this point about captaincy/ Jedi is spot on

I think we are all missing an important point: 'captaincy'. Jedinak captained with ferocity when the team looked disorganised or confused. Pardew's recent excuses about messages not getting out to players is the indicator that there's no-one managing the players on the pitch. Pardew let Jedinak go (rightly perhaps) but he simply was too stupid not to see the deficit in captaincy. He should have replaced Jedinak with a strong leader or kept him until such time as one was available. TP created a 5 man defensive unit with Jedinak plugging holes and being in charge. Pardew's hope that Dann could do Jedi's job was a MISTAKE. Pardew then went further and replaced Delaney with Tomkins. Delaney supported Jedi's captaincy at the back. Pardew has ruined a good defence and captaincy. The team is being captained from the bench. You cannot fault the players' committment when they fight back from 3-1 to get to 3-4. They simply lack any sense of unity of purpose when trying to defend. They are all looking around for instructions and motivation and there is no-one there fit to do it.

Keith Millen is the answer he's the defences coach wtf is he doing in training . AP can only pick what he has available to him, although I do belong to the get him out brigade Millen needs to get to grips with them asap or i fear the drop is on the horizon.

A Lie travels round the world quicker than a man can put his trousers on

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The signs of poor defending have been evident this season since the first game against WBA. WBA, Spurs, Liverpool, Burnley, Citeh, now Swansea. Almost half our games. There has been no discernible change. Yesterdays embarrassment at the back was the lowest.

Edited by Booted Eagle (27 Nov 2016 9.08am)

“ [T]here are known knowns; there are things we know that we know.There are known unknowns; that is to say there are things that, we now know we don't know.But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don't know. ”
—United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld

Yes, this rings very true. Just because a man is a top-class defender and maybe the most experienced defender available, that does not make him the best candidate for captain. If he doesn't have the right personality and presence then he just doesn't. Dann's defensive prowess has also waned since this responsibility was placed on his shoulders. Pardewed.

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The Ferret
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They are highly paid professionals with a mountain of experience to call on. Yes we miss a presence like Jedi, but it is no real excuse. If they honestly don't know how to waste time, fake injury and generally disrupt the flow of the game at their combined ages then there really is no hope for us.
New manager is a new start and only way I see it changing, but my undying support will be put on hold until this sorry bunch prove themselves worthy again. They seriously sicken me right now.

That's Life
And as funny as it may seem
Some people get their kicks stompin' on a Dream.
KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!

..very very true, they hardly need a manager to point to their stupid mistakes.

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1, Awarded by ref.
2, Cabaye, in the perfect position but perfectly f***ed.
3, Headed clearance deflected back towards goal, just bad luck.
4, Good save, unlucky where the rebound goes and the shot which would have missed had not that sub intervened.
5, very very lucky with the set up for the winner, the ball hits the Swansea players standing leg and bounces perfectly for them.

Our third was very fortunate, but all goals were rubbish defending apart from Zaha's first.

Edited by Inapickle (27 Nov 2016 10.40am)