Alan Pardew

[Guest bimpy474]

If the premier league is a priority over the EL though, as he suggested, why wouldnt he spend the week preparing for the Premier League game?

 

And why does he change the system from one competition to another? Most clubs have a way of playing and buy/coach players to fit it. We're lucky if we last 45 minutes without having to shuffle the pack.

 

Surely the logical thing to do is to play the same system Sunday and Thursday so players right through the squad can get used to it and find it less difficult to fit into one particular system?

 

Indeed, it seems to me that he prefers 4-3-3 but he thinks 4-4-2 is less likely to leak goals, that's to do with the style of play that comes with each formation imo. With 4-4-2 we see long ball and with 4-3-3 more build up. This is the reason why I think we'll progress to 4-3-3 when he's happy with the defence. We tend to play 4-3-3 when he doesn't think there's much danger in the other team.

 

I'm not so sure, it's not like he goes from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 game-by-game, the only time we've played the former in the league is that run of six or seven wins ending with the hammering at Wigan, and we played it no matter who we faced. The defence hadn't been particularly good in the run-up to that game either.

 

I fear it comes down to the simple matter of keeping Ba happy, that's the only way I can see the logic.

 

I also think its his defensive outlook too, he likes the two banks of four.

[loki679]

If he's just trying to keep Ba happy then couldn't he just play him as the central of the three?

[Wullie]

If he's just trying to keep Ba happy then couldn't he just play him as the central of the three?

 

I've edited above, we don't have anyone else capable of playing that wide forward role.

[Guest bimpy474]

If he's just trying to keep Ba happy then couldn't he just play him as the central of the three?

 

You are using far too much common sense there, for me we are still too wrapped up in who play left/right/centre.

 

Just play Ba, Cisse and Barfa and let them roam, whoever is left, whoever is right, whoever is in the middle when the play breaks down then they defend that area. English teams are still far too rigid.

[loki679]

If he's just trying to keep Ba happy then couldn't he just play him as the central of the three?

 

You are using far too much common sense there, for me we are still too wrapped up in who play left/right/centre.

 

Just play Ba, Cisse and Barfa and let them roam, whoever is left, whoever is right, whoever is in the middle when the play breaks down then they defend that area. English teams are still far too rigid.

 

Yeah, i'd love to see that and I think those three could make it work.  I don't think Pards will do that though, so for me we're stuck to trying to get players into those positions.  Ferguson could maybe do a job on the left of a three, not sure he poses enough goal threat though and we'd need a midfielder getting into the box too.

[Mole_Toonfan]

If he's just trying to keep Ba happy then couldn't he just play him as the central of the three?

 

I've edited above, we don't have anyone else capable of playing that wide forward role.

 

Yep Ba is the only CF we have that is capable of playing wide consistently and with Ba scoring all the goals you can sort of understand it.

 

I think an ideal world Pardew would like a wide player who is a goal threat so he could rotate Ba and Cisse and keep the balance.

 

I don't think for one second he would buy all these midfielders and then not bother using them i just think he's concerned with the lack of goal threat on the pitch with just Ba or Cisse.

 

He definitely likes at least 2 goalscorers on the pitch at all times whether that be a front 2 or a front 3 so being linked with the likes of Tom Ince etc etc makes sense.

 

It is also to make Ba happy which does annoy me a bit as no one is above the team but i do think there's more to it than just keeping Ba happy.

[Guest bimpy474]

If he's just trying to keep Ba happy then couldn't he just play him as the central of the three?

 

You are using far too much common sense there, for me we are still too wrapped up in who play left/right/centre.

 

Just play Ba, Cisse and Barfa and let them roam, whoever is left, whoever is right, whoever is in the middle when the play breaks down then they defend that area. English teams are still far too rigid.

 

Yeah, i'd love to see that and I think those three could make it work.  I don't think Pards will do that though, so for me we're stuck to trying to get players into those positions.  Ferguson could maybe do a job on the left of a three, not sure he poses enough goal threat though and we'd need a midfielder getting into the box too.

 

Well i'd go two holding players, let Cabaye free to link up with a front 3 that roam about, we will never see it under Pardew i'm afraid, not having a go at him its just something English managers will never give players the freedom to do.

 

I'd try Fergie too but thats looking at it like Left wing/Right Wing/Centre Forward. Where as i want 3 forwards to do what they like. Fergie it is then

[Mole_Toonfan]

The difference between a forward and a winger is rather drastic, Ferguson is a fantastic winger but i'm not sure he could do the job as a forward.

