StellarStripes

Good starting 11 and decent options on the bench...Seems like we will be starting with the 442 but with that 11 it would be easy to switch to the 4231. ------------------Harper Anita---Taylor---Williamson---Santon -----------Cabaye---Perch Ben Arfa-------Ba----------Jonas ----------------Cisse 3-1 Ba, Ben Arfa and Cisse

Brummiemag is a proper doylum man...There is a good few on here who have no idea about football.

Me too. Why bring in talented prospects for them to only progress so far in the reserves? I personally like our approach where we give them a good chance in the cups during the earlier stages and then bring in a few blue chip players should we progress.

Your craic is top notch mr fish

Like last season! At least we won't have Simpson and Perch at CB so there is one marked improvement. I'm pretty confident that Taylor and Williamson will have enough physical presence to cope. We will be edging closer to our strongest 11 on Sunday and I expect us to get the ball down and play a lot more. Give them something to worry about rather than worry about them. If we keep the ball in their half then there is less chance to give away free kicks around our box which would be their main threat. We are due a stormer and fancy us to get 3 or 4 on Sunday.

It all boils down to which system we play to be honest. Once again i hope we go with the 4231, get Jonas on the right where he done well last time out, Ben Arfa on the left and Ba in behind Cisse. -----------------Elliott Anita---Taylor---Williamson---Santon ----------Cabaye---Tiote Jonas----------Ba---------Ben Arfa ----------------Cisse Elliott deserves to start and hopefully Tiote will be fit, oh how we have missed him. If not then i'd have no problem with Bigi going in there with Cabs.

He has done well last season and the start of this...definitely does a good job when needed.

I agree. Abeid looks more of a threat going forward like, think AP wants to give Gosling one last shot at stepping up at the toon. I think we us having a fair few midfielders on the books i'd be more inclined to let Gosling go out on loan rather than Abeid. I wouldnt mind an attacking 6 of... ---------------Shola Marveaux---Vuckic---Amalfitano -----------Bigi---Abeid ...in europe. Sameobi, Campbell and Obertan to get a shot at it too. Big guns saved for bigger games and the PL.

Fair enough point like.

Bigirimana and Sameobi done very well i thought. Amalfitano was wasteful, shite movement and poor concentration. Vuckic seen very little of the ball due us not keeping it very well in possesion. Obertan was fuckin awful once again, how many chances is he going to get? Same applies to Gosling who for me looks like a younger less mobile shitter version of Nolan.

Well thats 90 minutes of my life im not getting back... Glad we didnt get beat but lets be honest we were poor tonight. Waddle saying that Pardew will be pleased? Pleased with missing 3 good chances? Pleased with them absolutely battering us and looking dangerous time and time again? No. If i was Pardew i'd be annoyed. Chance lost to beat a side we should be beating well. Few positives though...Elliott, Santon, Sameobi, Shola and Bigi. Bigirimana was terrific tonight, he is without a doubt ready for more 1st team football. Obertan, Gosling and Williamson were shite...No suprise there.

Rob Elliott has been very good....Worth noting.

We really do have a problem with how we start games dont we? We could and should have been 2 down in the 1st ten minutes! Since then though we were the better side albeit not by much. We started to move the ball better and Gosling was unlucky. So to was Williamson and Amalfitano with his volley. Shola should have scored. Sameobi on for Obertan who has been shit as per. Bigi our stand out player so far, really looks to be a quality prospect. Cant believe he got booked like!

Aye...Pardew has mentioned Streete more, also Lubo Satka, bot are young but have been very impressive in the development squad.

Quite simple really. If nobody is to leave then the same as we needed in the last window. RB and CB. Debuchy should be more likely as he will only have 6 months left on his deal. Should Ba leave then bring in a young attacking player, either a winger or someone who can sit behind Cisse and play up on his own. If we bring in a winger then i'd like to see Ben Arfa in behind Cisse. We should have got Adam Johnson instead of the fuckin mackems like.

