I look at some of our players and i really think we do possess some real genuine quality. Tomkins looked classy before he went off, Townsend is an international quality player, Jimmy Mac has the lot- energy and skill. Wilf is getting better, Scott Dann is a monster, fantastic player. Benteke is so skilled with his touches, it was a shame he could not get on the score sheet. I was so happy to see us playing a controlled passing game today. The only time we got a bit sloppy was when we were 4-0 up which can happen

I agree we have some very good players, but, I thought we got rather sloppy after going 2-0 up. As the 1st half progressed the crowd went very quiet as we struggled to make anything work. A better side than Stoke may well have got back into the game.

It is good to see a method and to give Pardew his due he brought in players to suit this method.The transition, I think, has been Pardew's transition from his initial talk of mavericks when he was first appointed (relying too much on Zaha and Bollasie to both perform) and actually having a method.He does seem to have changed his strategy of playing football without tactics. Benteke is in a different class to the running and jumping about without coming close to the ball that we are used to from a stiker and his play helps to close the massive gap we have had behind a lone striker.
Mandanda with his positioning seems to push our defence further forward
If however he ever starts to call it his "football philosophy" I will have to join the Pardew out lot.

It's good to keep an opened mind, but not so open that your brains fall out.

Its true we have some good players the skill however is getting them to play quality football together! I disagree that the only time we were sloppy on Sunday was when we were 4-0 up as we went through periods of the game (as we always do) when we let the opposition back into the game. Dann lost the ball trying to be clever, Bony missed a good chance & there were a couple of other examples as well that escape me now but other teams will exploit these better. For me scoring the third goal was crucial as at times it looked as though Stoke might snatch a goal even before half time out of nothing and then anything could have happened during the rest of the match (having had our confidence dented slightly).

Sorry I'm not talking about actual football but Steve Mandanda is the joint 10th best goalie in the world according to FIFA 17. What a bargain.

I think you have a good point, although none of those openings were clear cut for Stoke