Chez

Not sure it matter who it is if we have one guy up front on his own chasing lost causes. None of our guys are going to force a turnover of possession. Perhaps then it worth considering who would be the right person to take advantage of the relatively rare attacks. Who is going to hold the ball up and bring others into play best? And who is going take that one chance we might get? I'm not a fan, but maybe it's worth going with Onuachu on Friday. There's quite a few `experts' on here that think its a no brainer playing him up top with Sulemena and Djenepo on the wings. Maybe they are right, and that's the best shape/personnel. He's only going to last an hour, so Mara or whoever is still going to be needed.

Could happen. I attended that evening game at Highbury too. That defeat hugely affected our cup final approach, leading to us being very defensive and putting in a largely toothless performance, not too dissimilar to what we are seeing most weeks now. We were a very good side that season, but not sure the manager got it right that day. I'd say that Arsenal side was better than this one. Remind me, was it Henry or Pennant that scored the hatrick?

Interest growing in Southampton's Bella Kotchap Alex Howell Football reporter at BBC Sport There are a number of teams across Europe, including sides from the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A who are monitoring Southampton centre back Armel Bella Kotchap. If Saints are relegated from the Premier League this season, it's likely that the interest will increase in the 21-year-old who is also a full international for Germany.

Spot on. I appreciate there has been criticism of JWP this season, and seasons past mostly because he doesn't take the ball on the half turn and drive into the space. However, as was the case with Matt Oakley, his tremendous first touch and ability to keep things ticking over is hugely missed when he doesn't play and his qualities are noticeable when he returns. The Grimsby game is testament to that. We were a totally different side when he came off the bench, albeit to no avail. Our ills are not all down to him and his tremendous freekicks are not the only thing he brings to our game. I have not issue with him departing - he's earned his place at the premier league table - but finding someone with anywhere near his quality to play CM next season will be challenging to say the least.

Maybe anything over a win counts as adrift? Four points sounds a lot to me with this side, especially as it relies on the others getting no points for the gap to close (all be it Leicester, Leeds and Forest aint winning points either).

I'm not entirely sure what are best team is to be honest, everyone has had starts and no one has really impressed. Some players are perhaps more suited to cameo roles as opponents tire and there's more space to work in. Djenepo and Edozie might fall into that category. When it comes to timing of subs. For me they should be made when it's clear players are tiring or things are not working, which could be after 25 minutes, if a change in formation/tactic is not possible with the current players. Five subs is a lot and gives you plenty of scope to make an very early change.

The prices were frozen last time around, using the `four games extra' for your money approach. Attendances at home in the first season were (not sure if these are actual attendances or included ST, whether those people attended or not): Wolves 24k Norwich 23.4k Crewe 20.8k QPR 25.7k Plymouth 26k Reading 25k Hull 23.8k Stoke 24k Leeds 30k Luton 19k Sheff Utd 27k Brighton 24.6k Ipswich 22k Palace 24.6k Derby 21.8k Preston 19.5k Sheff Wed 26k Coventry 22k Watford 19k Cardiff 22k MIllwall 22k Leicester 26.8k I think the cheapest ST was £399 for 2023/23 in the family centre, with kids £19 for the season. Seems a pretty decent price that for 23 games. Sitting in the family center is not my idea of fun though.

£734. Blimey. I'd want a seat in the dugout for that kind of money.

I would have thought Ralph would have made the decisions/recommendations. And he has been dumped.

aren't we cut adrift already? It feels like it.

Yes, but he's 72 now, so perhaps is happy to take it a little easier.

Managers don't select players because they are yes men. They pick them because the manager thinks they will do a job for them. He likes Theo because he works hard (which seems to be something you are keen on) and makes quite a lot of off ball runs on the shoulder of defenders (as HarvSFC said - usually into offside positions).

yeah, I have to agree on both counts.

We could pick McCarthy? Just the game you want to ease you back into the fold.

Is it? Selles doesn't rate Onuachu - and I don't blame him. That's why he picks others and has him on the bench. If you are two nil down, it's desperate times, so in desperation he brings him on to try something different. That makes perfect sense to me. The only thing wrong with that, is that when he does come on, we don't adjust our style accordingly. If you rate Onuachu and/or think he's the best choice, that's fine. You might be right, but it's not stupidity to pick others ahead of him and then use him to try and rescue games. That's not to say I advocate not playing any striker at all, but when the choice is Onuachu, Adams, Mara and Armstrong, who have all let him down in games since he became manager, it's little wonder he's still searching for a solution. I have a feeling Onuachu will get his chance on Friday. Lets hope he can play like he did against Chelsea and not like he did on Saturday.

Prem bound.

I agree, unless our marvellous scouts have identified Bale Mark II, we don't need any more kids, but I've no problem focusing on 22-26 year olds, rather than 30 year olds. Players that will help reset the club. Ultimately, I'm not really fussed how old they are, so long as they help generate a confident attacking side with the ability to get between the lines to forge chances and perhaps cut teams to ribbons on the break.

My friend SKP just got South Shields promoted. I'm sure he would `love' to come back to SMS after the way fans took the piss out of him.

I might be doing Theo a disservice, but he doesn't strike me as a great reader of a game. Perhaps it's not as easy to show that as a forward player, but I never felt he was a guy that sees things (runs, other players, the right pass etc.) on the pitch, like some.

in such a horrible season, it would be nice to stuff Arsenal and ruin their title hopes. Won't happen though.

Did the same at Brentford away. Picked Onuachu out, keeper challenged him and palmed the ball straight to Walcott who should have scored from the rebound. First half of the Chelsea game, JWP crossed to Onuachu and his header from about 6 yards went just past the post. Possibly should have done better, although Chilwell fouled him. So that's three occasions when JWP has delivered good balls to Onuachu off the top of my head. To be fair to JWP, it's not really a central midfielders job to get crosses into the box from open play. We have wingers and fullbacks that ought be doing that. Sadly none of them can cross a ball, maybe Bree apart. Perhaps he should find him more from set pieces, but if you take Saturday as an example, after Onuachu came on, we didn't really have many set pieces in the last twenty minutes, as we struggled to get up the pitch to earn any free kicks or corners. I've commented on this on another thread, that when Onuachu comes on near the end of a game, the team needs to adjust and play a bit longer and little measured. Get the ball up to him and play off him. I certainly don't want to see our side play long ball football, and I wouldn't pick Onuachu partly for that reason, but if he does come on, it generally means we are behind and the short passing game has not worked. Sadly, on Saturday we just continued to try and work the chance. That is admiral, to a degree, and we did manufacture two chances for Alcaraz, but if we are going to do that (pass it short), then there is little point in bringing Onuachu on at all.

seeing as City will get £10m of a £50m transfer fee, the fee needs to be weighted like that. If no one offers more than £40m, what do you do then? Keep him?

statistically the best keeper we ever had.

got to say, watching it back, after being very critical of him and putting most of the blame on him, it's hard to know what he could do. There is not a chance in hell that he could palm it backwards over the bar, catching it would have been tough, as would palming it the way it came, palming it outwards put things in the lap of the gods, so, punching it was the only real `safe' option. Quicker feet, stickier hands and a CB right where you need him are my only other answers.

If they are of Lavia's standard, that is fine by me. But if we just add more Larios', that's not going to work. I wonder who'd win an 8 a side game between, the older or younger signings? Two keepers puts the older fellas at a disadvantage Bazunu ABK, Larios Edozie, Lavia, Alcaraz, Salumana Mara Caballero/Lis Bree, DCC Aribo, AMN, Orsic Onuachu