Crafty Guidolin’s such a little tinker
because there weren’t many runners for him, but when I saw him I was so impressed. He has kind of gone under the radar a little bit but, remember, that he has played the last two games for France and played very well. “He’s a very, very high-quality goalkeeper.” Pardew has made big decisions when it comes to his keepers over the last two seasons – with crowd favourite Speroni being replaced by Wales hero Hennessey at the start of last campaign.
He added: “The goalkeeper situation has been easy in so much as I have a great set of characters here.
“Speroni I don’t need to speak about, he speaks for himself, but Wayne Hennessey’s personality is just fantastic, Alex McCarthy’s was and now Steve’s is.
“And, of course, I have to make tough decisions but they have accepted them and their work hasn’t diminished because of that.
“I hope Jules breaks John Jackson’s record of 393 appearances for the club as a keeper. He’s on 389 and why not? I know Wayne is going to be pushing Steve to get back into the team and it is probably our strongest position at the club.”
The Hart issue brought the debate about ball-playing goalkeepers to the public’s attention once more but Pardew says that it is nothing new.
He said: “I don’t think I have stolen a march on other managers who weren’t thinking ahead by signing goalkeepers who can play.
“I don’t think Pep has invented the ‘playing’ keeper situation but the focus is on it now for sure and the display by Bravo last weekend, the mistake he made, kind of called into question exactly what he is.
“Keepers who play with the ball are going to make mistakes because they take risks, but it’s that risk-taking you have to encourage because it’s going to get you through the lines of teams.
“If you can play deeper and have the confidence to play deeper there’s a lot more space in behind them.” SWANSEA boss Francesco Guidolin has vowed to carry on being a tactical tinkerman. Despite a horrendous first-half display against Chelsea last Sunday, when his side looked utterly lost in a new 3-5-2 formation, the Italian will continue to experiment with systems. He is chosing to ignore the fact he had to abort his three-at-the-back plan only 40 minutes into the 2-2 draw with the Blues. And that it led to a furious dugout exchange between himself and Wales defender Neil Taylor after he was subbed in the reshuffle. But Guidolin, whose side travel to Southampton this afternoon, claims chopping and changing styles and personnel, even during a game, is his trademark.
The ex-Parma coach (left) said: “In my career, opponents sometimes would not know our shape or what we were planning before games.
“That’s because my sides could play 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-4-2 – I’ll need time to get that here but this is what I want to arrive at.
“And I like to change the shape during games. For example, Manchester City did that when they finished the derby against United with five defenders. This is so important because it surprises opponents and means you’re not predictable.”
Whether Swansea fans will be thrilled – or chilled – to hear this is still up for debate.
The jury at the Liberty Stadium remains out on Guidolin, 60.
However, defending his love for multiple formations, he added: “It comes down to the quality of the players that you have.
“Players like Costa, Messi, Suarez and Ronaldo can play anywhere. But in my job I’ve never managed players like this.
“I have to find a lot of other methods and ways to surprise.”
X(KO 3pm unless stated) PREMIER LEAGUE DWWWLW..........................Arsenal Chelsea................................ LWLDWD (5:30pm) LLLDLW............ AFC Bournemouth Everton ................................. dLLLWW DWWDLW ....................... Liverpool Hull.....................................WLWWWD WWdDDL ............... Middlesbrough Tottenham Hotspur ............. DWDLDW DLDWLL ................................Stoke West Brom ............................LDDWDL dWWLWL..................... Sunderland Crystal Palace........................ DLLLLW WWWDLD ....................... Swansea Man City.............................. LLDWWW LWWWLL....................... West Ham Southampton ....................... LDWWLL (Playing Sunday, 4pm) Man United v Leicester (12:30pm), Burnley
Xv Watford (Monday 8pm)
SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP LdWDDD ....................... Aston Villa Newcastle ........................... DdLWWW
(5:30pm) DWWWLW........................ Brighton Barnsley ............................. WWLLWW dWdDLL ............................... Derby Blackburn ............................. WWLLDL WWDDLD ........................... Fulham Bristol City ...........................WWLDDL WLLDLW .............................. Leeds Ipswich .................................. dWLdLW WdWWWW ....................... Norwich Burton Albion ....................... WdLDDD WDLWDL ................................ QPR Birmingham......................... DDWDWd WWDDWd ........................ Reading Huddersfield..........................LLWDWL LDDWDD ...................... Rotherham Cardiff ..................................... LddDLL WWWLWW... Sheffield Wednesday Nottingham Forest ............... WLLWDD WWdWDL..............Wolverhampton Brentford .............................. WLdLWD
Preston v Wigan (Friday 7:45pm) SKY BET LEAGUE ONE WLLWWL..............AFC Wimbledon Shrewsbury ............................ LdLLWL WWWLDD ............................Bolton Bradford .............................. DdWWDD dWLLDD .................. Bristol Rovers Port Vale ................................. LdLLLD WWLWWW ............................. Bury Chesterfield............................. LDLLLd DDWWWD............ Fleetwood Town Milton Keynes Dons ........... WWWDLD LWDLLD ........................ Gillingham Coventry ................................WLLLLD WWLWDD .......................... Millwall Rochdale............................... WDLLLD DdDLWW ................... Northampton Southend ............................... LLLWDL WddLLd ............................. Oldham Swindon ................................ DDLDDL DWLWWW................Oxford United Charlton ............................... dWLLWD LWLLDD ................... Peterborough Walsall ...................................WLdLLD WdWDWW .................. Scunthorpe Sheff United .........................WLLLWW
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO LWWDDD ...........................Carlisle Wycombe ............................... LLdWLL LLWWLW .......................Colchester Accrington Stanley ............... WLLDDW DWdDWW ........................... Crewe Blackpool ............................... LLDLWL WDWLWL .............................. Luton Doncaster ............................ LLWWLW DWWLLL ..................... Morecambe Crawley Town ......................... LLDWLL DLLLDD................ Newport County Cambridge United.................. LLLWdL LDLWDL .................... Notts County Leyton Orient ......................LWDWWD WLWWWW ...................... Plymouth Hartlepool ............................. LWDLLW LDDWWW ................... Portsmouth Barnet .................................DWDDDW dLWLWW ....................... Stevenage Exeter.................................... LLWLWL LWLWLL ............................... Yeovil Cheltenham ........................... DDLLLD
Mansfield v Grimsby (12:15pm) VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE LWWWWd .......................Aldershot Gateshead ............................ LWLLLW WWWWDD......................... Barrow York ........................................ DDLLLL LDLWLL .................. Braintree Town Forest Green...................... WLWWWL LLDWLL.............................Bromley Dag & Red ........................... LLWWLW LLWWLW .............................. Dover Lincoln City .........................LWLWWW LWLWWD ........................ Eastleigh Sutton United ....................... WDWLLL WLLLdD ........................... Guiseley Macclesfield ........................ DLWLWW
North Ferriby United v Southport, Solihull Moors v Boreham Wood, Torquay v Maidstone United, Tranmere v Woking, Wrexham v Chester FC (12:15pm)
West Ham, Aston Villa, QPR, Rotherham, Bristol Rovers, Oldham, Oxford United, Scunthorpe, Yeovil, Dover
Liverpool, Stoke, Sunderland, Derby, Fulham, Norwich, Wolverhampton, Bolton, Bury, Fleetwood Town, Gillingham, Millwall, Northampton, Peterborough, Carlisle, Colchester, Morecambe, Newport County, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Stevenage, Aldershot, Barrow, Eastleigh
Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Man City, Barnsley, Huddersfield, Doncaster, Leyton Orient, Forest Green, Dag & Red, Macclesfield