loki679

I don't want us to play our usual 4-4-2 but Sammy in there gives us a bit of hope. He's quick and young enough to run all day so he could be playing in a more attacking midfielder type role linking up the play. With HBA and Fergie getting forward and attacking the flanks it might work well and be a bit more fluid than our normal 4-4-2. Still a little worried about us being outnumbered in the centre again but in Tiote and Anita we have a couple of midfielders who can get around the pitch.

Because the NUFC official twitter said it was four four two?

Why is 'club' capitalised everywhere in that statement?

Please not four four two.

'Mick Onenine Cattsformelyk Masterplank' I would think.

Cabaye must have been on the phone to him 'Hey, Mathieu, if you really want to impress ze boss and get ze move you must start hoofing it long. Practice floating crosses at a big wooden pole too.'

Maybe it's because I'm more into football because of the drinking and swearing than I am the intricacies, but sometimes I read stuff like Zonal Marking when they talk about why managers made certain choices and it fills me with a similar skepicism as when English teachers used to explain the hidden allusions behind every tiny detail in an author's work. "He called her that because it's a similar name to an egyptian God with a dog's head, symbolising her loyalty." rather than just liking the name. "He brought on his holding midfielder to adjust the pace of the game to further suit his modified peruvian Christmas tree formation and allow his goalkeeper to put additional pressure on the perpendicular channels." rather than because the guy he replaced looked a bit f***ing knackered. Someone kind of got exposed for this kind of bollocks on the FM forums a few days ago. Guy fancies himself as a tactical genius and someone had posted asking for help. A tactic screenshot had been posted up and he wrote a long, detailed tactical analysis explaining exactly what the defensive deficiencies were and why the guy was shipping goals, talking about high defensive lines and how he had the mentalities etc set wrong and the chaos it was causing in his defence. Problem was it was another poster who'd posted the screenshot, not the OP and this guy had just won the league conceding something like fourteen goals. What he posted sounded good but it was total bollocks.

Pretty much why they won't do it. Remember what happened last time Rooney got too close to a mic on the pitch? You'd have players Fing and blinding on TV at 2pm on a Sunday, you'd have awkward questions about why big team's players weren't getting booked and sent off and I think footballers are too thick and entitled to learn to speak to the ref like rugby players even after repeated punishment. Plus a load of ex-pros will write op eds about how it's a man's sport and swearing is part of the game. It was horrific when they last tried it (early 90s, wasn't it?) - the abuse was extraordinary. TBH, I'd be happy for them to try it again. You don't need to broadcast it live at first, but eventually it could become like rugby. We're talking about grown men here, they should be able to rein themselves in. No, we're talking about footballers. You know, those thick, pampered twats who think the sun shines out of their collective behind.

Shut up you lot. We should be grateful we didn't lose any of our big players in the window. Even if we had it would have been an honour etc etc etc

Please just not that flat, rigid 4-4-2. At this point i'd rather see us go 1-3-6 than have to endure that again. 4-4-2 - 0-2 4-3-3 - 2-1

I don't think we should sack him and the notion is pretty extreme. After last season he's at least earnt himself the benefit of the doubt and a decent amount of time to turn things around. Having said that, I am concerned at the way we're playing and the direction the club is going. We had similar problems last year when playing a midfield two and the huge gap between midfield and attack is plain for everyone to see. The midfield are sitting far too deep and that's severely limiting our passing options which I believe is why we hoof the ball so much. If Pardew can't see that and switch things around to play this passing game he's always talking about then I don't see much hope for him. We do have a very good group of core players who have proved that they're more than capable of playing a fluid passing game. He needs to get away from this defensive, negative mentality and set them free, starting with playing a midfield 3 and 3 up top.

We say this EVERY FUCKING GAME.

Mixed feelings about West Ham. They've got Nolan, who I like, and Allardyce who I can't stand. Their fans were generally good lads when I lived in London but their owners are tossers. They've got Andy Carroll who's a geordie and a canny lad but then they've got Andy Carroll who's a money grabbing Judas bastard. Hard to work out if I like them or not. Anyway, I think he'll go 4-4-2 for this one again. In theory we should have enough to see them off but our CBs are going to have a tough game and both teams midfields might as well bring a blanket and a picnic, maybe take the wives and kids with them for some quality time while they're free for 90 minutes.

The only way they have more culture than anyone is because they haven't discovered anti-fungal agents yet.

What a bunch of twats.

Do people still get money changed before travelling in this day and age? Easier just to use ATMs isnt it?

may I suggest the location of where to bot him is the 18 yard box right in front of the Kop? And he has to wear a blob. Duly noted. Gallowgate? He doesn't deserve to be botted at the Gallowgate, Leazes at best.

Johnson's like the anti-simpson, great going forward but a bit suspect in his defending. Simpson isn't great at defending but a bit suspect going forward though. He's garbage going both ways I think Simpson's ok defending. He's not top class and he's a cut below what we should be aiming for but he can do a job.

Maybe he's a changed man? Unless he's changed into a nippy, creative striker who can play on the left of a three i dont wnt him.

The media attention makes referees look much worse than they are. Obviously there are a few shocking decisions from time to time or just plain poor games (Atkinson you twat) but on the whole refs do an ok job. It's easy to look like a genius and call the correct decisions when you've got slow motion replays and 9 different camera angles in a nice comfy studio but not one single one of these pundits who castigate the refs on a regular basis could ref a game.

Johnson's like the anti-simpson, great going forward but a bit suspect in his defending.

This. Never get anything at their place, even a point would be welcome and make a nice change.

One off me mackem bingo card. Just need a 'fuck off', a 'mag kernt' and an 'In MON we trust' now for house.

You are using far too much common sense there, for me we are still too wrapped up in who play left/right/centre. Just play Ba, Cisse and Barfa and let them roam, whoever is left, whoever is right, whoever is in the middle when the play breaks down then they defend that area. English teams are still far too rigid. Yeah, i'd love to see that and I think those three could make it work. I don't think Pards will do that though, so for me we're stuck to trying to get players into those positions. Ferguson could maybe do a job on the left of a three, not sure he poses enough goal threat though and we'd need a midfielder getting into the box too. Well i'd go two holding players, let Cabaye free to link up with a front 3 that roam about, we will never see it under Pardew i'm afraid, not having a go at him its just something English managers will never give players the freedom to do. I'd try Fergie to but thats looking at it like Left wing/Right Wing/Centre Forward. Where as i want 3 forwards to do what they like. Fergie it is then He's very concerned with what we're doing when the opposition has the ball. Watch us when a move breaks down and they get it, players drop into positions like they're on autopilot it's so well drilled. Everyone knows exactly where they should be when the opposition has the ball. I'm not sure how you could square that defensive discipline with a floating front three.

You are using far too much common sense there, for me we are still too wrapped up in who play left/right/centre. Just play Ba, Cisse and Barfa and let them roam, whoever is left, whoever is right, whoever is in the middle when the play breaks down then they defend that area. English teams are still far too rigid. Yeah, i'd love to see that and I think those three could make it work. I don't think Pards will do that though, so for me we're stuck to trying to get players into those positions. Ferguson could maybe do a job on the left of a three, not sure he poses enough goal threat though and we'd need a midfielder getting into the box too.