qwertyell

Wow. Leicester didn't even turn up - and they still won without breaking sweat. Didn't lay a glove on them. Just abject surrender from first to last. Where do we go from here? It's the same predictable shit every game. I don't care if the manager has "lost the dressing room" or not - the bottom line is that every team has figured out his one dimensional approach, and it's like taking candy from a baby for them.

Well, we're still alive. Playing the usual rubbish; slow passing moves that inevitably end up back with the goalkeeper who hoofs it. But we haven't lost yet. Lots of mistakes being made though that Leicester will surely take advantage of eventually. Not really clear what the plan is - we're not pressing much in attack or sitting back defending deep. Or anything really. We're just sort of there.

One point - a draw against Palace.

I'm old-fashioned and have never liked the two-man midfield. I think games are won and lost there, and we are all too frequently outnumbered and overrun. It certainly doesn't help that Romeu and Ward-Prowse have not a lick of pace between them. I'd play three in the middle of the park all the time. Even when it was a stodgy and uncreative three like Wanyama, Schneiderlin and Cork, that solid base allowed us to attack with more freedom from other areas whilst still keeping control over the middle of the park and not leaving the defence exposed. Remember those days before The Alpine Klopp reinvented football tactics, when we scored goals and kept clean sheets? Diallo's a good signing, long term. He hasn't got to grips with the physicality of the league yet, but he'll learn to use his upper body better in time. You don't need to be a bruiser to compete in the midfield in the Premier League - Ngolo Kante seems to do just fine. The rest of Diallo's game is in pretty good shape - with scope to improve. It's true, though, that he and Prowse are not a natural fit. I'd prefer to see a combination of Romeu, Prowse, Diallo, Jankewitz, Armstrong and Smallbone as a trio week in week out. We'd obviously then need to focus investment in the wide attacking areas, where our creative options are poor. Michael Olise at Reading (rumoured release clause £11m) would be one I'd check out.

Fair play to Maitland-Niles. He didn't want to come here and be back up full back for our rabble because he wanted to play in his preferred position in midfield. Took the absolute piss out of our midfield today. Good decision by the lad, I guess.

3-0 down and we make our first sub on 75mins. Best manager we could possibly get, though...

Second worst team in the league playing us off the park.

He's sort of lost in no man's land as a player. Too weak defensively to be a permanent left back; too basic and uncreative to be a winger. What is he? Nothing, really. When he's played for Spurs he's looked like a guy who knows he shouldn't be out there. So timid. I can't see what he'd bring to us other than the potential of youth (that we no longer seem to develop very well).

That's the rub. Vestergaard has timed it perfectly to suddenly start showing Premier League quality. Before this season, he was absolutely mince and we'd have been lucky to sell him for parts. And now, with a year on his contract, he holds all the aces. Not sure the club could've predicted his remarkable resurgence. Hopefully he'll stay on, but if he takes advantage of his situation, you can't really blame him. It's a short career.

He is what he is. We've got one outstanding striker - Ings - and then a bunch of other guys who do a job in the position (Adams, Walcott, lately Redmond, Tella) and have their moments but by and large are a massive drop off in quality from Ings. If Adams was our number one striker, then we'd be in deep shit. But as a squad player who chips in - back up to the main man - he's all right.

Balogun would cost compensation in the millions, probably.

Salisu for Bednarek, who has been consistently rubbish since the turn of the year. Lost pretty much every challenge yesterday and, having been at fault for Burnley's second goal, almost cost us the points at the end when, again, losing Wood and then pulling him back by the shirt which should've been a penalty. Time to bench him. Minamino for Walcott, who got a nice assist but is possibly the worst decision maker in top flight history. His all round performance was poor, like it pretty much always is. Otherwise, same again.

Get the fuck Ings! Right. Reset. Refocus. Wake up. Got away with it massively if we can go in level.

Jesus, we're so shit. That was route one, basic defending. Bednarek has been stealing a living in 2021. Lose to West Brom as well and we'll be in serious trouble. ARMSTRONG! Finally, FFS. Now wake up.

It is just Saints who struggle against this type of football even when the opposition have nine men, though.

I don't know why either. Burnley are exactly the kind of team Ralph-ball struggles against. They won't play out from the back - they'll hoof it long - so that takes away about 95% of our attacking ideas. They'll sit deep and compact and watch as we slowly do fuck all with the ball on the halfway line. It'll be 1-0, 0-0, or 0-1.

Don't think he'd played 90 minutes for us since returning to fitness when France U21s named their squad. Just one tentative 60 minute outing.

# doggingwatch

Hlozek and Sima are the big young attacking talents in the Czech league - and already both way out of our price range.

Missed a year with a serious knee injury in what should have been his "kicking on" season after breaking through under Puel. Sadly, that derailed his development massively and his moment passed. Not sure we could've done much differently - you can't legislate for injuries. It just shows how tough it is for a talented kid to make it: the window of opportunity can be very small and if you're unlucky enough to be injured when it's open, that's you done.

To be fair, the last game Vokins started he did well (apparently) and they won and kept a clean sheet. I'd guess he hasn't been a match squad since due to injury.

Loftus-Cheek would be a bad fit, if Hasenhuttl's still in charge. Lovely player on the ball but no engine; can't press. Laconic joggers won't last five seconds here.

Not sure I've ever seen Jack Stephens do anything deliberately.

Too much. His wage demands are beyond our reach as well. Unless we can wrangle a season loan, Abraham's a non starter.

If Aguero leaves they'll still need two strikers because Jesus isn't reliable enough through the middle. Ings on the cheap (also adding to their sparse HG numbers) and Haaland would be a great summer's business.