Alan Pardew

[TRon]

“I genuinely believe we can win something,” he said. “I think we can break that Champions League position. We came very close last year, we’ve kept all our best players, our young players are coming through, when this team is fully fit we can deal with anything.”

 

Need to play a hell of a lot better than we have so far, Alan.

 

Have we played a fully fit team yet? maybe Spurs but not sure

 

Excluding when players have been named as sub.

 

Spurs - no Coloccini

Chelsea - no Tiote

Villa - no Tiote

Everton - no Coloccini, Tiote, Simpson

Norwich - no Coloccini, Simpson

Reading - no Coloccini, Simpson, Cabaye

 

We should be able to accomodate having 1 or 2 injuries provided they're not in the same position without having a massive dip in quality, we don't though.

 

Don't forget we conceded two at Reading only after Saylor came off.

 

How does that explain our poor football in midfield and up front?

[Elliottman]

Tiote was lambasting him at one point for just letting McAnuff skip past him.

 

Wasn't nice to see that. So much for our much vaunted team spirit. Why are teammates shouting at each other? Signs that the team knows they're doing poorly.

 

What a load of shite.

 

[AlanSkÃrare]

Should not be forgotten that Colo is integral to our style of play as he doesn't hoof at first sight of the ball. He solves so many situations by playing it on the ground and into Cabaye.

 

Still waiting to see a midfield three of Anita-Tioté-Cabaye, I think that's the formula. Colo and Taylor playing it into Anita or Cabaye, Tioté murdering everyone. Ben Arfa in a free role and Ba just behind Cissé. Ferguson, Sammy and Marveaux as wide alternatives if we need width.

[Robster]

Tiote was lambasting him at one point for just letting McAnuff skip past him.

Wasn't nice to see that. So much for our much vaunted team spirit. Why are teammates shouting at each other? Signs that the team knows they're doing poorly.

Have you ever played football ? That's just part and parcel of the game.

[AlanSkÃrare]

Tiote was lambasting him at one point for just letting McAnuff skip past him.

Wasn't nice to see that. So much for our much vaunted team spirit. Why are teammates shouting at each other? Signs that the team knows they're doing poorly.

Have you ever played football ? That's just part and parcel of the game.

 

Poor performances should never been taken lightly or encouraged. These people are professionals, they should have played enough to know when they deserve stick, even from team mates. If you can't react with determination to improve your not cut out for it.

[Dave]

Hideous post tbh.

[Guest bimpy474]

Tiote blamed Tav, Tav blamed Ben Arfa. I think it was quite ridiculous.

 

Tav was watching and wandering back as that cross was coming in, he's the defender not Ben Arfa tbf.

 

Funnily enough Tav has looked good at centre back and left back, yet looked shaky at right back which is his supposed best position.

[Kanji]

I thought Perch/Bigi starting was not the right way to go. I thought Anita at RB would have been better but I assume Pards has noticed that Anita is obviously not as strong in the air as Perch.  Would have liked to see Anita's quickness and pace in the centre with Tiote, even thought I was very impressed with Bigi's performance.

[Smal]

http://i49.tinypic.com/2eov3b4.png

 

[Beren]

Considerably higher than the next team down too. That's front-foot fast-paced football philosophy for you.

 

Oh dear, Alan.

[TBG]

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE SAY WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE

[Disco]

As % of passes attempted there are teams that are worse. Still doesn't make for good reading though. Would love to see how many of those are from the keeper, RB, Williamson triangle of hoof.

[colinmk]

What constitutes a long ball in that table?

[Smal]

A pass longer than 25 yards

[ponsaelius]

That includes things like raking cross field passes and desperate clearances etc too though. Bit of a shit stat really. Not every pass ove 25 yards is a 'long ball'.

 

Make no mistake though, we do do far too many actual hopeless punts up field. Hopefully these sooper stat men can come back with a proper table.

[leffe186]

That includes things like raking cross field passes and desperate clearances etc too though. Bit of a s*** stat really. Not every pass ove 25 yards is a 'long ball'.

