We have no superstars to be fair. Sissoko has been immense this season as he's been moved in to the middle rather than playing out wide. We are very well drilled (credit to Pardew) and run ourselves in to the ground every game. Our one truly top class player is Janmaat, only Ivanovic and Zabaleta are better than him at full back IMO. Other than that the reason we're doing well is because Pardew has kept it simple and is asking the players to do what they do best and nothing beyond that. Examples being Cisse, not being asked to get involved in the link up play but just to make sure he's in the box when we're hitting the by-line. Same with Sissoko, we're sitting deep and compact so that when we break he's got the whole pitch to attack with his speed and strength. Pardew has set us up to play to our strengths, we're not dominating the ball because we don't have a Cabaye and Cabella hasn't hit the heights he needs to yet. We're a solid, hard working team with 2-3 very good players (Colo, Janmaat, Sissoko) and some half decent ones who gave been working their bollocks off lately. It's great to watch for us as its all any fan of any club asks for, maximum effort and passion but it's not all that exciting for the neutral. Fair play to the lads and fair play to Pardew for making most of our fan base eat humble pie. I'm certainly not going to crow over here before the derby given how the last three have gone.
If Colback gets a starting spot then Catt and Larsson would walk into your side. Tiote + Colback= Poor & Average. Hacky wants Wickham in your side. That in itself speaks volumes about your squad.
Remember Colback is running games & has improved loads since leaving Sunderland watch the lad against West ham & Chelsea & it's just the same old colback to me.
Cattermole and Larsson..... What speaks volumes about our squad is our recent run and league position.
He's being played in a holding role. Which he's decent at. He's no Ki that's for sure. Shows what ****e the Mags have been watching the last few seasons under pardew. We thought we'd had it bad.
Me too, a some of the mags are saying Tiote as DM next to Colback in the holding role doesn't work well. From what I've seen I agree with them.
