78' Whitbread gets a yellow at midfield. Could have very well seen a PK given for holding Ba on our last corner. Just like we were in the Derby.
We managed to finish it off. So not impressed by the late game tactics. It's like complacency has set in and the team doesn't want to seal the European places. IMHO Thx, Jay!
Sat this one out, prior commitments. Sounds like other than Cisse's take I didn't miss a lot. We're either coasting or hitting the wall, one or the other. Don't forget our lineup has been largely the same bunch of guys all year, with a few exceptions, regardless of competition.
Pardew's limitations getting clearer by the week, bloke is winging it at the moment but the cracks are there for all to see with his footballing philosophy and negativity. Hope we stick with him for sake of stability but sooner rather than later with our transfer business his playing staff will outgrow him.
Well at least we got the three points for the first time in ages (was Villa the last time?). We're coasting a bit, granted we've never really served up champagne football this season. Jonas did well at left back, even if it did seem strange to put him in there. Only the tactical genius that is Maradona has seen fit to play him there before. Cisse should have had a hat-trick in the first half, three great chances and he put the hardest one away. The second half performance reminded me a lot of Wolves where we kind of sit back and don't press the lead we have and invite pressure. I've heard Pardew thought it was his best performance for us, where his link up play was much better, don't know if that was just typical "manager trying to give confidence" speech, but I didn't really see it. He was playing the same game of standing on the shoulder of the last defender, only this time we were actually threading balls in behind. Still I think there could be something special in there, it probably won't be until next season that we see the best of him. We're still giving possession away cheaply. Williamson's confidence seems shot to pieces. I noticed after he fannied about with it on the edge of our box and gave them a chance Pardew shouted at him "Just f*cking clear it". He then did that every time he got the ball. Perch was immense, and I never thought I'd say that. We didn't miss Tiote at all because he was covering so well. Ameobi is looking really good at the minute, when he comes on you know he's going to keep the ball and not give it away cheaply.