Team v. QPR

I'd be tempted to play Vuckic and Ben Arfa (if he doesnt mind playing on the wing, Pards implied he isnt happy there), Vuckic looks like he has goals in him. Maybe even play Gosling as well (if Guthrie isnt 100%) as he always looks a threat. We dont have goalscoring strikers, so to set our midfield up for goals makes sense to me.

Krul
Simpson Willo Colo Santon
Cabaye Gosling
HBA Vuckic Jonas
Shola​

There you have in midfield: 2 inverted wingers who can cut in and shoot, two midfielders who make good runs into the box and provide goal threat (Vuckic and Gosling - not unlike Nolan) and Cabaye who is a threat shooting from distance. Shola can hold up the ball better than Best to bring those 5 into play or maybe even score himself.

 

Is Guthrie back from injury, have I missed something?

 

Yeah he's trained since Tuesday if I remember right.

 

If this game was against a quality team like Liverpool, I'd not even consider Vuckic, but against QPR, maybe bring him on as a sub, but I'd definitely start with the two biguns up front.

Jonas and HBA should be told to push up the pitch more as we have two fullbacks that can handle themselves at the back now.

 

Ah good, I would play him if he was fit. He was excellent before getting injured.

Shame he is injury prone, esp when he starts playing well.

 

Shola showed some really good touches against Man Utd and managed to slip the ball into Ba in dangerous positions. Whose to say he can't get Best into those positions?

He'll never set the world alight but he's not entirely useless on a football pitch. Yes. He's inconsistent and that's the main bug bear we all have with him.

Should he manage to get himself into the game against QPR he will cause problems so I'd start with Best and Shola up front with Jonas and Ben Arfa on the wings and Cabaye in the centre supplying dangerous balls to the forward line.

That should open them up as QPR won't be able to cope with the midfield barrage we SHOULD enforce.

 

Me too, but we miss a tackler when he and Cabaye play together, too similar. Would be tempted to give Abeid the QPR game to see if he's up to it. Maybe even 4-3-3

 

Vuckic is a big lad who, in my opinion, could probably do everything shola can. Experience is the only thing in ameobi's favour and i think it would be stupid to start him over vuckic

 

Yup. Vuckic will easily be just as stong and powerful as Ameobi.

 

Difference between Vuckic and Shola is that Vuckic is not a player who can lead the line, he's an attacking midfielder at most.

 

-----------------Krul
Simpson---Willo--Colo---Santon

---------------Abeid---------------
-------Cabaye----Guthrie--------
Ben Arfa------------------Jonas
----------------Best--------------

gets my vote
This is actually what i've been hoping for all year but obviously with Tiote and Ba in

 

'Peter Lovenkrands won't make the game, I don't think' says Pardew on NUFCTV.

 

Bollocks.

 

Ben Arfa vs Clint Hill on Sunday.. can't wait!

 

Well I'd have to strongly disagree with using "would have been assist if the striker had scored" as a basis for showing what Best contributes. Never thought I'd say this but I think we have a striker lazier than Shola on our hands with him aswell. Also, the **** all thing is only a turn of phrase, of course he contributes a little, just like any player would.

 

Best certainly has a much higher work rate than Shola, but when the two of them individually arent scoring, Shola still turns in decent performances whereas Best goes missing.

 

Disagree totally. Best still sets up chances, and has gotten a fair few assists.

 

In fairness to Tash, the Telegraph reckons Best has played 16 'key passes', in the top 25 in the prem.

 

When was his last one? Stoke? He's playing badly and at least Shola has more intelligence, set up Ba for a goal and what should have been a penalty in the Man U game. If Best does create more then it isnt a significant difference.

 

This. Our best option is to dominate the centre of midfield with Barton and Faurlin out.