The Prophet

Cabaye isn't and never will be a Silva type of player. That's a daft comparison. If you think we can overtake Arsenal now by bombing forward and leaving the likes of Williamson vulnerable, you need looking at, bro. Yeah lets just turtle up and hoof it instead bro, sounds safer. The hyperbole from both parties in this debate is ridiculous, there is a middle ground to be had.

While yesterdays performance was hit and miss I'm a bit bemused at some of the reactions. We were a side without a win in four, playing with little confidence, while it was far from perfect it was certianly an imporvement.

I honestly think our primary (attacking) tactic, at least in theory, is to exert pressure on the opponenet's penalty area as quickly as possible, whether it be by a long ball, wing play or other means. This was deployed very well against Man United, arguably our best performance of the season.

TBH. we have been playing Hoofing and crossing as the primary tactic all season, its just whether you see it or you don't. Recently when the percentage football isnt working as much, more has came to see the type of football we play and can clearly see its demerits. I am sure many will hop back on the Pardew's Wagon when we start winning and finish high up the table irregardless of how we play. Well in reality the world has too many Muppets, so its not surprising. Just for the sake of analyzing Pardews Tactics and why its not working as well as earlier in the season. He is missing Leon best, his formation and tactics works better with two strong,aggressive,robust and hardworking outlets looking for a cross or a hoof to shield the ball to play it back to midfield so it could push up. I dont rate Best as a long term striker in this team, but the honest answer is he suits this play much better than most of the players we have. Forcefully fitting the players into this set up probably would not work too well. some see what isn't there though. 'primary tactic all season', what crap! What is our primary tactic as you see it then Madras? If in fact there is one. there hasn't been one. we've mixed it up. we have gone long more than i'd like but it's been no way the primary tactic. work your way back game by game and ask if hoofing it was our main tactic, you'll be surprised

As bad as Simpson's thrown was a more significant question to me is, why did we feel the need to pile so many bodies into the Arsenal half so late on? It was reckless to say the very least.

no, people need to understand this is the way pardew like us to play cautious and nick a goal or two. hence -1 goal difference we have. the fact that when your team's manager spends most the week on defence and then let the assistant deal with the attack, tells you what the team is about and its primary objective. It tells you that Pardew was a somewhat defensive player and has more knowledge to impart to the defensive players at NUFC. yep, hence why santon gets subbed for players like perch and raylor. lol Santon has looked a defensive wreck at times this season.

Personally, I think Pardew is too negative, I can't remember having a more negative manager, he's probably on a par with Allardyce in that respect. Some of those negative tactics have worked in our favour this season, I agree this whole contain mentality we seem to revert too need ditching in order for us to progress mind.

When have we not had a go like?

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.