 

I'd trust Sammy or even Obertan more in such a role.

[loki679]

If he's just trying to keep Ba happy then couldn't he just play him as the central of the three?

 

You are using far too much common sense there, for me we are still too wrapped up in who play left/right/centre.

 

Just play Ba, Cisse and Barfa and let them roam, whoever is left, whoever is right, whoever is in the middle when the play breaks down then they defend that area. English teams are still far too rigid.

 

Yeah, i'd love to see that and I think those three could make it work.  I don't think Pards will do that though, so for me we're stuck to trying to get players into those positions.  Ferguson could maybe do a job on the left of a three, not sure he poses enough goal threat though and we'd need a midfielder getting into the box too.

 

Well i'd go two holding players, let Cabaye free to link up with a front 3 that roam about, we will never see it under Pardew i'm afraid, not having a go at him its just something English managers will never give players the freedom to do.

 

I'd try Fergie to but thats looking at it like Left wing/Right Wing/Centre Forward. Where as i want 3 forwards to do what they like. Fergie it is then

 

He's very concerned with what we're doing when the opposition has the ball.  Watch us when a move breaks down and they get it, players drop into positions like they're on autopilot it's so well drilled.  Everyone knows exactly where they should be when the opposition has the ball.  I'm not sure how you could square that defensive discipline with a floating front three.

[Dr Venkman]

If he's just trying to keep Ba happy then couldn't he just play him as the central of the three?

 

You are using far too much common sense there, for me we are still too wrapped up in who play left/right/centre.

 

Just play Ba, Cisse and Barfa and let them roam, whoever is left, whoever is right, whoever is in the middle when the play breaks down then they defend that area. English teams are still far too rigid.

 

But we've already done that, that's the exact system we played at the end of last season and it worked a charm. This season when we do play a 3 Ba is NEVER out of the centre, even to the point where Shola is playing on the right.

[Guest bimpy474]

If he's just trying to keep Ba happy then couldn't he just play him as the central of the three?

 

You are using far too much common sense there, for me we are still too wrapped up in who play left/right/centre.

 

Just play Ba, Cisse and Barfa and let them roam, whoever is left, whoever is right, whoever is in the middle when the play breaks down then they defend that area. English teams are still far too rigid.

 

But we've already done that, that's the exact system we played at the end of last season and it worked a charm. This season when we do play a 3 Ba is NEVER out of the centre, even to the point where Shola is playing on the right.

 

Aye, that has been a problem with whatever system we play, the lack of movement. Players easy to pick up and no players to show for passes. Its down to Pardew to come up with something different. Certainly not Shola on the right, that was very Souness and made me die a little inside.

[Guest bimpy474]

If he's just trying to keep Ba happy then couldn't he just play him as the central of the three?

 

You are using far too much common sense there, for me we are still too wrapped up in who play left/right/centre.

 

Just play Ba, Cisse and Barfa and let them roam, whoever is left, whoever is right, whoever is in the middle when the play breaks down then they defend that area. English teams are still far too rigid.

 

Yeah, i'd love to see that and I think those three could make it work.  I don't think Pards will do that though, so for me we're stuck to trying to get players into those positions.  Ferguson could maybe do a job on the left of a three, not sure he poses enough goal threat though and we'd need a midfielder getting into the box too.

 

Well i'd go two holding players, let Cabaye free to link up with a front 3 that roam about, we will never see it under Pardew i'm afraid, not having a go at him its just something English managers will never give players the freedom to do.

 

I'd try Fergie to but thats looking at it like Left wing/Right Wing/Centre Forward. Where as i want 3 forwards to do what they like. Fergie it is then

 

He's very concerned with what we're doing when the opposition has the ball.  Watch us when a move breaks down and they get it, players drop into positions like they're on autopilot it's so well drilled.  Everyone knows exactly where they should be when the opposition has the ball.  I'm not sure how you could square that defensive discipline with a floating front three.

 

With the floating three up top its then about the team filling in each position and that is where English managers lose the way.

 

Two holding player help as they fill in each side wide, but unless you get a front three and the third Centre mid (we have in Cabaye) who work hard say like Barca's from the last few seasons defensively, then the system fails.

 

Mute point mind as Pardew, as you say is more concerned with the oppo than our own play at the moment, it seems like anyway.

[Dr Venkman]

I think it's down to Pardew to tell Ba he's playing for a team and not for himself.

