The Prophet

Is that why we bypass midfield? It contributes. When we try to contain the wingers come deep meaning there's a lack of options out wide.

I think it's fairly evident Pardew has little to no confidence in either of the full backs.

Given our first half display it's pretty evident what plan A was, it's the contain tactics that seem to have been adopted as our plan B that need ditching.

I almost forgot, Obertan should have the book thrown at him for wasting that oppertunity at the beginning of the second half. One on one with Sagna, Ba unmarked in the middle and he waits on it before pulling back a horrid ball to Ben Arfa on the edge of the box, shocking play.

What is this patter people are falling for exactly?

...and form doesn't change over the course of a season? Till it changes, keep hoping. It's already changed numerous times this season, there's plenty of twist and turns to come.

...and form doesn't change over the course of a season?

I love how people pick Swansea as if they are the norm and not the exception.

Our position in the table does reflect where we are as a football team: not enough quality throughtout the squad to be troubling Arsenal and Chelsea but more than enough to be slugging it out with Liverpool for sixth.

He does worry me when he starts pratting about with it in his own eighteen yard area.

Nothing to do with the fact they're a superior team?

Personally I think we've started to see less of the so called 'hoofball' over the last couple of games. It's still present but we are starting to get it down a bit more than we were.

It was a vicious circle: Arsenal come forward in droves forcing us back - we looked nervous to push out and play, instead laying it back to Krul who inevitably belted it aimlessly upfield - Ba comepletely isolated, flicks it back to an Arsenal player. Rinse and repeat.

Perch was alright going toe to toe with Walcott, but his positional sense (or lack of) was embarassing at times.

We had 4/5 players alone up in that corner. It should have been HBA throwing to Shola, nothing more. Rank unprofessionalism, as was the desperate lack of just fouling someone when they got the ball and taking a yellow. Aye, I found myself shouting 'kick him, fucking kick him' when it became clear how short we were at the back.

What were we doing with eight players in their half, five near the eighteen yard box at that point in the game? We've completely shot ourselves in the foot.

There was far too much long ball in the second half, helped Arsenal dominate as much as they did. No doubt they deserved the points, the manner of it was a right kick in the teeth though.

How fucking naive was that? Why were we throwing bodies forward so late on?

Same, had a sneaky feeling we'll get something all week.

Listening to Pardew it sounds more like a 4-2-3-1.

Same. Time to leave them imo. Been the surprise team of the season (first half) and will still win some games that the bookies won't expect them to win but, I won't back them that regulary anymore. Yeah defiently, as expected they're somewhat fading away. I still think they'll slug it out with Schalke for third though.

Gladbach have served me well at times this season but today they've well and truly screwed me today.

Gladbach Southampton West Ham Huddersfield Sheffield Wednesday

Dortmund have signed Marco Reus for around seventeen million Euros too.

The commentry as a whole was just plain embarassing: desperately trying to find fault in the Bilbao goals, screaming for a penalty following the handball, analysing the game as if Bilbao had performed a miraculous smash and grab. Why not just enjoy the spectacle, enjoy the great football Bilbao are putting on show and accept Man United were throughly outplayed on the night? Pathetic.