Forester

As one of those who was there, and gutted to lose, I can cope with watching performances like that. My take: - We looked like a well coached team, with a clear plan - It’s a more enjoyable experience watching us be on the front foot, and made Manure look like a poor team for the first hour - high press football is tiring, and anyone saying “why did we have to make any subs” is thick as shit - to try and implement this style half way through the season is really tough, after the opposite style had been worked on all pre season and players confidence is now low - our subs show that we really only have about 12 or 13 players good enough, and beyond that we have honest hard working championship players.

Enjoyed that, glad I went and sad that so many didn’t get to see a rare win. And given the draw we have a decent chance of being in the last 16, so let’s give the cup a real go. I thought our best performances were Bree, Aribo, Big Les, Fernandes and Kamaldeen. More generally it is obvious that Juric is trying to get us much more front foot and pressing opponents all over the pitch, along with getting the ball forward. Both get the thumbs up from me. Sadly I think we are doomed, but a positive use of the remaining months of the season for me would be developing the style of play, which is a huge adjustment from Martin, starting to perform more effectively with some results coming in and feeling in good shape heading into the championship without another managerial change and all that comes with it. And a cup run would make it even better.

Farmer, I happen to think Brexit always was going to be, and has been, an absolute disaster. But turning to your analogy, have you considered that two things may coexist? Specifically that the players lack quality, but that also Martin attempting champagne football from the defenders of said poor quality squad and never deviating is madness?

Two reactions to recent comments on this chain: - KWP is one of my favorite players of recent years and I would dearly love him to sign a new contract. But I would think chances are zero given imminent relegation. So it must surely make sense to cash in this window. I would delay the sale until last few days of Jan in case we, by some miracle, collect two or three wins this month and if so it’s worth hanging on to him and let him walk in the summer in return for outside chance of staying up. - On BBD, some fans still haven’t learned lessons from last season. Having booed Armstrong on n relegation season he was top scorer in championship, something which his track record showed was likely. Why on earth sell BBD when he is very likely to be a real asset next season? Loan him out if needs be until summer. Then sell f we go up, sell both

I won’t add more on this game as others have said it all really. Other than a reminder of what an awful stadium for away fans Selhurst Park is. We have got ourselves into such a mess by hanging on for weeks to Martin that the club have a hell of a headache for the Jan window. Commercially it makes no sense to throw silly money and repeat the errors of 2023. And as some have said, nobody of quality will agree to come. However I can only imagine the fans reaction if the club fail to sign a striker. I am really struggling to see who could arrive and be both happy to play in championship next season while simultaneously being good enough to change this season. What a mess

Bielsa wasn’t in charge when Leeds were relegated

A good clean sheet, defended well and minimised risk by generally only playing out from the back when safe to do so. Otherwise, played the ball long. All three centre backs and Ramsdale the highlights for me, and a pleasant surprise to see Big Les perform so well when he came on. As others have said, the glaring omission is someone to play back to goal and be able to hold the ball up. This is particularly important if we are going to play short less often. An outlet becomes so important and I think only Tall Paul and Stewart (if fit) can do this from current squad. We need to pick up some more points before the window opens if we are to attract the right calibre of player then. Centre forward will surely be the priority.

Nathan Jones’s Saints team beat Man City two years. You saying you would rank Jones higher?

I take your point and agree, but the narrow answer to your question is “resale value” or “asset appreciation”

While I would be delighted to get Potter, I fear there is no chance of him coming. However you are misinformed, he has managed one season in the championship (Swansea) and did not get promoted

The Board members on front row of directors box took some time to return to their seats in second half. The are close to my seat, and we suspected this meant a meeting was happening

Credible and available appointments for me are Benitez and Cooper. Potter and Moyes I fear not credible, although could have been if Board hadn’t been negligent and acted after Bournemouth debacle all those weeks ago.

I learned my lesson 20 years ago when I wanted us to lose and sack Wigley. And we know how that ended up….

To mitigate against the risk that I am sure the Board are grappling with, re cost of sacking and risk of not getting next appointment right, I think if fans want a change (as I do) we need to accept that, because of the ridiculous delay in taking a decision that was obvious to most fans after the Bournemouth game, we now need to find a manager who will give us an outside chance of staying up but more likely would be a good fit to manage us in the championship. Had we have acted sooner, we would have had more choice, something many of us pointed out two months ago. So by definition that now rules out some of the bigger names. I think a good choice under the circumstances would be Steve Cooper. The case for: - managed Swansea for two seasons and achieved play offs both times, the latter being beaten at Wembley - took Forest up at first ask - kept Forest up first season, before being sacked in second season - has just been sacked by Leicester, another promoted team, while being outside the bottom three. He isn’t the sexy appointment some will want, but he fits the profile of available, and could manage in both divisions.

I would give my right arm for a boring 8th placed finish, or 43 points finishing anywhere in the table!

