Alan Pardew

[Hughesy]

What worried me was the fact that no-one seemed to know what to do when we were chasing the game.  They looked clueless.

[JH]

What worried me was the fact that no-one seemed to know what to do when we were chasing the game.  They looked clueless.

 

We look incapable of playing with any urgency, it's been the same for a number of years now. We always look like we've got all the time in the world, when we're 1-0 down with 5 minutes to go.

[Yorkie]

Barton isn't a winger by trade but he's effective when he plays that position. No problems with that. Hope Pardew puts him back there and clears off that waste of space Routledge.

[Hughesy]

What worried me was the fact that no-one seemed to know what to do when we were chasing the game.  They looked clueless.

 

We look incapable of playing with any urgency, it's been the same for a number of years now. We always look like we've got all the time in the world, when we're 1-0 down with 5 minutes to go.

 

The only urgency we showed was in stoppage time when we had that series of corners.  Too little too late.

[Yorkie]

What worried me was the fact that no-one seemed to know what to do when we were chasing the game. They looked clueless.

 

We look incapable of playing with any urgency, it's been the same for a number of years now. We always look like we've got all the time in the world, when we're 1-0 down with 5 minutes to go.

 

That just isn't true*. We've lacked a cutting edge but not so much urgency. Fwiw, mini-stat... not all of them were with us chasing the game but we've scored post-90 minutes on 5 separate occassions so far this season.

 

 

*but was today, infuriatingly/admittedly

[Hughesy]

Definitely lacked urgency today.

[Ronaldo]

A waste of space who happens to be our best winger with Ben Arfa out.

[Yorkie]

A waste of space who happens to be our best winger with Ben Arfa out.

 

You'd have him on the wing ahead of Barton? (I assume you're talking about Routledge...)

 

Has Routledge actually done anything this season? I mean, anything?

[JH]

What worried me was the fact that no-one seemed to know what to do when we were chasing the game.  They looked clueless.

 

We look incapable of playing with any urgency, it's been the same for a number of years now. We always look like we've got all the time in the world, when we're 1-0 down with 5 minutes to go.

 

That just isn't true*. We've lacked a cutting edge but not so much urgency. Fwiw, mini-stat... not all of them were with us chasing the game but we've scored post-90 minutes on 5 separate occassions so far this season.

 

 

*but was today, infuriatingly/admittedly

 

It's not so much in terms of chances/goals/getting the ball forward, it's just a number of small things such as not being in a rush to take throws/corners, or strolling forward like we were 3-0 up, not looking for a pass etc. - imo when you're 'chasing' a game, you should be really up for it. You should be pushing forward quickly, always looking for a pass/run, quickly getting into position for set pieces etc. Sometimes we just don't seem that keen to create a chance in that instant - it's incredibly infuriating.

[Ronaldo]

A waste of space who happens to be our best winger with Ben Arfa out.

 

You'd have him on the wing ahead of Barton? (I assume you're talking about Routledge...)

 

Has Routledge actually done anything this season? I mean, anything?

 

Barton's a RM, not a winger. Routledge has probably been our best player in the last two home games he's started.

[Mick]

 

You'd have him on the wing ahead of Barton? (I assume you're talking about Routledge...)

 

Has Routledge actually done anything this season? I mean, anything?

 

1 assist.

[madras]

Barton isn't a winger by trade but he's effective when he plays that position. No problems with that. Hope Pardew puts him back there and clears off that waste of space Routledge.

to me thats getting mixedf up between a winger and a wide midfielder.....sounds pedantic but the roles are different.

[Mowen]

A waste of space who happens to be our best winger with Ben Arfa out.

 

You'd have him on the wing ahead of Barton? (I assume you're talking about Routledge...)

 

Has Routledge actually done anything this season? I mean, anything?

 

He's been better than Jonas. That's almost a no (bar the City away).

[Yorkie]

A waste of space who happens to be our best winger with Ben Arfa out.

 

You'd have him on the wing ahead of Barton? (I assume you're talking about Routledge...)

 

Has Routledge actually done anything this season? I mean, anything?

 

Barton's a RM, not a winger. Routledge has probably been our best player in the last two home games he's started.

 

Barton's been better in both of them iyam.

 

Would you start Routledge on the right ahead of Barton?

 

Thanks Mick, btw.

[madras]

A waste of space who happens to be our best winger with Ben Arfa out.

 

You'd have him on the wing ahead of Barton? (I assume you're talking about Routledge...)

 

Has Routledge actually done anything this season? I mean, anything?

 

Barton's a RM, not a winger. Routledge has probably been our best player in the last two home games he's started.

 

Barton's been better in both of them iyam.

 

Would you start Routledge on the right ahead of Barton?

