A manager that knows how to use players - Obertan!

I've been saying for ages, use Obertan for his PACE. Pardew insisted on trying to give Obertan the ball and have him skin players. He's not that sort of player!

He's much better when you play balls through and he uses his pace to run on to them. Case and point, his assist yesterday.

He's got incredible pace when running onto the ball, but average pace with the ball. Play balls through and having him beat defenders with pace. Few fullbacks in this league as quick as Obertan.

McClarens got a far better eye for spotting a players assets.

 

Yesterday's assist was absolutely fantastic. A few more like that and he'll start to win the doubters over. Me included

 

To be fair, Pardew had him in great form at the start of last season. It will all depend on Obertan I think. He has shown flashes but picks up an injury or loses confidence. He is not the answer but he can be useful because of his searing pace.

 

I'm a big fan of McClaren but one Obertan assist doesn't mean he's suddenly turned Gabby in to a decent winger. I think Pouchy touched on it yesterday but if Pardew had made the subs that McClaren did we'd have been slaughtering him.

Tiote for Anita was a horrible sub. I know Anita was injured so had to come off but Tiote looked at least a month off being match fit.

He could have brought Taylor on and pushed Mbemba in to DM to deal with their airial threat or the obvious option was to push Gini back and bring on Siem/Ayoze. Or thirdly he could have pushed Moussa in to DM and put Aarons wide. Tiote was the worst option and the moment he came on we lost all control. We were already running on empty so we needed energy, not someone even more off the pace than those that had just ran their socks off for an hour.

Don't get me wrong, i loved our attacking intent, engery and the continued effort to play from the back was great to see. I just think it's far too early to be jumping on a "McClaren is a managerial genius" band wagon after one game. As I say, he's done so much good for the club in a short space of time, I'm just saying the fact is that him being new to the job cost us points yesterday as every sub he made disrupted our rhythm further.

 

Once we get trounced in the next three matches the witch hunt will start again.

Its important to realise we are not going to get a win for a while.

 

Obertan is **** tbh. He has played alright in half a dozen games in four years. It just isn't ****ing good enough.

 

I thought he did well. Justified his starting place. Good cross...mostly coz he didn't have to think about it tho. He saw Gini's run (fair play) swung a leg at it and it worked out. Certainly not going to start talking about him being of regular first choice quality yet.

 

Have to say, I was shouting 'Run Forest, Run' at the telly when he sprinted up the pitch - I think that's basically his game, running fast. If that run was down the centre of the pitch he would have had no idea what to do with the ball. I still want to see Aarons over King Obertan on the left wing. Fair dues though, it was a peach of a cross.

 

That is probably the best description of his ability. He is the Forest Gump of footballers. Run, forest speed, swing leg close eyes, 'Ginnnnnni I love you!'

 

I'd have to see the clip again close up, but at the time I didn't think he looked up to cross the ball and just got lucky finding Wijnaldum. Could be being unkind tbf.

 

When will people realise pardew did a good job here

 

In buying the useless bastard?

 

He had no money

 

Pardew wanted him mate - I think probably one of the only signings (Colback excluded) he ever had a choice in which sums it up really. Fergie was probably laughing his arse off at us paying £3 Million for him. Obertan should have been liquidated years ago but no ****er of sound mind wants him so we are sadly stuck with him.

 

As one of the "Pardew is a decent manager" minority even I can't point to Obertan as being one of his successes, either in acquisition, development or utilisation

 

I wasn't i was simply saying overall man.

The thread indicates our new manager knows how to use players better which frankly given one match is rather niave

 

People naturally hope the future will be better than the past. When you're are football supporter, this requires believing (on the slightest of, or indeed in the face of the complete absence of data) that each new player and/o manager will be an improvement. I wouldn't want to deny anyone this comfort even though in the case of our manager I am unable at the moment to share it.

 

Amazing what happems when you get a great manager!

 

Is it? I can't remember, it's been 15 years.

 

Nah, if he truly did Obertan wouldn't be playing. Then again, he is only playing because Aarons is injured. Not much McClaren can do about that. Give him a few more times watching Gabriel and he will hopefully never see the bench, let alone the first team ever again.