themanupstairs

interesting perspective Also ties in with what Dave posted earlier from .com about our players looking like they're coming off the end of a long season rather than being fresh for a new one. Absolutely spot on.

Dafuq is a security clause?

I gave you an answer. Why doesn't Pardew go back to a 433 is a stupid, irrelevant question. Just because a system gave us success in a couple of games 18 months ago doesn't mean it will now. They wont back Pardew or sack him - it doesn't mean I can't afford myself some perspective rather than getting myself hysterical with every word he says like a lot of posters on here. The problems come from Ashley downwards - if Pardew wasn't suitable for the clubs ambition - or lack of - why is he in a job? (the algorithm can get stuck in a loop here if you aren't careful) IMO it's not stupid or irrelevant to ask why something which brought success to a largely similar team or set of players, isn't being tried again. At home, and against teams like West Ham, we shouldn't be setting up to defend for fuck's sake. God forbid we go toe to toe against the colossus that is James Collins. We easily had the better individuals than they did. Playing with fear the way we did is criminal. The devil is in the detail. Dropped points add up, and could see us fucked by the end of the season. I agree that the problem starts with Ashley, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't criticise Pardew just because we know he isn't getting sacked. If we're stuck with him, we might as well have the hope that he could see what is glaringly obvious, and try to remedy our situation as far as winning those "winnable" games.

24 points with Hart, Vertonghen, Zabaleta, Hazard, Welbeck and Soldado to play. Captained Barkley hoping to get some points from a unfancied source to counter the twats who captained Benteke, Sturridge or RVP. In the end, I remained the twat who captained Barkley.

Which mate is that? Shola or Pards?

So in other words, you have no answer. Good enough reason to keep Pards in a job.

Think it was the Chronicle, but not sure. If only there was something to tell us.

Yep - the intelligentsia really are on forum boards.... Indeed. Anyone of them could take to the dugout and do a better job than Pardew because his job is a piece of p*ss. Answer me this then if you would? Cisse scored a variety of goals in his first few months at the club (wonder goals, tap-ins, headers, etc.), coinciding with us playing a straight forward 433 where by he had a lot of support in high areas of the pitch. What is so difficult about going back to that simple basic formation which brought us so much relative success in that season run-in? Now Cisse is being branded "s***" and "not very good is he", while he gets shafted up front on his own, and expected to pull miracles out of his arse. What has changed? Was Ba on the left the KEY to the productive 433? Ryan Taylor's injuries? How difficult is it for a manager to revert back to the formation (and in turn the game plan and mindset) that brought him and the club some semblance of relative success? Seems simple in my mind, but obviously you know different. Please enlighten me.

Waiting for Poyet's court case to be settled maybe. Poyet was on AJS yesterday and seemed quite upbeat (as you'd expect him to be on television). No mention of the court case obviously, but he did talk us up, and said he wasn;t sure why we're failing to get results with a good set of players.

:lol:

Gouffran has some pace, but it's not the kind of searing pace that, say, Obertan can offer coming on as an impact sub. As for starting a 6' plus center forward so he can defend set-pieces....I don't even know where to start....

Where was he yesterday? Exactly the type of game that would have suited his elegant passing and control in the last 20 minutes. Should have been on the pitch at the same time as Cisse and Gouffran, playing just behind them. But no. Let's have a promising young player like him and keep him on the bench for the tried and tested experience of Shola Ameobi.

Ages? I think Shola's ages trumps Cisse's ages bonny lad Pardew was approaching the right idea by finally realising Cisse cannot lead the line on his own. Fucked it up by starting an ageing lumbering Shola Ameobi next to him. Can't remember a single exchange of passes between the two of them.

He's a typical 442 striker that will do the donkey work for the main goalscorer, in our case, Cisse. Pardew starts Shola instead Gouffran ready to come on, Pardew takes off Cisse The lad's been here since January and we're yet to see him used properly. He will create space for his partner, and can link up play nicely. He's nothing flash or top tier, but I'm confident he can be effective.

Barkley is awesome! Been watching your match this morning. He has so much presence on the pitch and everything good seems to go through him. Also I think Jelavic is looking desperate out there. Been a while since he last scored?

I'm sure I saw Joe Hart save a shot on target from Tiote on Monday night. Was going wide.

Get Weimann in and splash out on the attacking mid/ winger.

It;s been all Villa in the 2nd half. Unlucky not to have scored. Mignolet, Toure and Agger have been excellent.

Fair point, but to me we look much improved either way. Obviously if he sticks Tiote and Jonas straight back in then it's a big mistake. Much proved ffs We didn't create a chance in 90 minutes. unreal isn't it. Ian's always "on the brink" of losing it with Pardew. That brink never comes though.

No chance he's outright refused to play. He would have put in a transfer request IMO. Something has gone on behind the scenes, or he's just being saved anticipating his sale.

A player in the mould of Andreas Weimann is one of the things we need at the moment. Works so hard, has pace and is supremely intelligent with a thunderbolt of a shot. I'd be delighted with him tbh. Not sure how much he'd cost, but 7 or 8 million on him would be money well spent.

Not sure what you're alluding to here. Cisse isn't a good enough footballer to be making runs and creating space for Shola. Cisse himself needs that kind of partner alongside him. Instead he ends up with a lumbering oaf in Shola who barely offered anything. And played for 90 minutes. Can't fault our midfielders when there is absolutely no movement ahead of them whatsoever. I didn't see the game so was just asking for some views from those who did. Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Marveaux and Cisse should provide a threat in theory even taking Shola into account. My concern is we still don't have any genuine wide players other than Debuchy. Oh I see. Well, it was as shit as you could have imagined upon seeing the line up. No natural width as you say, and hardly any composure from any of our creative outlets (bar Marveaux in spells when he drifted inside).

Not sure what you're alluding to here. Cisse isn't a good enough footballer to be making runs and creating space for Shola. Cisse himself needs that kind of partner alongside him. Instead he ends up with a lumbering oaf in Shola who barely offered anything. And played for 90 minutes. Can't fault our midfielders when there is absolutely no movement ahead of them whatsoever.

Marveaux's little 1-2 with Shola.