 

Thanks Mick, btw.

routledge was definitly better in his time on on sunday.

 

edit... i'd like to start barton in the middle but tell him he has to stay ahead of tiote when we have the ball and attack their box.

[Yorkie]

Barton isn't a winger by trade but he's effective when he plays that position. No problems with that. Hope Pardew puts him back there and clears off that waste of space Routledge.

to me thats getting mixedf up between a winger and a wide midfielder.....sounds pedantic but the roles are different.

 

Absolutely, he's playing as a wide-midfielder - but you can't have both him and Routledge playing down that side. It's one or the other and Barton is, by a mile, the first choice imo.

[madras]

Barton isn't a winger by trade but he's effective when he plays that position. No problems with that. Hope Pardew puts him back there and clears off that waste of space Routledge.

to me thats getting mixedf up between a winger and a wide midfielder.....sounds pedantic but the roles are different.

 

Absolutely, he's playing as a wide-midfielder - but you can't have both him and Routledge playing down that side. It's one or the other and Barton is, by a mile, the first choice imo.

see my edit one above.

[Yorkie]

Would you drop Nolan then? He plays that role well. Barton's at his best when he's got more space, imo - more time to deliver. He's an excellent passer of the ball and a good crosser too.

[Ronaldo]

I like the fact that Pardew has actually communicated with the fans regarding the situation with Ranger.

[madras]

Would you drop Nolan then? He plays that role well. Barton's at his best when he's got more space, imo - more time to deliver. He's an excellent passer of the ball and a good crosser too.

yes, nolan scores but has poor games. i'm sure barton could get into those positions and have more effect on the game in other ways.

 

 

i don't think barton is that good a crosser, more carroll is that good in the air.

[Yorkie]

I never liked Lee Bowyer when he was here, but he's the last centre-mid i can think of who specifically tried to be that late-comer/lurker/advanced centre-mid. Barton just doesn't do it... he's more of a playmaker imo. He's got the vision and the craft as opposed to the finishing ability.

 

Nolan, on the other hand, does it pretty well imo.

 

Would you drop Nolan then? He plays that role well. Barton's at his best when he's got more space, imo - more time to deliver. He's an excellent passer of the ball and a good crosser too.

yes, nolan scores but has poor games. i'm sure barton could get into those positions and have more effect on the game in other ways.

 

 

i don't think barton is that good a crosser, more carroll is that good in the air.

 

Works though, dunnit! He's put more crosses in than Routledge has this year.

[madras]

I never liked Lee Bowyer when he was here, but he's the last centre-mid i can think of who specifically tried to be that late-comer/lurker/advanced centre-mid. Barton just doesn't do it... he's more of a playmaker imo. He's got the vision and the craft as opposed to the finishing ability.

 

Nolan, on the other hand, does it pretty well imo.

except barton doen't have the craft or vision. he should have the engine and be good at the close traingle stuff.

 

 

then again maybe with another forward to play to who knows but as yet i've saw few signs of it.

[madras]

I never liked Lee Bowyer when he was here, but he's the last centre-mid i can think of who specifically tried to be that late-comer/lurker/advanced centre-mid. Barton just doesn't do it... he's more of a playmaker imo. He's got the vision and the craft as opposed to the finishing ability.

 

Nolan, on the other hand, does it pretty well imo.

 

Would you drop Nolan then? He plays that role well. Barton's at his best when he's got more space, imo - more time to deliver. He's an excellent passer of the ball and a good crosser too.

yes, nolan scores but has poor games. i'm sure barton could get into those positions and have more effect on the game in other ways.

 

 

i don't think barton is that good a crosser, more carroll is that good in the air.

 

Works though, dunnit! He's put more crosses in than Routledge has this year.

sunderland had more shots than blackpool

[Mick]

Would you drop Nolan then? He plays that role well. Barton's at his best when he's got more space, imo - more time to deliver. He's an excellent passer of the ball and a good crosser too.

 

Nolan hasn't created a single assist in any game this season, he's set up less than both of our wingers who were giving stick to.

[Yorkie]

Would you drop Nolan then? He plays that role well. Barton's at his best when he's got more space, imo - more time to deliver. He's an excellent passer of the ball and a good crosser too.

 

Nolan hasn't created a single assist in any game this season, he's set up less than both of our wingers who were giving stick to.

 

Nolan isn't in the side to make assists though, he's there as a goal threat and a captain.

 

Barton - Nolan - Tiote - Jonas

 

Carroll - Someone (currently Ranger)

 

... it's got to be that imo. That's the system that works. As being discussed in another thread, if he were fit, i'd have Ben Arfa off Carroll as opposed to Ranger... but that's another topic.