Tiresias

Why would you let Downing take a penalty :lol:

I've got very angry at him after we've lost a game and saw sense again after pain of lossing subsided somewhat. I hope he stays for a while, keep shaping the team, and only way to be confident once major players do start leaving and there's turnover.

Only problem is now that everton have to beat us to finish above liverpool

GEEET IIII...oh god just can't quite do it, excuse me while I go vomit in the corner...NNNNNNNN

Do not want. We have a likeable team atm, don't want that in the dressing room.

No smoke without fire? Have you ever experienced transfer windows before?

Who's betting we fail to sign a proper experienced CB all transfer window and this bloke turns out to be amazing?

Krul Colo Cisse and HBA

They have the right to, and it is appalling how little say fans have in the runnings of clubs these days (not saying should go with mob demands but supporters groups on boards should be enforced league wide imo) but don't think they helped.

Doubt we'll go for Hoilett, doesn't do enough tracking back etc, talented definitely and could change his ways a la HBA I suppose

Who would you have in his place? Legit question, not trying to be a dick. I would have had ferguson on the wing in 4-3-3, or Gosling in centre and Jonas on the left, or Raylor left back, Santon Right back and perch centre. TBH Ba playing might be the best of those options, but he's a weak link atm.

Douglas Saylor Colo Santon Cabaye Tiote Jonas HBA Cisse Ba Three at the back is the future! Ok in reality 4-3-3 / adaptable.

The mismanagement was huge but still think the fans turned on the team unacceptably, should have got behind the team way more, and at times they weren't that bad a team, but must have felt home games were worse than away games. Team needed getting behind, and they could well have scraped some more points this season than they did. Still the blame has to fall on appalling management by the owners.

Martinez deserves to keep a team together and a chance to actually progress rather than fight relegation season after season. I wasn't really a fan but they've played some great stuff at the end of the season :|

bye bye blackburn, don't let the door whack you on the ass on your way out

I do like Moses quite a lot

Inter would be both amazing and scary. Especially if they're getting better again next season after one to forget. That said if they're still using mostly the same team of old farts Ben Arfa would rip them to shreds

Did you read the first part? Would be interesting if it was Wilshere, got a season long ban and decided to keep just saying he was injured? hmmm seems elaborate.

i'm a huge fan of 4-2-3-1 and such but to say there's no advantage to 4-4-2 is silly, having two men up top occupies their defense and keeps them from surging forward. This isn't really relevant though, the main important factor is the rigidity of the players within the formation, 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 means more players are available to be passed to and so becomes a fluid passing team. However more fluid means that you will struggle more defensively, but with capable midfielders etc this is less of an issue. I agree that 4-2-3-1 with Jonas and Tiote holding it's no more open than a classic 4-4-2 and indeed maybe more defensive though. All I would say is I don't think the margins were so wide that Pardew made a clear mistake. By leaving Ba and Cisse up top to try and bully their defense and make them cautious attacking they may well have been more reserved in attacking, and we could easily have got a goal if a ball had landed favorably. We were largely playing on the counter and so our attacks were mainly get it to Hatem or Jonas to run it up the pitch and I wouldn't object. The mistake I think Pardew is making is playing Ba but I suspect that's man management as much as anything. He wasn't great but he wasn't a liability either.

Maybe their late implosion is because wenger's spent too much time doing 'comedy' skits?

Aaaah forgot about Phil Neville's inevitable messiesque goal

All scored by Hibbert?

He turns up for the big games, just sometimes doesn't for the smaller ones...Had an injury troubled season, but has been immense several occasions, when he's playing his best he just seems to turn up everywhere on the pitch relentlessly pressuring them in possession.

Think he suits ball playing sides absolutely fine, look how well Arsenal's ball playing went when they lost the steel of Viera. He does dip noticably at times, but he allows in a 4-3-3 Cabaye to really adventure forwards just behind the strikers