 

Make no mistake though, we do do far too many actual hopeless punts up field. Hopefully these sooper stat men can come back with a proper table.

 

They might discount the hopeless punts (I have no idea). It seems like a reasonable starting point for debate though - I mean, I'd expect Man U, Arsenal, Man C, Swansea and Southampton to be roughly where they are based on simply watching games. It can't be that bad of a stat.

 

The percentage of long vs short would be a better indication - e.g. Stoke 25.8%, Newcastle 23.4%. That's still quite a lot. It's not blasphemy to suggest that you've not been playing great passing football so far this season, with extenuating circumstances such as Colocinni and Cabaye's injuries. Which brings me to:

 

“I genuinely believe we can win something,” he said. “I think we can break that Champions League position. We came very close last year, we’ve kept all our best players, our young players are coming through, when this team is fully fit we can deal with anything.”

 

Need to play a hell of a lot better than we have so far, Alan.

 

Have we played a fully fit team yet? maybe Spurs but not sure

 

The point is, surely, that virtually no-one has. Everton maybe. Everybody has had injuries, most have been missing someone crucial, but you have to expect that in a season. You have to prepare for it, which is why it seems insane to me that (a) you didn't get another CB in (b) you didn't keep Best/get another CF in.

[Parky]

We are essentially a long ball side and have been the whole time Pard8 has been here and there is no talking around that. The instructions are pretty clear when anyone in mf or def gets the ball - 9/10 it's hit long. The odd short one is when they give it to Hatem or Santon runs down the wing with it. No point in dressing it up any other way.

 

It's not really about the lack of movement either as it's pretty clear to me players are told to hold positions or get told off..The CM pairing are rarely in and around the box. Cabaye and Tiote often take hopeless slashes at the ball from 35 yards out instead of moving forward with it through passing interchanges. It really is torture.

 

This is compounded by the fact we have wide players playing on their wrong foot so can't cross from the byline and have to come inside and there is a lack of real pace in the side on the wings or otherwise. We have literally survived on world class finishing and and Hatem being unstopppable on his day, not much else. Krul kept us in many games last year as we rode our luck. That might be running out now.

 

The percentage game can only take you so far and we genuinely suprised many sides last year who now study us more closely and will redoble their efforts this year. Some games this year already I've seen 3 defenders close down Hatem.

[Guest Dontooner]

We are essentially a long ball side and have been the whole time Pard8 has been here and there is no talking around that. The instructions are pretty clear when anyone in mf or def gets the ball - 9/10 it's hit long. The odd short one is when they give it to Hatem or Santon runs down the wing with it. No point in dressing it up any other way.

 

It's not really about the lack of movement either as it's pretty clear to me players are told to hold positions or get told off..The CM pairing are rarely in and around the box. Cabaye and Tiote often take hopeless slashes at the ball from 35 yards out instead of moving forward with it through passing interchanges. It really is torture.

 

This is compounded by the fact we have wide players playing on their wrong foot so can't cross from the byline and have to come inside and there is a lack of real pace in the side on the wings or otherwise. We have literally survived on world class finishing and and Hatem being unstopppable on his day, not much else. Krul kept us in many games last year as we rode our luck. That might be running out now.

 

The percentage game can only take you so far and we genuinely suprised many sides last year who now study us more closely and will redoble their efforts this year. Some games this year already I've seen 3 defenders close down Hatem.

Finally, someone sinks in with the cold hard truth. Agree with every line, in order for us to be organized in defense which we indeed look much better than the previous regimes, we lack fluid movement and un predictability, We dont have many players that could dribble and make spaces, thats why its so obvious Ben Arfa has being the one and only first team player creating most of our recent opportunities.

 

In footy, you either keep passing into space to exploit the opposition weakest spot Or you have talented players with pace or skills to make space.

Good teams apply both systems.

