Ex-Magpies looking to keep us above the mackems!

Lord E might just get to hear about that.

Of course my silence could be bought.

 

Least it wasn't your birthday

 

As woeful as Sunderland have been at times, they've still played more football than us this season, no doubt. I think there team is full of average, maybe even championship standard, that's the problem. What's our excuse? Hope we turn up tomorrow, everyone I know is dreading going... I'm starting to get more optimistic about it, never a good sign!

 

Not the best birthday present.

 

On the flip side to Martin O'Neill's managerial woes, Norwich boss Chris Hughton is on a roll at the moment. He deserves a big tip of the cap for the manner he has turned the Canaries round this season. Seven games without a win at the start of the season - including an opening day 5-0 loss to Fulham - and now eight games without defeat, including wins over Arsenal and Manchester United and a draw at Everton.

 

Indeed, made up for the guy. He's proved himself with us, done a brilliant job under the worst possible conditions with Birmingham, and now has taken all that experience into Norwich. He really does make it difficult to hate him, though he has ruined my last few accumulators... The jezzabelle!

 

Saved you a few thumping headaches no doubt.

 

I don't know I've watched every game of both teams and they have been every bit as bad as us. Of late they've been better than we have of late but early doors although they managed plenty of draws, they were possibly worse than us football wise in our last 4 games. Couldn't pass to a teammate at times. The other thing is we have hope, we saw last season we can play a better brand of football. They'll always set up to play direct counter attack mainly concerned with avoiding defeat because O'Neill has played this way his whole career.

Plus they are Sunderland.

 

So does Pardiola...

They've got better wing-play (they don't run right to the goal-line then "cross" it back behind everyone like us), and a team that as a whole look more comfortable with direct play. Overall though, I'd say we share a lot of problems. Lack of defensive concentration, poor-spells in games costing us badly, playing well in little bursts but not scoring during that period. Least we have each other... Lovely Mackem tossers!

 

I don't think Pardew necessarily sets us up that way, certainly didn't last season. I do think he has a bullet to bite in asking Cisse or Ba to fill the left forward role till January though to get us playing again. We've lost our fluidity/mojo and now a lack of confidence is compounding that disjointed play.

As you say the worrying thing is we've now thrown defensive weakness into the mix. We are different in one way though. They give teams a headstart whereas we tend to miss decent chances and let the oppo grow and anxiety build. They usually finish trying to put right the damage, whereas we finish broken wondering how different it might have been. Both fragile in our own way.

 

True for some games, I think the Man Utd game being an obvious exception!

I've noticed Cisse drifting wide right a lot in recent games, perhaps as a compromise to the tactic of last season, but he doesn't have the quality to put a great ball in, and the boy is offside by more than Noel Edmund's erection when he realizes he gets to wear another flowery shirt/tight trousers combo to work... I reckon refs have a meeting before each game and look at decisions and what to award to particular players, because Cisse got some dubious ones in his favour last year, and they're on him if he sneezes now.

My question is, will I ever see Pardew make a sub before we start losing a game???

 

Thanks for your comments chaps.Hughton has done really well,never understood him getting sacked by Ashley.

 

CH was always very popular with the fans, it wasn't taken very kindly when MA gave him the bullet.