derry

Stephens wasn't alone in a lack of determination to sprint back, Smallbone, Brooks, Charles and Mara were particularly lacking so it was really half the team, no wonder we looked so hopeless. The goal had directly nothing to do with Stephens but Bree wasn't goalside of both Campbell and THB so once he sold THB the dummy he was free to get his shot away. If Bree had been goalside he would have been able to challenge. Bree was in a poor position and should have been goalside of THB, that was his fault and choice.

Because Bree took up a stupid position and wasn't goal side of THB therefore in a position to block the attacker. As for Stephens he was sloping back rather than busting a gut so was never in any position to help. He might even have got back if he had sprinted flat out. His lack of effort was glaring. Martin should stop trying to fit him in.

I watched Hull v Ipswich last night. Both teams were relentless with their urgency and effort. Saints yesterday were appalling. While a few players showed some urgency the managers tactics of slow rotational passing has bred a lack of urgency amongs certain players. Yesterday Smallbone, Brooks, Mara, Charles and especially Stephens not busting a gut to get back for the goal were examples of strolling players. That is not acceptable. I'll say that again, NOT ACCEPTABLE. Martin needs to address this tempo issue. These players obviously think the way they play is enough in itself, it isn't and they need to be given a wake up call. Leeds are on the back foot now and if Ipswich get anything against Coventry with Huddersfield next at home Leeds will need to beat us. Make no mistake they will be giving everything but will we. Leicester had a third possession against us and hammered us 5-0. Leeds could to the same. All our players need a big wake up call. Possession without urgency and effort is useless as we have recently found out. Tossing it aound aimlessly in our own half doesn't cut it. Unless we grasp that, the playoffs will be a humiliation.

H&W quote above was excellent. Personally I'm spitting chips. The penultimate game of the regular season and tinkerman messes it up again. He might be a possession obsessive but he doesn't still know his best team, worse the slow own half possession is mind numbing. Brooks and Smallbone are strollers, Mara has no idea, Edozie is a one trick pony and usually the move ends with his possession. Anybody who thinks that playing this way we are going to win the playoffs including the manager is deluded.

I thought that game last night was appalling. The manager selected a poor team for a start. McCarthy, Rothwell and Brooks don't fit in. Secondly as Leicester were a counterattacking team with two good wide men and a decent striker plus Dewsberry-Hall we had to have a plan to protect against breakaways, we didn't. Our possession statistics are a nonsense. 68% with probably 60% around our own penalty area. Not only that it was pedestrian with no pass and move. We gave the ball to Leicester on numerous occasions. We couldn't even play long. With Brooks wide we were very light. Personally I thought of the players available Armstrong, Adams and Fraser up front. Smallbone, Charles and Aribo. Then we come to the back four. I prefer Bree at left back and KWP on the right with THW and Bednarek. Give Lumley a go in goal. The fullbacks when we conceded the goals were KWP and Manning both poor defenders and incapable of closing down and even more so with the Kamikaze tendency to both get so far up the pitch they are incapable of getting back. Last night four Leicester breaking THB and Bednarek on their own and Aribo lacking the pace to keep up with both fullbacks well behind another simple goal. We had to play a proper back four and a compact midfield and play on the break. Martin made no sense in the interview because he was in denial. He must think people are stupid. We need two results now, beat Stoke and a narrow defeat to Leeds so that we can get both Leicester and Leeds out of the playoffs.

After joining BOAC/BA Eric lived for many years in Camberley however his mother lived in Testwood. After retirement in 1996 at some point he moved back to the area. He lived in Chilworth for a number of years and a couple of years ago he moved to Romsey. I knew Eric, but not that well when he was at Peter Symonds, I met up with him again at BALPA in the early eighties and have been in contact with him ever since. Although I've spoken to his wife a couple of times since his death I haven't yet heard the PM result. It was a terrible surprise, so unexpected.

That was hopeless. Far too slow, no shape, where is Brooks supposed to be playing, looks like anywhere but on the right. Rothwell is anonymous.

