Doctoroncall

I see an unemployed Arsène Wenger is touting himself as available to manage again. [emoji54]

He’s still rolling out the excuses and the “yeah but” rather than owning his mistakes and getting on with trying to be better. I wonder how much help he’s had from clubs or if clubs have left him to resolves his obvious mental issues.

If the team continue to not pick up a point over the next couple of months I cannot see Hughes surviving. However, if the team bumble along picking up the odd result but nothing to indicate an upward trend, I can see Hughes lasting till the end of the season. The board have shown the desire to give the manager time even when its apparent its not working. It seems only relegation will bring change unfortunately and it’ll be touch and go again this season. Watford had a great start but I wouldn’t discount them being in a relegation scrap now they are finding it hard to score.... only if we do pick up results of course.

Is that not the standard formation used at all levels in the club except the first team?

Law of averages is bad statistics or wishful thinking rather than any mathematical principle. In terms you can understand... it’s bollôcks. Stop using it.

I’m pretty sure it would have changed. The management decided to back the players rather than the manager and look what happened sticking with the players. Puel stripped the team back to basics and got us hard to defeat, some players were unhappy about it and it showed. I’m pretty sure he would have improved team performance, probably slowly, and had more U23s playing with the pathway re-opened. His Nice side was fantastic, playing an attractive passing attacking style football. Let’s see how he evolves his Leicester side. If we want to play the blame game then it’s the management team > coaching > players. None are blameless.

Two out of 10. One more than last season thanks to a bit more attacking intent and signing of Ings. Shaky defence and a vanishing midfield still the worry regarding relegation potential.

With an electronic bug in one of the items!

No one should ever settle for mediocrity. Otherwise one day you’ll end up short.

I think this just shows where the club is right now, very much a middling club, nothing special anymore after the excitement of promotion and not being scared to ‘have ago’ and challenge other teams to being more established and always selling the best players. To compound it, there is no more exciting talent coming through or being given a chance, the same with the manager.

They may well sell truffles in their fromaggerie in the concourse.

Haven’t Spurs only got cover for this year to play home games at Wembley? They have now triggered the clause in the contract with Wembley. Strange not to have it for the whole season if there are regs to say only one stadium can be used for home games and if there were major concerns that WHL would not be ready in time.

Besides the odds on side of Cardiff, it gets difficult to choose the other two teams with just an injury, bit of bad form or something to knock a side down the table. Watford as I cannot see where the goals will come from and they finished last season on bad form. Huddersfield, Bournemouth or Newcastle for the last spot. Not many points will cover the bottom half of the table like the past couple of seasons.

Butts was one of the better ones but agree, either get some good quality coaches on or not bother as the pathway to first team gets harder to follow.

The only one I’ve seen is Kevin Mulcuit who plays for Lille in France.

I agree, he’s also got a great attitude. He needs game time otherwise he’ll be off. He’s a wanted man.

Getting it back on track: 1 Pep - just to see what he can do with an average squad. 2 Sarri - decent bloke and gets the most out of his players, making them believe in what he does. Balanced attacking football. I can see him getting Chelsea into the top four as long as the WC players come back and pick up the tactics straight away. 3 Klop - attack, attack, attack!

I’d bite your hand off if offered 12th. Brighton have had a decent window to build on last season so wouldn’t expect to see them relegated. Bournemouth need recruits, if it wasn’t for Benetiz I would say Newcastle are in a bit of trouble. Otherwise it’ll be close all the way up to 8th place again. Personally think 15th for Saints unless there are major recruits before the season starts.

What’s not to like going for 15th place in the league and watching a dysfunctional midfield trying to move forward when isolated from the attack?

I got the impression everyone thought it was wrong for some reason - quality, price, nepotism or type of player. Of course we have to remember other clubs do make mistakes as well- Jansen and Sissoko for Spurs for instance. But it seems Saints do excel at the dud buy in comparison to most other teams.

I think the point is the black box was supposed to make us some what better, not the same as most other teams when it came to transfers. If it’s not providing an advantage it’s not a benefit.

It’s looking like he will be joining Leeds... on loan!

What! No mention of the Asia cup?

Or sometimes a Sunday.... perhaps a Monday... could be a Friday as well.

I’ve heard Gunn is being lined up. He wouldn’t want to come being third choice but fighting for top spot with McCarthy would be of interest.