[Parky]

I have doubts with regard to Anita in the sense that he looks too lightweight for the rough and tumble of  PL midfield supremecy battles. He is a good passer of the ball with good awareness but will be isolated in our often mf 2 against the 3 of the other side who are bigger and faster. This scenario gives him little chance to gain a foothold with regard to confidence and sustainability. In all honesty the 2 man mifield has to be top notch (Tiote and Cabaye can just about do it if someone drops off as Ba was last year). For now would be better off at right back.

 

All in all a strange buy for that kind of money if we were only going to buy one player. A good quality def would have been better who can perhaps cover 2 positions. Our backup players aren't PL quality. There are a couple like Bigi and maybe Vukic that might come through (I have high hopes for Bigi) but in all honesty that will take a couple of years before they can deliver week in week out.

[Smal]

disagree about Anita. I think he's got great potential and because he is a bit lightweight he'll probably need a season to adapt

[Parky]

disagree about Anita. I think he's got great potential and because he is a bit lightweight he'll probably need a season to adapt

 

I agree he has potential but where does that leave us now? In a 4 competition season with only 2 proven PL quality midfielders who will rarely both be fit and available at the same time (if not tired or overworked) as the season continues. Anita would have time in a 3 man midfield with Tiote behind him as the safety net. But Pard8 will never play that.

 

On the upside Pard8 has shown last year he can maximise results from an unbalanced collection of players.

[Mick]

  As if we needed a table to prove we play long ball. 

[mrmojorisin75]

We are essentially a long ball side and have been the whole time Pard8 has been here and there is no talking around that. The instructions are pretty clear when anyone in mf or def gets the ball - 9/10 it's hit long. The odd short one is when they give it to Hatem or Santon runs down the wing with it. No point in dressing it up any other way.

 

It's not really about the lack of movement either as it's pretty clear to me players are told to hold positions or get told off..The CM pairing are rarely in and around the box. Cabaye and Tiote often take hopeless slashes at the ball from 35 yards out instead of moving forward with it through passing interchanges. It really is torture.

 

This is compounded by the fact we have wide players playing on their wrong foot so can't cross from the byline and have to come inside and there is a lack of real pace in the side on the wings or otherwise. We have literally survived on world class finishing and and Hatem being unstopppable on his day, not much else. Krul kept us in many games last year as we rode our luck. That might be running out now.

 

The percentage game can only take you so far and we genuinely suprised many sides last year who now study us more closely and will redoble their efforts this year. Some games this year already I've seen 3 defenders close down Hatem.

Finally, someone sinks in with the cold hard truth. Agree with every line, in order for us to be organized in defense which we indeed look much better than the previous regimes, we lack fluid movement and un predictability, We dont have many players that could dribble and make spaces, thats why its so obvious Ben Arfa has being the one and only first team player creating most of our recent opportunities.

 

In footy, you either keep passing into space to exploit the opposition weakest spot Or you have talented players with pace or skills to make space.

Good teams apply both systems.

 

but true, all of it

[sugoinufc]

We are essentially a long ball side and have been the whole time Pard8 has been here and there is no talking around that. The instructions are pretty clear when anyone in mf or def gets the ball - 9/10 it's hit long. The odd short one is when they give it to Hatem or Santon runs down the wing with it. No point in dressing it up any other way.

 

It's not really about the lack of movement either as it's pretty clear to me players are told to hold positions or get told off..The CM pairing are rarely in and around the box. Cabaye and Tiote often take hopeless slashes at the ball from 35 yards out instead of moving forward with it through passing interchanges. It really is torture.

 

This is compounded by the fact we have wide players playing on their wrong foot so can't cross from the byline and have to come inside and there is a lack of real pace in the side on the wings or otherwise. We have literally survived on world class finishing and and Hatem being unstopppable on his day, not much else. Krul kept us in many games last year as we rode our luck. That might be running out now.

 

The percentage game can only take you so far and we genuinely suprised many sides last year who now study us more closely and will redoble their efforts this year. Some games this year already I've seen 3 defenders close down Hatem.

 

+ incredible teamspirit.

[Sifu]

Stats don't necessarily mean a lot...

 

Going to ignore that table like.