Forester

This caption had me in tears of laughter!

Nobody has named Vitor Pereira. Did an incredible turnaround job last season when they looked doomed, vastly experienced and until the very end was hugely popular with the fans. I am pretty sure he was being looked at a few years back. Regardless of who we choose, very few have a perfect record of success unless you are appointing from lower leagues inexperienced candidate. Prior to joining us, all of Strachan, Poch and Koeman had been sacked. And all three have subsequently been sacked. Would Ange take a look at us? And no, I don’t mean Rayner…

McCarthy Roeslev (if Jelert still injured), THB, Wood, Manning Jander, Downes, Azaz Scienza, Armstrong, Fellows Aribo on bench back from the dead (Connolly vibes!)

Trust me I get it, he has a lot to prove in my eyes too. Think the wider SR context is key too

No wish to repeat prior post but I would not be pulling trigger yet as we risk becoming a figure of fun club a la Watford, and we have played just 12 games. We need to see strong improvement between now and the halfway mark, when I think it is more credible to make a change if nothing gets better. On the wider “club in chaos” point, over the last few years I agree most SR decisions have been poor and they retain responsibility for this mess. However I don’t think things are quite so helpless as some make out right now. Here are reasons not to reach for the pistol and whiskey (as hard as Saints make it!) - while there are some poor signings (Downs) thee are several players who have shown early signs of being really good acquisitions, specifically Jelert, Jander and Scienza. In one window under Spors that isn’t tragic, but a clear mistake made in striker department. Along with experienced but currently under performing players in the squad that is the bones of a good side, but we have really only seen about 180 mins of good football so far. - if Spors goes (and it will be fascinating to understand what his contract says re release clause) we now have a head of recruitment who has been here for months and would have primary responsibility for lining up potential signings. Its then over to an exec to actually negotiate the terms. That isn’t end of the world. - what is more tricky is if Still needs sacking (see above) then who makes that decision is absence of Spors and who appoints? This may play in Still’s favour to be given more time

Horrendous journey up there and missed first two minutes. While I agree we could have won this is we had taken our Armstrong chances, as doubtless game would have panned out differently, in truth the performance was poor, especially second half. I was optimistic after Swansea, and thought we looked good for first hour at Brizzle, but this was not that type of performance. Poor quality game, littered with errors, and back to it being hard to discern any pattern of intended play. Then, like Tuesday, once we go behind the performance levels totally cave in. I thought Charles was our best player before getting injured, and we now have our best two full backs both out (Jelert and Welington) along with our best performing midfielder and striker. Grim. A couple of other worrying observations, Wood was looking great before Tuesday but has had two bad games on the spin, similarly Edwards and Quarshie look like they went backwards today. Azaz anonymous again, and I have yet to see anything at all from Roeslev that looks like a Premier League player of 100 appearances. I really want to see Still grow into the job and learn fast, but I am developing a horrible feeling that the players don’t rate him and aren’t playing for or him. There are too many experienced players not firing or excluded for it to be a coincidence. I hope I am wrong and he turns it around but things aren’t looking good.

I think we will see changes for this, through combination of needing to turn it around and third game in a week. Great shame both right backs are injured. McCarthy Edwards, Wood, THB, Manning Charles, Downes Fellows, Azaz, Scienza Amstrong

This is a good post

Well that maintains my record of only ever seeing defeats at Ashton Gate. And made worse by A36 being closed on way home! Trying to be fair and balanced, but after what I thought was a good performance and a clean sheet I was pleased we kept same team other than expected both wing backs to change as thought Welington would struggle to do two games in three days. So I think hindsight critics are out in force on team selection. Thought we played well for an hour and again created clear cut chances with some brain farts to concede. Again cannot blame manager for that. However the final 30 mins was alarming, felt like a throw the towel in finish which may be unfair as players are young abut that is how it looked. You could see Still looking down the line thinking “I don’t want to bring Downs on” but eventually realised he had no other striker choice. Saturday assumes huge importance as think it will be seen, fairly or not, as “are the players playing for Still”?

Worth looking at the team who finished the season in play offs two years ago and do a quick comparison. Goalkeeper unchanged Centre Backs Stephens/Bednarek/THB v Quarshie/Edwards/Wood I would say the former was a more experienced unit who performed well in play offs, but latter has lots of potential and so hard to call this until later in season Wing backs KWP/Manning v multiple options on right this season is a downgrade Midfield (recognising different style) Downes/Armstrong/Aribo/Smallbone v Charles/Jander/Downes I think is a downgrade now, but has potential. We have lost lots of midfield goals from the attacking midfield options of two years ago (Aribo, Smallbone and Armstrong scored 15 between them). A bit like centre backs, this may feel better as season progresses but I don’t see goals coming, unless Azaz gets back in team and is firing Forward line Brooks/Adams/Armstrong/Edozie v Fellows/Fraser/Stewart/Armstrong/Archer/Downs/Scienza for me is a downgrade and given fitness uncertainty of Stewart I don’t see it hitting those heights. A fully fit Stewart and Armstrong playing week in and week out I do think would match Adams and Armstrong goals from that season but unlikely to happen. So I think there are two departments where there is potential to grow and develop, a serious downgrade in right wing back (albeit Jelert barely seen) but I cannot see volume of goals from midfield and forwards being replaced. That should frame the January discussion

We are not even a quarter of the way through the season, are four points off the play offs and unbeaten in three. While I am frustrated as everybody else, it is ridiculous levels of impatience to be agitating for a managerial change. He will have his work cut out in this next batch of fixtures with no Stewart, but needs to find other ways of winning given that Downs looks unselectable.