Eric was a good friend of mine. We both had season tickets in Block 5 along with Weston Saint and his brother Mike, He was real Saints supporter and even after giving up his season ticket he continued to watch all the Saints games, Eric was very much a local, a Testwood lad who lived in Sylvia Crescent as a youngster. He went to Peter Symonds in Winchester, thence to Hamble and BOAC which along with BEA became British Airways. I knew Eric when we were both going to School but not that well. However years later when we were both involved in the pilots union BALPA we met up again. For me, Eric was a great bloke who said it how it was. I will miss him RIP Mate.

I didn't see KWP either in the training video or yesterday's gallery.

It's all very well excusing Manning because he is a left back that doesn't have to play there or even make a lung bursting effort to get back. The simple fact is we are conceding most of our goals on the left side of the goal area. That in itself is costing our chances of automatic promotion. If it's so important to leave so much space on our left why don't we do it on the right? Personally I think Manning is an appalling defender. There has been countless occasions when it is obvious to everybody that we are in trouble on our left side but still Manning who is back with the centre backs and has the opportunity to move left doesn't see the danger and isn't reacting. Even if he is on the left he usually loses the attacker. That back four was a clusterfuck selection. Splitting the two regular centre backs was stupidity. As KWP wasn't available Bree should have replaced him with Stephens on the left. Smallbone flatters to deceive. He lacks the physical determination to even tackle. Opponents waltz past him. He spends a lot of time just unloading the ball. We need to tighten up in the middle. Downes maybe came back because he had to and was obviously not at his best. Hopefully by Wednesday he'll be feeling better. Aribo or Charles are a better bet. Admttedly when we are on top Smallbone looks better, more like a flat track bully. Martin has made some real selection cock ups in the last five matches and we have dropped points as a result. Stop picking the favourites and pick the best team available. there is a little over eight weeks and eleven matches left but more likely could be fourteen.

I thought the team that started looked good. Personally I think that Manning is an extremely weak defensive link. In fact his losing the ball led to the all important first goal also leaving his left back position unoccupied when defending. Bree, Stephens and Bednarek played well. In midfield Aribo, Charles and Rothwell played well and fed the two wide men Sulemana and Edozie. Sulemana especially with his pace caused Liverpool problems. Mara had a decent game. Where it all went wrong for me was the substitutions. Up until then we were able to break out and create chances. The substitutions for me left us in a shapeless mess. Armstrong with Adams and Mara looked all at sea. From then on we were penned in. Smallbone was appalling, three of the first unloads he made went to the opposition, including his give away that led to the second goal. Once Sulemana went off we had no out ball and Armstrong who replaced him mostly passed backwards. Adams was a disgrace, on one particular occasion we had a cross coming in from the right, he was trotting towards the Liverpool goal. In that instant he needed to sprint towards the goal area to try and get on the end of it, instead he just continued trotting and was nowhere near when the ball came in although both Armstrong and Mara made the effort. His closing down was a joke at little more than a stroll and never actually closing down.

RIP Chris. Dreadfully unlucky to lose his job here. He was a decent manager and suited Saints style. He was then replaced by a square peg in a round hole kick and rush merchant.

If Downes isn't completely fit it's best not to risk him until he is. Aribo, provided he shows the same effort as he did against Hull is an improvement especially physically. The bench looks strong and it's good to see Bree back. It'll be interesting how Brooks plays from the start and if it helps Adams. I personally think Fraser is a better starter.

One of our big faults is mostly on Smallbone. Most of the time he just unloads the ball. Last night I lost count of the number of balls played out to him that he immediately passed back to the back four. A lot of the times he did that we were then pressed hard and struggling. We must have a real bunch pf passive players because I would have torn his head off figuratively speaking. Manoeuvering is one thing as there is a purpose. Smallbone is just unloading it. Together with the lightweight Rothwell we were overwhelmed. Smallbone is just acceptable with Downes or Charles but no way Rothwell.

The lineup was flawed. Manning, Rothwell give the ball away or just get caught, Edozie and Mara consequently not doing enough and shouldn't have started. Smallbone no aggression, Mara doing nothing as a starter, Both Armstrongs periphery figures. Stephens, Frazer. Adams and Aribo to replace the four that shouldn't have started. We aren't agressive enough and playing far too slow.