A year since pardew arrived

oohaahmortimer

how does everyone think he's done....
obviously walked into a team heading one way and nearly performed a miracle , then with the wholesale changes required after relegation has he moulded a squad good enough to win promotion?
how good have his signings been?
is the football exciting?
are the club heading in the right direction under his control?

i think we'll possibly scrape into the play-offs ( my previous optimism has evaporated after yesterdays display)
i think some signings have been good and others woeful
the football isn't as exciting as i would have hoped for considering the piss poor oppostion we're up against
i think that unless promotion is achieved this season we're here to stay in the championship for an extended period

thai malaysia addick

I think it is about what we all expected really. It could have been worse, but it is still going to be a long journey to getting back up - and staying up. The need to clear out the deadwood has been completed quite well, in my view. It has been needed for the last three seasons. Bringing in a lot of new players was always going to be hard and, to be honest, we are higher up the table than I expected at this stage. I always thought that if we were to do well this season, it would be due to a good second half of the season. It still think that holds - the status of the injuries and whether any astute signings or horse-trading can be accomplished in January will make all the difference in this poor division. I think you are right, getting out of the division will get harder as each season passes.

LenGlover

The silver lining is that despite playing crap such as we did yesterday we are still verymuch in contention for an automatic promotion spot.

As I've said elsewhere i wish we'd play to feet!

lancashire lad

I think AP has done well - we are 4 points off automatic promotion and in the top six. I can't comment on his signings as I haven't seen them all play but from what I have seen we occasionally play exciting football but there is too much lumping the ball up to Big Chris. yes the club is heading in the right direction.

There is no clear leader in this division only 10 points separates 3rd from 13th, therefore whoever does the best business in the transfer window and settles the players into a team will get promoted. It could be us it could also be the team in 13th place, I think we have the basis of a good team, it just needs some good management and a bit of luck.

stonemuse

As with Sunderland last year, one team is likely to go on a run from January onwards and leave just one place open.

I'm with Len, despite playing crap we are still up there - just shows that consistency is the key to get out.

northstandsteve

Personally I think the jury is out,can't understand with exception of Fortune and Reid this was the team that played with a great tempo and vigour against Ipswich and Saturday was sooooooooooooooo flat.

Kap10

[cite]Posted By: northstandsteve[/cite]Personally I think the jury is out,can't understand with exception of Fortune and Reid this was the team that played with a great tempo and vigour against Ipswich and Saturday was sooooooooooooooo flat.

Ipswich 1st half allowed us to play football, Hull were all over us from the start. Our players were fit against Ipswich, against Hull we carried injuries to 3-4 key players.

northstandsteve

oh ok now i know why we were shit,i remember being told clubs wouldn't be able to live with our squad in this league,or maybe that's wishful thinkin.

Oggy Red

Our squad still have to be a fit squad, though. It's invariably not just a case of one player injured and another steps in to take his place - the player coming in generally lacks 1st team match practice and it shows.

Key players missing like Reid are replaced with lesser players or those who usually play a different role. Multiply that with others missing and those who can't perform to required performance levels because they're carrying injuries,
then it's hard to maintain the balance in the team.



With the sheer number of injuries to the squad (including Racon & Moo2 who would've stepped in) and now the regular suspensions, our large squad has been decimated. Imagine if we had a squad as small as say Colchester or Scunthorpe, we would have to play kids like Aswad Thomas, Arter, Wright & Wagstaff.

The likes of Hull would eat them alive.

TEL

Jury is still out for me. Pards, certainly talks the talk, but I suspect that he is somewhat tactically naive or just plain stuck in a rut. We shouldnt struggle with a squad the size of ours as Oggy quite rightly pointed out. I actually think it will do us some good to learn to play without Reid...and to a lesser extent Iwelumo (at least in a 4-5-1 at home formation). Im looking forward to seeing Racon and Moo2 play in the team together....yeah they will make mistakes, but I think they are our future along with Semedo who I think is excellent. Maybe we need to do a bit of trading come January, rather than outright purchases as we have to be a little cautious just in case we miss the gravy boat back to the promised land. Dont get me wrong....4-5-1 away has its place, but it shows a lack of confidence in our midfiled and strike force when we cant play 4-4-2 at home. Im desparately trying to stay optimistic, their is a long way to go for sure, but a lot will hinge on what we can acive in the market come January.

Oggy Red

I think we all get stuck in the belief that 4-5-1 is a negative formation - and when Curbs was our manager, it was invariably formulated to stop the other team playing at all costs.

Pards, to his credit along with some other adventurous managers, see's at as 4-5-1 when defending and quickly breaking into 4-3-3 when attacking.

Three up front is not defensive.

WSS

[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]Pards, to his credit along with some other adventurous managers, see's at as 4-5-1 when defending and quickly breaking into 4-3-3 when attacking.

Three up front is not defensive.

I agree Oggy but what are we creating up front at the moment?

I'd go all the way back to Cardiff at home (and maybe Ipswich at home but i wasnt there) where we have created a considerable number of chances. Maybe i am being picky, as we have scored the odd goal and picked up wins but i would really be expecting to create 7-10 chances a game or forcing the keeper to make a similar number of saves and i don't think we are doing that at the moment.

think i'm just in a negative mood at the moment

Kap10

I'm just praying that we get through the christmas period with some points, get the suspended and injured back, pull in a couple of new players, loaned or bought and go on a run from Jan till May. this league is crying out for someone to take it by the scruff of the neck and dominate it and in the words of Curbs - why can't that be us.

I'd also hand the Cup game to WBA and send out the most inexperienced team eligible.

WSS

[cite]Posted By: Kap10[/cite]I'd also hand the Cup game to WBA and send out the most inexperienced team eligible.

Why? An English team in any division has to win the cup, why can't it be us?

pete_tong1

Play the likes of Arter and Wright in the cup sod the f.a they have got it clearly in for us.

WSS

[cite]Posted By: pete_tong1[/cite]sod the f.a they have got it clearly in for us.

Yeah, the fa must have put remote controlled chips in fortune's forearm, Mills' mouth and both of Sodge's legs! ;-)

pete_tong1

yes the same f.a refs who didnt send off the norwich player for elbowing ZZ, a Hull player kicking Mills off the ball, Hull player hiting Mills he has a black eye to provie it, a blantant penalty against Coventry, Hull player jumping two footed in the back of Paddy, etc...... and finally gave Sankofa a bigger suspension for appealing whilst no one else has been given it.

LargeAddick

[cite]Posted By: pete_tong1[/cite]yes the same f.a refs who didnt send off the norwich player for elbowing ZZ, a Hull player kicking Mills off the ball, Hull player hiting Mills he has a black eye to provie it, a blantant penalty against Coventry, Hull player jumping two footed in the back of Paddy, etc...... and finally gave Sankofa a bigger suspension for appealing whilst no one else has been given it.

not bitter about it then ?

pete_tong1

lol nope just acting how Arsene Wenger, Alex Fergusion and Morninio would act. :-) and other clubs fans may i add.