derry

The better managers make their teams perform better than expected, for example Eddie Howe at Bournemouth. Pardew doesn't do that, at the moment the allegedly best squad in the league isn't performing to par never mind better.

Excuse after excuse from all and sundry. No luck, we are feeling the pressure of being favourites, we hit the woodwork, the goalkeepers were brilliant etc. We have had chances but it's not pressure and chances that win matches it's goals. The chances we have made have in the main been pressurised by the defenders blocking most of them, or causing us to miss. We are not overloading defences because we have neither the pace or consistent width to drag defenders out of position. Plymouth overloaded us with the cross nodded back across and one defender outnumbered. Leyton Orient overloaded us with the movement of Tyrrel Forbes who ran across the box, lost his marker and flicked a cross in unchallenged, again last night we were overloaded at the near post so that when the ball was headed back to the near post we couldn't block it. The delivery of corners and free kicks were in the main pretty poor. The movement at set pieces pretty much non existent with all the attackers already in the box just static. Nobody running from outside the box, available outside the back post or dummy running to move the defenders around and create some space. Davis apart from a brilliant save late in the second half was poor. His attempts at short balls were causing us more problems than the opposition and his kicking caused no problems to the opposition, his lack of communication and staying on his line at corners/free kicks is inviting the opposition to knock balls in close to the goal something we can't do because the opposition's goalkeeper catches most of them. The two full backs tried hard whilst Martin bearing in mind it was only his third or fourth appearance was good, Fonte solid as usual. Lallana was just about the best player on the pitch in terms of effort and skill, Puncheon was much better but provided little in the way of penetration as he was far too narrow or filled the space he needed too early which invited the defence to close him down and drive him across the field. Hammond and Schneiderlin together don't provide a decent midfielder, they just don't blend and the comfort zone play of Schneiderlin doesn't open up defences without the pace needed out on the touchlines and available to pass to immediately. Barnard lacks pace but is a decent footballer and works hard. Lambert was way off the pace and was ambling around and on occasions we broke hardly got into a trot, and was never bursting into the box looking for rebounds. We were better than Saturday, just, but for twenty minutes in the middle of the first half we lost our shape which was always on the narrow side, in the second half we pressed hard, created pressure, worked the goalkeeper hard but hardly created a clear overload. The manager doesn't seem to be up for it any more. The alleged pressure felt may in fact be the pressure he is feeling. Could it be that some of the team isn't buying into these excuses or the way we are playing or the obvious weaknesses regarding lack of attacking pace. Lambert's body language was poor last night and what was the huddle in the centre of the pitch before they went in at halftime on Saturday all about. I don't want to hear excuses, this team has had time to gel, proper replacements for W/A signed and a bit of strengthening. If they can't quickly get it together and start winning some matches then whatever it takes needs doing or this season will be wasted. A win at BR would be a start but an unbeaten run with more wins than draws is now needed to get back on track

Nearly all the players mentioned were transferred for a big fee or didn't want to play for us anymore. As for Waigo it definitely sounds like he didn't want to stay which is understandable, we could have definitely used him to raise our pace in the two league games so far. A lot of chickens are being counted on here but this guy hasn't played yet. If he is as good as Waigo he will be an asset. It will take some weeks to see.

Wed 4th August 2010 precipitation at Shawbury 10mm with a south westerly wind. www.weatheronline.co.uk If it was me I'd ring Air Traffic Control at RAF Shawbury (RAF main helicopter training base) and ask them to give you their actual weather for the date/time that is relevant.

The year Burnley won promotion, they played their best sides all the way through the cup competitions and had great runs in both cups.

IMO he was technically a lot better than nearly all our players and was grossly misused. That's my opinion and what qualifies you to call it nonsense.

I think that he would have been thoroughly briefed, with reference to Weston's post re Pardew/Cortese/Reed/Burke I had heard that it was no longer a manager decision who we signed.

