Ayatollah Hermione

When talking football tactics, people are forgetting that tactically sound and players performances are not mutually exclusive. At West Brom, there was not a lot wrong with our system (except a high line when chasing the win) but Coloccini had a poor game in that system and it cost us. Norwich away, we NEEDED more height through the team in an attempt to defend their corners, that's why Shola had to be on the pitch. And shock horror, he played well. Pardew was tactically sound, I thought, he did the best he could knowing that Norwich were going to exploit our deficincies. They played well, we didn't play terribly, personnel let us down. Swansea at home, we fucking BATTERED them for 90 minutes. They were chasing shadows for much of it but our midfield personnel didn't create enough chances and there wasn't enough space in the game for Ben Arfa to exploit; going direct seemed the best option and after the success it (really should have) had at Chelsea, Shola came on but didn't play well but the likes of Gutierrez and Cabaye didn't play well either in terms of creating chances and giving service to Ba. We weren't set up poorly there at all, they had one shot all game. Bolton away, first half we played right into their hands but Pardew saw the space in and around their box, brought Ben Arfa on and we took the lead by exploiting that space. Then, he made Obertan get more direct at the weak Robinson and he set up the second. Sound away performance and exactly what we needed, 3 points, good win, back on the bus. No point in those three games can you dismiss the drop in form as tactical cowardice or any other ridiculous term. He's struggled with injuries and suspensions but the way he set up the sides in their abscences was perfectly fine. Tactical cowardice would have been getting the equaliser against West Brom and shutting up shop. Tactical cowardice would have been setting us up at Old Trafford to try and escape with as few goals conceded as possible, likewise at Man City. There isn't one successful great tactic that you can plug players into, regardless of quality, fitness and opposition, that will always yield results. He's been tactically poor once this season and that was against QPR, which tbh, was a game in quite extraordinary circumstances (QPR's brand new, fairly exciting starting 11 had them on a real high). After a good start, yes, losing games is always disappointing but the only teams that don't lose a few on the bounce over the course of a season are the top 2/3 and we're not there yet. We're 7th precisely because we've been set up remarkably well and played to our key strengths. Compare us tactically this year to Allardyce's reign for example, we were a shambles and that WAS tactical cowardice (playing for a draw at home to Derby). This is the best NUFC team in years because of Pardew's tactics.

Genius man management recently from Pardew with HBA tbh

Thought Cahill was shite for them, shades of John Terry with his dirty kick at Ba so he'll fit in nicely at Chelsea. As for Jonas, he's the best option we have on the wings atm. Capable of getting at his man and worrying majority of full-backs and excellent in possession. Sturridge's free reign of the wing against Chelsea shows what happens when he's not there to do a lot of the marking for Ryan Taylor, especially when teams are trying to break down our left.

Loony Toon is basically watching games froma a padded cell so I wouldn't invest too much time in him.

Needed that badly like. Thought Obertan shone for a while after his assist, it's amazing what it can do to you. Difference in philosophy and comfort playing that style when Ben Arfa came on was excellent. Best's purple patch is done, time for Ben Arfa to start.

I'd probably work on Christmas Day if I could like. I get bored shitless after about 2 hours of being awake. Might as well be paid for it. Glad to hear your mam's on the mend, Tom, mate.

Usually how my christmas' go

I've got a couple but they're largely textbooks for my uni work, rather than anything like Forgotten Voices, still interesting but not really something worth reading in big chunks. If you're not bothered, I can recommend a couple though.

Yous should both enjoy Driver, like. It's similar in a sense to the first two, just updated with a new mechanic that works really well. I loved it.

Hope all your families can recover quickly, lads. Sorry to hear it.

All the best, Andrew. Hope it all gans smoothly. You have to save him some dinner, mind.

Not technically cooking like but went to the Mon Sun on Low Fell last night for a curry and it was lush. Well recommended if you live that way.

Merry christmas to the lot of you. You're all alright by me.

Aeris, can you stop posting about football? It's ruining Christmas

The stars were aligned in that second half to the point where he could have headed that towards goal and it would have found its way in.

Becoming a bit of a bogey side these like. Not beat them since we went down. How many times have we hit the bar/post in this last run of games as well?

How'd you go about doing that? Always been interested in it.

I was fucking sweating watching that. aye, it was terrifying in places, I thought.

I hope Trophyshy and Gemmill's cat both recover in time for Christmas

I've no idea how he managed it but he reckons he did. He's fond of giving them a rusty hook as well.

Thank you, my adult girlfriend would love a message from Santa

i thought i was cynical

I have a mate that goes a bit Undertaker on any lass he's doing it with. Choking and standing on their heads and that. He's a perfect case of someone brought up watching lasses get donkey punched and slapped and thinking its decent carry-on.

Stop being such a banana head, watching it on a monthly rotation is the least you can do. John McClane may not have been up for manscaping but he's definitely covered Holly's face in his spunk more than once. And she fucking loved it

nothing edgy about passionately defending the modern love fable that is Die Hard either