Shays Given Tim Flowers

Has to go for it, what a s*** card.

 

Fact he has to go for it doesn't negate from the fact he was second to the ball and got the man. Well deserved yellow..

Fuck off Nial. Fuck off. Seriously.

Saying he doesn't score enough goals is extraordinary. He's a goal machine who went through a bit of a drought, like Demba Ba did, like Rooney regularly does, like van Persie is at the moment.

 

The amount of toys thrown out of the pram this season by certain people about Cisse has been pathetic.

 

8 goals in 30 Premiership games this season, 13 in 41 overall. Is that enough for you from a lone forward?

 

How many of those were as the lone forward? probably like 10

 

How many of those were as a right winger? Probably like 5

 

How many of those were as a forward, be it a lone forward or as part of a front 2? Probably like 25

 

8 goals in 30 is not enough, whatever way you look at it, for your only striker in a 4-3-3 in a team aiming for European qualification.

 

I find it funny that the people who are most critical of Pardew are the ones who are most forgiving when it comes to Cisse's underachievement this season, considering the fact that if Cisse had anywhere near the same chance conversion rate as last season, we would be comfortably sitting in the top half of the table.

Our best player, tbh. Definitely the one player in the squad who is most viable to play for a 'top' club.

 

NSIS

 

I'd have said Cabaye but while he disappeared over both legs Cisse turned up.

 

Why only consider the two matches with Benfica? How about the likes of Ben Arfa, Mbiwa, Cabaye (indeed) or Krul? If anything I'd say the big clubs will look at Cisse's lack of consistency and steer well clear.

 

Ben Arfa, too injury prone. Mbiwa, hasn't shown enough yet. Cabaye, too many times he has games like against Benfica.

 

Didn't think about Krul, maybe.

 

Cisse is the most likely, Bayern were strongly interested before he came here.

 

Well, if I was the manager of a "top club" I would look at the chances Cisse missed in those two matches you conventiently use to discard Cabaye as a stronger candidate to succeed at a higher level and think his 'erraticness' may have cost us the tie..

 

Yeah but you have an agenda. He had two excellent all-round games in both legs and was desperately unlucky not to score more than the two he got.

 

What is my agenda?

 

You don't like him. Because he's an erratic instinct goalscorer rather than a shilky Dutch mashter with great allround technical ability you will consistently criticise him.

 

I do like him. He seems a good character, and he brings important qualities to the table, especially for a side like us that isn't exactly overflowing with attacking talent. People who have been saying he needs to be played centrally in 1 4-3-3 have been proven correct, that appears to be his best position, and I can even stomach the stereotypical "give him service and he will score" to an extent. But I also have big worries about him, the main ones being:

 

- he doesn't score enough and neither do our other players to be able to afford to play a 4-3-3 with him as a lone striker for us to challenge for Europe consistently, which is where I want us to be. This season his own chance conversion ratio is nowhere near good enough, and it's cost us many valuable points.

- he is purely a converter of chances, not a creator. He seems unable to fashion a chance for himself out of nothing other than by speculative long range efforts, or to create chances for his team mates.

- he seems to lack intelligence in certain situations, i.e. staying onside or showing composure by laying it off when somebody else is much better placed, which often breaks down our play.

- physically he isn't exactly commanding, meaning for example he is hardly ever a threat from set pieces or gets into a goalscoring position unless he isn't tightly marked.

 

Now I know this goes against popular opinion, but it's the way I see it. We heavily rely on him, because we have no realistic alternatives, and I hardly want him gone or anything, but I do feel he is overrated by many on here..

 

Good summary.

 

The last point doesn't get aired enough. He doesn't relish a physical challenge. Maybe he's just playing to his strengths, which is seeking gaps between defenders, and it least it means he's hardly ever injured. But situations do arise when you want a striker who will put pressure on his opponent physically.

 

Which is exactly why we need to get one in the summer. Someone to turn aimless rubbish into half-chances for him.

Additionally his lack of physical presence and threat from set-pieces makes his scoring record more impressive. 

For goodness sake. He looks like scoring every game with sodding Jonas and Gouffran alongside him. Imagine if that was Ben Arfa and someone else.

I cannot help but feel we have peaked under his stewardship. 5th Place in the League and Quarter Finals of the European Cup. What represents progress now?

