themanupstairs

Some of the slowest counter-attacking I've ever seen. A lot of hesitation. The players looks like they're in two minds as to what to do, which might suggest over-coaching rather than just letting them get on with their natural game.

 

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? 

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

 

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.

When Cabaye goes I just hope he takes his mate with him, he was terrible yesterday

Which mate is that? Shola or Pards?

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

Who broke the Cabaye refusing to play story? One of the local titles?

 

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

 

Maybe they need to sign a striker...

 

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.

Could be bollocks but was told Pardew has basically been told he can sign the players he would like as long as they cost f*** all, while Carr will still be trying to find players that the club actually wants. So that's why we're hearing about the likes of Bent and Downing through Pardew blabbing about it but not really in for either, hence the laughable way the Bent issue was handled.

 

They clearly don't trust Pardew which makes it all the more baffling that he's still here.

 

James McCarthy was mentioned as someone who they'd be in for this week.

 

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.

http://i.imgur.com/lSP4WtE.jpg

:lol:

He's obviously going to attack them as well.

 

and Yanga is fairly hopeless in the air.

I think the idea was to use Gouffran as an impact sub, utilising his pace etc, whilst Shola probably expected to be used up front whilst defending set pieces etc.

 

Ideally we would have Gomis/Bent or even a fit Remy but we have Shola, Gouffran & Cisse (who hasn't had a shot on target for four games)

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.

Cisse has been utter s**** for ages tbh & he was worse than useless yesterday. Pardew's mistake was starting him, not taking him off.

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.

If you told me we had 2 points from 2 games against Norwich and West Brom, I'd probably be fuming.

 

However, we've played some damn good stuff in both games and today was absolutely 'one of those days'. Foster was in unbelievable form and the woodwork just wouldn't fall our way.

 

s*** result, but plenty to be positive about. On another day we could easiily have stuck 5 past them and they would have no complaints.

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?

Are we the only team to have not had a shot on target yet?

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

Was going wide.

We need an attacking midfielder more than anything else, i really hope the club realizes this but i doubt it.

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.

 

this first half is just the players minus pardew, he's been robbed of his ability to field a negative team and the lads on the park are trying to play positive football, they just don't know how to do after not playing it for so long

 

wanted that in there before anyone praises f***ing pardew for us being 0-0 at HT (with WHU creating the most danger mind you)

 

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.

There was enough attacking players out there today for a change, so why did they fail to produce in front of goal? Was it Pardew this time or did the players just not do enough?

 

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).

There was enough attacking players out there today for a change, so why did they fail to produce in front of goal? Was it Pardew this time or did the players just not do enough?

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.

At one point in the second half the commentator pointed out that a run by one of our midfielders was the first time any of them had been ahead of our forwards.

Marveaux's little 1-2 with Shola.