Tonight/Tomorrow results that affect us!

Spot on this mate.

Wigan play excellent football on a ridiculously small budget and try desperately to win every game, resulting in a fair share of pummelings every year.

They do indeed benefit from end of season syndrome and get results from teams winding down, but then, nothing stopping other teams from putting in the effort and spirit to do the same.

If they survive, and every time they have, no luck about it.

 

True, but it does seem that Wigan have been aided by their fair share of refereeing decisions over the past 3 months, which is more than can be said for us. Perhaps I'm being irrational but I'm still very bitter about that Wigan game, more for the handball than the Haidara injury. Take all the other decisions in other games out and let's just remember how shockingly bad Halsey and his cronies were in that game. Yes you can say what you will about other games after but if that fixture ends a draw the gap would have stayed at 9 points, and we'd all be breathing a lot easier now.

We're **** - of course we are - but all the more reason for officials to give us a helping hand by doing their job. If we could just scrape over the line and get rid of Pardew we surely couldn't be this bollocks next year.

 

If we stay up and Pardew goes, I could actually see us being top 6/top 8 material. His style of play just doesn't suit us.

 

Wigan are nailed on for a win tonight. I think we will be looking at what Norwich do for the rest of the season. I genuinely believe its between us and them. SAFC will have just enough to see them safely over the line.

 

Basically we have to match what Norwich do against West Brom and hope for Man City to score more goals against Norwich than Arsenal does against us. I still believe we will finish above both Norwich and Wigan.

We'll know more tomorrow. In hinsight losing 6-0 to Liverpool hurts us so much. If we had just lots 3-0 we'd effectively have one point more on the board because of superior GD. I can't believe Pardew didn't stress that at half time vs Liverpool and throw on defenders to protect our superior GD.

 

See, realistically, you've been shown that a lot of your players, however talented, aren't up for the fight.

If you survive, for me, you need to get rid of a few (you will see good money) and put some bollocks in the team.

You could be on a real winner, a summer where good players leave your club with your blessing, 3 or 4 British lads could blend into a very decent side, if managed correctly.

 

I get where you're coming from with the lack of fight comment, I just think that Cabaye, Sissoko etc are displaying a lack a fight because they just don't believe this long ball sh*t Pardew has us playing. He's playing Cabaye as a holding midfield, Sissoko has played everywhere other than is natural position. Debuchy looks like he needs time to adapt, but again he's a footballing full back that likes to get the ball down and bomb on. I just think a lot of players have no cofidence in the management team.

I reckon a new manager, with a more free flowing style would get the players performing how they can/should perform.

 

Easy to defend a talented player mate, but a player of Cabaye's capability should accept what he is told and influence games, not sulk, it's a mentality issue, and it will come around again.

What's to say you replace Pardew, season starts well, hits hard times again and he disappears again?

He's old enough now that his mentality is set in stone I'd suggest, he's one of the main lads I think have failed you, with Tiote being the main other one.

Anita was starting to look decent around Christmas, what happened there? Debuchy? He's been awful, but he's new to the league and could come good with pre-season.

 

Wigan will tonight, absolutely nailed on.

Newcastle are relying on Norwich losing both their remaining games, or bettering their results.

 

Completely understand your view point, but Cabaye was promised a team built around him playing carpet football and he's not been given anything close to that. I just think another manager would get him, Marveaux, Sissoko, Tiote etc playing nearer their maximum. Something Pardew has failed to do this season. Cisse would have a nother 8-10 goals if it wasn't for our dour style of football, he litereally feeds off scraps every game.

As for Anita mate only Pardew can answer that one, he's a good box to box midfield with a clever eye for a pass. Again he doens't suit a long ball style of play which is why I can only assume that Pardew doesn't pick him for that reason alone.

 

Yohan Cabaye has stated he is offended by suggestions he's sulking as has Hatem but at the same time, if flair players are told to protect the back 4 rendering them useless then yes they will be far from happy. Attacking midfielders playing anchorman and box to box midfielders on the right just behind a lone striker... have you ever seen an 8 year old on Fifa put out a questionable team because he doesn't know much about the game? well Pardew over the course of the season has made those kind of kids look like tactical maestros.

 

The players just get off way too easy. Its not a bad thing in some ways that Pardew is carrying the can for many of their ills, but its just not reality for me. Pardew has tried to get us playing football but as you say, when the pressure is on, its really down to the players on the pitch to deliver. The bottom line is they haven't. Of course Pardew and the coaches need to aid the players mentally with how they prepare them, but some of it has to come from within. Younger players you can cut some slack but the likes of Cabaye have been found wanting and look a bit fairweather.

