Dyeyzzon

Tiote wouldn't have gave Nolan freedom of the city. I don't really think Tiote would have made a difference today. He's never consistently tuned in performances at home against the lesser sides. Could have used more power in the middle to combat theirs. That Anita-Cabaye partnership was easily out-muscled by Nolan-Diame imo.

Pathetic. - It's a home game against a club weaker on paper so we slacked off anyway. - We conceded a goal that we could have done something about. (Isn't that my job?) - Big Sam has such an oh so genius tactical masterstroke ticking at West Ham that's impossible to counter. - I just waited for our break which didn't come. Shame. - 9 shots on target. 8 better than the Mackems. Hardly any clear cut, but wheeey. - I tried my very very best against this newly promoted team with such mind-blowing tactics.

You're attacking the only gear that seems to be running properly atm in the rusty ol' Rolls Royce of Newcastle United. His job is to create, and has there been anyone else who's looked closest to creating?

Shades of Yaya Toure with his powerful surging runs which hammered us at times. Wish Tiote could do more of that.

It shocks me how you have that stereotype of flair players not being team players. really? when did i do that? i said HBA is not a team player, and you interpret that as " all flair players are not team players " lol i think thats more of your own view that you're trying to project onto others my friend. and you're doing it unconvincingly. That is not my view in any way, not by a long shot. And perhaps I was unconvincing because I missed the point on how much you ignore his team play, as the main creator of our team. Perhaps the HBA I had in mind at the first sight of your statement was a comparison to a Nani-type of player. I'd agree that a player of his type should be signled out for his lack of team play, but HBA is not in anyway his style. He's weighed down assists and good passes over his time here, and I think he's still created more than anyone else this season. Perhaps it's just easy to judge him for not being a team player today because his passing and dribbles didn't come off. Though throughout the course of the 90, how many more of our players at least tried to play that killer move? Not many, for sure. Our tactics were f***ing dire but at least he tried to pick up the pieces. As said in the Pardew thread, I wouldn't be surprised if Pards is banking on him to be the sole source of attacking creativity for the team.

Pardew's Gameplan imo: 1. Hoof. 2. Pass it to HBA, who probably has more input to our attacking plans than Pards does. 3. Hoof.

It shocks me how you have that stereotype of technically-gifted players not being team players. HBA tries to make things happen and connect our players.

I just wish that he and Ba would take different paths. Always see both of them going for the same spot in the centre.

Bordeaux's the only game this season where i thought from the first whistle to the last that we were comfortably the better team. Even in that one, the last 35 minutes were dull as hell. Bordeaux were absolute poo tbh.

0-6

Really? The only top flight manager I can remember getting such a long contract in 20 years and it's totally sensible? Do agree there's little point in dwelling on it, but it was a strange call and that can't be questioned. Don't underrate stability. Aye, that'll be why Man Utd, Arsenal and Everton give their manager 8 year contracts. It was a strange decision which might end up having the opposite effect than that intended. You 100% don't need to give your manager an 8 year contract to aid stability. Howay don't get sarcy. I just think it's a pointless discussion and far too early to be calling it a bad decision. Aye we're playing s****, but today is the first truly s*** result in the season, and we've seen clear evidence of Pardew changing things. His philosophy so far this season is wrong but it's irksome when people are labelling him one-dimensional and 'not going to change'; because he has done as recently as earlier this year. Aye. As said in the match thread, our s*** shows have really been buried under decent results. This hopefully hits us like cold water to the face.

I wouldn't be surprised if Pards was half-expecting him to just carry us through that game with a sudden flash of brilliance. (a la Bolton)

Our attack wasnt even that fantastic last season, it relied on individual brilliance majority of the time. Bar a few games: West Brom away, Stoke home, Liverpool home. I meant Chrissy's season.

Whenever we get our first pair of consecutive home games, we seem to get relatively beatable opponents on paper but just fail to turn up. 2010-11 was Blackburn (loss)/Bolton (draw). Last season we got Swansea (draw)/WBA (loss) Now we've lost to West Ham. Draw then.

If only we could get the drive to attack of the first season back in the Prem to mix with Pards' defensive organization.

Tbh we've had a couple of stinkers recently that have been hidden under the rug with luck (WBA) and at least a point. A home loss would hopefully be the kick up the arse we need.

Cliche that.

The 4-4 had always smokescreened that stat of never winning from behind imo.

A physical side like West Ham would really profit from any European hangovers tbf.

Chelsea, ManUre, Man City and Spurs next month.

Customary post-European fart.

GW 11 1. 2-1 2. 2-0 3. 1-1 4. 3-1 5. 2-0 6. 2-2 7. 1-3 8. 3-2 9. 2-1 10. 3-1