Stottie

With the exception of QPR, who sacked Hughes, and Villa, still suffering after MON, we are the worst performing team vs. our position in the wages league. Surely Ashley can see he's not getting value for money. The league is full of managers doing better with poorer players. All of them will be working within financial restraints and will be told to keep off the subject, so the spin aspect of Pardew is hardly exceptional either. Pardew's spin has already worn extremely thin. As fans, we all know Pardew isn't making sense, but he's not making sense for the owners either. It's not as if better tactics would cost them any money.

Had that handball been spotted at Wigan, we'd practically be safe now, but all the same, its pathetic that we're anywhere near the bottom three. What a disaster this season has been.

He hit the cross for our goal ffs. Isn't that a contribution?

That makes 16 out of 34 games where we've been outscored in the second half. We've only scored more than them eight times after HT. 40 of the 60 we've conceded have been in the second half. Only erstwhile capitulation specialists Villa have conceded more (41). Once the opposition changes anything, we go to pieces. The man is incapable of keeping us in the game.

Two points thrown away against a team already on their holidays. The rocket they got off their manager at HT was enough to inspire the minimal effort needed to change the game. It went from nothing for Eliot to do to nothing for Foster to do. Pardew FFS. As for our players, did HBA even get a half decent pass after coming on?

Fkn hell! Dae something man! Must keep ball!

Has Eliot made a save? Pretty good half nearly undone by some ridiculous reffing. Unfortunately that's all it takes so long as its 1-0. Cisse man! Their pass was worse than Santon's against Benfica. Hope we stay positive and they don't make changes, because they've been hopeless so far.

Cisse FFS. We can't have it easy, can we?

Unlucky Taylor, keeper did well. Keep trying for a second lads!

I forgot about the ballboy incident. If I were a player (big if), I'd vote for Hazard for that alone.

He seems like a sound lad so I'm gutted for him. I don't think you can be too harsh on performances where he was stuck on the left. Two great goals for us, but yet to match the four he got in five games against us for Wigan. If Colo's going and Simpson's off, does this mean we need two center halves and more cover at full back. That's not going to happen, is it?

Bale for me. Suarez may have more goals and is certainly carrying his team, but Bale has more important goals. Not #4 and #5 in a 5-0 against Norwich. I reckon they'll give it to RVP though, with Bale as young player. From what I've seen, I think Man U's best young player has been Rafael, not Wellbeck. Their wide players have been relatively poor this year, but Rafael and Evra have really picked up the slack. Last season, bombing on from fullback was more a Citeh thing.

The Pardavirus!

The mackem was too busy blurting on about something else to point it out to the watching public, but that take on halfway and the pass to Gouffran when he nearly got in were Berba-esque.

Look at how easily we sliced through them on the deck for the second Mignolet save from Cisse. In spite of that, how many lofted crosses did we put in from deep positions that were easily cleared with barely a challenge? Our players are good enough but they are playing with no logical shape or tactics.

Not his fault today. I thought he looked impeded for the first Mignolet save but you never get them.

According to the Mackem arse, our preferred lineup has no Colo or HBA.

Need to change things up. But the Gouffran one as a red card, bloody hell, what joke punditry.

I would say the main difference is Suarez's finishing. Last year his conversion rate was something like 9%, the lowest out of every striker with 10 or more goals. The ongoing moan about Liverpool under Dalglish was them constantly hitting the woodwork (i.e., missing the target). On last year's form, there was nothing to suggest Suarez could be top goalscorer in the Premiership this year. That he is has been a massive lucky break for Brenda. With him on last season's form, Carroll shipped out before Brenda gave him any kind of chance (shades of Allardyce and Scott Parker), and Boroni as their only other striker from August to January, they'd be in a similar position to us.

True. Created 2-3 great moves/chances though. Indeed, the one Cisse didn't take properly when clean through and the one that put him through for the chip. If they are not "key passes" in that stat thingy, then I don't know what is. Since they needed defensive howlers to score, I don't think we need to be too critical of our midfielders' defensive contributions based on yesterday's game. One thing I will say is that after the through-ball for Cisse's chip, Marv just completely stopped. None of our players were anywhere near a challenge for the ball off the post. They had about six players in the frame of the TV pictures. Their first goal and the Krul double saves all came from their players following the ball in. One of their lads was nearly onto the one Krul spilled before we opened the scoring. If you see Cisse's first shot onto the post, Sissoko is just standing watching it as well. It was a clear difference between the teams.

Big reduction in fee, big reduction in wages, and none of our best players going the other way, and I wouldn't be against. They can have Tiote but no-one better. The big man is a good striking option to have, puts defences on edge, and goals from set pieces are as good as any others. Just look at Man U. (5 goals in his last 8 starts fwiw).

Sorry but you sound like someone on RTG. I am not sure a team low on confidence and struggling to perform need some mental buffoon shouting, screaming and assaulting them to get the best out of them. O'Neill was hardly a shrinking violet either, this "passion" thing is being played up far too much. Would have been cheaper for them to get the local mackem hardnut from that rough pub you cross the street to pass if being a psycho passes for good football management these days. You only need to look at what Souness did to Sir Bobby's talented side (plus a whole load of investment) to see where this "passion" lark gets you. The thought of Souness popped through my mind too. Remember the huge amount of effort he managed to inspire from Babayaro.

Sorry if giggs, but is Louise Taylor going to have to speak up for a fascist? Then again, she is "the bitter, hate filled, vicious face of the magedia" http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=700807

This will probably not go down well with some but I think he'll have a better points per game ratio than we've got under Pardew in all games if you award 3 for a win and 1 for a draw, if not in the league. Edit, He hasn't, I've just checked. The mackem had got 1.26 for all games and 1.18 in the league, Pardew has got 1.39 for all games and 1.37 in the league which is 7 points better off over a season. I suspect had our incoming transfers been up to Pardew, his record would be worse than MON. In Pardew's defence, he was left with no Carroll replacement for half a season and an unstrengthened team going into this season with all the EL fixtures, so there are notable problems on the level above Pardew too. McCarthy - played 37, lost 31. That is just beautiful!

Yakubu had easy pickings for Blackburn against Carrick at CB last year. I think it was the game before we beat them 3-0.