Tiresias

yes should be willing to adapt formation around Ben Arfa, though 4-4-1-1 is hardly a mile away from 4-4-2 or whatever I also agree that so far those players have been stars ahead of him, but hardly that fair since Ben Arfa hasn't had the same time on pitch. He's not a star player yet, he's just lots of talent and potential.

chelsea score against the run of play this half

There are going to be some red cards in this game, Cole should have got a card there.

Yeah on seeing replay between yellow and red, was late and unfortunate, but still stupid from Lampard, didn't think he was ever going to make it

Frank Lampard does a red card challenge and the commentators leap to his defence ad Lampard only gets a yellow...

Yeah well done them really, they have looked better under O'Neil seems to have got their defence working, though wow Dzeko was awful, he should have had a hat-trick probably

Wow that was amazingly awful from Dzeko

Nasri desperately wants to be one of those players who drifts around freely, drop deep and pass it around, but is in fact not as good at this and is much better given only moderate freedom to roam and pushed up as a winger. Think he saw Fabergas at Arsenal and thought he could do that, but Wenger got a lot more out of him when he was just almost a striker. Think Mancini is indulging him to roam too much, he's not in the same class as Silva and shouldn't be afforded to do what he likes.

Aye perhaps still adapting to the game. Still think should be playing further up, would much improve our ball retention in last third

Aye. Seconded, sadly, could have been accidental, but was a red. Stupid from him

I was just getting undeservedly annoyed probably at Pardew, wondering if his dream lineup with a fully fit squad is completely different to mine, especially since he said everything right to begin with, we were to be playing good fast paced attacking football, passing it not hoofing it. What would everyones dream starting 11 out of our players for the most important match of the season or whatever. Krul Simspon Saylor Colo Santon (Simpson only because of no other choice really atm. Hopefully replaced) Guthrie Tiote (Abeid maybe more suited but haven't seen enough of him and if he can perform at top, Guthrie impressed me plenty before) HBA Cabaye Marveaux (lost faith in our wide players, haven't really seen enough Marveaux but he did impress briefly and Jonas has been crap of late) Ba Begun to think Cabaye is wasted playing deeper, and we need his goal threat, he's plenty capable of holding up ball and playing killer passes, he'd be a more possessive central playmaker than HBA, though I wouldn't ask HBA to play too wide, merely link up with Cabaye and Ba.

I think most managers want a mix of the pragmatic, have to do the best with what you've got, and the idealistic, having a style of play, working towards it and trying to impart an ideology to the squad. The trouble is Pardew seems to sometimes have the worst of both worlds, he isn't forcing the team to play good football, and considering some our players, seemingly doing the opposite, he's not pragmatically sticking Ben Arfa out wide but not taking the gamble and starting him behind the striker. It's like he's ideologically stuck to a team set up that was only ever pragmatically forced upon him anyway by Ben Arfa being unavailable to begin with. When I saw Vuckic in the starting lineup, I was actually quite impressed, disappointed not Ben Arfa, but thought that's more like it, short passing around a midfield keeping ball on the ground good footy. To some extent Vuckic didn't perform, nerves or whatever, I can forgive him that, but it was hoofing it over the midfield that made no sense. Why bolster the midfield only to take them out of the equation with hoofing it? I'm starting to think Pardew is a 4-4-2 merchant who panics about not having 2 men up front, and he thinks Ben Arfa is a luxury that shouldn't be a regular player.

I think the idea atm is supposed to be that we get the ball to Cabaye quite deep who then should pass it diagonally to the flanks, but our wide players aren't good enough, and people aren't making themselves available, our midfield drops back to receive then watches helplessly as ball sails over their heads towards Obertan, whom doesn't get the ball and is now out of position.

He's allowed a poor game.

I'd like to see him moved up to be a central playmaker in a 4-2-3-1 with tiote and abeid behind him (assuming Abeid can make the step up) like he was at Lille. Having said that though the one thing we know about Pardew is that once he has decided where a player plays he ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

They must feel like shop keepers who have just noticed the town they trade in has had a bypass built around it. Spot on.

Agree we totally lack width atm. Have faith that Jonas has good performances in him, but Sammy isn't ready and Obertan is shit. Totally beyond me how Ben Arfa isn't considered for the right. Need new wingers

Our wide players are poor so... Krul Simson Willia Colo Santon Cabaye Tiote Vuckic HBA Best Ba

Not ready to start big games, shame.

Thought he did alright, apart from conceding that free kick

Gah. Frustrating, and we used to soak up pressure so well. We also looked pretty decent at 1-1 second half, and even after going a goal down. It's all rather fallen apart a bit. Pardew needs to have a rethink about some parts of the squad.

Ok I've turned off.

credit to skrtl there