Fabrice29

I think people need to remember that just one page back is the receipts of how we felt when he left. Although it’s much more fun and easier to just talk with the benefit of hindsight.

100% this and also there’s some massive assumptions being made about what the issue is, what it means and how it’s manifested itself. All based on a line or two from one side of the story.

We've already won 1 game with these tactics to be fair so that seems a better bet than your suggestion which you've said yourself wont win more than one. Basics.

Not much more than the evidence you have that Downes his crying off etc. Manager excluded him randomly from a squad or two and gave some vague "he knows why" answers in the media and he deleted all of his instagram references to Saints followed by media speculation he was back off to Chelsea in January. Manager was sacked, he's back in the team, Downes is out and now he's the one with the media speculation, random droppings and manager chat.

I don't care for this manager or his game plan (I'm not a massive fan of reactive football really and much preferred watching us under Martin, although I'm aware people cant fathom that). But I'm not jumping on some managerial or tactic hating train because it doesn't matter what system we play, what formation etc, the players you ask to implement it need to be good enough phsyically, technically and mentally and just like under Martin, I don't think the ones we have are. What I want next season is a completely fresh set of attackers (apart from Dibling and Fernandes in an ideal world obviously) and then I can start judging managers maybe. We currently have an attack that weren't trusted to get us up last season, thats a bigger concern rather than the manager.

I think they liked him because he helped deliver their most successful season in their careers in terms of league position for quite a few of them I suspect. It's not exactly a story that some players like one manager and some like other managers though. It mainly comes down to whether the manager is picking you or not. Not long ago Ugochukwu threw a hissy fit online because he wasn't picked and was being criticised on here , now he's in and Downes is out it's been switched up. Interesting that Downes and Armstrong are pathetic despite being our best players last season and they are seeing a loan player and two attackers who have about 5 goals between them get praised. Loyalty is only one way.

We've had 5 managers over our last 2 seasons in the PL. Each one had to their own ideas, systems, formations. Do you really think our issue is we haven't yet stumbled on a magic tactic? Oh and btw there is a core group of players who have played under each one, some of which have been trying to leave over that time, but nobody else wants and there's a few of them still in todays starting line up ffs but yeah, 5 at the back is easier to shout about.

We've played with a striker this season, in fact our top scoring and assist making striker this season just scored for WBA today because he (rightly) was deemed not good enough but wasn't replaced. It's almost as if the quality of the players matters and not the position we fill on the pitch.

Yeah and so did the previous one, and the one before that, and the one before that and the one before that.

This is the big issue. In attack we found consistency last season, at a lower level, but hardly any of those are around now. Maybe rightly so but the replacements aren't new quality, the new ones are either gone on or the bench and we've gone back to the shite we didn't trust last year and we're now back to inconsistent cameos when the pressure is off mainly. Dibling and Fernandes aside of course but they are two young lads finding their way in the top level for the first time but Onuachu and Sulemana ffs, having a good season without them (for large parts) and then ending up back with them again half way into the next season, embarrassing. Formation is easier to comprehend and shout though.

Doesn't matter who you play at the back or how many it's full of players who are unproductive going forward and weak mentally. That's the issue, not managers or formations.

Genuinely cant decide whether I'd love to live in a world where I thought that football was so simple that I just shouted about formations every week or not. The delusion is incredible but it must be such a blissful life in a way. We did last season, but it didn't involve any of this current crap up front so that was helpful.

Hows it going?

Ooooh, we're all still blaming the manager I see.

It was simple enough to understand the first time you said it, hence why I said it was absurd. It's you that seems to be hell bent on explaining it in simpler terms and guess what, its still silly.

You meant what you said...That the lino didn't make a decision because he's used to having VAR available. Which considering that before VAR plenty of lino's also didn't make decisions like that is silly.

Adam Armstrong with a nice little finish.

Couple of bad decisions in the Orient v City game too. No VAR is ruining the game.

Yeah...it was though.

Seen that wally from the podcast suggest this too on Twitter. There was never any occasion before VAR that linesman got things wrong and everything that now happens must be VARs fault, whether it was used or not.

Either you or your mate are reading stuff online and pretending to be ITK. It hasn't worked with Kayi Sanda, Kamara or Sylla. Stop Göztepe’den Udoh planı - Göztepe Haberleri

As mentioned by Wild Saint JWP couldn’t go anywhere. If you’re going to pretend, pretend better.

Kraft is no longer chairman, Ankersen never was. Both still on the board of Sport Republic.

I don’t think that’s true though. The owner has just announced changes from the top so positions are on notice. You have a manager to motivate that publicly you’ve said you want to keep. Players that some of you might be trying to keep and convince that coming back up with us is their best way of playing PL football in 2 years time. By all accounts last summer the club spent a lot of time trying to motivate a squad that was so demoralised and create a good atmosphere again. Does it really want to go through all that again? I think ending this season somewhat competitively can be a boost towards next season and do some of that work automatically. Anyway, hopefully we’ll do that anyway even if we haven’t necessarily helped ourselves in the market in two vital areas.

This would be somewhat more believable if you weren't in every match thread getting irate at various things including tactics, managers and referee decisions. Quite happy to see Armstrong leave, hope it works out well for him we just have a different opinion on what we want to watch over the next couple of months.