Andy_Porter

I see what you're getting at, we seemed to play far more route one in the second half of the season. There's no way we could have played like we did against Southend, Norwich and Rovers on the pitches at Wycombe, Exeter and Brentford, well we wouldn't have gotten a result if we tried to play too much football. We do have the individuals to drag us to comfortble scorlines even when we play badly, just like the JPT final we where just knocking it long every time yet still scored four.

I always thought James done well for us in midfield, lacked the pace to play as a genuine wide player and needed someone like Waigo on the left to make up for it. Playing James and Holmes out wide against Milwall was one of his biggest mistakes.

Milwall was totally AP's fault, terrible team selection and choice of subs. Just shocking. Brentford and Wycombe where partly AP's fault and partly not having the right sort of players to win games on a shocking pitch in the middle of winter on a Tuesday night. Tranmere and Exeter where just a case of really bad luck and terrible refereing, Tranmere in particular was a joke. The rest of the games bar Gills which was a nothing game where all good performances and results for Pardew and the team. I don't think there was anything wrong with our away form or performance at any point after the Stockport game, the first three where a joke and then it all improved to a Championship winning level IMO.

James was our second choice right back, It was only Murty getting injured that meant he figured so much, Ostemebor kept him out since he signed. Antonio got pulled early doors in a couple of games last season where he clearly wasn't up for it. Puncheon I think was just being given a run of games as he was new to the side and there's obvious talent there just need to get it out of him. The only player who I thought got too much playing time was Hammond, I'd like to have seen Puncheon played through the middle with Antonio or Waigo brought in for the odd game.

Basically you expect Pardew to be winning every single away game then? mental.

Who exactly?

Of the four games you mentioned we only lost one and that was down to an incredibly dodgy ref. As for us looking clueless, that's always going to seem the case after a draw and is incredibly easy to say, the only games where I felt we looked clueless where Milwall and to an extent Wycombe. I still don't understand how any football fan can honestly think an away draw is a bad result, it's ridiculous even a team who have aspirations of winning the league shouldn't be expecting to win every away game. As for not looking convincing apart from Rovers and Norwich, I take it you forgot the two trips to MK since Xmas? Even Saturdays game against Rovers. We beat Yeovil as well, mainly thanks to a treble sub from Pardew.

It does sound worrying, but maybe he's just sending home the likes of Pulis, Forecast, Holmes etc in an attempt to get them to accept they're just not part of his plans and should accept loan/permanent moves away or even accept a matual termination?

That's a shame, they really should be marketing these games for the kids. £12 a ticket is a rip off really, remember last season they where banging on about all JPT tickets being a fiver? that didn't last long at all.

----------- Davis Butterfield - Martin - Fonte - Dickson ---- Wotton - Schneiderlin Puncheon - Guly - Chamberlain ---------- Barnard

Even if he was fit he would offer nothing. Rather have Jo Mills given an extended run there.

Mowbray, Clarke, O'Neill or Curbishley for me. The rest would be a step backwards or sideways.

Only because he's never had a chance as the top man. He pretty much took Chelsea to a Champion League final just by carrying on the work Mourinho had done, Avram changed very little.

Rather just have Steve Clarke. That would be a fantastic appointment.

Depends if you consider an away draw a bad result.

Indeed, get someone in who the players respect and want to play for who has done it all at this level and higher - then we will be fine. Get some no mark foreigner in and we will struggle.

No Huddlestone? that's ridiculous. We should be building our team around midfielders who can actually pass the ball. Johnson, Huddlestone, Barry, Wilshere and Milner - Make it happen Fabio.

Tony Mowbray would be amazing.

Shearer would be one hell of a step back

He won the league with FC Twente, that's a huge achievement. Laughable that one unfortunate stint as England manager and suddenly he's the worst manager ever.

It's obviously not going to be McClaren, but seriously he would be a fantastic appointment. More chance of getting MoN than McClaren.

Why? he was terrible for West Ham even with one of the best assistant managers in the country.

Schneiderlin the luxury player, drop him and Lallana and play Wotton. That thread was fun.

Shame for Adam, I feared the worst when he came off. He didn't really seem to do anything just broke down in the middle of the pitch after Schneiderlin generously gave the opposition the ball as he does from every centre. Hope 4-6 weeks is worst case and he comes back in before then, while Dickson is an able replacement, I think we lose a bit of our spark without Lallana.

There wasn't much difference between yesterday and the last four games, we just managed to finish a few of our chances.