M1tche

how anyone can dig him out before today is beyond me, but then still having little digs after having a pretty good game. leave it out!!

Really like him as a player, quick feet, keeps in simple most of the time and its always pass and move. Him, Tiote and Sissoko could be a very good midfield 3.

Needs to relax in front of goal again, other than that i thought he was very good yesterday. Seemed to have his 1st touch back as well.

We dont actually have anyone who can do what you have listed there, we have players that can do a few of them, but not all. Out of all we have Sissoko probably ticks more of them than anyone to be fair to him. As for playing off the front man, he was poor there for so many games after his first few great games. Yes. He is better suited to a 4-3-3 and playing as part of the middle 3, but in a 4-4-2 who else would we play wide right? I much perfer Hatem, but we all know Pardew wont do that, so Sissoko is the next best option.

Was poor from villa and benteke, but was also a very good interception. Been really good all; season, when not playing next to taylor of course.

Looking forward to seeing him in a 2 with Remy from the start, could be a very dangerous partnership. Remy will thrive on playing next to him like Ba did with Shola and I'm sure De Jong will get more goals than Shola did.

I stuck between Willo's tackle and goof tracking back about 40 yards to catch up with agbonlahor to stop a 3 on 2. Both stopped very dangerous breaks.

100% agree with the Debuchy thing, he busts a gut and then it gets wasted. Needs to play in more often than not when he does that

Wasnt expecting to see him getting grief on here. I know his passing can be horrid, but he does well to drive us forward time and time again and does quite well when picking people out from wide positions.

Decision making wasn't the issue, it was the poor execution of it.

Apart from the miss , he has done nothing wrong really. Its no surprise that a stirker out of form and low on confidence snatches at a chance

Sammy to be a hero today i think......... well........ i hope anyway

I think we had our really s*** day today, but stoke let us off the hook by being think and getting to sent off when controlling the game. Hopefully we come out quick and look more up for it on sunday, God knows what team pardew will put out, but i guess tiote in for anita. Would like to see sissoko back wide, but where would hatem go?

Didnt the goal come from our right though??

The goal he scored in the under 21's this week was a screamer, would love to see him go on loan in the champ to see how he does . Does anyone go to the under 21 games or can say they've watched him play recently?

Taylor been awful 1st half and should not get a look in when we have fit full backs

would you not be tempted, with that team, to give ben arfa and remy more licence to roam, swaitching sides etc ? The bit about our maverick is about Ben Arfa so yes, I would like him to do that.

no, they just have toi be aware whats happening and be in a position to cover it if necessary. some players do it naturally, some can be coached, some will never be able to do it. IMO someone who has come from the Ajax system as a dm will know that for sure and I'm sure cabaye can be coached/told to do it. I've played a few games at dm in my 18 years of playing and was once told to cover either full back if they bomb on, no coaching just told and i do it. so someone getting paid thousands a week should be able to do the same. It's part of the dm role and part of your role as a midfielder in a central 3 with no wingers

With our current players it the best system I can see. as for cover for full backs, it's a coaching thing more than personnel. One of cabaye and Anita, need to be coached that when a full back goes one of them fill the gap. Mainly Anita, but if he's I'm an advanced position it's cabaye's job. Then again pardew does the coaching and is not the fluid with it. So much unfulfilled potential in our side, it's frustrating to watch us play poor football.

Why can not once just try 4-3-1-2 Debuchy Mbiwa Colo Santon Cabaye Anita Sissoko Ben Arfa Cisse. Remy/Gouffran I know people don't like hatem in there, but it can't be worse than what we play atm. Plus it's mainly square pegs in square holes. Gives our maverick a chance to roam wide, switch with a midfielder or switch with remy/Gouffran, teams would hate that.

We deserve to go if we lose this one, they're a shocking side. My only worry is remy

Start Hatem and I believe we'll win.

Would love a see a cisse hat trick before the hour so we can give campbell a good run out and start his years of scoring great goals for us.

ATTACK!!!!! love that line up, 2 full backs that can push on with tiote as cover. Let's get at them, was half expecting no Marv and jonas out wide