I was just about to...

Alright, fair point, but it's the first time more or less in 10 months that we've seen it. So is it a mark of the man, or is it something else? Not saying we should "expect" a victory against Liverpool, but it's hard to know what we should expect. Some moments today genuinely caught me off guard, as I'm sat po-faced begrudging Pards' the victory. The counter with Cabella/Haidara, the burst from Cabella to give us a shot at 3-1, Sissoko's charge, Sammy's decisiveness for the goal. I cracked a smile at times. Question is where do we go from here? The blind hatred is fading, for sure. Bottom line is if we, as a team, played like that - more or less - every week, with a solid defensive line, gutsy midfield performances and exciting counter-attacking, I could get it. I could understand we would win some, lose some. And we'd come out supporting the team, the manager, and raising the roof at times. I don't understand what it is that prevents us from doing so, hence the scepticism around Pards on this one, the first thought that pops in the head is "oops, Europa League and ol' Pocky got this one wrong" rather than "finally Pards' methods are paying off"!!

 

Gouff is a trier, but that's nowhere near enough. You need to add something when you're one of a front three above and beyond some huff and puff. He's not really defending from the front, which is what you were getting at, more he's just kind of busy and bustling once he's lost it. Point is, he keeps losing it. He's not really a top quality player, is the problem. Doesn't add much bar a bit of graft. I get why the manager likes it. Jonas got a lot of games for this reason. But Sammy shows as much desire and a considerable amount more talent. At times the ball sticks to him, he has pace, and it looks like - and this is a tick for Pards - he's finally got it. Aarons is arguably a better prospect than Sammy and a more decisive player than Gouff. Cabella is also more talented. Gouff is, in my opinion, a kind of understudy who should be used for pace, for tiring legs, to hassle a weary opposition and nothing more.

 

I see him as the other way around, because he can keep up with the pace of a game, bringing on Cabella, Aarons etc afterwards brings dividends. I don't see him as an impact substitute, but it'll be interesting to see how Pardew lines up next time.

 

Neither do I - he's a dependable source of seeing a game out. He'll track back, check the positions, unsettle the back 4 or back 6. I guess the problem is he's only useful if you're relatively comfortable in a game. Today was very much an anomaly!

 

How about a Gentleman's wager... if he scores 8 or more league goals, you have to put whatever I want as your signature... if he scores less, I have to put whatever you want as mine?

 

The problem with this is Sammy isn't good at keeping his fitness levels up for a full game. If you managed to hear, somehow there was a mic near the touchline which caught Pardew giving Sammy advice about how to pace himself during the game. Just about shows u what is the issue with Sammy, and of course we've seen for ourselves Sammy has a kind of breathing problem when he plays. Needing to draw huge gasps of air after awhile. My point being, Sammy isn't putting himself in contention over Gouf to start, and the ideal situation that Gouf comes off the bench, is moot since there isn't anybody to challenge Gouf in terms of what he brings to the table.

 

Yep. He was blowing out his arse and I picked up the Pardew thing too. Until Aarons is fit we have no real option but Gouff, which I find depressing. Cabella will hopefully be ready at some stage but yesterday was the first sign of anything from him. He still managed a pathetic dive again. Sammy is handy back up. Obertan would be ahead of Gouff for me at present such is the alarming drop off in Gouffs performance level.

 

He's a smug prick.

 

Must be nice for him when he can give a bit back to the whinging masses.

Go on Alan son!

 

....and he wonders why people despise him. Credit for yesterday Pardew. Good performance and result, but as Stan Collymore said - Every blind squirrel finds a nut in the forest'.

 

Alan pardew needs to go asap, what pardew fails to mention is we were lucky not to be 3 or 4 down by half time.

 

Yes Alan - The last 10 months have all been forgotten about because of one half decent performance against a **** Spurs side. **** off. Let's see your interview after Man City smash 10 past us on Wednesday night [even though I've already predicted 7-0, but **** it...what is an extra 3 for arguments sake?]. Prick.

 

Gouf is a waste of space atm ...I like him as a player..not bad not great but always worked hard and gave 100% (jonas MkII), for a while now he hasn't been anywhere close to working hard or giving 100%..in fact he looks like he cant be arsed...so now he kinda defends and kinda attacks and kinda closes down at best.

Re well done Pardew re changing things ..Yes absolutely, the lads at least tried to play mildly attacking football in the second half, (ignoring that spurs could have had 5 easily due to none exixtant organisation in defense)

The question still needs to be asked..Why were we so so so unbelievably awful in the first half Mr Pardew, that a mild change in fortune/tactics/subs brought such a change that you seem to consider yourself somekind of managerial god? Pardew set the team up in a 9-0-1 formation basically to get a 0-0 draw. AND was FORCED to do ..ANYTHING (normally he woudl have waited till 60 mins to LB sub, but he knows the pressure is on him now and cant afford to wait)

Cisse injured 2hrs before kick off...Shouldn't you have changed formation ( these are professional experienced footballers that SHOULD be able to adapt to formation changes otherwise the manager isnt doing his job (again)) ..So as to ensure a new, relatively slight youngster didn't play up front on his own? (ie the 4-3-3 we went to in second half) (Perez will never be a lone striker anyways even if bulked up a bit)

(edit: why the hell aren't we playing 4-3-3 anyways? 4-2-3-1 just ain't working and hasn't for a while now)

Playing Sissoko in his natural position ie CM is hardly a masterstroke either..and paid dividends

So yes well done for changing things and well done to the team 2nd half..but just because you set the team up badly, motivated them poorly in the 1st half, and allowed them to be clueless and bewildered YET again ..and turned it round from such a low starting point...isn't something that should be praised 'TOO' highly

We are still Rotten to the core ..and just because our/my expectations have been driven so low that the slightest display of footballing competence can be viewed as summat...magnificent ..It doesn't wash with me ... (if things radically improve in the next 10 games ..will re-assess but till then)

Was a great win though..and was good to feel, at least marginally, engaged with the game for a long time