Hughesy

It depends if you are genuinely proposing that the two central midfielders don't create anything at all - which is highly unlikely. I think we are getting into comparing slightly odd variations of formations, but in any 4-4-2 formation with two defensive central midfielders you would have a set up with wingers and it is likely that one of the strikers would drop back into midfield. But as an example, I think Sacchi's Milan team used a 4-4-2 formation without particularly creative central midfielders. Atletico Madrid play a variant of 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 with two defensive midfielders.

It is viable if you were playing 4-4-2 and had two wingers and intelligent strikers. It could work if you were playing 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. It can work - you just have to get the proper personnel in to do it.

I am not sure what your point is - is your point that Anita cannot play alongside a DM or that, under Pardew, we would not play enough attacking players to make this viable? Because they are two completely different points.

Disagree, IMO he's better with a proper DM where his job is to keep the ball moving. A bit like Lucas and Allen at Liverpool. You can't have 2 out of the 3 midfielders having no goal threat or creativity whatsoever. It just doesn't work. Course you can, if you have an attacking midfielder and 3 forwards. Agree with this.

Yep - done a great job at Vallecano and plays good football.

How has Ketsbaia got on with Georgia? Have their results improved much?

I like Townsend as a player - he certainly has the attributes to improve with good coaching. Oh - I see the problem there.

I read a fair few articles saying he was a good player but wasn't a world beater. Bit different to 'nobody really rated him'. The Jonas we bought was a good PL player and an International. The Jonas of the last couple of seasons was not a reflection of the player we had at the beginning.

He was reasonably rated in Spain so god knows what you are talking about.

Because he's our best LB with Santon injured? Not ideal, obviously. Unfortunately he isn't.

Agree 100% with this.

2 goals in 14 matches for Blackpool. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence in his goal scoring ability at Championship level.

Didn't he get such a run at Blackpool and did the square root of f*** all?

Going to say - he's not so old that he can't be on the training ground regularly. I don't see how that would be beyond his capabilities at all.

Gosling really is an average player. I can't see him playing regularly for a PL side at any point in the future. He'll knock around Championship teams for the rest of his career. If he is lucky he might get a few Premiership seasons at some yo-yo club.

Did Kitson play under Pardle at Reading? Think Pardew left 2 months or so before Kitson arrived.

Interesting but not surprising from the Secret Footballer/Dave Kitson when asked about Moyes: "Newcastle is the perfect club for Moyes, Ashley doesn't want to spend anymore money than he has to and Moyes has been doing that at Everton for ten years while getting the best out of the players he has, something which Pardew is failing to do. I have heard that the Newcastle players are absolutely fed up of the 'Pardew show', so I wouldn't be surprised to see Moyes rock up at St James at all."

I thought Koeman was meant to have done a great job with Feyenoord? Looking at his record, he seems to have done well most places he's been.

Well done Jordan and the others who held up their banners and cards, but the protests were muted vocally and until that changes, Pardew stays. Completely true. He'll probably think it's a small minority at this point. Protests were loud, clear and relatively constant in the away end, were they not loud on the tv? (Seriously question, just read this back and it sound like I'm being an arsehole) The game at Stoke there was no mistaking it, the protests from that game came through loud and clear. Maybe the fans were situated closer to the mics. I wouldn't say the anti-Pards chants were deafening throughout the match (I still think people (including myself) find it very hard to strike a balance between supporting the team but abusing Pardew), but they were consistent throughout and got more and more frequent in the second half. It was a slightly strange atmosphere as I think a lot of people were waiting for a hammering before they started abusing Pardew. Why would you want to support a team who are all on his side anyway? Any evidence for that?

Well done Jordan and the others who held up their banners and cards, but the protests were muted vocally and until that changes, Pardew stays. Completely true. He'll probably think it's a small minority at this point. Protests were loud, clear and relatively constant in the away end, were they not loud on the tv? (Seriously question, just read this back and it sound like I'm being an arsehole) The game at Stoke there was no mistaking it, the protests from that game came through loud and clear. Maybe the fans were situated closer to the mics. I wouldn't say the anti-Pards chants were deafening throughout the match (I still think people (including myself) find it very hard to strike a balance between supporting the team but abusing Pardew), but they were consistent throughout and got more and more frequent in the second half. It was a slightly strange atmosphere as I think a lot of people were waiting for a hammering before they started abusing Pardew.

Whilst I agree with the above - if every honourable manager leaves... where does that leave the club? Either stuck with an Alan Pardew or no manager at all. And to be honest, I am sure there is a middle ground that could be struck between walking out on the club and being Alan Pardew..

Incredibly well put. Couldn't agree more but prepare for the s*** storm you will get for saying this Well - it is a load of bollocks so I wouldn't be surprised.

Didn't Hoddle supposedly find it hard to coach England international players who couldn't do what he was capable of? God knows what he would make of Paul Dummett's technical ability if he turned up to coach us..

There really is no middle ground around here. He isn't a great player, but he's nowhere near as bad as some keep droning on about. Someone said earlier that Tiote can't pass. That is absolute bollocks. He's not Michel Platini, but he can put the ball about. We have gripes with the way we play, and we've all seen how static we are going forward. Tiote is a limited player, but he isn't the only reason we get caught out in possession or give the ball away. This basically - seem to be a few people with a Tiote agenda knocking around.

First time I will ever attend a match hoping we lose. Hate it.