themanupstairs

You in UK, how did you get it? - PM Not in the UK. Live in Cyprus mate. Lucky like that

Andy Grey, King Kev and David Platt are the team of analysts on Al Jazeera. So glad i've got this now. All 380 games live in HD Richard Keys the only downside. Odious prick.

Why do you think that? Guts feeling. surely?

That could work too

amen

Nowt wrong with watching and learning vital nuances of midfield play from a superior player like. Tiote is not some kind of defective robot. He has the physical attributes, he just needs to understand his role in the team.

I was referring to the speed with which Wilshere releases the ball in and around the center circle. Simple, effective, and at times lethal. No hollywood ball bollocks.

He should watch Jack Wilshere play. The kid is going to be phenomenal if he progresses in the right way.

What it comes down to is that I can't recall Jonas having a bad game in the center of midfield when called upon, while Tiote's form has been in the gutter for the best part of 2 seasons now. Clearly Tiote has the better attributes to be a decent defensive mid. He doesn't, however, have the brains or temperament for it.

Agreed. Jonas is better on the ball than Tiote, can deliver those short passes well enough, and is less of a risk to make clumsy fouls. Ask him to sit in front of the back four, cut down runners through the middle, and shuttle the ball away and I think he can do well. Just don't ask him to carry the ball forward or make long-range passes. Yup I get the feeling he doesn't see the pitch from a bird's eye view (i.e. doesn't have the vision) and you can see this with the type of crosses he puts in, which are almost always the hit-and-hope types. In comparison Tiote actually hits pretty good crosses when he ends up out wide. Plus he is quite dominant physically in the centre of the pitch, both on the ground and in the air. Jonas is more of a handbags combatant. :lol: So true. Wins a lot of freekicks though, as opposed to Tiote.

Why is wor Papiss always the token?

Agreed. Jonas is better on the ball than Tiote, can deliver those short passes well enough, and is less of a risk to make clumsy fouls. Ask him to sit in front of the back four, cut down runners through the middle, and shuttle the ball away and I think he can do well. Just don't ask him to carry the ball forward or make long-range passes. Yup I get the feeling he doesn't see the pitch from a bird's eye view (i.e. doesn't have the vision) and you can see this with the type of crosses he puts in, which are almost always the hit-and-hope types.

But this is the point. We can't afford to have a player in a wide position who offers the grand total sum of nowt in attack, just to protect Santon. It's this very attitude that Pardew has that loses these types of games before a ball has been kicked. We are NUFC, a top flight outfit ffs. It's not as if we are 4 divisions below Man City. We should never go into games with this fear in mind.

Just, No.

He hasn't got the ball retention ability to play there imo. His passing is terrible. Put him there and goals like the first Mackem one last season will be far more common . Completely disagree there tbh. He can retain the ball in tight situations where he has to release it quick. It's when he has long stretches of grass on the wing, and has to provide some kind of end product that he's useless. His short passing isn't bad at all!

I would actually want to see him starting in a midfield 3, as the one that links play between Sissoko and Cabaye. I'd have him ahead of Tiote, and since Anita's not getting a look-in, might as well. I think he would actually do very well for us there should we play the 433 consistently.

Cisse can play there. By the end of the season, I think the player who will have made by far the most appearances as a wide forward will be a defensive midfielder. Jonas isn't a defensive midfielder if that's who you mean. He's a winger, just a s*** one now. Think he was talking about Sissoko.

I am guessing he's not in the squad that's playing Sochaux right now?

Fuck me what a shit forum that is

I hate the way the knacker talks

Well said fella. Happy birthday big Al.

Now that's just sweeping generalisation bollocks. Anita has hardly played, and when he has, he hasn't played his usual role. Marveaux gets dropped every time he has a decent game. As Bimpy said, Gouffran never played past the 70 minute mark.

That's not what I said at all. It's just a matter of not seeing any progress in this area, despite it apparently being a priority for Ashley. Either way, most successful youth academies write off the majority of their youngsters. To get one or two players who break through every season, loads of others will fail to do so. What do you expect with Willy f***ing Donachie in charge? Totally agree btw.

alreet bimpaz? i'm a big fan of yours and all, but that post was a bit off form. Had no clue what it was about until you clarified