Neil

Treble: Derby v Cardiff over 2.5 Forest DNB Watford DNB BTTS treble: Hull v Palace Sheff Wed v Watford Wolves v Millwall

hba gtfo

GW14 1. 1-1 2. 2-1 3. 1-0 4. 2-2 5. 3-2 6. 1-1 7. 1-1 8. 2-1 9. 2-0 10. 0-1

Yeah. Still almost doesn't feel like he is. Surreal.

Gerrard. :lol: Embarrassing.

Not sure if that's on purpose? Either way: :lol:

I will!

Thought you'd say something like that, and I entirely agree. To see them have the money they have had at their disposal and make no effort of improving their truly atrocious football is pretty depressing. They're firmly in the "not good enough to do anything of note, but not quite shit enough to go down" category.

In individual games it seemed you were "edging out" opponents and not really dominating games (with some notable exceptions). However, the fact you did this on a regular basis tells me there was a clear, workable system in place which allowed your best players to flourish. And this was exactly what I was trying to convince myself of. We are often average, sometimes really poor (especially away) but we get results, it can't be just luck. Well apparently it was, cause now the "system" (if you can call it that) is not working, we've never been so shit and we don't get results. Is the point not that Pardew is persisting with a 4-4-2 when your players are not suited to that? Players are a million miles from faultless in times of struggle but it doesn't make sense insisting on sticking with a system that doesn't suit the players you have. This must be especially galling as in a different formation last year, with the same players, you excelled? It doesn't make much sense to me.

In individual games it seemed you were "edging out" opponents and not really dominating games (with some notable exceptions). However, the fact you did this on a regular basis tells me there was a clear, workable system in place which allowed your best players to flourish. The manager should take some credit for that. However, it seems that is not present this season and now average performances are being punished. That's not to say you didn't play well last year because that's far from the truth. But if you have a system designed around your players and not the other way round, then it's possible for you perhaps not to play that well but still get good results.

ffs

Can't be arsed with the individual player comparisons but it's safe to say the squads are of a very similar quality, on paper. Both lack real strength in depth, as well. (As a brief aside, I wouldn't go overboard on us. We've won once in the last 7 games, dropping points game after game against relegation candidates - so we've got a lot of work to do to be considered genuine top 4 contenders, as people would have us made out as.) The bit in bold though rings particularly true. When you're working with the likes of Pistone, Naysmith, Kilbane, Weir, Stubbs, Gravesen, Carsley, Marcus Bent, Big Dunc and other such footballing artists, you're probably going to get scrappy, direct football. And up to a point I'm in full support of that. Moyes has been given the chance to change the style over numerous years, taking us from regular relegation candidates to regular European contenders, and around 2007ish, I felt we were really improving as a football team. Indeed most of the media and lazy pundits would consistently have you believe we were nothing more than a hard working side up until even last year, when in fact we've generally played some good stuff for a number of years now. That's only come about because one man has been able to imprint his own philosophy on the club and has fostered a very good team spirit, coming about because of the momentum we've built over the seasons. Momentum has come from stability. But back to the point; when you have talented footballers like Cabaye, Ben Arfa and so on and insist on playing long balls, it makes no sense. Perhaps Pardew in some way thought that consolidating last year's efforts meant becoming more direct, more defensive, more "safe". This of course is a ludicrous mentality to have and very damaging to boot, it regresses progress. You don't move forward as a club by standing still. Standing still is, essentially, like regression. Other teams improve, and you get left behind. Last year was not a fluke. You didn't finish above 15 other teams just by being lucky. You do it because you develop a system suited to the players, and in particular a system that brings the best out of your best players i.e. Ba/Cisse, Ben Arfa, Cabaye. It's baffling he isn't having a go with the same 4-3-3 that brought you so much joy last year. Is it all just so Ba can play up top? It makes little to no sense. I don't, fwiw, think 4-4-2 is as shit a formation as the footballing world seems to make out. It can still work very well, if you have 2 genuine wingers on each side. I wouldn't call Jonas or Ben Arfa traditional wingers however - especially as sticking Ben Arfa solely out wide takes away so much from his game. So everything points to a 4-3-3, with Ba, Cisse and Ben Arfa up front with - I assume - Cabaye, Tiote and Anita in some combination in midfield? Or a 4-2-3-1 with a very similar set up. Injuries play a part, sure, but they don't account for going from the 5th best team in the league to losing to West Ham and Swansea at home and then Southampton. This whole "well we had a game on Thursday" stuff is infuriating to hear as a fan as well. Don't insult fans' intelligence with crap like that, especially after seeing a performance where it was clear the team just wasn't good enough to win. For all the ifs, buts and speculation though, I firmly think it would be ridiculous to get rid of him so soon. It's not sentimental to say that he deserves a chance to pull things around, and not getting rid at the first sign of trouble. What's to say the grass will be greener on the other side? The main thing, from my POV anyway from watching you play this year, is that Pardew needs to worry a lot less about what the opposition might do, and spend more time getting more out of your own talented players, and give the opposition something to worry about.

HT, 0-0, could easily drop points here. lol jk

Well, BTTS in the Barca game is looking just brilliant. I expected it to be a close game but come on you shitheads. Unfortunately, that Norwich +1 bet did indeed turn out to be very good value. Wankers.

get lost, shows how much you know, with your stupid response. http://i.imgur.com/MkPZn.gif

Alves isn't on the pitch. http://i.imgur.com/MkPZn.gif

Found this way funnier than it should have been.

Yep. Ain't nobody got time for that.

KENNEDYYYYYYYYYYYY

Alright lads.

Exactly, Long just fell off the bench, what a fucking cheat.

Pathetic from Long, but thick as fuck challenge from Johnson as well. Not in the same postcode as the ball.

Fellaini and Mirallas both out, hate to say it but 17/10 is great value.

Sneaky.

You'll struggle to keep up to date with this match on Soccer Saturday mate.