Alan Pardew

[Dave]

I'm not saying I believe they're not his signings btw, just asking the question. Things don't add up for me. It might just be that they're unfit, but if that's the case then serious fucking questions need asking of the players and the club staff as to why.

[The Prophet]

I would of been quite happy if he'd brought Guthrie on for Shola, an extra body in midfield to try and get a foothold on the game.

[Jayson]

Sholas inclusion was the only suprise for me really. You'd expect him to have given Ba a start after the assist & with him apparently eating normally now.

[Guest]

Look on the bright side as well, we're 4th and unbeaten, with at least 3 players on the bench plus Ben Arfa who will improve that starting eleven over the next few weeks.

[gbandit]

Worrying that he didn't replace Raylor with Santon at half time. I was sure they'd score a couple down that side after a couple of his 'efforts'. Thankfully he realised Shola was throwing up all over the pitch with his sick play but should have realised this in Dec '10. He must play Ba/Best up front together next game, he must play Santon and he must give Marveaux at least thirty minutes if not a start.

 

What does worry me a little about Pardew is some of the claims in the press about the players he wanted to bring into the club. A lot of the names were awful and it makes me wonder whether he sees things in players which quite obviously aren't there or aren't there on matchdays. I think he's a solid tactician, a good motivator and communicator but his understanding of player's abilities seems to be way off. Best was so much better than Shola and Ba was better even in only a cameo appearance. you'd have to be an Ameobi or fucked in the head to keep giving this guy chances again and again only for him to mess it up

[TRon]

Either these players (taking specifically Ba and Marveaux) aren't fit yet or Pardew simply doesn't rate them more highly than the players who are still starting games, like Ameobi, Lovenkrands and to a certain degree Obertan. Pretty fucking concerning either way tbh. Likewise Gosling not even making the squad.

 

Did Pardew really want these players or were they just signed because they were cheap?

 

Think dave's right here. Pretty obvious the players we've brought in are not Pardew's signings. That he puts consistent faith in Shola, who's frankly been worse than shite in every single game he's played so far, speaks volumes IMO. Absolutely ridiculous. No reason whatsoever why we couldn't have set 4-5-1 tonight.

 

Will be interesting to see what he does with HBA when he's back.

 

From what I've seen the players we have signed look they have some quality about them. I just find it astounding that we are signing good technical footballers of international class, yet we end up playing Shola, Best, Taylor and Simpson then expect us to play passing football when the side is clearly set up to defend for our lives, even against mediocre teams like QPR. Their man of the match was SWP for fucks sake. And he didn't even score.

[Mick]

 

Pardew hasn't got/had Shearer, Bellamy, or even an Owen, Martins or Kluivert.

 

Having Owen, Martins or Kluivert would have made what difference?  Owen scored 26 league goals in 4 seasons, Kluivert scored 6 in 25 league games and Martins scored 28 in 3 seasons.  Best will have a better record that any of those I would have thought in the Premiership.

[Guest]

 

Pardew hasn't got/had Shearer, Bellamy, or even an Owen, Martins or Kluivert.

 

Having Owen, Martins or Kluivert would have made what difference?  Owen scored 26 league goals in 4 seasons, Kluivert scored 6 in 25 league games and Martins scored 28 in 3 seasons.  Best will have a better record that any of those I would have thought in the Premiership.

 

They're far, far better players though, else why we worrying about buying a striker when we've got Best & Ba with their goal records?

[TRon]

 

Pardew hasn't got/had Shearer, Bellamy, or even an Owen, Martins or Kluivert.

 

Having Owen, Martins or Kluivert would have made what difference?  Owen scored 26 league goals in 4 seasons, Kluivert scored 6 in 25 league games and Martins scored 28 in 3 seasons.  Best will have a better record that any of those I would have thought in the Premiership.

 

They're far, far better players though, else why we worrying about buying a striker when we've got Best & Ba with their goal records?

 

A coherent plan on how to use players to their strengths would probably help. Picking a full back because he's scored from two set pieces rather than how he can influence a game against certain opponents would be a prime example of a thick manager in my view.

[Mick]

 

They're far, far better players though, else why we worrying about buying a striker when we've got Best & Ba with their goal records?

 

I can only guess that we were trying to bring in another forward because we thought he might get more goals than those we already have.

[Skirge]

lee_ryder Lee Ryder

#nufc Pardew indicated he won't be having a look at the free agent list tonight, worrying where the goals are going to come from

3 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Mick]

lee_ryder Lee Ryder

#nufc Pardew indicated he won't be having a look at the free agent list tonight, worrying where the goals are going to come from

3 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

 

No such thing as a free agent. 

[BottledDog]

lee_ryder Lee Ryder

#nufc Pardew indicated he won't be having a look at the free agent list tonight, worrying where the goals are going to come from

3 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

 

Eh? Ryder's mental if he thinks there are any goals to be found on the free agent list.

[Wullie]

I just wish I could see some semblance of a game plan or tactics. He doesn't seem to know his best formation or his best team or how they should be playing.

