Patch

I just do not get how people are upset. In my opinion our best player Ben Arfa has played 2 games since November. Taylor and Colocini and santon out and first choice right back could not play. We lost a goal going all for it at the end because we were too stretched and if that had happened in the first half we would have to had scored 3 goals, leaving us even more stretched and we would have been battered, not come anywhere near close to going through and we would be deflated for Sunday.

We played well tonight. Brilliant tactics by Pardew and if Barfa had put in the back of the net I believe we would have be through tonight and that is no criticism of Barfa. I think the fact that I was on the edge of my seat and believed that there was hope we could go through against a team like Benfica, and we did come close, shows the positives we now have since the January arrivals. I am not the biggest fan of Pardew but I think that anyone who has a go at the approach he had tonight clearly knows nothing about football. I think we have bowed out gracefully and with spirit. Bring on Sunday!