Alan Pardew

[Tachikoma]

Well, I've slept on it too.

 

I think what's wrong with our surrendering of the initiative in general is confidence that ultimately stems from having had a difficult start to the season. As has been pointed out, in the past we've sat back and successfully (in some cases comfortably) held onto leads but this season the tendency has been for that to lead to an unbearably high level of pressure, which is not the idea of sitting back.

 

Basically, in itself it isn't a bad idea. Man Utd are fantastic at leaning back on the ropes and waiting for you to shoot yourself in the foot, and if you want to build a team that can compete at a very high level, such as the Champions League, sitting back is a compulsory part of your arsenal.

 

This season and at other times in the past we've been shit at it, no doubt about that. But I think the question should be less "Why do we try to sit back?" and more "How can we get better at it?" to which signing a load of really good players and boosting the confidence of the squad is quite an encouraging answer.

 

Last night, Villa put us under insanely intense pressure right from the 46th minute, such as their fans might be wondering why they don't do it all the time (Answer: Everybody gets injured). They deserve a lot of credit for that, and a lot of teams would've buckled under it. The fact that we didn't have much of a say in the game for a lot of the second half is largely down to their possessed, Braveheart-like assault and that makes last night unlike most other examples you can think of. Reading didn't muster anything like that level of intensity, and nor do 98% of teams, ever.

 

As at West Brom last season, we should be glad when we successfully take a counter-attacking approach. If we try to get by without it, and without being able to slow games down, we'll never get anywhere. The question is, now we've got good enough players to play it around at the back, can we get better at steering matches - forcing opponents to play in front of us, making them chase, etc? We can put out a back 6 now with every inch the pedigree to do that and it's now we should be looking to make it a real arrow in our quiver.

 

Indeed, sitting back itself isn't the problem, the problem is that we're incredibly shit at it. I don't think having better players is going to change that, its more to do with how the coach drills the team. Every Prem side I've seen has a certain routine when it comes to sitting back, or setting up for the counter. We don't seem  to have a better plan than lumping it up to the strikers.

[taxfree]

Shola at centre back clearly wasn't the idea by the way. Shola got stuck in that position during a corner and ball was lofted back so often for the next 5 mins or so that he just stayed there. Highly doubt Pardew went "ah yeah Shola, just stand on the 18 yard line and welly everything away".

 

[Guest tollemache]

Yeah I don't think much of what we did in that second half had ever been requested by Pardew. There were a few hoofs, most notably by Taylor and Cisse when he dropped back, where you'd have thought slowing it down was on, but for the most part, as ever, the hoofing happened when players found themselves under pressure without a safe option. It's that ability to take the sting out and reorganise under pressure we haven't had so far, and the number one requirement for that is to have the confidence to play close to your own goal. As soon as you can work it to a player in space, they have to drop off but you might have to play three or four passes under pressure to find him. On paper, our back 6 now ought to be as good at that as anyone so it'll be interesting to see if there's an improvement. If not - and do make sure you're sitting down - I'll be raising a serious eyebrow in the direction of the manager. I suspect there will be though.

[Darth Crooks]

Yeah I don't think much of what we did in that second half had ever been requested by Pardew. There were a few hoofs, most notably by Taylor and Cisse when he dropped back, where you'd have thought slowing it down was on, but for the most part, as ever, the hoofing happened when players found themselves under pressure without a safe option. It's that ability to take the sting out and reorganise under pressure we haven't had so far, and the number one requirement for that is to have the confidence to play close to your own goal. As soon as you can work it to a player in space, they have to drop off but you might have to play three or four passes under pressure to find him. On paper, our back 6 now ought to be as good at that as anyone so it'll be interesting to see if there's an improvement. If not - and do make sure you're sitting down - I'll be raising a serious eyebrow in the direction of the manager. I suspect there will be though.

 

It boggles the mind that anyne can hold that belief. He's the team coach. If he doesnt buy the players. What else does he do?

[Guest tollemache]

I just mean that he almost certainly didn't say, "Panic like fuck and smash it up the pitch to nobody every chance you get"...

 

I would love to hear him answer questions as to what exactly he did say mind.

[Parky]

His in-game management is often poor. This has been partly related to our poor bench and partly to his clunky solutions. I expect to improve a bit now we have better alternatives.

[Guest neesy111]

His in-game management is often poor. This has been partly related to our poor bench and partly to his clunky solutions. I expect to improve a bit now we have better alternatives.

 

The statistic about us not coming back to win is the biggest tell tale sign about how bad his in game decisions are.

[Taylor Swift]

Yup. The sample size is too large for it to be random variation. He's not good at in-game management, which means the team he starts with is even more important than normal. When you realise that and then see Jonas' name on the team sheet, it really does depress you.

[Guest icemanblue]

Yup. The sample size is too large for it to be random variation. He's not good at in-game management, which means the team he starts with is even more important than normal. When you realise that and then see Jonas' name on the team sheet, it really does depress you.

 

It doesn't depress me, like. Though I think I differ from many on here in thinking no game is lost before it's started.

[loki679]

Yup. The sample size is too large for it to be random variation. He's not good at in-game management, which means the team he starts with is even more important than normal. When you realise that and then see Jonas' name on the team sheet, it really does depress you.

 

It doesn't depress me, like. Though I think I differ from many on here in thinking no game is lost before it's started.

 

Very few think a game is lost before it's started.  After half time team talks, subs and tactical tinkering however.......

[Interpolic]

I always think we've got a chance of winning before the game, that's just my nature. However I have started to write games off when we go behind. With good reason. That's a bit depressing.

[Guest icemanblue]

Yup. The sample size is too large for it to be random variation. He's not good at in-game management, which means the team he starts with is even more important than normal. When you realise that and then see Jonas' name on the team sheet, it really does depress you.

