SonicBoom

Not sure why Austin is getting stick. He is the only player we have that given a chance would stick it way. People moaning he's not mobile but that's not his game. Gabbi is very mobile and he barely gets the ball. The real issue is that MP should find a system that can make the most of the players he picks. I doubt that Austins introduction will trigger a flood of through balls into the channels do you?

Most premier league games are pretty dire affairs these days aren't they. Even Liverpool United was a snooze fest. The current trend seems to be to not lose at all costs.

"Saints til I die but there comes a point when enough is enough"? Well ? Which is it ?

Cos they are pretty much all dicks.

As we came up the leagues though we were the big fish. Certainly in league one and still pretty big in the championship. We played a lot of small teams and rightly thumped them. The players were all loving it. They were getting success, winning promotions, getting bonus's and scoring loads of goals. Of course none of them wanted to leave. The crowd loved them for it too. Then we got to the premier league. We win less games, score less goals, and the "better" players suddenly see they have the chance to move to greener grass. So player turnover goes up and we identify less with the players we have as they are either brand new or we know they are only here for a short time. Then again I get less bothered as I get older and more cynical. Football is now a very cynical game. The players manage their profiles and careers above and beyond any club they play for. They also see each club as just a job and will move elsewhere for more money despite earning unimaginable amounts anyway. Maybe Id do that if I were them. Im not though. Im a fan and so I no longer invest so much emotion in the team or players as you know you're basically a mug and it's all one way.

Pace is all relative and speed of thought is worth more than anything. If you are intelligent you can always be in the right place. Look at Kane, he's not particularly quick. Hes' just quick enough. Anyway personally I'd play Austin. Gabbi seems to be getting a free pass. People criticise Long as he just runs around a lot. Well Gabbi hasn't done much more since his great start. I hear all about his "intelligent" runs but he is simply not getting into games. Making the same runs each week and not getting the ball doesn't seem that intelligent to me. Yes the service is terrible but until we sort that out we are basically carrying him. Austin is our best finisher. he has the record to prove it and if I was him getting ten minutes each week I'd be getting well p'ed off. We were all pleased he signed but worried about fitness. Now he's fully fit, the team aren't scoring and he's last choice behind Long.

For lots of players going down is a legitimate part of their game. Mane, Hazard and Coutinho are three that spring to mind. They are constantly evaluating where they are. If they realise they cannot get to where they want with the ball then they immediately switch to trying to engineer any contact so they can go down. Hazard is the master. It seems obvious to me but the ref usually just obliges and awards a free kick or pen around the box.

I find him frustrating. He doesn't get down the line enough and he likes to cut in but from what I've seen his shooting is awful. Mostly drags it wide along the floor or straight at the keeper. Worse still I've seen no improvement in any area of his game. He's not better now than when he arrived. He starts every game. I do wonder how Boufal would improve if he was indulged to the same extent. Redmond has had his chance for now and we've failed to score in 9 of 12 home games. Give Boufal ten games in the side and I'd like to think he'd show us something.

We could incorporate a camel to indicate our current goal drought.

When the players are sluggish and don't seem up for it then the first place I would look is the players themselves. You should not need a manager to hype you up. They are fit enough so they should look at their own mentality. Obviously the tactics etc are extremely important but the lack of fight is purely the players. A team full of leaders would have been sorting themselves out on the pitch and possibly having a few harsh words with each other.

Watford have started the season very well. Decent side. We have the usual problem. Gabbiadini a virtual passenger and never sees the ball.

WTF does he have to be "fuming" about? Did we tell him that he would be allowed to move to Liverpool? No. Was he told when he signed his second contract in two years that he could walk out whenever he wanted? No. He is not "fuming". He is sulking - if what you say is true. There is a way back, get your head down, train and play. BUT, it's this sort of report - that he's fuming - that really will turn the fans against him. It's done, you didn't get a move, we know you don't like it, but shut up, and do what you are handsomely paid to do.