[Guest bimpy474]

I think it's down to Pardew to tell Ba he's playing for a team and not for himself.

 

100% spot on, as it should be for all players. Player power in full working order it seems.

[Dr Venkman]

I think it's down to Pardew to tell Ba he's playing for a team and not for himself.

 

100% spot on, as it should be for all players. Player power in full working order it seems.

 

At the same time I think he's trying to keep him happy because he knows how much it'd cost to replace him and that we really need to upgrade other areas of the team first.

[Guest bimpy474]

I think it's down to Pardew to tell Ba he's playing for a team and not for himself.

 

100% spot on, as it should be for all players. Player power in full working order it seems.

 

At the same time I think he's trying to keep him happy because he knows how much it'd cost to replace him and that we really need to upgrade other areas of the team first.

 

True about Ba i reckon. I think cost is out of his thinking now though. I think Pardew knows will be signing players which wouldn't be his first choice but the chairman's price choice. Still a player Pardew has looked at tbf, but way down on this mythical list they are supposed to look at.

[alexthegreat]

Top 3 are City, United and Chelsea in any order you like and 4th at the moment i'd say is between Arsenal and Spurs....

 

I have said many times i don't think they are much better than us at our best if at all the problem we have not seen our best since demolishing Stoke at the end of last season.

 

I think top 4 would have been very do-able if we actually got the players we wanted in the summer in fact i would have been confident of it.

 

The points total isn't so great to totally rule it out 4 points off Spurs who have hardly been impressive but i really can't see it.

 

I'd bite your hand off for a deep run in Europe or/and FA Cup and 7th tbh.

 

Yep, that would be a good season for us. Whether it'd be enough to convince these players who apparently believe they could play for a top four side to stay at the club is another question, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

 

The funny thing is that Pardew keeps going on about 4th as a genuine target and yet if any of the fans said the same they'd be shouted down as typically deluded and with unreasonable expectations etc. We signed one f***ing player for the first team in the summer, and he's featured in about half the games so far. That's not the actions of a team trying to improve on their league position and take one of the biggest steps forward possible.

 

4th.

 

Win tomorrow and we will be 1 point behind 4th. May as well aim at it for now.

[Guest]

People mocking him for aiming for 4th need to take a look at Arsenal & Spurs tbh. No reason we can't challenge them again this season.

[Wullie]

People mocking him for aiming for 4th need to take a look at Arsenal & Spurs tbh. No reason we can't challenge them again this season.

 

I don't think anyone's 'mocking' him for aiming for 4th, that's what we should be aiming for - but performances will have to improve drastically to get us anywhere near and maybe he'd be better keeping quiet about Champions League prospects until they do. If it was me, I wouldn't dream of saying those things before a trip to Anfield for a start, asking for egg on your face.

[Guest]

He's said it pretty much from day one this season tbf.

[TRon]

People mocking him for aiming for 4th need to take a look at Arsenal & Spurs tbh. No reason we can't challenge them again this season.

 

You can only go by what you've seen so far and I'm far from convinced. But yes, we have the players to put together a very decent team which could challenge if everything clicks and we get them playing in a coherent effective fashion.

[Ronaldo]

People mocking him for aiming for 4th need to take a look at Arsenal & Spurs tbh. No reason we can't challenge them again this season.

 

I don't think anyone's 'mocking' him for aiming for 4th, that's what we should be aiming for - but performances will have to improve drastically to get us anywhere near and maybe he'd be better keeping quiet about Champions League prospects until they do. If it was me, I wouldn't dream of saying those things before a trip to Anfield for a start, asking for egg on your face.

 

Yeah. Timing's completely off.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Speaking of 4th if we do pull off the miracle tomorrow we will be 1 point off 4th

 

Unlikely but still maybe he's not as nutty as we claimed

 

It's not like Spurs and Arsenal have been impressive and Everton who have been impressive have dropped points while looking good and quite frankly i don't see them going on big winning runs.

 

I would still snap your hand off for 7th and a cup run mind but i wouldn't rule it out completely. 4th is really going to be about whose the least shit really as none of the contenders look any better than the rest.

[ATB]

I still can´t help but feel we are wasting so much talent and potential with not having a proper offensive plan. We have so much in us!

 

Saying that it was great to see the line up with a offensive set up and Cabaye as a really offensive player. Ben Arfa, Cabaye etc are so much better when playing offensively. We shouldn´t play after our opponent, but go for it!

 

But. Can this be a start for something better?

[Dave]

It's half time.