Tiresias

if you're having wing backs it's reasonable cover, it sacrifices width for a strong spine. It's successful more in Italy for a reason though, slower narrower teams proliferate, I am very unsure if it would work. I was merely trying to accommodate Jonas in a team with 3 forwards, i think it might be fun, our current formation is fine

Jonas doesn't quite fit into a 4-3-3 with our team though, and I dunno if that would then leave our left back exposed. I'd imagine he'll rotate upfront, still kinda expecting Ba to get an injury myself. That or (ideally of course) Krul Saylor Colo Williamson Santon Tiote Cabaye Jonas HBA Ba Maiga

AVB knows damn well what he's doing, same thing Mourinho used to do (this season seems to have stopped a bit), get the media writing bunch of nonsense about him and not his team at all.

Won't happen. I think it will. Not if Pardew wants to win. If Pardew cared about that why Ryan Taylor?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/11/martin-oneill-sunderland-blackburn I wouldn't want to have O'Neil's dreams if beating Blackburn is the maddest of them...

Whenever I click on a link to RTG this pretty much sums it up entirely http://i.imgur.com/eIlWQ.gif

If we drop into second half I would be worried he might get sacked, that was Ashley's minimum apparently (I remember at start of season and thought we'd never make it :| ) I hope we keep him for a few years, not going to pretend he's obviously a great manager, but do believe in patiently giving managers time to build squads. Would be nice to have Pardew for a while, his football style is good.

He's a decent enough appointment, though I think his recuitment policy in the long term will be very poor, just look at Villa now (though that has also got to do with McLeish), so we should get the last laugh at the very least...

On bbc website some idiot texting in "in premier league every game is a classico!" I assume he didn't see the Sunderland game then

Beating Blackburn?

Great goal. Shockingly Steve Kean's attempt to defend for 45 minutes and do nothing but, hasn't paid off. That man is a genius...oh wait

Blackburn are dreadful, they're like that Inter game where they put out Barcalona by defending deep and just kicking to ball back to them after every attack that failed. Except against Sunderland. No attempt to try and even counter attack, they just hoof it back to sunderland as soon as they get in a tackle.

A million times this

a formation

As stands Krul Simpson Kadar Perch Santon Abeid Cabaye Gosling HBA Jonas Ba Packing midfield to compensate for lack of experience there and at back.

Well with a brilliant midfield their problems at the back shouldn't be exposed too much oh?

this.

Talk about waiting for a bus / injury half a season...

Gah frustrating. Still Guthrie has been alright, just Cabaye has been poor since being more defensive. EDIT: JUST SAW OTHER THREAD GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

I think ideally he's in centre but I don't quite see that he deserves to keep Best out the side when he's back from injury, if Best keeps up the form he was in, he's going to get / assist more goals, and until / unless HBA's form outstrips Best's significantly, I'd be happier for him to replace Obertan. I wanted him tested in the middle, and i've thought he's looked pretty good at times, and very promising, but it's surely not that bad if he's out on the right? The only worry is how much cover he'd give Simpson, but we're a stronger side with Best fit at front. They've obviously decided, but Pardew's got to make decisions based on form and such, if he's only to play centrally I'd drop him for Best, bluntly.

ಠ_ಠ

who's manager? Obviously not Lyon's after a 7-1 win mate. Unless Ashley owns Lyon too

Raylor (ok it was really really bad defending) aahhaha

Rooney's been shit, he'll be asking to leave to City again in january