Nyff

Can't argue too much with that. Guthrie to be given the license to go forward and hopefully ping one in from outside the box, and Ben Arfa/Cisse to come on when we need a lift.

Snow has just started here in Oxford.

Is he?

I did laugh that after scoring his goal he got the ball again down the wing, and then did a typical Obertan thing and 'delivered' a cross that didn't even beat the defender who was about 2 metres in front of him

To make things happen, other players need to be able to read him. You can't blame him for getting frustrated or not playing well when the two people in front of him are Best/Ameobi, and our game is to hoof it up to them and see who can get on the knock downs. In my view, we will see a different and more productive player in Ben Arfa when the Demba's are back.

Credit where credit's due - Perch came on and did a job in the holding role. We were massively under the cosh, but half of that was because we just didn't have an outlet upfront. Shola was poor and Best not much better. I like the idea of Obertan as an impact sub, but nothing more than that right now. His finish was nice, mind. But at the end of the day a win is a win, and on Sunday we will have our new strike duo playing together for us for the very first time. Wouldn't actually mind Perch starting in the middle alongside Guthrie. I think Ben Arfa/Jonas will have much better games with Ba running around making himself available. Might stick some money on Cisse scoring on his debut.

And then he goes and shows us what he normally does by crossing straight to the feet of the Bburn player in front of him.

GABBBYYYY!!! Great finish!

Just got to hold on...and hope that Ameobi puts in some effort. Can't wait until he is benched again.

Half an hour to go until we can play a game with the Dembas!

To be fair to Perch, he is doing a decent job.

Wouldn't mind seeing Obertan coming on for one of the strikers just to give us some sort of outlet along the ground. Nothing really happening. Boring game.

Don't half go down easy do they.

To be fair, these first 30 seconds have shown the use of someone playing just in front of the defence. Still, it is Perch, so I await the fuck up.

Ben Arfa on, Perch off :/

Can't blame Ben Arfa. There is nothing on for him. It is the same with Jonas when he ran with the ball but there was just no one there to give the ball to so he just got us a throw. Need someone to play in the Cabaye/Tiote role.

We are playing atrocious. Can't argue with the score, like. We can only get better, surely?

YESSS Krul lad!

Fucking hate this game sometimes.

Collocini on a one man mission to stop us conceding. Can't say we are playing well at all.

Will have that..

I just don't concede Aha. I stick it on defensive right from the start but still with three up front. Wait for a while passing it around until the other guy starts getting frustrated and sends loads forward and then I just catch him on the break every time.

Somehow managing to stay in Div. 1 on H2H, playing as Newcastle every time. 4-3-3 with Obertan and Barfa either side of Ba. Score tons with Barfa. Just do what he does in real life and cut in from the right then ping them in easily. Have had some woeful efforts with Ba, though. His finishing stat really needs to be upgraded (either that or I'm just shit). Played in the cup yesterday but swapped the entire team for youth players. Only lost 2-1 which was none too shabby! Okay, I brought on Barfa and Ba with ten minutes to go but still!

It is just the lack of effort from Shola. Even someone running at the defence when they have the ball would do a better job, just because it adds a bit more pressure and then maybe gives the option for someone else to exploit that.

Realistically, is there ANYONE else we can put up top instead of Ameobi before Ba/Cisse are back?