EDIT: Obviously we would need to re-invest. Bring in at least 1 young striker to challenge Cisse. Shola as back up.

Sneaky feeling AP wouldnt mind selling him in January like, I do like Ba but i have said before, actually letting him go would help the side. Just an opinion and many will disagree and say it would be stupid losing his goals, maybe, but it would mean we could commit to the 4231 system, go with one striker but with an attacking trio in behind Cisse.

Idiot. I wouldn't want to sacrifice a chance to challenge for a CL place just to keep the likes of you happy playin our best 11 in the early stages of the cups. I'd rather we kept our strongest 11 marching on in the league, fighting that front whilst seeing how well and how far a mix of fringe players and youth can take us...then release the big guns in the latter stages. Good squad utilisation in my opinion. We can still win something whilst keeping key players fit and giving some prospects a chance to prove themselves.

I know people are moaning about playing a weak side but why? Why moan? We have young talent coming through that will gain massively from these experiences. I'd actually quite like to see Pardew take a total gamble and start a couple in the back 4 aswell. Tavernier and Ferguson. -------------------Harper Tavernier---Willo---Perch---Ferguson -------------Bigi--------Gosling Obertan--------Vuckic-------Sameobi -------------------Shola Marveaux, Amalfitano, Abeid and Campbell could get a chance off the bench if its going well.

Well...Credit to Pardew for getting the changes right at half time. Many called for us to bring Ba on for Marveaux and it was answered, i called for Jonas to be moved to the right to give us some balance and it was answered, all of us wanted our players to stand up and improve and they did. We were very VERY good second half. Funny game though isnt it? This was definitely a game of two halfs. We were battered in the 1st and i'd say we battered them in large spells in the second. We deserved a point for sure, Everton deserved to win. Officiating the losers in this one. If there ever was a game to prove the need for goal line technology then this was it, although im glad we didnt tonight. Cabaye was instrumental in the turn around, well done Yohan. Jonas was very very good down the right, Santon done very well at left back, as did Anita on the right. Williamson was shite whilst Taylor done well. Harper...6 Should have done better with their second and his kicking was awful. Santon...7 Always wanted to get forward and his running on the ball was very important in the 2nd half. Anita...7 Looks more of a RB than a midfielder, done well, another long ball specialist though... Williamson...5 Shaky, uncertain on the ball and commits to many dodgey fouls. Taylor...7 Done well, read the game well and was very solid. Cabaye...7 Shite 1st half but became the player we know from last season in the second. Great assist and got his tail up and had a smile on his face. Perch...7 Used the ball well in midfield, good off the ball movement and some great tackles. Should be seen as a CM more than a defender. Jonas...7 Worked hard, won free kicks, ran with the ball well to release pressure. Ben Arfa...6 Was tricky at times but not one of his best games...Should have scored at 1-1. Marveaux...5 Done nothing, not upto speed yet. Cisse...5 Poor, should have scored, not looking the player he was last year... Ba...9 Looked hungry, moved well and got his goals...Very happy...Interesting to hear him say he has been "unhappy with some things recently" though... Happy with the point and the 2nd half performance. Very happy Pardew made the right decisions at half time too.

Should be an option Pardew looks at. I'd even be tempted to put Bigi on and say "Show me what you can do".

I've not seen ANYTHING of him in a toon shirt to suggest he is a quality player...yet

I agree. He has been well off the pace. That said, this is twice he has played on the right against Everton. I dont know why, its not like he offers anything defensively. In fact played a part in their goal and has looked wasteful everytime he has got the ball. Thing is, with the players we have on the pitch, a slight shift could see us play better. Marveaux on his natural left hand side, Jonas on his natural right hand side and Ben Arfa supporting Cisse. Cabaye needs to get into the game more, another poor performance from him so far. Cisse and Anita should have scored mind. I hope Pardew makes the above mentioned tweaks at HT and give it 15 mins, if still no joy then get Ba on for Marveaux. We are only one goal down so its not beyond us but it should have been. One goal changes everything.