if one of Racon, Bailey, ZZ and Shelvey remain I'd be surprised. Whatever Parky may have said, and let's not forget ZZ and Shelvey can't play in the same side (LOL), they will all be in demand. IMO Shelvey is the most likely to stay. ZZ is on a free and we can't afford his wages, Bailey will be chased by top Championship clubs and maybe the promoted one's too and Racon is proving he can play at Championship level at least. On top of this we are skint. We won't be able to reject decent offers and anyway if the player involved wants to go then we've had it.
[cite]Posted By: nigel w[/cite]You have to say, Pardew did a assemble a highclass midfield in ZZ, Bailey, Racon and Sam with Shelvey coming through to join them. It was very much Pardew's midfield not Parky's signings got us three points yesterday, for as someone else pointed out, Parkinson's men (Burton and Spring) didn't even start.
Not Pardew's midfield really. Any manager would have kept Shelvey and Sam at the club as they were coming through, he rates ZZ but so do a lot of managers. He started using Racon but it took him a ridiculous amount of time. As for Bailey, his best form has been with Parkinson in charge, taking the pressure off him putting him on the left so he's not got too much to handle and stopped trying to do everything.
To be fair to Pardew over Racon, last summer he decided that Racon was an important part of his plans for this season. He started him in the first game, and did not drop him when Bailey arrived, but had him playing alongside Bailey - the exact partnership that has been the source of much of the best of our play in recent weeks. Unfortunately, that partnership never had the chance to develop further under Pardew because Racon got injured.
Pardew started the season with Sam, Shelvey and Racon in midfield. By the second game he had added Bailey. ZZ would have been in but for injury. That's what I maeant, Scoham, about it being 'Pardew's midfield'.
I loathed the bloke,too,and wanted him to go long before he did. But I'm not going to deny the (very few) good things he did - and he started the season with a great midfield. The same midfield that did so well yesterday.
[cite]Posted By: AFKABartram[/cite]As others have said, word from better sources was the Pardew never rated Racon.
He also thought Varney was naturally gifted than Tevez. I think that tells you everything you need to know.
My dear old Mum used to say "there's none so blind as them that do not want to see". Sadly I think this statement goes for most, not all managers. They all have their blind spots over players. Pardew liked to think that he knew everything to know about spotting players. This seems to be on the strength of signing Reo-Coker and Harewood, neither of which have done that much in recent seasons.
You may have heard things differently in private but certainly in public Pardew talked Racon up when he signed him and again during the close season. Perhaps Pardews problem is that he doesn't like the smell of garlic because he praised up Moo2 yet never put any real faith in him.
I saw Racon play at Bristol City last season when he played instead of Semedo who was suspended. He was excellent. He then picked up an injury and was out for a while. As soon as Pardew had his chance he sent him off on loan to Brighton. He is real quality. Sure he may be temperamental but boy is he classy.
As has been said, that midfield yesterday is as good as you'll get in this Division. Next year it remains to be seen who will stay and who will go and what price will be too good to ignore. I can't help feeling that in the short term, keeping all of them if possible is the best plan both for securing a return and in attracting investors.
Well I know that Pardew didn't rate Racon but Parkinson did. FACT
Henry "So how about Racon?"
Pardew "Well he's one of the players me and Phil disagree on. I don't rate him but he thinks he can still be a player for us"
As for ZZ and Shelvey not being able to play together in midfield. I don't remember seeing that but we've not really seen them play together in midfield.
For the Preston and Soton games we've played 4-4-1-1 with first ZZ and then Shelvey in the hole. Racon has been the one that has played alongside first Shelvey and on Saturday it was ZZ.
[cite]Posted By: nigel w[/cite]ZZ would have started
Wasn't ZZ brought in by Les Reed and pardew only inherited the paper work?
Yes ZZ was Les Reed's man but Pardew being Pardew manipulated the press to take the credit just as he tried to claim he had deliberately loaned Youga to Scunthorpe to bring him on when he was doing well before he (Pardew) destroyed his (Youga's) confidence.