I don't buy all this "its Pardew's long ball" bollocks personally. I think we have a few with split peas for hearts who have cracked under pressure. The kicker is the dramatic improvement in style when we had the new influx. The slip back in style has mysteriously coincided with negative results and pressure We lack character. When the chips are down and the pressure is on, that is when you need character to put your foot on the ball and play. We've had the likes of Cabaye just wanting shot of the hot potatoe. Personally I think its the easy way out to blame the manager all the time. he hasn't had a great season but to suggest its all his fault is just utter ****e for me.

Anita has been used poorly by Pardew, that is one where he does deserve criticism. I understand he is trying to give him time to adjust but he should have been used more. Not necessarily from the bench because once the bottlers start bottling and the game s gets long and scrappy he is maybe not the guy. But in that murderous run of games he should have rested Cabaye and Sissoko on occasion but got into the mentality of "these are the best players, therefore they must play".

Debuchy will be fine but it is tricky as a defender coming in mid season. Again Pardew seemed reluctant to go back to Simpson (as were many of the fans mind), when personally I think he never lets us down.

Regardless we need to add in grit for next season and leadership. We have one leader in the squad! Its not enough. The effect Colo had in one game pretty much confirms where we are lacking.

 

Both make good points, but re Cabaye, is it acceptable for him to reject a managers instructions as he feels he's better suited, or should he do his best there?

For me cabaye should be excellent covering the back 4 as he has good passing range and likes a tackle, you could also argue that his weakness is a lack of stamina, making him less suited to playing further up the field.

I hope you can see this isn't an SAFC having a snipe, this is a football fan looking at a very good player and wondering 'what's his beef?'.

Any player at that level, like or lump, should carry out his managers instructions, we all know pardew is inept, and will surely go at the end of the season, but while he is there, Cabaye et al need to do their utmost for the club.

Despite their protestations, they haven't.

 

Great post, and one as an outsider looking in pretty much matches my view.

Obviously, I don't watch you guys as closely as my own team, but as the only other club on the planet that can really get under my skin (not this season, but previously!), of course I watch a decent amount of your games when we don't clash.

 

But that's my point, Cabaye, Tiote etc have been poor, they've looked anything but Premiership players at times. So why doesn't Pardew have the minerals to to actually DROP them? It's because he's not big enough for the job, as shown by him caving in to Ba's demands to play up top rather than wide in a 4-3-3 earlier in the season. It meant he destroyed Cisse's confidence and made him inneffective, Cisse is a finisher, a natural finisher and nothing else. He's not a good enough football to play wide, but Pardew bottled it just to appease Ba in the hope that he would stay.

He did what was best for the indiviudal and not the team. Perch comes in and always does a good, solid 7/10 job, but the moment Tiote is fit he's dropped regardless of how well Perch has done in his absence and regardless of Tiote's awful form for the best part of 9 months. Same with Cabaye, when he's off form he should be dropped for Anita, they're similar players. Pardew won't drop the big names because he's too afraid to rock the boat, that in itself is the biggest crime of all.

 

Regarding your point he likes to tackle, I agree he does like to go in for challenges here and there, but he is in no way shape or form very good at it.

Regarding his stamina.

I'm experienced in General fitness and I am knowledgeable in providing specifically suited conditioning and nutritional programs and judging by Cabaye's and Ben Arfa's decent physical conditions I would go as far as to say that if I failed in keeping those 2 highly energized and of elite cardiovascular standards then I would allow my employers not only to fire me but actually take me out the back yard and put 2 shells into the back of head. So the fact we are allowing key playing staff to turn up in our jersey whilst actually eligible for a tummy tuck is sack worthy in itself.

 

That is the crux pal, he never was, and never will be, worthy of managing a club of such stature.

Last season was incredible, but was Pardew really the brains behind that, or was it a mixture of savvy scouting and a head of steam?

 

Is stamina, rather than general fitness, something that can be massively worked on though? I always guessed stamina was a natural physical resource, which whilst a help to fitness, isn't a natural side effect to it.

 

Stamina is lung capacity and also depends on how quick blood travels through your muscles. If you want to become a cardio monster, here is a few tips:

Diet:
Pasta
Boiled/Poached Egg
Tomatoes
Fish
Blueberries
Turkey breast
New potatoes
Vegetables (steamed/boiled)

Excersize
Running... A lot of people give this up and alot of it's because they get depressed running around their own environment. Try running around public parks/canals etc.
Swimming
Cycling
Weight lifting
Also for weight loss and conditioning I recommend you seek "Afterburning exercises"

A couple more tips. Green Tea is good for taking junk out of your system and also speeds your metabolism and is also canny for your energy levels. Fat is not all bad and there is esential fats you can have such as olive oil, nuts, peanut oil, olives and numerous soya products.

Experiment with healthy smoothies and go for more exotic ones too. I have a perfect Smoothie recipe