Just back from the game after a wild and wet day. I thought we played well first 20 mins and looked creative, but as soon as their goal went in our lack of confidence showed. We never tested Martinez once, which is criminal, and in truth a much changed Villa never got out of third gear. Best players today in my view were KWP and Wood, with Aribo playing well after coming off the bench. Not too much else to shout about. Given we have now allowed Martin to manage nine more league games since the Bournemouth disaster, which is when I felt he should have gone, for the paltry return of an additional four points, I assume we have just given up and will stick with for the rest of the season to avoid paying compensation. It would be helpful if the Board had the balls to just say this, that in effect results are irrelevant and it’s all one big development opportunity.

In order for this window to have any meaning beyond reducing the squad size down, we need in my opinion to be in double figures of points. Last season it was possible to have stayed up with just 30 points, and so at the halfway mark, which is eight more games, we need to be not too far short of half that total. Unrealistic in my view that we will pick up 11 more points, which is what is needed to even reach this low milestone, by halfway, but it’s crucial we are a win or so away. Realistically I see our only path to this being to win the Wet Spam and Palace games, and perhaps a draw in one or two other matches. If we could do this and be on 12 points there is enough of a sniff to encourage a player to sign. Otherwise it’s a suicide pact.

As I have posted a few times here, I would have pulled the trigger after Bournemouth, since then we have lost four of the following five games, two against direct rivals. The reality I fear is that the Board have concluded that, because of their poor decision making two seasons ago, there are insufficient funds to BOTH change the manager and buy players in January. It’s one or other. And I also think they believe they will be in a more secure financial picture after relegation than we were a year or so ago, and with less heavy lifting in the squad. It’s likely, not certain, that we would have the following players available and prepared to play championship football next season: Baz, McCarthy, Bree, Manning, Suga, Taylor, Bednarek, Stephens, Wood, Edwards, Downes, Charles, Fraser, Edozie, SAA, Aribo, Smallbone, Armstrong, Stewart, BBD, Archer. This squad looks light of midfield options, but that is about it for that level. So you could see it being strong with two or three additions. I have assumed that Ramsdale, KWP, THB, ABK, Fernandez, Tall Paul, Kamaldeen and Dibbling would all be sold, and the loans would expire. I estimate this could raise around £150 million in total, and possibly more as some saleable assets are on long contracts. The great shame is that despite the appalling start to our season we are only four points off safety, and so I still feel we could be attractive to a new manager. But I accept it would need someone prepared to manage in the championship if needed.

8th, having sold Mane, Pelle and VVD going on strike, then injured before being sold mid-season. Took us to Wembley not even conceding a single goal en route, including Emirates and Anfield. And asked to manage a 50 plus game season with three home games in a dead month in MY, which will never happen again I suspect. Removed as some fans said “not entertaining enough”.

We are the only promoted team in bottom three, and all teams have now played more than half of their opponents

Just back. Incidentally that ranks as one of the most subdued away support atmospheres I have ever experienced, and I have watched most away games through both Premier League relegations and all the way down to League One. Almost as if our fan base has given up. Turning to the on field stuff, after a mindless goal to concede I thought we looked good, creative and positive first half. Then Martin changes it, we lose our back three shape that has made us harder to score against, and simultaneously looked less creative. We went from controlling the game to looking hapless. I said after the Bournemouth game he should have gone, he should not have been entrusted with these three key games against Leicester, Everton and Wolves which were crucial, and we have emerged with just three points. We now have blown winnable, or at least drawable, games against Forest, Brentford, Leicester, Bournemouth and Wolves, and dropped two points against Ipswich.

Selles, like many of our signings that season, was way too inexperienced to cope, let alone thrive, in hopelessly difficult circumstances. I thought he would develop into a good manager and it appears he is. It was madness to start in the Premier League, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets back there at some point. Reading are a broke shambles and he is performing miracles up there. The fans love him

If I am reading the briefing correctly, they are saying, in effect, “next few games crucial”. To my mind this is worse than saying nothing. If we do lose our next three games, it is almost impossible to stay up and almost impossible, as a consequence, to attract a good manager. While absolutely not supporting it, I at least can comprehend why they may stay with Martin despite relegation. But to sack him after these last crucial opportunities is madness. It needs to happen before the Everton and Wolves games.

Benitez took charge of Newcastle late in season and couldn’t stop them being relegated. He stayed with them, won the championship the following year, and kept them mid table after being promoted

I haven’t changed my mind from the last post I made on this after the Bournemouth game. He did a good job getting us up, the style of play is attractive, but in my opinion we are nailed on to go down if we stick with him. My argument for pulling the trigger back then was that a new manager could have had the international break and been in place to manage these three crucial games against Leicester, Everton and Wolves. We didn’t do that, and we have now wasted another winnable game. Leave it much longer and the list of possible replacements will shrink by the week. Incredible as it seems, we are still only one win away from being outside of the drop zone, and there are three other teams yet to win a game. So it literally cannot be “hopeless” if we make a change, while still remaining tough. Last season was the first that it was possible mathematically to stay up on 30 points and it may be that low this season. We may need to win eight game along with half a dozen draws. Let’s not give up.