Jack Flash

Arsenal didn't nearly just get relegated. Finished 4th in fact. You didn't think just maybe that was tongue in cheek? No.

Arsenal didn't nearly just get relegated. Finished 4th in fact. We know what happens if you fail to strengthen after a good finish though, right? Arsenal are consistently in the top 4 so whatever they do works. None of us would be surprised if they went and spent £30-40 million in the next few weeks either.

Arsenal didn't nearly just get relegated. Finished 4th in fact.

Swansea are in Europe so relegation fight innit.

He still gets plenty of chances, it's just that he misses almost all of them now by trying to be clever.

There's plenty around but they're just not getting regular games. That's the problem in only selecting players from the 'big clubs' where they will probably never realistically break through. Where are the Southampton players (Shaw, Ward-Prowse and Clyne) who have actually played in the Premier League. Shaw and Clyne are injured I think. Don't disagree with the general point of course.

West Ham are a perfect example of excellent finances in football meaning nothing. They got relegated a few years ago too.

There's plenty around but they're just not getting regular games.

Sammy on.

England's strikers are at an all time low at every level it would seem. Think the coaches need to get with the times in that regard.

Yup, it's amazing that players like Redmond for 2m and Shelvey for 5m has passed us by as a club. Stones was £3 million and he looks a good player too. Hopefully Sammy will be on soon.

Scotland are indeed shit but fucking hell England look good. Shelvey is really underrated.

£2 million Nathan Redmond doing well against Scotland.

If he can learn to calm down and take another touch he could get near 20.

Sturridge scored 2 penalties.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2391479/Chelsea-win-Premier-League-title-wont-Manchester-Citys-season-Liverpool-make--MICHAEL-OWEN.html

Played in pre-season, looked alreet. I've got him as a back up n all, only £4.5m Ah ok. Thought he was on his last legs.

Is that Wes Brown? Don't think he's played a game in 18 months.

http://i45.tinypic.com/npqmfm.jpg

Pardew's handling of Ben Arfa has arguably been his biggest success at the club imo. You only have to look back to his games earlier in that season to see his situation was going to require a bit of patience. It was frustrating at times because Obertan seemed to be the only alternative on the wing, but incrementally allowing Hatem to mould into that wide role was a massive reason for why we came 5th. I really, really liked that 4-3-3. It was solid, efficient and ruthless. You don't win 6 games on the bounce without a formation that isn't absolutely water-tight all over the pitch, even if some say we championed that system too much. I wish that serious off-day at Wigan never happened; it had enormous implications imo. I'd compare it to the likes of Partizan Belgrade in the way it sparked a downward spiral. I never understand why he refuses to go back to 4-3-3, it works and it clearly suits our players. It's strange because he's not actively thinking "I'm not playing the best formation for us that worked in the past", he genuinely thinks 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 is the best solution despite it not working last season. 4-2-3-1 when away or playing anyone half decent 4-4-2 at home against weak sides, I guarantee this is how it'll go all season until he's sacked. I was hoping he would go for the 4-3-3, but I have to admit it looks like you're right. He didn't even try it out in pre season. He really needs to start well or he is fooked. He claimed to have tried it at one point last season (can't remember what game it was but I think we lost, obviously). It wasn't anything like the 4-3-3 from the season before; Cisse was on the wing for a start. Swansea http://www.nufc.com/html/2012-13html/2012-11-17swansea-h.html "We played 4-3-3. We were 4-3-3. Sammy (Ameobi) was on the left-hand side, and joining with Demba (Ba) and I thought he did a good job. Shola (Ameobi) came on at half-time and upped us again. We had our best spell when the two were together"

http://i.imgur.com/L2Jpebk.jpg

When Downing changes to a West Ham player I'll have 4 of their players The limit is 3.

I called Nolan (and their other players ) average just a few pages back

It won't be enough to get us 5th. Based on last year there's too many players flattering to deceive whereas in the 5th season everyone played their part. The top 5 is pretty much a closed shop now but that doesn't mean our players who 'flatter to deceive' haven't already shown they have a higher ceiling than players like Nolan and Barton who will never manage it and given both are 31 this year they aren't likely to improve. The new players did well for a few weeks then became spineless bottlers who clearly couldn't give a shit. I have nothing else to go on to suggest they'll be any different this year if things aren't going well Or maybe they did well initially playing the football the way had previously been coached, and then struggled once they tried to fit into Pardew's static, defensive lines and weird square pegs in round holes formations? That only explains so much. I can't blame lack of effort and lack of basic footballing skills on tactics. Fair enough. You think the French lads are bottlers and would rather revert to Nolans and Bartons and follow the Fat Sam model. I'm sure there are many who will agree with you, but I would like us to play top 6 football and I don't believe they are top 6 footballers, neither is Pardew a top 6 manager. So while we are both agreed things aren't good enough, the difference is I don't want to settle for Fat Sam football. Is that deliberate or just stupidity? What is you have a problem with? Stupidity then. Can you point out where I've said half the stuff you've credited me with? You are the one who keeps bigging up Nolan while slagging off our current midfielders. Nolan is a Fat Sam favourite and he works well with a good big target man and the long ball game. What conclusion are we supposed to draw then? Do you think Nolan would work well in a fast passing side with the ball on the deck? I haven't mentioned Nolan in relation to our current midfielders at all. I also haven't said we should sign him or play Big Sam football. Baffling. Did I just imagine you praising Nolan's achievements over Ben Arfa's then here then? Or arguing that Fat Sam's Hammers were unlucky not to finish 8th? Or the Nolan avatar in your profile? So you are doing all this because you don't rate Fat Sam tactics and Nolan above our players then? Nolan has done more for us than Ben Arfa has. They were a few points off 8th. wormy had a picture of an anal exam as his avatar for ages. Last bit is brain dead nonsense you've imagined. Tedious in the fucking extreme. Just drop it now.

It won't be enough to get us 5th. Based on last year there's too many players flattering to deceive whereas in the 5th season everyone played their part. The top 5 is pretty much a closed shop now but that doesn't mean our players who 'flatter to deceive' haven't already shown they have a higher ceiling than players like Nolan and Barton who will never manage it and given both are 31 this year they aren't likely to improve. The new players did well for a few weeks then became spineless bottlers who clearly couldn't give a shit. I have nothing else to go on to suggest they'll be any different this year if things aren't going well Or maybe they did well initially playing the football the way had previously been coached, and then struggled once they tried to fit into Pardew's static, defensive lines and weird square pegs in round holes formations? That only explains so much. I can't blame lack of effort and lack of basic footballing skills on tactics. Fair enough. You think the French lads are bottlers and would rather revert to Nolans and Bartons and follow the Fat Sam model. I'm sure there are many who will agree with you, but I would like us to play top 6 football and I don't believe they are top 6 footballers, neither is Pardew a top 6 manager. So while we are both agreed things aren't good enough, the difference is I don't want to settle for Fat Sam football. Is that deliberate or just stupidity? What is you have a problem with? Stupidity then. Can you point out where I've said half the stuff you've credited me with? You are the one who keeps bigging up Nolan while slagging off our current midfielders. Nolan is a Fat Sam favourite and he works well with a good big target man and the long ball game. What conclusion are we supposed to draw then? Do you think Nolan would work well in a fast passing side with the ball on the deck? I haven't mentioned Nolan in relation to our current midfielders at all. I also haven't said we should sign him or play Big Sam football. Baffling.