Are we running out of steam?

Again the lads looked jaded yesterday so it got me thinking..... maybe our high tempo start to the season has taken it out of some of the players.

Pardew has been hinting at this so here's a rather radical idea....

For the games we think we won't win.... play almost our reserve side.. resting the 'first team'....
For the games we 'should win' play a full strength and more refreshed team.

Hopefully this may help us over the line so to speak...

 

I swear I have seen this before ACS

 

Indeed. I have a foot in both camps. one big love in.....

 

This season we have surprised a lot of people including some fans.
I didnt expect us to be top 6 maybe top 10 at this stage of season.
Our squad look tired and Pardew said we were missing 8 players,so the onus is on the lads on the pitch.
Let's hope we can get players fit.

 

I don't think we did look jaded yesterday to be honest. We were going great guns until the Williamson moment. That seemed to put everybody into negative mode (fans and players) as they worried about his ability to create opportunities for the opposition. Certain players do look a little jaded (Cabaye) as you'd expect with them adapting to a new league. Cabaye has probably done as much running at this stage as he did in the whole of his last ligue 1 season. I've said for a awhile I'd send for a 2 week holiday in France to recharge his batteries for the run in. No training, just relaxing with his family. If Tiote is due back soon, Perch, Vuckic and Guthrie can cover Cabaye's absence.

We are going to have to try and jiggle our players around though, and the likes of Ferguson/Vuckic/Tavanier/Abeid are all capable of playing a few games.

On Williamson, he is all we have. However I'd play Santon centre back for a few games to let him recover his confidence. I know he is an attacking right back but the lad is comfortable with the ball and if he'd play centre back yesterday we'd have had that game dead and buried by half time as you never get the Williamson panic. The easiest way to defend is to keep the ball. Barcelona worked this out a long time ago, and hence they have no issue putting Busquets or Mascherano centre back.

We clearly still have goals in us and we're more than capable of making sure of the 6th or 7th spot.

 

Actually thought Abeid might be coming on yesterday when Pards brought Gosling on.

 

Not convinced with Gosling myself. He just seem really immobile.

 

He hasn't done a lot to impress people. I guess he's got a decent enough game in him, it's just a case of getting it out of him.

 

there were times when i thought our players had been told not to tackle!
ben arfa looked totally knackered 10mins into the 2nd half, i hope it was a one off or he wasn't 100% and not a sulk

 

It was a game I expected HBA to excel in after what happened to him at their place.

Think it was just a tactical change.

 

Cisse gassed from 5mins into 2nd half too. But he does have a valid excuse as he is still getting used to the league and the pace. Benni did look to tire but again he hasn't played loads of football this season. No real excuses for him though, he should be able to get through it.

 

The training they do should be enough to get then fit to last throughout a game.

 

True enough AB but for whatever reason modern footballers seem to tire and injure really quickly!

 

We seem to say it a lot about HBA that this is the game we expect him to excel but doesnt seem to happen.

 

Don't think anyone but Tiote/ Ba/ Cisse can complain about being jaded/ tired. It's not like we have played loads of cup games on top of the Premier League games. Also getting pretty much a week between games.

HBA did very well defensively mind, better then Obertan ever has. Shame he didn't do well enough offensively, Jonas did brilliant at that.

 

You always get a full shift out of Jonas.

 

Here's a thought - they get paid a ****in' fortune to kick a ball around a piece of grass so how about they pull their collective fingers out and learn to find someone on their own team with the ball rather than the opposition.

Oh, and well done Perch, a player who had a better game than any Tiote has had in recent memory. And Cabaye was crap... as usual.

 

Sticking a LB/RB? in as a temporary CB is no way for a player to regain their confidence.

 

Perch my MOTD, can't believe he is the same player who started against Man United in 2010.

Ben Arfa does not suit our 442 and does not offer defensive cover. He does not cross. Our strikers thrive on early balls into the box (Jonas is great at this). Play him instead of Cisse in a 451 or just behind Ba.

Our long ball tactics were being mopped up by Norwich all game, when we got the ball on the deck and passed it we looked threatening. Long hoofs up to isolated Strikers while the likes of Cabaye and Ben Arfa just watch is baffling. We have creative attacking players but we dont use them.

Our high defensive line again looked vulnerable and I worry for the WBA game and Suarez running around Willo in 2 weeks.

On the plus, 3 points, clean sheet, another goal for Cisse who looked very lively. Tiote and Raylor will hopefully be back next week.

 

Hard to drop Cisse when he has a record of 3 goals in 5 games.

We do have to accept that, for all they're good big lads, neither Ba nor Cisse can hold the ball up. If they're on the pitch, we have to keep it on the deck. If we want to play hoof ball, we need either Ameobi or, when he's fit, Best.

As for the formation, I'd keep the line up we had to day except drop Cabaye and put in Tiote. Cabaye needs to realise he has no absolute right to start, and he hasn't played well lately. Three up front and three in the mid field should work against West Brom