egg

Let's assume for the sake of discussion that you're right on this. If the managers way of playing isn't being implemented properly is it not the case that: a) it's possibly because the manager/coaches isn't adequately coaching the players adequately to do so? B) it's possibly because the manager isn't picking the correct players to implement it adequately? C) it's possible that the manager isn't reacting adequately (or isn't capable of doing so) to it not being implemented adequately? D) the manager is too stubborn or inadequate to change to a way of playing that his players can adequately implement to improve results?

Absolutely - that was a great expression from Strachan and describes our football perfectly.

Style over substance / wanting to be seen to do it well rather than actually doing it well / good theory over good reality / good intentions over good actions. Basically, what we've been seeing this season.

January

Powder

I'd like to see Brooks 1 of the 3 in midfield, and Fraser starting out wide. SAA and Edozie as back up. Rothwell won't be missed for me.

Sorry...that he wasn't good enough...that we weren't good enough...that he knows the issues and that he and the players will work hard at sorting them... That all needs insigh and humility though.

I'd rather that we got promoted with the squad that we have. I'd rather that we shut up shop when we were winning. I'd rather we didn't play suicidal football that anyone bar RM can see isn't working. Football is not about scoring lots of goals. It's about scoring more than you concede, and our single biggest issue is that we concede too many cos RM can't set teams up to defend. That much was known before his first game (me and others got shot down for mentioning it) and the only thing he's exceeded my expectations on is how inept he is at coaching a back 4.

He won't stay if we go up, but we won't go up. He needs to go whatever happens this season, but he's absolutely fucked what was a golden opportunity at promotion. Completely fucked it. We need an experienced director of football who isn't a hipster, and a manager with a proven track record of promotion, not a proven track record of passing in stupid fucking triangles and wanting his keeper to be Franz Beckenbauer. The blokes an absolute fucking idiot.

Absolutely. If any saints fan says that they were entertained tonight, or in the Ipswich game, or the countless other games where we shot ourselves in the foot because of RM's stupid tactics and game management, they're mental. Give me Puel esque football over this flouncy naive bollox every day of the week.

We did not lose because of McC and because we missed Baz. The problems are all over the pitch, but start with a badly coached back 4.

Yep. That was embarrassing, but highlighted what most people have been seeing and saying. Absolutely shambolic tactics, passing for the sake of it, wrong team selection, wrong subs, wrong manager.

I shall celebrate the day of my favourite Turk with a large doner tonight. Only right to mark the occasion.

We're overloaded imo with first team players in that area. It's poor that at least one of SAA or Dibling can't make the match day 20. No good for the lads or the club as youngsters need to see that they'll get a chance.