Tooj Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 If Ryan Taylor is fit I'd start him at RW. We need someone who can cross the ball. That depends on what personnel we play up front. As if Pardew persists with Best, then I'm inclined to agree with you. However if Ben Arfa starts there, then we need a bit more pace and fluidity within the team. Not that Obertan really offers anything movement wise, but he's certainly a better option than Taylor if Ben Arfa's fit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenham Mag Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Has to be Abeid for me. He can parles Francais which will help alongside Tiote and he is a better passer of the ball than Vuckic (which we need after losing Cabaye). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Has to be Abeid for me. He can parles Francais which will help alongside Tiote and he is a better passer of the ball than Vuckic (which we need after losing Cabaye). I'm not sure how you can say that Abeid is a better passer of the ball than Vuckic, I've seen Vuckic loads for the reserves and he can pick a mean pass out and some of the passes with the outside of his boot are brilliant. He can pick players out even when he's snookered as he can swerve the ball really well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenham Mag Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Has to be Abeid for me. He can parles Francais which will help alongside Tiote and he is a better passer of the ball than Vuckic (which we need after losing Cabaye). I'm not sure how you can say that Abeid is a better passer of the ball than Vuckic, I've seen Vuckic loads for the reserves and he can pick a mean pass out and some of the passes with the outside of his boot are brilliant. He can pick players out even when he's snookered as he can swerve the ball really well. Just my observations from what I've seen, a better phrase to use would be a neater passer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
womblemaster Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 foreign channels only then?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliottman Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 foreign channels only then?? Sports Direct Arena have it on? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUPERTOON Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Scharner and Mulumbu doubtful for them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 something so punchable about scharner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timeEd32 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Scharner and Mulumbu doubtful for them. I'd be ok with this. It's live on foxsoccer.tv for those in the USA. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledGeordie Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 We got drawn into a slow match second half against Swansea, if we push on at this lot and keep the tempo up we should create plenty of chances again and hopefully they'll end up in the net this time. Ba is bang on his game at the moment, looks very difficult to handle. Surely Santon to retain his place. I'd take either Vuckic or Abeid although I quite like the idea of Tiote and Abeid in the middle with Ben Arfa just behind Ba. Really hope they're working hard on Obertan and telling him to go hard on the outside against the full back using his pace. Obertan needs a good performance but even doing the simple things right would do at this point. Another couple of poor performances from Obertan and I wouldn't be adverse to Ryan Taylor playing wide right in midfield, atleast you'd have his crossing ability for the strikers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilko Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Just to spoil the excitement when Pardew apparently said he'd choose between Vuckic and Abeid... if you read the full quotes on the official site, he mentions Smith as an option too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David28 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 foreign channels only then?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiemag Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Krul Simpson Williamson Coloccini Santon Tiote Obertan Jonas HBA Best Ba Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Krul Simpson Williamson Coloccini Santon Tiote Obertan Jonas HBA Best Ba I think Ba would drop back a fair amount to compensate, but feel that risks midfield being overrun and us hoofing it up to an uninvolved front 3. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interpolic Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Can't personally see anything but Krul, Simpson, Perch, Coloccini, Santon, Obertan, Tiote, Vuckic, Jonas, Ba, Best. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenham Mag Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Scharner and Mulumbu doubtful for them. Good news for us , Mulumbu is by far their best player. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest icemanblue Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Can't personally see anything but Krul, Simpson, Perch, Coloccini, Santon, Obertan, Tiote, Vuckic, Jonas, Ba, Best. Yep. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interpolic Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 We've got A LOT of foreigners in our first 11 haven't we, it's just hit me. Hope Smith plays to give us some British steel in midfield. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanji Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Can't personally see anything but Krul, Simpson, Perch, Coloccini, Santon, Obertan, Tiote, Vuckic, Jonas, Ba, Best. Sadly, we;ve set our selves up to know that Pardew will go with the most boring squad selection he could think of. I'd love to see him put in Abeid with Tiote to have more steel in the CM, and then place HBA in from the start with Best and Ba but that will not happen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interpolic Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Can't personally see anything but Krul, Simpson, Perch, Coloccini, Santon, Obertan, Tiote, Vuckic, Jonas, Ba, Best. Sadly, we;ve set our selves up to know that Pardew will go with the most boring squad selection he could think of. I'd love to see him put in Abeid with Tiote to have more steel in the CM, and then place HBA in from the start with Best and Ba but that will not happen. I'd sooner see him name the above lineup than surprise us in a bad way, e.g. giving Lovenkrands a start out of nowhere again. But yeah, I take your point and the signs are that he'll play those 11. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilko Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Surely the most likely time for Ben Arfa to 'find form' is against the likes of Swansea, WBA and Norwich... not Man City, Man United and Chelsea? I really can't work out Pardew's thinking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interpolic Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Surely the most likely time for Ben Arfa to 'find form' is against the likes of Swansea, WBA and Norwich... not Man City, Man United and Chelsea? I really can't work out Pardew's thinking. Probably along the lines of throwing Ben Arfa in against those teams where we're not expected to win or even draw, so there is less pressure on him to hit the ground running? If he played against Norwich, Swansea and West Brom and didn't perform well, he'd be written off almost immediately by some fans. First I disagree regarding the fans, secondly what's to say he wouldn't have played well anyway, and thirdly if that's Pardew's reasoning then he's an idiot. The amount of excuses NOT to play Ben Arfa is mounting by the day, there will come a point when there's not one game suitable for him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilko Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Agree with IP. When we were on the unbeaten run I could understand the reluctance just to pitch him in, however at the moment there's really no valid excuse, unless of course there's something gone on behind the scenes that we're not aware of (FWIW I highly doubt that notion). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayson Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Scharner and Mulumbu doubtful for them. Good news for us , Mulumbu is by far their best player. Apparently James morrison also out for them now due to Hamstring injury, he scored for them at the weekend. Theyve had to recall 3 players from loan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JH Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I maintain what I said last week in Ben Arfa thread. I think Pardew is scared of mismanaging him and as so, is chickening out of doing it at all by benching him and not playing him. Therell come a point, much like with Santon, where he'll be forced into playing HBA because he has no other option, and that's when he'll break into and maintain a place in the first XI Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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