starts? or if Ben Arfa starts ahead of Sissoko or something that we probably stand a far better chance of winning? I just hate the lack of ambition where we accept that because City are playing a weakened team then so can we. Who cares if we lose to Man City, it's no embarrassment, like you say that squad last night cost hundreds of millions.

I disagree that we were worse after he came on. We worse after Cabaye came on for Shola. The only thing that was working was the long balls to Shola and we lost that once he came off. Thought Ben Arfa looked far better than he has recently. Touch looked good, he was picking out the right passes and was dropping deep to be the playmaker. Could be because he was against tired legs but for me he showed enough to be a certain starter next game. Will say one thing though. When was the last time anyone would say they saw him sprint at full speed with the ball? Probably his best attribute was the way he could run through the middle of the pitch at times at full speed while keeping the ball under complete control. I haven't seen him do it once except for maybe a few bursts against Villa.

yeah but watching the game you can't tell me they were up for it and motivated.

I disagree that we were really good last night. We should have beaten that City team and if we had gone full strength then we just might have. They were there for the taking, looked like they couldn't be arsed/didn't care about the cup. Plus they played a weakened defensive partnership which looked vulnerable to say the least. So no, I'm not going to heap loads of praise on us because we played slightly better because we still couldn't get the job done. If we had played Remy, Cabaye/Ben Arfa from the start and really gone for it and still lost then fair enough but we didn't.

Yeah shame about the goal but an excellent game from him. Shame he missed the derby as he probably would have helped us alot. When he's switched on and alert he reads the game very well.

Cabaye and Negredo seemed to be having a few words in extra time so I assumed that foul by Debuchy was just him looking after his lover.

was he injured or did he really just get "hauled off" despite only coming on at half time?

Decent little cameo

Least Ben Arfa looks better tonight

Still look like we can't score to save our lives without Remy.

Would like to see us throw on Remy, Ben Arfa or Cabaye at some point. We should be going for this, it's a great chance to get through. City clearly don't give a fuck so we should be really going for it.

Think he may regret not going full strength for this. Man City are here for the taking if we really went for it. Hope they don't bring Silva on.

Ben arfa should be.starting. He's out of shape and out of form. The more games the better for him.

Why the fuck are we not full strength? Fucking bullshit this. Who gives a shit if we lose to a weakened man city as long as we give it a go. Oh sorry we're protecting the lads for the oh so winnable Chelsea game.

I'm convinced Pardew is trying to turn Gouffran into the new Jonas. The almighty "defensive winger"

"super lucky fluke strike"

I think Brett has messed up saying he was desperate for Hughton to be sacked. Contradicts everything he says about Pardew now for me.

But we have a foreign team... Only because the English players cost too much money still get cheap coaches hanging around these days. Foreign coaches are pretty poorly paid in France compared to Eng. Even JFK, you honestly believe he's going to be suggesting someone from France to hire. It will be someone who they think they can trust and probably know in some way shape or form. He's had plenty of opportunities to bring in a foreign coach and we have never went with it. Baffling to think why he would chance that now. We used to buy English players as well, baffling that it changed tbh You can dream of some hidden gem of a foreign coach taking over ST but you know deep down you will be disappointed with a shit appointment if Pardew was to go just as i was when i was when i was yelling for Hughton to be sacked for months. Our owner is a clueless cunt and till he is gone, we aren't moving forward on the manager scale of things. I credit him on his transfer policy as although it does have it's restrictions, on the whole it's actually very pleasing hence the decent side that has been built. As for managers go though, it's one mistake after another, and the chances of that changing are very very slim. This tells me everything I need to know about you man. So a genuine, decent, honest, guy who had done a great job guiding us back into the premier league. You were calling for him to be sacked for months when, for a promoted team we were doing as well if not better than expected in the league, not to mention trashing the local rivals 5:1. Yes we had a few dodgy results here and there, including a few unexpected home losses. But Hughton had done more than enough to at least be allowed to stay in charge till the end of the season. and yet you will back Pardew to the hilt despite him also suffering a number of embarrassing home defeats like Hughton did, his poor recent record in derby matches and most importantly so very nearly getting us relegated last season.

Just seen him saying he's rotating the squad tonight. Fucking wanker.

I've accepted that he's never getting sacked so going to try a new one now. Has he resigned yet?

Only just seen the first half (yes terrible fan for missing the first half of the derby yada yada:)) I take back my criticisms of Hatem slightly. He was trying in the first half there was just fuck all support and he was getting closed down by three players each time. There were moments you can see him signalling desperately for some movement around him. Stand by the comment that he still looks too heavy though. Must have an effect on his performance the fact he's so much bigger than he was a year ago, whether it's fat or muscle.

Sounds from the article that once again "it's all Hatem's fault"

Neil Custis is a prick that's why

He just doesn't look fit and hasn't done all season. Yep. Was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt after he started the season in better form than any of our other players. But he looks too heavy for his style of play now in my opinion.