Mole_Toonfan

Absolutely delighted how he's coming along. His link up play with his team mates has always been great and probably as good as any fullback in the league but his defending has come on so much and couldn't be happier with him in that regard. While it's true his end product is quite frankly the poorest part of his game by a long shot but it will come after all he is only 21. 21 ffs

Of course but is that really enough to say he was great? i don't expect much more tbf but to be great i would have thought he would have to perform above my expectations. For example Cabaye has been working like a mad dog all season trying to cover the defense while being severely outnumbered in midfield but all i see is how poor he has been. Work rate no matter how high it has been is not enough for me to say it was a great performance. I guess my "perception" of a great performance is different.

Didn't think he was that good tbh, he worked ridiculously hard but nothing came from it hard work is not enough for me to say he was " great". Obviously given the circumstances he did his role well but i can't really say he was good or great or like he was last season.

Yeah i'd like that too, solves the majority of problems as far as control and creativity goes and Pardew keeps his front 2 that he's trying to get to work and we would lose no midfield control.

Doesn't he always? that obviously isn't the issue with him this season.... the issue is getting more of the ball and creating chances for his team mates which at the same time is a team problem as a whole. His work rate was never in question and showed how important he is when he wasn't playing against Reading and we looked lost for majority of the game.

And i suppose Lucas, Carrick, Arteta, Barry etc etc do? the physicality thing is well overplayed. Besides i think your find most would see him in the role he had against Bordeaux which isn't really "defensive midfield" that's more Jonas role when we played 4-3-3 last season.

Exactly he's playing far too deep, although it would be nice to have more threats on the pitch to create space for him the main crux of the issue he's starting his runs 60 yards from goal.

Skirge

Yep and win by 3 or 4 and then struggle at weekend due to hoofball tactics

Can't see any Allardyce teams getting a "serious ass forkin" if i'm honest they might lose games but they won't get thrashed.

He can pick a pass as a CM we have seen him do it before, his close control is good as a CM and positionally good as a CM. When i said Ramires i was talking about playing outwide offering ridiculous work rate but not offering much going forward. And like Ramires he is much better in the Centre where his close control, passing and overall skill set is suited.

Anita is only 23 and quite frankly less experienced than Santon at the top level and having to learn his role in the minefield that is the modern day midfield. Some people need more time than others they can't all be Cabaye, Cisse etc etc.

He's basically our Ramires should be playing in the centre or not at all, does not offer enough as a wide man. Hopefully Pardew sees this as well but i somehow doubt it.

Getting sick and tired of the media in general tbh. Starting to understand Rawk's stance on it

Simon Bird@simonbirdmirror Agree that Seb Larsson should have been booked for chest high tackle on Ameobi. Just seen this ffs the whole media in general for us is just shite.

Because the media hate us, i thought this was common knowledge?

Blatantly obvious Shearer just says what he's paid to say and seeing as BBC don't give 2 shits about mentioning the Larsson incident it won't be mentioned by Shearer or anyone.

yup its great, pity they can't find a way to have the champions league and europa league on alternate weeks so both get attention they deserve Would be great if that could happen because then teams wouldn't be playing thursday-sunday every week and you would probably see a lot more teams taking it more seriously.

not all of them hit the ground running, i expect him to be a lot like Santon tbh in his learning process.

I wouldn't have a problem with it if it actually suited the players we have but fact is it doesn't.

What about that smackhead looking one on the right? Equally as pathetic. At least he looked like he could beat a man. Johnson? i didn't see him all afternoon tbh thought he was injured or something.

Without a shadow of a doubt.

most of the players are the same as last season, we are playing the same as last season, mostly direct stuff. only difference is the oppositions have wised up to our game. Difference is last season or beginning of season anyway. We had a settled defence, Raylor had good delivery from wide area and set pieces, Jonas and Obertan outwide and Best and Ba upfront. Ok it wasn't very technical but it was very direct and it worked this is a different team. With Santon, Cisse, Ben Arfa coming in, this team does not suit direct football and is more of a possession team with some direct entities mixed in. Well it should be anyway but we are playing like we still have Best upfront for Ba to feed on etc etc. We need to be changing the style to adapt to players we have it's obvious what worked with those players do not work with these.

not saying its having an effect on performance in tired legs due to the changed teams (though williamson had to play league and europe all last month) but the effect its having on the preperation Pards puts in for the league games, just not sure we've adapted mentally to it yet Oh right yeah, probably right on that.