 

I don't think progress necessarily means you always finish higher than any time in the past. Finishing top 6 again would be class IMO.

 

A cup is what everyone wants, lets just win the FA Cup.

 

About right, may i add, acheiving it with some decent football, with possession and nice passing.

 

I would like to see him have a bit more belief in his players. 2 and a half seasons under his belt may even lead him to relax a little bit more and perhaps he may even abandon some of his stifling pragmatism.

 

 

Me too but i just don't see where him letting loose will come from. I think he's proved he's a cautious, generally negative coach. As for attacking....there simply is no plan, no system.

 

I have serious doubts he can turn us into a cohesive attacking unit, in fact i dont think he can as imo he isn't good enough, hope he does if he's charge of course.

Particularly concerning last night was McClaren and Coleman's ability to notice the huge problems our team had containing Benfica in that first half. I wouldn't want these two anywhere near our team but it was glaringly obvious what was going wrong, even to those turds.

I cannot help but feel we have peaked under his stewardship. 5th Place in the League and Quarter Finals of the European Cup. What represents progress now?

 

I don't think progress necessarily means you always finish higher than any time in the past. Finishing top 6 again would be class IMO.

 

A cup is what everyone wants, lets just win the FA Cup.

 

About right, may i add, acheiving it with some decent football, with possession and nice passing.

I would like to see him have a bit more belief in his players. 2 and a half seasons under his belt may even lead him to relax a little bit more and perhaps he may even abandon some of his stifling pragmatism.

I cannot help but feel we have peaked under his stewardship. 5th Place in the League and Quarter Finals of the European Cup. What represents progress now?

Where were these competent linesman when we played Metalist?

There was nothing wrong with the game plan. There was a fair bit wrong with the execution and application.

Benfica can f*** right off. Well done on all the cheating and time wasting. Disgusting. Hope you get battered in the next round.

 

This isn't 100% fear, NUFC also lost time in Estádio da Luz.

 

But you guys are in pieces, and I am truly sorry for you because you're such a great bunch of people.

 

I am really sorry you guys are out, I just hope everyone still gets along after this because I am not planning to leave.

 

For my side, the best part of the 1/4 finals was to meet all of you 

 

Nowt against the fans Jotenko. The players you have are an utter disgrace, namely Perez and that fuckwit of a goalkeeper. Believe me, your team plays good enough football to do without all the cheating. It would be understandable at least if your team was s***, but it isn't. It's f***ing embarrassing.

 

It would be the same thing if you played Porto. Or Sporting. Or Braga. Or.. or... or...

 

It's a matter of culture.

 

No doubt yours is better.

 

But things are what they are.

 

However, if you want to have a fair discussion, you'll have to admit that NUFC also lost some time at Lisbon.

It is just footballing culture. I agree with you and there is plenty of unpleasantness on display every weekend in the Premier League. 

Hatem and Marv are great players. Cause for real optimism seeing them both on the pitch at the same time.

Not sure if floated.

Vintage Willo.

Won't he be the player pardew turns to if we have kept it tight for the first 60 or 70 or whatever it was he said the other day?

He seems to like Campbell. There is a similar picture in this thread a while back where he is rubbing his head. 

early goal would do wonders for us.

Just remembering him sitting on the edge of the box pure blasé with cramp for the goal.

 

He was all ''Yeah, what?''.

 

Hope it was cramp and nothing serious anyway!

Those on pitch injuries in the last 5 minutes  . Cabaye was clearly in agony, who was it who then proceeded to pass him the ball?

Very good to see him playing in the team regularly after previously playing himself in to the side around Christmas. Hopefully the form he is showing will mean Pardew is minded to keep him in the XI when Ben Arfa returns. I think the fact that Cabaye praises him speaks volumes. He is far cleverer with the ball and his movement than most of our players and this allows other players to benefit. Additionally, he is perhaps the only player (barring Ben Arfa) who can penetrate a deep defence sitting on the 18 yard box. 

his recovery pace is a huge asset.

The more I look it at, the more I think 28 days later.

I want one.

As a side note, he seems to be winning a huge amount in the air these days.

I love how football sometimes just makes me laugh spontaneously. So happy when that goal went in. There isn't anything like it.