Chez

absolutely perfect.If you needed a scene that best described our first team, this would be it. Rudderless, unloveable, talentless out of sync useless bastards...

firstly, the only scenario i can see right now, is us losing on Saturday. If that happens, confidence is reduced further and the likelihood of winning the next games becomes even less. We don't even know if Jones will be fired and we don't know if a change will bring any change of results. The last change didn't. The flip side to that, is if we win, first and foremost we have 3 crucial points in the bag, a little confidence boost and maybe just the thought that we might survive. In its simplest terms, lose and we are effectively down in my eyes, win and there is still hope.

my thinking too. Was not impressed by Onuachu, but more importantly, I thought Mara looked really good in the Newcastle game (should never have been take off) and Armstrong caused them problems out wide with his pace and work rate too. Jones clearly didn't see it, as he dropped one and played the other down the middle in the reverse fixture.

likewise

Leeds are working hard, getting tight and putting opponents under pressure. They haven't been doing that in previous games. It's horrible wanting Man U to come back, but we really could do without Leeds winning.

Mccarthy Bree ABK Salisu KWP Lavia Alvarez JWP Armstrong Mara Suleman

Leeds beating United at Old Trafford. Not what we need.

I don't want that judas twitchy two faced cunt anywhere near this club, ever..ever. Fuck him and fuck any of your completely made up 9 out of every 10 Saints fans that do. No matter how shit Jones might be, at least he fucking wants to be here.

We ain't selling many tickets, and if an away fan is willing to come all the way down from Grimsby, midweek, we should make it as easy as possible for them to get a ticket, not restrict them. They might not need the advantage it provides. Right now, I fear for us no matter who we are playing, big support or not. We are utter turd and could easily lose this game.

Yep, we played 3-5-2 against Newcastle and by and large (in the first half) we had no choice but to hit it long as we were under so much pressure, and we looked shit both fro a defensive and attacking point of view. So I am not sure this `new beginning' is actually going to bring anything new. I was just going to type what I thought might be a better option, but I literally don't have anything except try and recreate the City/Newcastle (home) line up/performance as he isn't going to play Armstrong out wide or Mara down the middle. When we go long, what happens next?

I have a feeling Kilman, our friend Craig Dawson or Collins (currently on their bench) won't let Onuachu/Adams dominate , so not sure how we are going to out muscle them with a more physical approach. Onuachu was woeful in the air against Brentford and will have to improve massively if we are to trouble them. That said, not sure we will out football them either, as we struggle to string three passes together, never mind open teams up. You can tell that all my positivity has been drained from me. Wolves are only five points ahead if us, but having just murdered Liverpool 3-0, it feels like they in a different league to us right now. I'd love to be playing against us right now. Perfect team to play against.

This is exactly what I expect the shape and personnel to be on Saturday.

Interesting post. The fact Everton failed to sign something like 19 players they went for in this window shows just how difficult it is to bring in players you feel are better than you already have. So, I always have a little sympathy for the football club when it comes to signing players and am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. The fact we signed Onuachu suggests to me that we once again struggled badly in this window to attract a quality striker. It's simply not easy. Personally, I wasn't totally surprised by his comments or his need to justify himself once more. Everyone has doubted him from the off, and he doesn't have the confidence to just ride above it. He clearly decided that, unlike at Stoke (when he forced his diamond midfield onto a team that was not ready or able), he wouldn't rip up what was already in place when he came here and he would implement his ideas much more slowly. He listened to the pros who wanted a flat back four and wanted to pass through teams, and he avoided a very direct approach, as players and fans were not keen. But with the team not winning, it's him that is getting the stick. It's therefore not surprising he has finally decided `to hell with this', we are going to do it my way, then if I get the sack, I won't have any regrets. Any owner, short tempered or not, is going to be extremely unhappy with the current situation. I'd say it's unlikely that they would retain the senior management team should we be relegated. Someone other than the manager has to take some blame and the people that brought in Shields, spent big on young players and made the decisions related to the managers simply can't avoid responsibility. No way have they factored relegation into the appointment. Jones was signed to win games and see us up the table. The club has subsequently doubled down on the decision, with a big old chunk of money spent in the hope of pulling clear.