Funny you should say that Ron. I think this looks like another Cortese Italian connection signing similar qualities to Waigo. We all know what happened then Pardew had never seen him and despit his obvious value under-utilised him. But then Pardew has form, in similar circumstances he was given two of the best players in the world in Tevez and Mascherano and didn't have the wit to build the side around them instead trying to get them to fit in to the Pardew pattern. When it didn't work, he left them out, look at them now. I can see this not being Pardew's decision, so unless he comes in and proves undroppable I wouldn't be surprised to see him messed about as Waigo was. However I can't see Cortese letting that happen for long if it does.

Just like the ugly way we play, back to Davis hoof it up to Lambert. If we get it on the deck and pass and move with the team spread out we could do well but that's not the way we play, mores the pity. I think Owen Coyle has a different philosophy and prefers his team to pass the ball like Burnley did under him.

I didn't welcome him as the manager as I wasn't impressed by his recent record and the way his teams played. At West Ham he was given two of the best players in the world, Tevez and Mascherano and didn't have a clue how to use them. the rest is history and they sacked him as did Charlton after the fiasco there. The team for long periods in the last two games was a shapeless mess. And now excuses which are par for the course. The trouble for him, is he's had his season of bedding in and if he doesn't get the results going and start demonstrating the 'Southampton' style he will be gone. I hope he gets it right but I'm pretty sure he won't.

IMO it's the manager, if he communicates excuses and pressures, the players will respond that way. item 2 - definitely.

I've just seen today's Echo. Pardew is saying the team is feeling the pressure of being early favourites. Now I know the man is an incompetent fool. Last year we had all the excuses trotted out, no preseason, poor squad, -10 points, the team effected by the negative points etc, now FFS we are the favourites with a bloody good squad, good gates, no debts, one of the few clubs not in debt and now this poor imitation of a football manager now wants to be cut some slack because we are too good but can't cope with the pressure. I thought that was his job to sort that out, up to now all we have to show is a complacent, low key pre season, that has left us unready for the combat of the season, one point from two home games, and out comes the stupidity. Well for me Alan you have run out of time, either get on an get this collection of talent playing or go, but don't insult us with inane excuses.

Put this up in lights and stick it on the front of SMS. It's where we are folks.

Hammond and Schneiderlin are unfortunately one trick ponies who between them add up to one decent midfielder. Hammond, scores the odd goal and defends but can't pass, Schneiderlin passes sideways and backwards and doesn't score. Both of them need to step up to the plate and get out of their relative comfort zones. Hammond needs to be more dynamic and start passing the ball and Schneiderlin needs to start getting forward and running beyond the strikers. Holding midfielders are a luxury we don't need and we don't need the wide men in the middle trying to do the running up the middle that Hammond and Schneiderlin should be doing, they are our attacking and passing outlets and it's no good if they aren't wide to receive the ball. That's how we become the shapeless mess we were for 70 minutes yesterday.

Regarding Pardew, why don't we just wait and see. If Cortese is happy with the working relationship and the achievements Pardew will stay, on the other hand if the relationship isn't working or the achievements aren't satisfactory as perceived by Cortese Pardew will go.

As a matter of interest Bolton who we play on Tuesday have had a decent start. They had a six week pre season and played 8 first team matches in the middle four weeks, 3 in the US, Rochdale and Oldham, then to Scotland against Falkirk and St Johnston who were well ahead in their preparations, finishing up with a game against Osasuna. We on the other hand played Thun and Sochaux early on, apart from Barnet and finally Reading our other games were non league stroll outs. All the games were played with virtually two teams the second of which was made up of youth/young players who, apart from OC will probably not be seen again. Until the Plymouth game the first team didn't play together as a team because of the 45 minute mix and match. Apart from inclusion playing the kids detracted from the preparation. No wonder we have had a poor start it was a poor preparation.

I wonder how much influence Les Reed is having.

True or not I haven't a clue but the word 'disillusioned' has been mentioned. The answer to my question 'why doesn't he just go then if he feels like that' was 'compensation'.

