Atromitos Athens v Newcastle United

[Lake Bells tits 1]

Totally agree. The positives really are important here. The key thing is that we will still need our 2nd XI for cup/Europa games and to backfill the 1st XI when injuries kick in. I think to progress we need to get a solid 2nd XI. This means replacing Tavernier (not ready yet), Obertan (embarrassingly bad), Gosling (won't make it) and Harper (past it). We could also do with another striker so we don't have to fatigue/risk Ba or Cisse against clogger teams on pie pitches in 1000 degree heat on a Thursday night.

 

The solution is to buy Debuchy, Carroll and a CB in the next week (come on Mike!), or more realistically, to start Amalfitano over Obertan and start to cut Abeid's teeth rather than that duck egg Gosling. We could do with Ameobi staying fit too, but he's getting on a bit now, and has always had injury problems.

 

In all, we're in for a long season, and we're going to need our athletes (Colo, Jonas, Cabaye, Cisse) to play a lot of games this year unless we get a piss easy draw in the cups and Europe and our 2nd string sort their act out.

 

On the plus side, a draw away on a hot Thursday night in Greece with our second team is a good result. We'll hammer these at home.

 

 

Agree

Totally agree. The positives really are important here. The key thing is that we will still need our 2nd XI for cup/Europa games and to backfill the 1st XI when injuries kick in. I think to progress we need to get a solid 2nd XI. This means replacing Tavernier (not ready yet), Obertan (embarrassingly bad), Gosling (won't make it) and Harper (past it). We could also do with another striker so we don't have to fatigue/risk Ba or Cisse against clogger teams on pie pitches in 1000 degree heat on a Thursday night.

 

The solution is to buy Debuchy, Carroll and a CB in the next week (come on Mike!), or more realistically, to start Amalfitano over Obertan and start to cut Abeid's teeth rather than that duck egg Gosling. We could do with Ameobi staying fit too, but he's getting on a bit now, and has always had injury problems.

 

In all, we're in for a long season, and we're going to need our athletes (Colo, Jonas, Cabaye, Cisse) to play a lot of games this year unless we get a piss easy draw in the cups and Europe and our 2nd string sort their act out.

 

On the plus side, a draw away on a hot Thursday night in Greece with our second team is a good result. We'll hammer these at home.

 

Agreed, good posts by both of you. A walking foul-machine Fish I have been saying the same for a while, but I usually gets told that it isnt easy finding a better player than williamson willing to warm the bench and be 3-4rd choice. In my view thats missing the point somewhat. Every defender we sign should aim for a starting position through performances - and williamson is just not a good defender. Poor on the ball, cant pass and slow as a snail.

 

Him vs pacey players are always going to end up with multiple fouls being made - hope to god they happen outside the box because if they dont its penalties bonanza...

[wykikitoon 19803]

It was 38 degrees wyki.

 

As for Williamson, this will be his first game dealing with European refs who are typically pickier than PL ones and certainly football league ones where he's spent most of his career so far. Its about experience.

 

Thats why he is thick as fuck, after the 4th foul it should sink into the big dumb fuck!!

[NJS 4355]

If Pardew thinks a team similar to last nights will see us through when games are played in tough periods then he's mistaken imo.

 

 

[Lake Bells tits 1]

Dont think he does, what he did do was rest all the important first-teamers for the chelsea clash. Dont think he is under any illusion that the side last night could challenge anything.

Was a good opportunity to blood some youngsters etc though.

 

Came out well in the end I thought.

[BigWalrus 0]

I didn't watch it but had the radio commentary on - they kept saying that none of the "fouls" Williamson was penalised for were actually fouls.

 

They said the referee was giving a foul as soon as anyone went down, regardless of whether there was any contact, to the point where it was getting ridiculous.

 

Commentator was talking about Obertan a lot. Said he was often in plenty space and had bags of energy and plenty life left in him right to the end, but rarely had a go at his man.

 

They were pretty scathing about Marveaux, saying this was a good chance for him to impress and he did bugger all.

 

Did Cisse touch the ball?

[The Fish 10662]

If Pardew thinks a team similar to last nights will see us through when games are played in tough periods then he's mistaken imo.

I don't think you can look at the team that took the field last night as an indication of anything other than the team that was fielded for a situation of very particular circumstances.

 

beginning of the season where some players aren't fully match fit

just after a tough league game

just before a tough league game

lost a senior player when surely he'd be part of the traveling squad in Ameobi

missing a couple of players through niggling injuries that weren't worth risking

opposition were (with all due respects) of a standard to expect the available players securing the result

 

and so on

[OTF 7214]

If Pardew thinks a team similar to last nights will see us through when games are played in tough periods then he's mistaken imo.

 

I don't think 9 changes will be typical. At this stage of the season you can understand it, particularly playing weak opposition. With our squad not fully conditioned you risk fatigue and injury trying to squeeze that many games in over such a short period. The heat would have amplified it.

 

On the whole it's a positive result. If we can't turn them over at home we don't deserve to progress.

[Holden McGroin 6451]

The team Pardew put out was a necessity really. I suspect Shola would have played instead of Cisse as well - if fit.

 

That would have meant 11 changes from that side to Chelsea. Im quite impressed with our squad depth. Its certainly getting stronger.

[David Kelly 1217]

I didn't watch it but had the radio commentary on - they kept saying that none of the "fouls" Williamson was penalised for were actually fouls.

 

They said the referee was giving a foul as soon as anyone went down, regardless of whether there was any contact, to the point where it was getting ridiculous.

 

Commentator was talking about Obertan a lot. Said he was often in plenty space and had bags of energy and plenty life left in him right to the end, but rarely had a go at his man.

 

They were pretty scathing about Marveaux, saying this was a good chance for him to impress and he did bugger all.

 

Did Cisse touch the ball?

More than on Saturday but that's not saying much. He's had a fairly poor start the season (maybe feeling the effects of Ramadan like Ba last year).

 

I thought the same about Marveaux. He just really didn't do much at all. He didn't see much of the ball like as most of our attacking tried to come through Obertan.

 

Generally there did seem to be a lack of any intensity and urgency from us but that may well be down to the heat out there. I know I find it difficult enough to walk from one bar to the next in such temperatures so running around for ninety minutes can't be any picnic!