I'm sure there will be questions about Jones' suitability, tactics etc, but for me this is certainly something that needs to be questioned. The manager does not scout or recruit. Obviously he has a major say on the type and even who, as the Bree and Onuachu signings show, but the majority of the signings have nothing to do with NJ (or the previous manager), so the people involved and overseeing that department need to answer for this. With Shields leaving, maybe the person `most at fault' has departed, so the rest will remain blameless?

We are about to go route one. Are you saying Onuachu is the wrong guy for that task?

This time last year were were 13th. We are now bottom. Can you explain our fall from grace? Would it be fair to say that the decisions made by the board/management to turn things around after a pretty dire end to last season, have been a failure? We have signed 15 or 16 players in two windows and spent a lot of money. They don't seem to have improved us. Is that because we have scouted the wrong ones or because they are being badly managed? At the last fans forum, you indicated that the club could not afford to compete by signing the highest quality experienced players, so instead we would be signing the best young talent instead. What has happened to that policy? Are there relegation clauses in the contracts of senior players? Is it enough to cover the shortfall in income? How much debt does the owner/board see as acceptable, £100m, £150m, £200m?

You've got a point. We have fullbacks and defensive midfielders that are not goal side enough. Zonal marking has been a problematic, not helped by opposing midfielders having all the time in the world to put dangerous crosses in. It's a shit show. Organisation is bad. Individual talent is not great. We give the ball away time after time because of the lack of quality in the side. Diallo wins the ball better than Alcaraz, but he gives it straight back. We look like a relegated side to me. To be fair, Armstrong was left out. Personally, I thought he (out wide) and Mara down the middle looked like good options in the City/Newcastle (h) cup games. No idea why we then played Che and Amstrong up front and then Ely yesterday. It's almost like the manager doesn't have a clue. Not sure Orsic has done anything in his two games to justify your faith in him. I guess everyone else has had a fair go so maybe he should get more chances too.

What odds, after signing two wingers, Jones now rolls out his infamous diamond?

it isn't. You are overthinking things. There is no obligation to play anyone. He picked those players because he thought that was his best team to win that game. His comments relate to playing four at the back, which some senior players prefer, and the tactics, such as hitting the target man early over a short passing game, again, which some senior players prefer.

He can dribble, he has great confidence to go for things (and keep going for things), but often there just isn't the space and at best we get the foul. Physically he's very lightweight, but he doesn't have electric pace to make up for that. I lie watching him, he tries to make things happen, but the question `where is the end product?' is a fair one. He'll get his season int he championship soon enough.

who you taking about, because we were in the top flight under Sturrock.

I think a lot of managers don't have a clue. Even ones you think do, actually have just fallen into a great situation. This situation obviously wasn't that, with us being shit for a long time, and that calls for something a little bit special - actual genuine managerial ability. Not sure he has that. I think he has three league games left. 3 wins in ten and that's OK, the owner will live with that, but 1 win and 9 defeats in ten is proof that you dont have the answers.

In his defence, some of these players simply are not doing what they are paid a shit load to do. Some of them struggle to control a football and pass it to one of ours. 16 new players in two windows and is there one of those that has seriously improved us? Maybe Lavia over Romeu - although not hugely. Possibly ABK, when not injured.

Mara up the middle against Newcastle is the best striker performance I've seen from us all season apart from Che against Bournemouth. I missed the Blackpool game, but even if Mara wasn't great, why did we drop him straight away in the replay AND play Armstrong up front with Che instead? No consistency. Mara up the middle and Armstrong out wide was one of the few things that looked to be working, even if ti was for a short period. With Tall Pal, I don't suppose we will see that again, maybe ever.

don't worry about it, we have Onuachu now and we can play two up top. Can't wait to watch our two centre midfielders getting overrun like the good old days