If Pardew goes with the line ups suggested on here then we won't get to the play offs. Pretty much everyone has suggested Holland and ZZ in the centre of midfield but imo that is where our problems are.
ZZ and Holland me be individualy good but they don't play well together on a regular basis. Neither is a defensive player and neither seems to know what they are supposed to be doing. We end up with both chasing the same ball, both dropping deep or both pushing on, leaving huge gaps between the defence and the strikers. Is it any wonder that the back 4 knock it long all the time?
Holland should be dropped for the remaining games this season and replaced with Semedo playing the holding role. This in turns releases ZZ to play his more natural attacking game and not have to worry about what's behind him.
Since the turn of the year our problem is that we just don't score enough goals. This has alot to do with the sheer lack of confidence up front in players like Gray, Lita and Iwelumo but when you look at the wider picture there is one main reason why things have gone so dramatically downhill. The moment we sold Andy Reid we lost any sense of creativity in the middle of the park. Reid may have been overweight and shown disinterest in certain games but he was by far the best player in the whole division at being able to put a pass exactly where he wanted it. He made through balls look so simple as with his crosses....remember him putting it on Iwelumo's head out of nothing in injury time at Bristol City...? Zheng Zhi and Matty Holland are two identical minded footballers. They're neither defensive midfielders or attacking midfielders. But Matty is too old to get forward these days so sits back in a Semedo-esque role and Zheng has only ever played full seasons worth 20 odd games in China. He is now here having played 35+ games already this season plus flying backwards and forwards to play for China. Its no surprise then that he looks dead after 60 in every game in the last 2/3 months. I think its time Pards takes notice of the fact we lack creativity and as a consequence lack goals. Put Ambrose in the middle with Iwelumo and Varney up front and we'll begin to see more chances, more goals and hopefully a bit more spark in the final third.
As for the play-offs. It is still so tight with still plenty of games to go. I think we'll end up in the play offs along with West Brom, Ipswich and Bristol City, with Watford as champions and Stoke as runners-up. We should make it but Pards needs to be stronger. Any one could tell that he should put on Varney after 60/65 having gone 2-0 down and not waited till the 82nd minute.....1-1 on Friday.
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And Alan Simonsen .........
ZZ and Holland me be individualy good but they don't play well together on a regular basis. Neither is a defensive player and neither seems to know what they are supposed to be doing. We end up with both chasing the same ball, both dropping deep or both pushing on, leaving huge gaps between the defence and the strikers. Is it any wonder that the back 4 knock it long all the time?
Holland should be dropped for the remaining games this season and replaced with Semedo playing the holding role. This in turns releases ZZ to play his more natural attacking game and not have to worry about what's behind him.
As for the play-offs. It is still so tight with still plenty of games to go. I think we'll end up in the play offs along with West Brom, Ipswich and Bristol City, with Watford as champions and Stoke as runners-up. We should make it but Pards needs to be stronger. Any one could tell that he should put on Varney after 60/65 having gone 2-0 down and not waited till the 82nd minute.....1-1 on Friday.