I don't think Pardew will go back to 4-3-3

I personally think he hopes that 4-4-2 will keep our players happy, and that with a few additions to our defence, and Andy Carroll, it will lead to us earning enough points.

I think Pardew reckons that, despite our performances being poor most of the time in a 4-4-2, that we wont have to perform all that well to win games, we'll just simply have to defend and let the quality up front do it's magic to win us the games.

It's what we did in the early stages of last season. How many times did we play average in our 4-4-2 formation, but end up winning or getting results due to good defending, and quality from our forwards?

We kept a number of clean sheets due to our defence being solid, and Tim Krul being immense, and we ground out the results?

I think Pardew has some sort of plan that will lead us to achieving results in a 4-4-2, because he thinks that 4-3-3 will lead us to losing Demba Ba or Cisse.

 

If your last sentence is even remotely true then Pardew isn't a strong enough character to be a manager, let alone a PL manager.

 

If it gets us results, I'm on board!

 

Decent attempt at rationalizing Tash, but I feel 4-3-3 with movement in the front three would keep players happier. Sticking Ba out left is a waste, but having him Cisse and Ben Arfa interchanging upfront would be greater for morale, especially as attacking players on the bench would fit into this system.

Right now, I'd be surprised if the Ba and Cisse were not unhappy playing with such poor service in the 4-4-2.

The reasons I have come up with for the switch of formation from Pardew:

1. As far as I remember, Pardew has always been a 4-4-2 man at previous clubs. He might just be reverting to what he knows.
2. 4-3-3 is a risky formation, especially when the opposition strike-force and midfield are on form. 4-4-2 isn't as risky, and I'd say it'd be more unlikely that we'd get the odd humping we got last season with this system. We would therefore, as you say Tash, rely on taking the chances our forwards create.
3. Newcastle United has often revolved around 4-4-2. Maybe he's been reading a few too many history books
4. He's gone mad.
5. With our defence depleted, midfield battling is necessary, hence an extra body.

From my perspective, 4-4-2 is a stupid tactic with our players because:
1. Our wingers are very poor at crossing.
2. Ben Arfa is often isolated and pushed out of the game when he's made to play MR, especially as he has to chase back, which he sometimes can't be asked to.
3. Our strikers are pushed together, and because they make the same type of runs in the same space, the midfield has less outlets.
4. The midfield's poor movement tends to stop our attacks in their tracks.
5. We don't have a Scholes type (unless Cabaye actually comes back from the Euros... This imitation they sent back is crap) to spread the play with absolute technical finesse to the wingers, and fullbacks because our rigid system doesn't let them overlap as much as Man Utd anyway. This means the best passing options are two yards sideways.
6. Playing Bigi and Tiote was a HORRIBLE decision, both sat deep to do their thing, but left us with this:

--------Cisse Ba------------



SPPPPPPAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCEEEEEEEEEE

Mr Spock and Cpt Kirk

The thing between a Mackem's ears


Jonas--------------------------------Ben Arfa

----------------------Bigi
--------------Tiote----------

DEFENCE

 

I'm starting to get brassed off because we are playing no where near our capability as proved last year, losing costly early points.

It's clear to me that it's either 4-4-2 with Ba or Cisse plus Shola with an actual attacking threat on the left ala Ferguson or its 4-3-3 with ba cisse and HBA free and interchangeable, with two dropping back when without the ball, but with a 3 man midfield of tiote, jonas and cabaye or perch/bigi it'd be pretty solid protection for the back 4.

At the moment 4-4-2 with no real threat on one wing and ba and cisse with no link up play being fed hopeful longballs the frustration will continue and we'll be left to wonder 'what could have been'.

It's clear Pardew wants 4-4-2 with ba and cisse to work badly, as we all do, get them both scoring together and we'll be laughing but I think he should accept it isnt working. it didn't work in pre season or in the first 6 of the season, we've been piss poor in all the games. The tactic seems to be a combination of get lucky and rely on a piece of individual brilliance. Example, but for a super strike from HBA we'd have lost at home to a villa side with the worst and most inexperience squad they've had in ages.

 

Wow TJPF, your right index finger getting tired?

 

I think 4-3-3 would be the way forward for the full team, but at the end of the day, either a striker will have to be dropped, or one of them is going to have to go to the LW.

Ba-------Cisse-------Ben Arfa

---------Cabaye------------

---Bigi----------Tiote--------

Santon--Colo---Saylor----Anita

-----------Krul------------------

This formation is the way forward for me.

A big presence to break up attacks, a fantastic playermaker in Cabaye, and 3 fantastic forwards whom all have a goal in them.

The 3 CM's can all pass well, Ben Arfa can also. Ba and Cisse are also good passers of the ball for strikers.

 

4-4-2 just doesn't work for us and I have no idea why Pardew persists with it. Like SBR jig of delight says, if Pardew is only doing it to keep the front 2 happy then that is poor managment. What must some one like Cabaye think when the ball is flying over his head for 90 minuets, when he was told when he signed that we were going to adopt a fluid passing style?

4-3-3 with Cabaye given freedom to roam around and pick up the ball (like Tash's formation) and then play a forward pass can not be any worse than what we have seen so far this season. With Cisse off form at the moment I would pick Ba upfront and Jonas/Ferguson on the left to give him a kick up the arse. We have Europe mid week for another 5 weeks/games and can start Cisse in those games but for now i wouldn't start him for Premiership matches.

 

I'm thinking of bringing out a Not606 fitness DVD... and click, and click, and click, and think (maybe), and write and write and write and write and write and write... One more click. Repeat process til abs are rock-hard and butt is Cabaye-ish.

 

Just asked the Q because it's the shortest comment you've ever made.

 

Well I was going to cut you in, but not now you little tinker!

 

Don't think Cisse is a good passer. I want us to play back the formation we played against Reading, whichever it was. The only real problem with that formation was the lack of quality crossing... We were very organised and Reading didn't threaten(neither did we) for the entirety of the first half, until Saylor went off..

 

I think that playing 433 is taking a big risk. When we played it last season most of the first team were fit especially our defence and mentally we had nothing to lose by going all out attack to get the maximum number of wins from our last 8 matches... But at Everton, we were battered in the first half and last season we were even humbled by a poor Wigan side in the 433. Although I do agree that we played the best football in years in this formation, I'd stick with the 442 for now until we get some of our players fully fit or maybe at the end of the season if we have something to play for ...