 

It doesn't depress me, like. Though I think I differ from many on here in thinking no game is lost before it's started.

 

Very few think a game is lost before it's started.  After half time team talks, subs and tactical tinkering however.......

 

Aye, righto. Have yourself a look at some of the pre match threads, especially after the lineup is announced.

[Lotus]

Yup. The sample size is too large for it to be random variation. He's not good at in-game management, which means the team he starts with is even more important than normal. When you realise that and then see Jonas' name on the team sheet, it really does depress you.

 

It doesn't depress me, like. Though I think I differ from many on here in thinking no game is lost before it's started.

 

Very few think a game is lost before it's started.  After half time team talks, subs and tactical tinkering however.......

 

Aye, righto. Have yourself a look at some of the pre match threads, especially after the lineup is announced.

 

Tbf, those thinking we wouldn't get a result must have been right about 75% of the time this season. And the line up is a fairly good indicator (although not perfect) of how we're going to play.

[Taylor Swift]

Yup. The sample size is too large for it to be random variation. He's not good at in-game management, which means the team he starts with is even more important than normal. When you realise that and then see Jonas' name on the team sheet, it really does depress you.

 

It doesn't depress me, like. Though I think I differ from many on here in thinking no game is lost before it's started.

 

It depresses me because it's a sign of the football that we'll play. We always have a chance of winning games but I'd like to see us play good football once in a while, too. You know, like a complete 90 minutes once in a while. Even once a season will do at this rate, but that ain't happening with Jonas as a left winger.

[buzza]

Having watched the game again, I'm less annoyed with him. I was frustrated with him straight after half time, but watching it back, he was doing well up until he took Perch off and went 4-4-2. That switch was daft, and while he quickly rectified it for a bit, he then went all out stupid with Shola as a centre back etc.

 

He needs a better gameplan when we're under pressure. They had good physical players, so having height made sense, but we weren't set up to threaten them at all which could have been a massive help in pinning them back, more important than simply having some big lads there to help.

 

In his defence, I think the new recruits were caught out in that second half and consequently tired very easily, and while we have strengthened, there still isn't much in the way of attacking options off the bench. Obertan would have been useful but he was strangely absent.

Sensible post.

I would add to that the reason for keeping Cisse out wide is that 1) He has height and can prove to be an outlet and 2) he works his socks off allways...

Can't fualt him for that, if we had Ryan Taylor for example I don't think we would have seen Cisse pushed wide...

[buzza]

I just mean that he almost certainly didn't say, "Panic like f*** and smash it up the pitch to nobody every chance you get"...

 

I would love to hear him answer questions as to what exactly he did say mind.

My sentiments exactly. P.S. Your longer post a page back was on the nail.

 

Confidence/Injuries and yes, to an extent the manager has to share the blame, but FFS folks it can't always come down to a witch hunt... er yes it can on here

[buzza]

P.P.S. Forgot to include the fatboys lack of investment this summer past!

[Guest icemanblue]

Yup. The sample size is too large for it to be random variation. He's not good at in-game management, which means the team he starts with is even more important than normal. When you realise that and then see Jonas' name on the team sheet, it really does depress you.

 

It doesn't depress me, like. Though I think I differ from many on here in thinking no game is lost before it's started.

 

It depresses me because it's a sign of the football that we'll play. We always have a chance of winning games but I'd like to see us play good football once in a while, too. You know, like a complete 90 minutes once in a while. Even once a season will do at this rate, but that ain't happening with Jonas as a left winger.

 

We played excellent football on Tuesday, with Jonas and Perch in the side. Fair enough it was only the first half, but our confidence in playing that way will have increased after the result. I'd expect to see more of it on the back of that.

[Dr Venkman]

These posts are from 12 months ago. We've now got the upgrades in the first team, let's see how he gets on.

 

Robson had belief in his own ability though; being high up in the Premier League didn't faze him in the slightest. I'm not convinced this applies to Pardew. It's as though he's so nervous about mucking up what we've acheived so far that he's trying everything possible to avoid it and it's at risk of backfiring. Our season is on a knife-edge at the moment IMO.

 

I agree, which is why I've accused him of bottling it a few times this season, Liverpool was the worst. Like I said elsewhere it's only gonna take one or two upgrades to the first team for Pardew to look like the weak link every single week unless he changes his mindset.

[maze]

Best signing of the day would be seeing this guy walk...

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Best signing of the day would be seeing this guy walk...

 

Better than Oovavu though?

[Dave]

I always think we've got a chance of winning before the game, that's just my nature. However I have started to write games off when we go behind. With good reason. That's a bit depressing.

 

RE: points from losing positions, by my reckoning:

 

2010/11 - 2 points

2011/12 - 4 points

2012/13 - 3 points

 

Total of 9 points gained in all Pardew's time here.

[Tooj]

I always think we've got a chance of winning before the game, that's just my nature. However I have started to write games off when we go behind. With good reason. That's a bit depressing.

 

RE: points from losing positions, by my reckoning:

 

2010/11 - 2 points

2011/12 - 4 points

2012/13 - 3 points

 

Total of 9 points gained in all Pardew's time here.

 

That really is a pathetic stat.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I always think we've got a chance of winning before the game, that's just my nature. However I have started to write games off when we go behind. With good reason. That's a bit depressing.

 

RE: points from losing positions, by my reckoning:

 

2010/11 - 2 points

2011/12 - 4 points

2012/13 - 3 points

 

Total of 9 points gained in all Pardew's time here.

 

That really is a pathetic stat.

 

Looks awful, how does it compare to other managers and teams though?

[Interpolic]

madras will know.