Season Summary So Far

So just to go over exactly what's happening at the moment.....we currently sit 16th in the Premiership with the fourth worst goal difference of -4 in the division. So far we have seen the club struggle at home against the utterly dire West Ham and only just scrape a win at home to Fulham - both teams are below us in the table. We have an upcoming fixture list that marks a difficult period, including a number of tricky fixtures. The injury list has more or less remained as bad as usual. The decision to not strengthen the squad has meant we have had to continue to rely on players completely out of form, sucha s MYM and Debuchy, with little/no threat to their relative positions. The owner and, perhaps surprsingly, his pet JK have remained completely and utterly silent throughout. The tactics remain dubious, with the only noticable change being that we don't hoof it anymore. This has sadly had little/no impact on Cisse's ability to score, nor on our defences ability to not concede. We appear to have the same levels of fight/spirit that we witnessed so often last season...i.e. next to none. Ben Arfa, since talking about the Balon D'Or, has been slightly worse than Fumaca in his prime. The less said about the full backs the better. All of these players were deemed good enough for a top 10 finish - though whether that's by the manager or management remains to be seen.

So 16th, -4 GD, and Cardiff (a), Liverpool (h) and Sunderland (a).

Howay the ladzzzzzz.

 

Very worrying at the moment and given our next 6/7 games the cardiff match is almost a must win.

If we lose I'm certain Pardew will be gone.

 

See, if this particular light at the end of the tunnel existed, I could bear it. But I'm not sure it does. He'd have gone several times over at most clubs. He should have gone after Reading beat us at home to highlight the threat of relegation. Everything since then has pretty much been farcical. I do not know a manager in the country who could have been in the bottom five then be hammered 0-6 off an 'ok' Liverpool outfit after a pretty much disgraceful 0-3 derby loss. And we forget these were only the consecutive HOME games - in between was a fairly respectable 1-1 at West Brom. So quite how the squad can then do that beggars all belief. The board then didn't back the manager in the transfer window, but it doesn't mean anything, he keeps his job. Thing is, 17th is success for Ashley. And even if we finish 18th or lower, who else is going to take over? It's not the situation that makes me so frustrated - it's the knowledge that nowt will change.

 

That in itself would be worth it.

 

there are positives.

we can now get pies delivered to our seats.

 

Season to date:

Board performance - Shocking. Woeful transfer policy and woeful appointment of DOF
DOF - **** me sideways, when will this end
Manager/Coaches - Poor overall. Has improved the style of football, but has to take his share of the blame for our defensive woes.
Players - Absolutely disgraceful. Complete lack of heart, application and effort which is not acceptable. I keep hearing "ah but they are not playing for the manager", "they are top players", "if we change the manager we'll see how good they are" etc etc. Bollocks for me, they are sub standard and should not be absolved of criticism. They are not good enough and as a collective are a set pussies.

The rest of the league have found a flaw in Mikes Grand Plan. Play fast, get stuck in and this lot will fold like a pack of cards.

 

Hard to disagree wih any of that.

 

Agree with Roly 17th would be an ok position for Ashley. He`s happy as long as we have the tv money coming in and nothing else. He hasn`t the slightest bit of ambition in him as far as taking the club forward and anything above 17th is just a bonus for him. If Pardew walks or is sacked he has a ready made replacement in Joke waiting in the wings and any money to be spent in January will only happen if we are in the relegation mix again like last January. Would like to see Carr venture into Portugal / Spain as English talent is just too expensive and I dont know whether acadamy players are ready for the big step up.

 

I'm increasingly worried about our run of fixtures up till Xmas.
It's kinda hard to drag yourself out of a rut of negativity.

 

I think that this will be final position at the end of the season.

 

**** I actually agree with Pardews love child mr sack WTF

 

Spot on

 

Not spot on at all for me. Four players today called up to the France squad, with the rest of the likely line-up against Cardiff being full internationals for Argentina, Holland, Italy, Wales and the Ivory Coast. And that's not including our most talented player, Ben Arfa, who sits alongside a generous sprinkling of players with U21 caps to their names. Some players haven't stepped up, I agree, but I cannot sbscribe to any theory that says they're not good enough. Whether it's the coaching, the man management, the tactics, the preparation, the communication, or whatever - the "Manager/Coaches" are the ones who've been "absolutely disgraceful".

 

You say that like badge of honour? Being suited to and performing in PL football and International football are two different things. A good example would be something like Juan Veron, who was excellent at international level but shocking in the PL. Being a good international guarantees nothing at domestic level (particularly in the PL which is very far removed from international football in style). Managers/coaches have played their part but I think you seriously overrate our players. Surely we are not expecting international footballers to be taught the basics of defending? Surely these so called international superstars do not need to be told to actually try? That is what they have been failing at afterall. Why did no one else want them if they are so good? France are hardly one of the great international teams currently either.

 

What I am saying is that according to our manager, their respective National team's manager, the local and foreign press and many fans, these players are more than good enough. Martinez himself was the latest to throw plaudits at this squad of players.

They have shown it on occasion, in this league and elsewhere. MYM was many people's man of the match days before an absymal showing at Everton. Santon was many people's man of the match against Fulham, again just days before successive hopelessness against Hull and Everton. I mean, you mention on another thread names of British "core" players, which included the likes of Carl Jenkinson and Jordan Henderson. I am struggling to believe, for example, that Debuchy is a worse footballer than Jenkinson. Maybe that's just an opinion that you disagree with, it's hard to quantify a players' ability, is it not?

As I said, it would seem that you think it's much more to do with Debuchy and Santon than any of the managerial factors (tactic, preparation, coaching, etc.). My opinion is that, for just one example, with such a loose "gameplan" and no support for their marauding, they are going to get caught out time and again. I just don't believe that this squad is as bad as you make out. But then it's just my opinion, and it's my stick I use to beat Pardew with.

