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Guest Howaythetoon

When was he born and was he your first HTT? My first was born 9th March, son also =)

 

16th March, he watched all but the Bolton game, although he did where his 'my first toon kit' baby thing, that day.

 

 

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As someone who has been at times incredibly pissed off with Pardew this season, I do have to accept some humble pie, I had resigned myself to him not having a plan B for adapting the team from a rigid 4-4-2, but he has pulled it off. Credit where it's due, it takes some confidence to shift Ba to the left for the sake of a new player, changing a winning formula shows both guts and nous.

 

The premier league punditry tends to divide it's managers into two categories, the nerdy tactics type, exemplified by Wenger and the keep it simple motivator, typified by Redknapp. Both these are quite inaccurate really, think Wenger has shown plenty of ability to motivate teams sometimes (other times his teams just seem to lose it though, seems very odd one, think he's maybe too nice to players often). Think Mancini is showing probably more of a head in the tactical tinkering without actually man managing very well at all, equally never seems to have settled on a system.

 

Redknapp is also maybe never given enough credit, he does actually try more than 4-4-2, Spurs have tried 3 at the back this season, but he generally is a manager who wants to let his players dictate where and how they play, which leads to all kinds of useless central runs from Bale who can be exemplary on the wing, is no Messi who can dance past defenses from deep in midfield, or pass it past them.

 

Ferguson of course is the complete manager, great motivator but also tactically astute. Dogleash is the complete opposite, no motivation, no plan.

 

Anyway moving on to Pardew, think he's a bit difficult, at times felt he was going on motivation alone, others on tactics alone, but seems to fit somewhere pleasingly in the middle. He's got the whole squad fired up at a perfect time to rescue us from what was a slump into being the form team of the league behind only Man U, and maybe Arsenal.

 

Not only that he's rearranged the system simultaneously, got players playing out of position well, and we still operate at a unit. There are still questions over the slumps, but our position now. Nothing typifies this approach more than his treatment of Ben Arfa, not has he man managed him into being committed, working for the team and playing very well, he has him out of his favored position doing so.

 

I retract embarrassing previous comments about looking around for someone new in the summer (think it was wolves game that really rather irritated me), he still has us playing ugly football at times, but there are signs of improvements developing and coming to a head at end of season. Next season if he can maintain the form of Cabaye Ben Arfa and Cisse we could be enjoying some very good footy.

 

Things for next season:

 

Rotate the squad to cope with Europe (if we get in) effectively

If we don't lets get a competent cup run going this time?

If we keep him get more reliable performances out of Tiote all season

Sort out the Ba Cisse problem even if it means plenty of rotating them, though not convinced at all that can't play together)

Get some of the good youngsters into the team. Want to see Abeid and Ferguson more.

 

 

 

 

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Not only that he's rearranged the system simultaneously, got players playing out of position well, and we still operate at a unit.

 

 

That's what's impressed me the most this season. Players like Jonas, Perch, now Demba Ba, all seem willing and even eager to play out of their preferred positions for the good of the team and I think that is largely down to the manager. It's a credit to the individual players of course that they have that work ethic and team-first mentality, but one of the main jobs of the manager is to develop that in his players. Very nice to see after living through the days of Dyer and Butt fighting it out on the pitch.

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Rodgers still slightly the bookies favourite, although that might change after tonight:

 

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/football-specials/english-football-specials/lma-manager-of-the-year

 

50/1 - Alex McLesh

 

#EasyMoney

 

They actually remind me of us 2006-7 season under Roeder. Some talented players, some over-paid not so good players, and a lot of youngsters who we have no idea will be good or bad being forced in due to injuries.

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Surely Pardew has it wrapped manager of the season now..Swansea 4 defeats in a row shows that it has fizzled out for Rodgers..Lambert in with a shout but would be incredibly surprised if Pardew is pipped by any of those two..

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Pardew destroyed Rodgers in terms of preparation and  tactics at their place. As much as I've enjoyed their football at times this season, there's no way should Rodgers win it. In Spain, most teams try to play like they do, so I don't see why he should win an award purely on the way they've played simply because it's different to what everyone else does in this country.

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Guest bimpy474

I haven't seen many teams in Spain (if any) play like Swansea. It's all a load of shite.

 

A lot of them do play possession football but not to uber degree that Swansea do, Swansea's ping pong centre half football is boring as feck anyhoo.

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