I don't know but it could be. The point however was that he was playing in Fiorentina's first team. I wish he had stayed here but Pardew didn't want him, anyway I don't think he was that keen on staying with Pardew as manager.

The person who told me thought the game mentioned was European, as I said not verified.

Firstly, we looked a decent team until Orient equalised, with a pretty decent shape and a lot of confidence, the ingredients of a good performance. Then what happened, for over an hour we were a shapeless mess. Lallana and Puncheon narrow and crowded out, Schneiderlin totally unambitious playing the obvious square ball or pass back, Hammond - did he play? So that takes care of a totally impotent midfield. Up front Lambert kept getting dragged out of the middle where we needed him but questions needed to be asked whether Barnard and Lambert are a pair, as well and as much as Barnard tried. The Back four was reasonable but Davis is giving them nightmares despite his obvious only abilities to shot stop and kick it long. Secondly everybody said this summer 'no excuses this season', for me time has run out for Pardew, today we desperately needed intervention, instead we got a spectator manager. The team was obviously struggling with no width, trying to kick the door down, hitting plenty of Lloyd James type crosses from way out, mostly to the goalkeeper but pretty inneffective. So what did he do first, FFS he put Barnard who has no pace and doesn't take people on wide left and put Lallana inside where he had been for most of the second half anyway. If he wanted to put Lallana up the middle he needed to bring Oxlade-Chamberlain on wide right and Puncheon wide left. When he did make a change with a few minutes left I wouldn't argue with Hammond off and Puncheon in the middle and Connolly for Barnard with O-C wide right. Thirdly we may be close to seeing some signings. I heard a rumour that there are possibly three in the pipeline, and with Pardew's refusal to comment rather than making the usual bland remark about hoping to strengthen the squad, it wouldn't surprise me if there wasn't some substance in this. Then again we need to get the players we have, playing as a team. In the absence of obvious new signings I would like to see some radical thinking. I would like to see some changes. Bialkowski given a run, Seaborne at centre back beside Jaidi/Martin with Fonte as a central midfielder with Puncheon, Lallana and O-C wide. I can't see past Lambert and Barnard or Connolly. I like the way Fonte bursts forward, we need to be getting the two midfielders running beyond the strikers instead of just passively sitting deep. I have been really impressed with Eddie Howe and find Pardew inneffectual by comparison. One big criticism, we had an option to purchase Waigo but Pardew didn't fancy him. I was told today he is playing in Fiorentina's first team and laid on a goal this week. Not good enough for Pardew but good enough for serie A. We could have used him. (I haven't verified this but the source is reliable)

PCFC will be liquidated in June and New Co will take over. The forensic investigation will begin with HMRC/court overview which will keep us going in the close season. In the meantime aren't the parachute payments to be used to settle the £22.3m of football debt frozen pending the HMRC v EPL court case? So if the football debt isn't settled in full where does that leave PCFC in the interim? In any event the £48m to be normally paid to a relegated club is first two years £16m each, final two years £8m each, however haven't PCFC already been advanced about £11m to keep them going? Wouldn't that mean that the football debt, even if the EPL win their case, can't be settled until August 2012, so how is that going to work regarding the coming out of administration. Just to make things a little more precarious, aren't Mandaric and Redknapp then Storrie in the Criminal court in October or thereabouts to answer charges regarding illegal payments to avoid tax?

Years ago we had a good education system. At 11 the brighter kids went to grammer schools, the remainder to secondary moderns. Then late developers were transferred to grammer schools and good GCE 'O' level results got them to the grammer school sixth forms. Most firms ran apprenticeship schemes and the professions had articled pupils with 5 'O' levels. The academic kids were catered for as were the practical kids but the Labour government wanted equality. It was better to have a crap education system than allow streaming. Which is where we are now. Parents sometimes can't afford private education for their kids but give up luxuries to send their kids to a good school. And anybody who can afford it would be stupid not to give their kids an edge. It won't happen but the old system was a whole lot better than the present fiasco.