derry

Remember people centre back is a mature players position, Lancashire has been put under unnecessary pressure early in his development. Some years ago we had a young centre half, Mike Williamson, who we released to Wycombe, he is now starring for Watford at both ends of the field, we don't want to do that again. Give the lad a chance let him develop with reserve, loan and substitute appearances then we may just have a decent defender.

I suppose a cart is standard in Canada, I presume you don't walk. It was only after first light that walkers were allowed on a few courses in Florida even in the cooler mid winter.

Has Lyn grounded you or is it too hot for golf?

He disrupts any team shape by his indisciplined wanderings. Besides there is no end product. I'm not sure they will but he along with the other youngsters should be sent back to be re-educated in the reserves and given appearances on the bench if they respond well.

I suspect there is an injury issue involved.

We played 4-5-1 with no width, the one up front was easily dealt with because the lack of pace and support from the midfield wasn't there. It is not the formation that is important as decent teams continually change as the game progresses. We have no balance and players out of position causing us to be shapeless as they lack discipline and play off the cuff creating and achieving nothing. The goal had three forwards in front of Morrison but nobody attacked the ball which is what the centre backs should be doing. Bringing 10 players back into the penalty area is causing problems as they are all waiting for somebody else to take responsibility. It needs 2/3 to be left upfield which will take 3/4 opponents back to the halfway line and more than likely get two more to drop outside the penalty area that then leaves 4/5 attackers to take on 6 defenders with a GK + 2 on the goal line. The centrebacks then have the room to attack the cross with the other players picking up tightly. Until the team is disciplined enough to play touchline to touchline and maintain it's shape with two strikers getting on the end of crosses from the byeline we just won't score enough goals. The width is the key, it stretches the defence and allows attacking runners from the midfield to cause mayhem. It gets done to us all the time it's about time we started doing it to opponents. Lallana possibly Schneiderlin, Lancashire need to go back to the reserves, play in their best positions and build up confidence to come again initially with appearances as substitutes in games we are winning not as key players struggling to perform.

With everyone getting on and co-operating. If that's what we intend it's as good a way as any. It does need those sort of people.

At the beginning of last season one of the senior coaches took him to one side. He asked him not to run about so much as it devalued his game, he asked him to be more discerning and to try and get into dangerous positions and hurt the opposition, to pick his runs and make himself more effectve rather than just chasing around with little end product.

In football terms the manager has to be happy with his chain of command. If that isn't working they usually walk. I prefer the old style manager in charge of all football principle. There have been some real debacles when people are brought into football matters over the managers head and don't work effectvely with the manager. Results are usually poor and conflictions affect the players.

He might not pick the team but he could dictate the style and which players are brought in, as has happened at clubs in the past. I would prefer a Manager in charge with a GM to take the load off the Manager's shoulders, responsible to and working with the Manager. Imposing a football boss on Pardew might be counterproductive unless they get on and work easily together.

The title is a red herring, whoever is appointed is going to be Pardew's boss and responsible for football matters. (possible Keegan/Wise situation)

Could be. I presume that was Wise and Bassett after Redknapp went.

I'm not bothered in the slightest Mark. I'm still not sure about Pardew but time will tell. His lack of intervention was strange. Whatever you call the post, British managers don't take kindly to D of F style posts or interference from above. That is why very few clubs employ them.

Possibly an awareness that what he wants and what might be happening could if actioned cause problems. In his games up to now he has been very pro active with his input, last night he wasn't. Quite a few posters commented on the strange lack of input from the touchline, Burleyesque was the way some described it. The new boss would not have any input from him in the selection process. It would be quite easy even at this early stage to see that this is not necessarily what he wants. The appointment is before next summer and could come at any time Cortese finds for him, a suitable candidate. November could be a point in time it could happen, as I understand Coppell was offered the Managers job but wanted to take six months away from football, so turned it down.

Semantics, it says 'Pardew's boss'

He would do for me but I think unless AP liked it and could work with him, any post that takes decisions out of his hands won't be welcomed.

The main point of all this was Pardew's apparent lack of intervention and body language last night. I still see a potential problem unless AP is allowed complete autonomy in his decisions and the D of F is an assisting roll rather than an in charge roll. Time will tell.

Read it again, he would be Pardew's boss and responsible for football matters.

Did you read the full Cortese interview? It was very precise and pedantic that the person appointed D of F would be in overall charge of all football related matters. I thought at the time that wouldn't fit well with Pardew. The following night what Pardew came up with was completely different, a General Manager to help him. Cortese never mentioned a GM. It was a double page interview and the answers were extensive. Cortese also spelt out that he was the man in charge and he was setting up a completely different infrastructure and that only the heads of departments would report to him and the Manager would report to the D of F who would be in charge.

As soon as I hear Lallana and Wotton announced over the tannoy I know it's going to be a hopeless, width-less, shapeless mess.

Cortese said that the D of F would decide all football matters including recruitment and the Manager would report to him. The next night Pardew came out with the opposing and understandable view. The term General Manager was introduced then by Pardew. Cortese was very precise about the D of F deciding all football matters and reporting to him.

No. I didn't fill two and a half pages of the Echo on successive nights with two completely differing scenarios. Cortese spelt it out and the next night Pardew insisted he would be in charge. Unless Cortese has been fundamentally misquoted he won't be.

A lot has been said on the after match threads about Pardew's body language etc. In the Echo Cortese has said that the Director of Football will be in total charge of the football side. In the Echo Pardew welcomed a Director of Football but said that he had to be in charge with the D o F subservient. Maybe Cortese has spelt this out and Pardew won't be in overall charge after the D o F arrives and will be reporting to him as set out by Cortese in his interview. I can't see that working.

Lallana needs to put the team shape before his off the cuff inclinations. The manager seems to be hoping against hope that he will perform but he is no better this year than he was last season. He needs to take a step back to the reserves, learn to be a team player and have occasional exposure in the first team, if they ever manage to work out what position he could play. If he is handled right he could develop into a good player but he needs a sprint/power coach to try and develop him physically.

The team he is picking with no width, Holmes and Gillett ignored, Wotton a fixture, the idiosyncratic undisciplined Lallana picked no matter how badly he performs, no balance or players complementing each other, 11 back for corners and nobody taking responsibility. He needs time, but he also has to show he has a grip on what we have got and that isn't happening. He is not helping himself. We are a shapeless, haphazard mess at the moment with the keepers saves keeping us in it. If he picks Wotton and Hammond together against Brentford it will finish him for me.