[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]Pardew "Well he's one of the players me and Phil disagree on. I don't rate him but he thinks he can still be a player for us"
It's unbelievable really. Racon has shown quality nearly if not every time he's played for us. Racon's by far the more all round player than Semedo and Holland (even if they are possibly slightly better defensively), though Pardew continually played both of them ahead of him
(QUOTE)Our midfield 5 today were outstanding, which is why Parky persisits with the unpopular 4-5-1 formation. We have some very good midfielders but no strikers at all worthy of the name. What's the point of playing 4-4-2 and dropping a good midfielder to replace him with another clueless striker? (QUOTE)
But a totally different game playing 4-5-1 at home where I cannot remeber a single match where it has remotely looked like working.
[cite]Posted By: Addickson's God[/cite]But a totally different game playing 4-5-1 at home where I cannot remeber a single match where it has remotely looked like working.
Bristol City at home, first half hour. Though that was more 4-3-3 with proper wingers in Bouazza and Varney.
Norwich at home in the FA Cup, again with two proper wingers in Sam and Bouazza. Needed to take one or two more of our first half chances.
Both times they came down to poor finishes, we still need more quality up front. Next season Dickson, McLeod, Fleetwood, Burton and Gray/Kandol won't be good enough.
Midfield might be better balanced with Semedo in there in place of Shelvey or Zheng, especially against the better and/or stronger teams. Fine against a young struggling team like Southampton.
I hope we keep Arter as well. If we loose two or three of the current competent five, we will be forced to rely on mediocre signings like Spring or pay out good money that could better be spent on strikers.
I think Semedo will end up as our first choice full-back if we can keep him, I'm surprised there are no reports of him back in training - is it me or do our players seem to spend more time recuperating than guys at other clubs with similar injuries - ZZ's metatarsal for instance.
[cite]Posted By: Addickson's God[/cite]I hope we keep Arter as well. If we loose two or three of the current competent five, we will be forced to rely on mediocre signings like Spring or pay out good money that could better be spent on strikers.
He's back after his loan, will be interesting to see if he gets a chance, even if it's just off the bench. With Yussuff and Wright out, Semedo returning from injury, Parkinson using 4-5-1 there could be room for him in the last few games assuming relegation is confirmed.
Unless they've already decided he's not getting a new contract.
[quote][cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]I like semedo. Full back or CM he'll do a job next year.
I wonder if Cory Gibbs is available?[/quote]
Henry, despite the jokes about Gibbs, it seems crazy that we let him and Monteiro go then lined up for the season with only two contracted centre-backs. Was it a money thing?
Monteiro wasn't good enough (or not judged to be by Pardew...), not sure about Gibbs but he would have been on Premiership wages.
I remember Pardew coming out and saying he wouldn't have signed Hudson if he knew how bad our finances were, or something similar. Sounds like he spent decent wages on Hudson, then Bougherra goes and maybe he realised he should have signed two centre backs with Hudson's wages. Didn't take him long to then make him captain, call him a Premiership player and say how great he was.
Comments
He also thought Varney was naturally gifted than Tevez. I think that tells you everything you need to know.
Not Pardew's midfield really. Any manager would have kept Shelvey and Sam at the club as they were coming through, he rates ZZ but so do a lot of managers. He started using Racon but it took him a ridiculous amount of time. As for Bailey, his best form has been with Parkinson in charge, taking the pressure off him putting him on the left so he's not got too much to handle and stopped trying to do everything.
Did he ever say that? Seems a bit hard to believe.
Will be interesting to see how he uses Semedo once he's fit. I think he'd do a good job at right back.
Pardew started the season with Sam, Shelvey and Racon in midfield. By the second game he had added Bailey. ZZ would have been in but for injury. That's what I maeant, Scoham, about it being 'Pardew's midfield'.