What I like about Redmond is that even on a bad day, he doesn't seem to hide. He'll keep getting the ball and at least trying things. His finishing is terrible though, he seems to want to smash it in and ends up pulling his shots. Tadic though is more annoying. He looks like a player that does have the touch, but he seems content to drift through most games having little effect. I know people tell me he's provided x amount of assists - far enough but i also rely on what my eyes tell me. Assists are a strange stat. Just because you were the last one to touch the ball before the scorer, that doesn't tell the whole story. By now he is a senior pro and should be leading the team on the pitch, unfortunately he often seems more concerned with rolling around on the floor waving his arms about.

Where is the pressing? Gabbi tries to close but no one else is within 50 yards of him. We only look interesting when they get into our last third and we seem to have no interest in going forwards at all.

I have to ask , do we EVER get the ball to Gabbiadini?

Well I can confidently confirm that I'd never heard of him and I've never seen him play so I bow to all the European purist hipsters that know all about him and predict he's better than Van Dijk. Although to be frank for the money, he's really only got to be better than Yoshida or Stephens....

I think the point is that anything that helps the atmosphere is to be applauded (although if more applauded then we wouldn't need them ironically), but they just don't make a very nice noise.

I feel for the club. I'm pretty sure they know that if they buy a CB regardless of who or how much, the media and most of the fanbase will go into a hysterical frenzy claiming it is proof that VVD is leaving - even if they state he is a replacement for Fonte or whatever. FWIW I hope VVD is made to stay. I'm sure he'd have to knuckle down and play sooner or later. We don't have to love him to let him do a job for us this season. You also know that if he nodded one in in his first game back, most would be cheering the goal and chanting his name in no time.

It's just a banner on a forum mate, it's not Mount Rushmore......

I saw a story over the weekend that Kieron Gibbs wants more football and will leave Arsenal. Watford are rumoured to be interested but they can't match his wages and he won't drop his demands. When are these dopeys ....ers going to realise that if you are moving back down the pyramid then you aren't going to get the same money! If you are going from Arsenal to Watford you cannot expect the same money. Theo would have to come to the same conclusion.

Pundits are there to give an opinion. We usually like the ones that say something nice about us and get offended by any idiot who doesn't have something good to say about us. They are not employed to be right or wrong. They are employed to give an opinion. That generates discussion and reaction. People want more balanced pundits. That would probably be really bland. Just enjoy the panto. Incidentally the sky Sunday show with journos is usually good value. They do look at things in a slightly more in depth way. But again...it's all only opinions , you don't have to agree.

Clasie has never really worked. Seems an odd thing to say but he just seems to small ! Doesn't have the presence to make an impact. That said, PEH hasn't shown me anything to convince me he's going to make it either. Looks ok, but I don't see what his strengths are. Needs to deliver this year or he'll be off next summer too.

I actually feel more distaste toward Chambers. He was here from the age of 8, played 23 games for the first team then couldn't wait to leave for the greener grass of Arsenal.

I don't care how many goals we score, how many players we flog, how many managers we sack or how many dodgy Chinese owners come and go..... Just as long as we stop playing that bloody awful dirge of a song before the game!!!!!

I would just add this to the OP, (and to cover a point made by Saint Garrett) players dont get to a "decent level" then they're off. The vast majority of the players that we rue leaving us, got to the very top level and then were off. We don't lose players to West Ham, Stoke etc, we lose players to United, Liverpool, Spurs and other top 6 clubs. Are we therefore a selling club or are we a club that for whatever reason have unearthed incredible players? Everton, West Ham, Stoke, Watford, Swansea, etc etc all of them have the odd jem that the big clubs sometimes want. It is a testament to our recruitment and development that we have produced so many. Had any of the clubs around us produced those players, I don't believe it would have been any different. Top players want to go to the top clubs. I'm convinced we would rather keep them than sell, but unfortunately what the club wants and what happens are not the same thing.