gbandit

Quite often Krul does have to go long as the full backs don't pull out wide to receive the ball. Then that's surely the clearest indication that its tactical

Yeah, I knew you'd always backed HBA to start but even if he ends the season with a string of top performances my opinion will always remain that he should have had an extra seven-eight starts

Just a point I want to make to Ian W. I always respect the fact you give people a good crack at the whip and look at it in a positive fashion but I do think you give Pardew too much credit. You mentioned in a post earlier that potentially the way Pardew has treated HBA could be seen as good management. I'm sorry but that's just wrong in my eyes, he was always going to perform to this level, he just needed games. Secondly, in regards to the hoof ball inability of our players, Krul doesn't have to go long on his goal kicks all the time. This is the clearest indication that Pardew is telling the team to lob it up the pitch. Krul has all the time in the world and yet chooses to do that when he could easily pick out a full back or other option. I'd say 8/9 times out of ten he goes long, this has to be under instruction. As for Simpson and Williamson, well yes, they are awful ball players but even so, they are quite obviously told to default long ball if under any pressure

He did absolutely fine today. Yep. Just loved the way he took it on his chest, let it fall to his feet and then sprayed a nice pass to a red and white shirt. Absolute class from this complete waste of space. hobshobs, I remember you coming on and slating Loven and Shola a number of times and I've been of the same mind but you're completely wrong to criticise him tonight. He did nothing wrong at all and helped us to play with more possession which was unexpected

Just to weigh in once more. Santon will never be as good as defending as Enrique. Enrique is superb but Santon is already as good with the ball at his feet and pushing forwards, give him until January next year and he'll be one of the best attacking FBs in the game, unfortunately, he will not be one of the best defensive FBs

Which players were worse technically? Nolan was worse than Cabaye, Carroll/Shola were worse than Ba, Enrique and Santon are very similar with the ball on the ground, Ben Arfa is more technically gifted than Barton

He's shocking defensively but it doesn't matter

We hoofed it way less last season with players who were worse technically. That's the only piece of information you need to know in the 'Pardew or players hoof argument

Hide and seek? come on man, Krul to Koscielny/Vermaelen is not hide and seek it's shit tactics

I normally slate the guy bad but I thought he did really well when he came on. Helped the shape, helped us keep the ball and improve possession. I don't want to see him starting but he can keep his thirty minute cameos.

Fact is you can have ability but if your brain is not right (as in, you actually can't link coordination, anticipation, motor neurone) then you're fucked. He can't process what he's doing and play at the same time. He can do loads of tricks, run and dribble but not when he has to think. He probably plays pretty decent on the practice pitch but his brain is shot to shit. His vision/anticipation/reading of the game is without a shadow of a doubt worse than the average sunday league player.

Norwich will run out of steam in this game and the rest of the season. We'll roll them ove reasily

Can't believe how little we kept the ball on the ground second half. I know we've played pathetic hoof ball for the majority of the season but we actually had decent spells in the first half when we kept it down. I can see why Pards never played Hatem if he's never going to allow him to get the ball. Was our best player along with Colo and Guti

Van Persie has always been a class A cunt. Can't remember exactly, but that game ages ago in the world cup when Holland played Mexico or a South American team and four players got sent off, hated him ever since then. Kind of stopped hating him as much recently but it's gone right back up to its natural level again. Krul should have chinned him

Neville has never watched us play before,what a bell

Pleased benayoun is on the bench,he's one of those players that always puts in a shift and has a great range of passes.arsene should be playing him more,hopefully ox will have an off game and RVP too.if so,we're getting a point at least

This'll be the first time this season he's played the ten role and been up to speed.I reckon we could see him boss it if we can get him on the ball enough

Nah man,RVP for me is the difference.if he has an off game we can get something here but we can only get something if we play positively at a really high tempo.the times we've beaten them have been when we've rushed them.Im hopeful of something

Man, if he even scores one tonight and it puts ahead or draws us level, the crowd is going to go absolutely wild

RvP is totally one footed so I expect him to play a bit more on the right and cut in to shoot with his left. So we need Colo to stay tight with him, he wont shoot with his right. Is this a whoosh?

I have said in my posts that that is exactly what he has done and is continuing to do. He is turning the club around, but I'm not ever going to be someone who backs him and says 'thank fuck for Mike Ashley' for doing it. He has made a lot of very good decisions and a number of awful decisions which for me are about more than football. The Keegan issue, the renaming, the Shearer stuff in the press, Hughton, the lies, these are problems which cannot be overlooked in human terms and I hold them as more important than financial terms

I think I'd be happy to overlook his (appalling) mistakes if we were to win a trophy like. Don't get me wrong, I'd be delighted for the club and incredibly happy. I would also admit that we wouldn't have been able to do it without his involvement as he has done many things right but I won't ever be someone who says 'I'm so pleased we have Ashley, he turned the club around'.

These articles do make me feel sick. Financially doing well doesn't mean you can just forget about some of the things he's done. I know they all add the caveats about the past but even if we win a trophy under him, I won't be singing his praises

I like this, colo's getting one tonight

I've said for a long time that financially he's made a number of very good decisions and the stability brought to the club. Take a look at Liverpool and the way they've thrown money away and for what? It's such an empty way to build a football club, just spending and spending. Chelsea have spent a horrific amount of money and are just a mess so it's really not the way to build a club up. We have built something here which is going to continue to get stronger and more stable, we have a structure in place where we can bring in better players year on year without spending silly amounts of money. For this Mike Ashley is starting to get credit and he can have the credit he deserves for these decisions. But he's lost a great number of supporters for life and no decision he makes will win them back. There's building sustainability and then there's destroying things which are just as important if not more. For me, I can't forgive him for a number of his decisions and will never like him even though I know his stewardship is good for the club. I want him to remain here for the long term but in much the same way someone may know something is good for them but still dislike it