I loathed the bloke,too,and wanted him to go long before he did. But I'm not going to deny the (very few) good things he did - and he started the season with a great midfield. The same midfield that did so well yesterday.
I'm sorry, but i've managed to remove that sentence from my vocabulary.
My dear old Mum used to say "there's none so blind as them that do not want to see". Sadly I think this statement goes for most, not all managers. They all have their blind spots over players. Pardew liked to think that he knew everything to know about spotting players. This seems to be on the strength of signing Reo-Coker and Harewood, neither of which have done that much in recent seasons.
You may have heard things differently in private but certainly in public Pardew talked Racon up when he signed him and again during the close season. Perhaps Pardews problem is that he doesn't like the smell of garlic because he praised up Moo2 yet never put any real faith in him.
I saw Racon play at Bristol City last season when he played instead of Semedo who was suspended. He was excellent. He then picked up an injury and was out for a while. As soon as Pardew had his chance he sent him off on loan to Brighton. He is real quality. Sure he may be temperamental but boy is he classy.
As has been said, that midfield yesterday is as good as you'll get in this Division. Next year it remains to be seen who will stay and who will go and what price will be too good to ignore. I can't help feeling that in the short term, keeping all of them if possible is the best plan both for securing a return and in attracting investors.
Wasn't ZZ brought in by Les Reed and pardew only inherited the paper work?
Henry "So how about Racon?"
Pardew "Well he's one of the players me and Phil disagree on. I don't rate him but he thinks he can still be a player for us"
As for ZZ and Shelvey not being able to play together in midfield. I don't remember seeing that but we've not really seen them play together in midfield.
For the Preston and Soton games we've played 4-4-1-1 with first ZZ and then Shelvey in the hole. Racon has been the one that has played alongside first Shelvey and on Saturday it was ZZ.
Yes ZZ was Les Reed's man but Pardew being Pardew manipulated the press to take the credit just as he tried to claim he had deliberately loaned Youga to Scunthorpe to bring him on when he was doing well before he (Pardew) destroyed his (Youga's) confidence.
It's unbelievable really. Racon has shown quality nearly if not every time he's played for us. Racon's by far the more all round player than Semedo and Holland (even if they are possibly slightly better defensively), though Pardew continually played both of them ahead of him
But a totally different game playing 4-5-1 at home where I cannot remeber a single match where it has remotely looked like working.
Bristol City at home, first half hour. Though that was more 4-3-3 with proper wingers in Bouazza and Varney.
Norwich at home in the FA Cup, again with two proper wingers in Sam and Bouazza. Needed to take one or two more of our first half chances.
Both times they came down to poor finishes, we still need more quality up front. Next season Dickson, McLeod, Fleetwood, Burton and Gray/Kandol won't be good enough.
Well that's pissed on my chips. I was liking this thread until that!
I think Semedo will end up as our first choice full-back if we can keep him, I'm surprised there are no reports of him back in training - is it me or do our players seem to spend more time recuperating than guys at other clubs with similar injuries - ZZ's metatarsal for instance.
I wonder if Cory Gibbs is available?
He's back after his loan, will be interesting to see if he gets a chance, even if it's just off the bench. With Yussuff and Wright out, Semedo returning from injury, Parkinson using 4-5-1 there could be room for him in the last few games assuming relegation is confirmed.
Unless they've already decided he's not getting a new contract.
I wonder if Cory Gibbs is available?[/quote]
Henry, despite the jokes about Gibbs, it seems crazy that we let him and Monteiro go then lined up for the season with only two contracted centre-backs. Was it a money thing?
I remember Pardew coming out and saying he wouldn't have signed Hudson if he knew how bad our finances were, or something similar. Sounds like he spent decent wages on Hudson, then Bougherra goes and maybe he realised he should have signed two centre backs with Hudson's wages. Didn't take him long to then make him captain, call him a Premiership player and say how great he was.