Tiresias

I hope he starts Carroll, and he who should not be named, but mainly threatens the woodwork we'd be fairly safe.

Lucas is a huge loss for them, without him nobody to do proper defensive duties just behind midfield apart from Spearing, Adam is more attacking despite being in that position. With Adam there can hold possession better there. playing a 4-2-3-1 with Ba Vuckic and Ben Arfa all getting the ball in that area would be effective imo, (and Ba is going to cause problems whatever there)

We've been playing a bit like we want it back, with all the hoofing it up

Krul Simpson Williamson Colo Santon Tiote Cabaye HBA Vuckic Jonas BA If we can defend well enough not sure Liverpool carry too much threat, they seem a bit Arsenally atm, always overelaborating. Cabaye and Tiote can hold them off and hit them on the break.

I thought it was long planned he would succeed Seralex?

Well of course he'd say that. I don't think you have to be nice to be good, but tbh can't really know. Maybe it is what's holding him back.

His distribution has got worse, he's still young and improving so i hope he's working on it more, but doesn't strike me as a keeper with confidence in passing the ball. Odd since in every other way seems bristling with confidence, and justifiably

Ben arfa as false number 9

This. I kinda thought he'd be an alright stopgap till we got in a proper striker...Still think he'll get an injury, but he's absolutely brilliant.

I feel better about our defense and I think Ba is going to score most games, so can see a 1-1.

I hope they haven't decided they aren't good at playing good footy and it's route 1 for the rest of the season...

Need to up our game for this one, beating Bolton 2-0 isn't the most difficult thing in the world, if we play like we did we'll lose.

Very happy for him! Seen the goal now and was a lovely finish. Deserves it, and has been unlucky not to score previously

Me neither. I was 99% certain Alan Smith was in The Handmade Burger Co. today till he opened his mouth ans spoke with a geordie accent. A clever ruse to protect his identity I'm sure

The trouble with their squad I think is lack of a style, it just seems a fairly random assortment of players of varying quality. Do they counter-attack? are they passing or hoofing? Martin O'Neil may go some way towards this, but their lack of quality wide players seems to be letting them down, and they're not especially solid at back. I doubt they'll do much in January, after splurging over the Summer and not achieving much, I doubt a rebuild is in order too much, especially in the more expensive window.

Ben Arfa has to start...but he won't. Really rather concerned about Pardew's attitude towards playing him at this point.

I heard that and it was said in a light hearted manner entirely, think you're reading too much into it. Johnathan Wilson's Inverting the Pyramid book is pretty good

seconded

I won't see liverpool mate who was depressed over Dagliesh already for 2 weeks, I bet he'll be suicidal...

Absolutely need some action, they're making football a much much uglier place, the Premier league has done so well to combat Racism, though probably too optimistic to think it had ever gone. Not sure about a points reduction, severe fines at least though.

If it wasn't for the H Vuckic's looks like a childs XD, Lovenkrands is just a spiral...

Can't these things normally be managed with changing how they train etc and just draining the fluid buildups on a game by game basis (ledley king style), not great of course and worrying, but wonder if we're training him normally and by the time he gets to a game it's becoming a problem. Hopefully will last a game soon...

3 at the back in a 3-4-2-1 would accomdate Ben Arfa and Vuckic behind Ba centrally, but we don't have 3 centrebacks I trust. Think Santon and Jonas could both be wingbacks though. Also 3 at the back is possibly a gamble, don't really want to try too experimental formations, generally 3 at the back requires a side full of pace, and we can be slow atm.

oh ffs, sometimes not changing things is as much a paniced reaction as changing them. Stem the bleeding already.