 

We've been dominated in four games out of five, including by a League One side, and we look as unlikely to score goals as we have in years.

[The Prophet]

I think that's a bit harsh. I'm not too happy about how we've played but we were the better side against Sunderland and Fulham, I'd also expect to be dominated by Arsenal. Don't get me wrong, we should be looking to take the intiative at home but there's no shame in being outplayed by a side that will most likely finish in the top four.

[madras]

I just wish I could see some semblance of a game plan or tactics. He doesn't seem to know his best formation or his best team or how they should be playing.

 

We've been dominated in four games out of five, including by a League One side, and we look as unlikely to score goals as we have in years.

just hoping he has a plan for whenmarveaux and ben arfa come back properly. he's not going to play them wide in a 4-4-2.

[Wullie]

Better side against the mackems? Really?

 

Fulham was the odd one out but even then, while we deserved the win, if Krul hadn't been on top form we could still have ended up with nowt.

 

I think it's frightening how little we've managed to create in these five games against poor sides, Arsenal excepted.

[littlelunchbox]

I think that's a bit harsh. I'm not too happy about how we've played but we were the better side against Sunderland and Fulham, I'd also expect to be dominated by Arsenal. Don't get me wrong, we should be looking to take the intiative at home but there's no shame in being outplayed by a side that will most likely finish in the top four.

 

we were not better vs mackems, we only started playing after we scored.  before that they could have easily had more than a hatful.

 

vs fulham we were marginally better overall,  first half fulham outplayed us clearly.

[The Prophet]

Agree with your last point, we look ridiculously disjointed going forward.

 

First twenty minutes the mackems were all over us, following the hand ball inicdent we looked the better side for me.

[Interpolic]

I fucking hate it how we've replaced Barton with Obertan man, the more I think of it the more it does my head in.  One of the better midfielders in the country last season replaced by some nobody that everyone had forgotten about, it's just fucking mind-blowing.  Fair enough if you've really scouted Obertan and you've came to the conclusion that you believe in him - OK, so you keep both players to fight for the place, but plucking this fucker from Man Utd's reserves and expecting everything to work out is beyond optimistic.

 

The squad just looks worse imo.  Technique-wise it's comparable or possibly better, but in all practicality will probably end up proving worse.  Especially since we're playing hoofball, it defeats the idea of replacing Nolan with Cabaye, or Barton with Obertan.

 

If we get Marveaux, Ben Arfa, Gosling and Ba into the position of being serious first team players then we might be on to something, but that's a big 'if'.  I don't know why I'm even putting this in the Pardew thread tbh, I doubt the poor fucker's got anything to do with how his squad's turned out.

[taxfree]

[TRon]

I fucking hate it how we've replaced Barton with Obertan man, the more I think of it the more it does my head in.  One of the better midfielders in the country last season replaced by some nobody that everyone had forgotten about, it's just fucking mind-blowing.  Fair enough if you've really scouted Obertan and you've came to the conclusion that you believe in him - OK, so you keep both players to fight for the place, but plucking this fucker from Man Utd's reserves and expecting everything to work out is beyond optimistic.

 

The squad just looks worse imo.  Technique-wise it's comparable or possibly better, but in all practicality will probably end up proving worse.  Especially since we're playing hoofball, it defeats the idea of replacing Nolan with Cabaye, or Barton with Obertan.

 

If we get Marveaux, Ben Arfa, Gosling and Ba into the position of being serious first team players then we might be on to something, but that's a big 'if'.  I don't know why I'm even putting this in the Pardew thread tbh, I doubt the poor fucker's got anything to do with how his squad's turned out.

 

This is why I hate Pardew even more. Obertan did alright, but Pardew's long ball tactics made us look far worse than we were. Barton and SWP weren't suddenly overnight sensations, Pardew's hoofball tactics were exposed for the 5th game in a row.

[Wullie]

Hilarious that he said having Carroll made us too direct. He thinks we're all bloody daft. Anton Ferdinand's never had an easier game.

[Memphis]

It doesn't matter how technically proficient your midfield is - and I suspect ours is quite good in that regard - if all you do is set up to lump the ball to immobile forwards.  We set up to grind out a 0-0 today and so we did, but that's betraying a stunning lack of ambition and huge amount of fear, especially when facing a side that's not exactly Manchester City. 

 

Obertan and Cabaye are never going to look better than average when they play in this tactical setup.  We move the ball so slowly and predictably we inevitably end up with three defenders around any player with the ball, they panic, give it away, and we're on the back foot again.  Cabaye's passing demands movement off the ball - and Obertan needs to be able to use his pace.  It's frustrating to watch them not be given a chance to succeed in a match like the one we just saw.

 

Still, 8 points, no losses, etc.  Not all bad.  Could be so much better.

[Wullie]

Absolutely, you can't argue with the points tally or the unbeaten record, it's excellent, but if we keep playing like this, it will very quickly go sour.

 

Allardyce's early points total was the best start in years too but we all knew something wasn't right when he played for a draw at Pride Park. Pardew did that tonight and it was cowardly imo.