Vurnon Anita (now playing for RKC Waalwijk)

[r0cafella]

Needless to say i feel more safe with him in front of our back 4 than i do when Tiote plays.

defensively i'm wary of both. hopefully it's just till anita gets up to speed.

 

Anita will never be a tackler to be honest.

 

He takes up very good positions and jockeys his opponents.

[Skeletor]

I just feel more safe because he doesn't start opposition attacks by gifting them the ball every time he gets it.

[Geordie Ahmed]

Playing though him instead of over him doesn't half make him and us look better.

 

Indeed

 

Such a lovely player who makes it look so simple. He doesn't hold on to the ball too long, gets it and gives it quickly

[Guest bimpy474]

I just feel more safe because he doesn't start opposition attacks by gifting them the ball every time he gets it.

 

And he recycles possession quickly, he doesn't hold it until he gets robbed of it.

[Guest bimpy474]

Playing though him instead of over him doesn't half make him and us look better.

 

Indeed

 

Such a lovely player who makes it look so simple. He doesn't hold on to the ball too long, gets it and gives it quickly

 

Aye, exactly 

[madras]

I just feel more safe because he doesn't start opposition attacks by gifting them the ball every time he gets it.

oh aye. theres no comparisson when on the ball. i'm sure anita will look even better given more options (ie us stretching other teams by having more going forward.............sorry for constantly banging that drum)

[huss9]

pardew may be clueless when it comes to reading whats happening on the pitch, but he does love his stats. so maybe anita is going to be first choice for a while.

[alexf]

Brings so much more to the team than current day Tiote. If Tiote can sort himself out then he might edge out Anita but at the moment it's Anita all day for me given the choice.

[AlanSkÃrare]

We're apparantley hoofing less than any other team so far this season.

 

Down to this man. Always open, always moving, always an option, always finds space. Has to play, our most important midfielder.

[SAK]

We're apparantley hoofing less than any other team so far this season.

 

Down to this man. Always open, always moving, always an option, always finds space. Has to play, our most important midfielder.

 

Where did you find that stat?

 

[mrmojorisin75]

Madness if we drop him like, but then again he shouldn't have been dropped after his god spell last season bit he was and we barely saw him again. Pleased people are finally seeing what the lad can give us when offered a chance.

[Mole_Toonfan]

We're apparantley hoofing less than any other team so far this season.

 

Down to this man. Always open, always moving, always an option, always finds space. Has to play, our most important midfielder.

 

Where did you find that stat?

 

I saw the same stat on twitter.... we average less long balls than anyone at the moment and i guarantee you the majority of our long balls have been from Krul

[AlanSkÃrare]

We're apparantley hoofing less than any other team so far this season.

 

Down to this man. Always open, always moving, always an option, always finds space. Has to play, our most important midfielder.

 

Where did you find that stat?

 

 

[Mole_Toonfan]

Stoke 

[Oakie Doke]

Only 19% left. That's the most damning statistic of all.

[Elliottman]

Dropped for Tiote when fit?

[The College Dropout]

At home against most teams, i'd be very confident in Anita over Tiote. Especially when sides sit deep and ask us to break them down. His sharp, quicker passing is a great benefit. Interesting to see how he plays away from home when teams really press him.

[ATB]

Great football and he has been sitting at the bench

[SAK]

Man U, nothing but long ball merchants.

[Exiled in Texas]

 

We're apparantley hoofing less than any other team so far this season.

 

Down to this man. Always open, always moving, always an option, always finds space. Has to play, our most important midfielder.

 

And what we need to provide for him (and the team) are players who are also "Always open, always moving, always an option, always finds space."

 

I saw a fare few times yesterday where Anita moved into space to receive the ball from the defense and then looking for the next pass but no one else was opening up to get in a position to receive his pass. He saw the need to move into space to make himself open for a pass, but it looks like none of the others are Ajax trained for this pass and move style football.

[Guest]

We only appear bottom of the long pass league because one of the games we couldn't get anywhere near the fucker to get the chance to hoof it.

[themanupstairs]

We only appear bottom of the long pass league because one of the games we couldn't get anywhere near the f***er to get the chance to hoof it.

 

Bit of both imo. You're right, we hardly touched the ball at the Etihad, but we have considerably reduced our over reliance on the hoof.

[AlanSkÃrare]

 

We're apparantley hoofing less than any other team so far this season.

 

Down to this man. Always open, always moving, always an option, always finds space. Has to play, our most important midfielder.

 

And what we need to provide for him (and the team) are players who are also "Always open, always moving, always an option, always finds space."

 

I saw a fare few times yesterday where Anita moved into space to receive the ball from the defense and then looking for the next pass but no one else was opening up to get in a position to receive his pass. He saw the need to move into space to make himself open for a pass, but it looks like none of the others are Ajax trained for this pass and move style football.

 

Fully agreed. I think Rémy can stretch teams and allow Ben Arfa some more space, Fulham doubled up on him all the time. Our full backs should be open more when Anita's on the ball, and Cabaye in a more advanced position than the quarter-back role would be another thing to make us more open and fluid in possession.

[Guest bimpy474]

As much as us non Pardew fans might not like it, we have hoofed less, considerably so. And it's a good thing thank god.

 

Although those stats must be wrong as didn't we play 54 long passes against Wham

[Tiotes Witch Doctor]

Have noticed him winning a lot more midfield battles in the last two games than I saw him win in any of his games last season, hasn't put a foot wrong in two games and it would be ludicrous if the likes of Tiote walk back into the side, its important that Pardew puts his trust in Anita and allows him to continue to get to grips with the league, he's very impressive so far, I bet hes relieved aswell.