Hanshithispantz

Ben Arfa sitting on the bench is in no way inhibiting him. He's playing a blinder with him man, Mick.

Surely he'll be given a hearing before they ban him?

Ronaldo has the memory of an elephant like.

I hate lofted balls up personally, I can understand the reasoning for it (unless it's Shola standing up there) but I think it's absolutely desperate and just leads to a loss of control 9 times out of 10 unless your side is set up to play like that. If there's literally 30 seconds left on the clock then fair enough, but 15 minutes against a side who have thrown away their attacking ambitions is more than enough if you don't scrap the plan and start playing like you're running out of time.

Our entire team's off the ball movement is pathetic so I doubt Pardew's focus would help much.

What do you mean by this, Brett? They hit quite a few diagonals to Lambert, why wouldn't they? He's great in the air. They hit it across the ground a lot more than your average side too. Good fast direct side.

60 points would have finished us 8th last season, 7th the season before. I would say that is about 'par' tbf with this squad. Our current points haul has us sitting 8th in the league, again, looking at the table I would say that's about right, 7-8th. I'm not really sure how many points people think we should be sitting on come the new year? 25? Probably out of the European race but potentially on course for a decent top 10 finish? Again, putting the team down to embellish the accomplishments of the manager, it's what Pardew himself is doing. He's doing well like, there's just no need to go overboard.

I knew he could "turn things around", I thought we'd finish 8th at the start of the season and we might actually surpass that. It'll have been a decent season with our squad if things stay as they are imo, nothing more. That isn't my gripe with Pardew though, we all know what he's capable of and I don't believe his 5th place finish was a fluke, I never have done although I do think it's the height of his managerial ability. Not a 5th place finish, that is entirely dependent on the league, but the way he went about getting there, winning games with grafting wingers and players putting their bodies on the line, there's a "glass ceiling" there for how well your squad is capable of playing. I've seen with my own eyes the more dramatic problems he has as a manager too, like his inability to have a proper footballing identity stamped on his squad, not just his starting XI, which has shown in the cups and when we're a few men short. He takes far too long to sort it out too. He may have changed and he may continue to change, I hope he has and does, but all I can show an opinion on is what he's done and what he appears to be continuing to do. In short, happy to have him; wouldn't sack him for just anyone whilst he's doing well; would get rid for someone like Martinez, Laudrup or Pochettino in a heartbeat.

http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/3853/Stages/7794/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2013-2014 Scroll down to pass types.

I don't think he should be sacked at the minute, it's not worth it. I do think he should have gone in the summer though, or earlier, and it would take a lot more than a few par finishes to make me believe otherwise. I'm still worried about what will happen if we get a few lengthy lay offs. He might finish in the top 5 yet, who knows.

I don't even think anyone rates him anymore, you just get the odd person who wants to say he deserves a chance but they always go too far with it. I don't know why they bother tbh. When's he next gone by Reef since he's survived December? Would you say the odd people were right to give him a chance, Venky? Just had a quick scan back over comments before the season kicked off and the amount of people suggesting we were pretty much fucked this season is staggering. Can't believe it's been brushed into 'well we are where we should be' with very few praising the revival of both manager and players. No not exactly, we're only half way through a season ffs. So it hasn't been the absolute unmitigated disaster some people feared, we're "par." Wow, I'm so glad we gave him another chance instead of upgrading him.

I'm not going to knock him for the job he's doing at the moment, he's doing as well in the league as he and many if not most other managers out there are probably capable of. It's just the view that under this 'crippling regime' no other manager could be expected to do any better that get's me. It's absolute bullshit, and the fact people are over the moon that he has us riding about where we should be is testament to that. Well in the league anyway, probably best if we don't mention the cups.

Jesus. Did everyone think we were a massive club before pardew strolled in like? Baffled as to where you got "Everyone thought we were a massive club" from "Pardew's 'we're a tiny club' spiel is obviously rubbing off" mind. It was your comment about pardews spiel rubbing off. No ones suggesting we are a tiny club. All I'm saying is we are doing well with what we've got. We can't compete with those above us, so I'm unsure exactly what pardew has said wrong? Pardew keeps on playing the club down, both the quality of it's playing staff and it's spending power. And people are obviously falling for his s*** when they agree that we are "overachieving" Make no mistake, I'm happy with the job Pardew is doing at the minute and I hope he continues to get the performances out of our players that he has been this season. It just saddens me that people view this as us overachieving. Overachieving would be us capitalising on some poor form from Man U and Tottenham and breaking the top 4, something which I fully believe would be possible under a different manager. As it happens this may happen, only it'll likely be Everton and not us. I don't think we are overachieving but I do think the league table portrays exactly where we are as a club right now. I agree where we are now is about par, especially considering the owner. If it stays the way it's going it's been an acceptable season (providing we're not raped early on in the FA Cup), no more no less imo.

Wenger in The Cluny, in that jacket It's like he knew exactly what he was doing

They haven't got a pot to piss in man. they also have a far superior youth set up and the club isn't run on the whims of a madman and instead with someone who actually thinks about what he's doing before he does it. That's true like, and explains why they haven't got fucking Alan Pardew in charge.

Jesus. Did everyone think we were a massive club before pardew strolled in like? Baffled as to where you got "Everyone thought we were a massive club" from "Pardew's 'we're a tiny club' spiel is obviously rubbing off" mind. It was your comment about pardews spiel rubbing off. No ones suggesting we are a tiny club. All I'm saying is we are doing well with what we've got. We can't compete with those above us, so I'm unsure exactly what pardew has said wrong? Pardew keeps on playing the club down, both the quality of it's playing staff and it's spending power. And people are obviously falling for his shit when they agree that we are "overachieving" Make no mistake, I'm happy with the job Pardew is doing at the minute and I hope he continues to get the performances out of our players that he has been this season. It just saddens me that people view this as us overachieving. Overachieving would be us capitalising on some poor form from Man U and Tottenham and breaking the top 4, something which I fully believe would be possible under a different manager. As it happens this may happen, only it'll likely be Everton and not us.

to achieve it regularily will require a lot more than just a decent first team. Sides like Everton and Spurs are light years ahead of us in every regard off the field. Until work is done to improve everything about the club from the first team down to how we train kids in the academy then any achievement like this or 5th will be fleeting successes as teams with a lot more cash and cl football pick apart our side at will. How on earth are Everton light years ahead of us off the field?

Jesus. Did everyone think we were a massive club before pardew strolled in like? Baffled as to where you got "Everyone thought we were a massive club" from "Pardew's 'we're a tiny club' spiel is obviously rubbing off" mind.

This is only "as good as it gets" because we're that fucking done in from last year that our decent foray into the top 8 over the past couple of months seems like some monumental achievement and not just something that should be expected with this squad.

Pardew's "we're a tiny club" spiel is obviously rubbing off.

Overachieved

Wullie's been class tonight.

He also gets doubled/trebled up on when he starts, which means there is always space for somebody else to exploit, unfortunately we seem to do absolutely no work in this area, so when he gets nullified in a game, Pardew's solution is always to drop him instead of asking the other players to move around a bit. :lol: It does depress me like.

I remember when he came on early for an injured Cabaye against QPR and completely dictated play. We weren't exactly great in the game if I remember but he was absolutely class and pulled the strings in midfield. Give him 90 minutes (well about 70 in that case) and that's what he can do, he's a very good passer of the ball and has excellent vision.