 

I think Dummett should start this weekend but one thing I will say in Santon's defence (which you've also noted but not in so much detail) is that by having two right footed players in Santon & then one from Gouffran, Jonas or Remy when he played wide left of a front three is that our midfield becomes narrow and we have no width down that side. Even with Ben Arfa or Marveux on the left they also like to cut in.

Our left winger/left sided striker is in the middle of the pitch, Santon is then exposed in a 1 vs 1 or sometimes 2 vs 1 (in oppositions favour) so he's getting no support and as an attacking threat from that side we also get very litle as our entire left side likes to come inside, we normally get crowded out and either have a pot shot from thirty yards or the opposition counter on us.

It's the same with Debuchy dpwn the right, Ben Arfa cuts in and doesn't track back & Debuchy is then exposed in a 1 vs 1 or 2 vs 1 (again in the oppositions favour). It should be the other way round when the opposition are attacking. We should have 2 players (our wide man and full back) up against their winger and at worst 2 vs 2 should the opposition full back push on.

I mean look at Ben Arfa, he regularly has to beat of minimum of two men before he's even in to the opposition penalty area. We simply have no structure or shape and as much as i think 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 should really suit us I simply don't believe Pardew is able to coach this formation to the necessary standard.

Our two defensfive midfielders are either too deep or too far forward, our attacking midfielder never see's the ball as all of our play goes through Ben Arfa and our wide players are often too far away from our full backs when we are both attacking and defending.

It shouldn't be difficult, Tiote should be told " you should very rarely be more than 10-15 yards in to the opposition half, your job is to protect the back four, win the ball and pop it off 10 yards to a full back, Anita & Cabaye" and if he's trying to do more than that then he's failing at his key tasks of protecting the back four.

I mean that's just one example but you catch my drift. Some of that does come from player responsibility & intelligence, but if they aren't doing as they're told then drop them. I just don't think they're receiving the correct instructuctions.

We change it around almost every single game, it goes from a high press to drop off and sit in, it then goes to a high defensive line and a flat four in midfield. I'm all for tweaking your team/style/formation depending on the opposition but we seem to change all three on a game by game basis and that Alan Pardew is probably where this lack of consistency you keep referring to is coming from.

 

Carl Jenkinson or Debuchy? I know who'd I'd rather have on all I've seen. As I say I accept Pardew clearly must take responsibility in our defensive woes. I always have, there is no escaping it. When people were raving about Debuchy I have to say I wasn't convinced. Mainly because I wanted to move Santon into his natural role. Fair enough the lad had a solid Euros but major championships is not the place to judge someones quality. Obviously Carr is highly respected by many, and for good reason. But its a whole lot different when you are talking about collective talent as opposed to individual talent. When I talk about a british core, its because that as history has show time and time again, it is the cornerstone of the vast majority of sides in the history of the premiership, and certainly successful ones. Even Chelsea and Man C and all their millions immediately set about buying a strong british core upon the rich owners arrival. there has never been a successful team over the course of a season that hasn't had one. Yet we think we can buck the trend and be different? It seems to me we are reaping what we have sowed. No other club has our policy of team fulls of foreign players, surely there must be a reason for this? Pardew is part of this too, because he accepts it.The only thing in his defence is he has openly stated he didn't want to lose Simpson, Nolan, Barton, Carroll, Perch. I suspect he knew the risk.

Also I simply cannot believe that Pardew is instructing both his full backs to be upfield at the same time. Sorry but he may be many things and he may not be the greatest manager on earth, but that is schoolboy year 1 defending they are getting wrong. Its a complete lack of individual discipline. My gripe with Pardew is he continues to play them when Dummett is sitting there and is clearly a better defender at present than both. Does that excuse the players? No chance. I simply do not believe that Pardew has told MYM to run away from danger and run scared of Lukaku for 45mins against Everton. That simply wouldn't happen. That is an individual showing a lack of discipline.

The key thing in your last bit for me is "shown it on occasion". Is that not the point? That they struggle to show it consistently because of the demands? In France the game is played very slowly with minimal physical contact in comparison to the PL. However a few times a season you'll get a game that really ramps up. What happens when that is every week? Debuchy himself, Cabaye et all have noted that there is no let up and they have been shocked. If ou have a core of players who have been brought up on a diet of this sort of football, they can help the others through. its about balance. Having 1 to 11 of French international/B internationals isn't gonna help you. Foreigners who have been here for a few years can help them but not in the way a british player can.

We undoubtedly just disagree. You think it is almost solely down to the manager, I think he must take a portion, our transfer policy must take a portion and the players themselves must take a portion. I don't think these players are not good enough individually, I've probably gone too far on occasion through frustration (although in Debuchy's case I must admit I have my doubts and certainly at present don't think he is). However I think that collectively we ar ebarking up the wrong tree. Pardew is not impressing me with his unwillingness to drop players. All the joking aside I'm still undecided on Pardew but I would sway towards him not being the man. I kind of look forward to his dismissal (apart from the obvious "who next" question), because I honestly think after any honeymoon period, this failed transfer policy will be exposed. If that is the catalyst for change then I think its a good thing, though I'd much preferred Ashley and co woke up and smelled the coffee. Only ambition and not profit will register that change in them though.

 

Good debate chaps, keep it going the board would be dead otherwise.

 

Well the one thing we can all agree on is this club needs to do better. I couldn't give a **** how that comes about. If managerial change forced it then I'd be the first to say that maybe there is something in this "its all down to Pardew" theory. I know one thing, many more of these defensive collapses and I'm gonna need anti depressants!!!

 

I think a few of us are at that stage.