Thought we started well, and again Stewart looked a proper target man. Armstrong and Stewart for me is a good partnership in this division. McCarthy again showing he stops more shots than Baz. However, as soon as Stewart goes off we lack that figurehead and Downs is clearly not the answer. Feels like a massive transfer mistake unless he really turns things around. We either need to learn to play a different way with Archer and Armstrong, which is possible but hard when you will inevitably not be playing too often on the break, or can I suggest a radical and not ideal alternative. Could Aribo be used as a back to goal striker and link up play? Cannot be any worse than Downs.

That’s brought back PTSD!

Bazanu Quarshie, Wood, Stephens Jelert, Downes, Charles, Manning Armstromg, Archer, Fellows

Great effort. Thought the whole starting 11 did us proud with just one minute of madness. That is difference at top level. XG showed nothing in it and we had more shots. Biggest positive among many for me was Jelert. To come in for your first start for the club at Anfield and play that well was seriously impressive. He looks a much more talented player than Roeslev to me.

I share all the anger but we are six points off where we need to be (2 points per game) with 40 remaining to address that deficit.

We need to calm down, I’ve driven up and back to Hull today and am fuming but we have lost two games in the eight in all comps we have played so far. It’s mad to be calling for a sacking, and we are in danger of becoming Watford if we look for our fifth manager in less than 12 months. Seriously!

A wet and dispiriting long journey made worse listening to Hampshire losing cup final on way home! Once again Charles emerged with some credit but hardly anybody else did. Cudos to Armstrong who injects energy and scored an excellent goal. A reminder he was the division’s leading goal scorer two years ago. I am really concerned at form of Roeslev and THB, and would be inclined to drop both. Jander is young but looked lightweight and ineffective, and DD just looks well short of the required standard. I also think if McCarthy plays well again Tuesday you may seem him back for Boro. I would bring back Wood for THB, play Jelert at right back, and get Armstrong in alongside Archer or Stewart.

I thought it was a good occasion, and people around me were definitely more up for it than a usual game. In terms of the game itself, am not surprised it was low on quality but we were even worse in the first half than I expected, and I always thought we would struggle to have a good pattern to our play given change in formation, personnel, international break and the whole pressure of the day. I actually thought, despite not scoring, that was Archer’s best game for us in terms of workload and trying to do the right thing consistently. Both centre backs, Bazanu and Charles also good performances and a clean sheet pleasing. The biggest disappointment first half for me was the lack of any forward runs by either full back. I sense they were either instructed not to bomb on while adjusting to back four or just lacked confidence. Either way, net result was that both wingers lacked support to create two on ones, and when people looked up there were too few options to pass to in front of the ball. Better second half, but ultimately a poor game of football and a fair result. However I am not panicking and as others have said time now time to bed in new signings, formation and tactics.

Definitely not great timing, but then again our team prior to new signings should have been good enough to beat Pompey when playing at our best. I am concerned that we may change too much with limited training time given international absence. Would probably limit changes to Downes for Robinson and start other signings on bench.

It really isn’t, see other comments that have totally discredited it. We spent more on one day, Friday, than Sky think we have all summer, it’s bollocks

Always a good trip to Watford, albeit frustrating to lose the lead twice. My reflections would be: - Wrong choice to play Robinson in midfield once Downes withdrew. And this was our conclusion as soon as we kicked off and saw formation rather than hindsight. Would have preferred almost any other logical choice, eg Wee Man deeper, Edwards, Matsuki, Stephens in that role - Azaz looks class, and looks a very good signing. A touch of the Lallana/Tadic/Boufal unpredictability about him, albeit he has much to do to be in the same class as the first two - While a bit chaotic, the playing ball earlier and behind Watford defence looked dangerous and is likely to get best out of our forwards given their profile. Can see this working well away from home, but at St Mary’s doubt we will be given much space as teams defend deeper - I felt Roeslev looked injured/knackered from about 65 mins onwards and should have come off sooner. For this and the Robinson decision it is Still’s least impressive game management fixture so far for me, but am sure he will have learned much. Overall I am not as concerned as many on here. I remember leaving home at 330am almost exactly two years ago to be battered 5-0 by Sunderland, and you can see Ipswich are yet to get going too. We need ultimately two points per game and so we have three points to make up in 42 games, with news signings yet to feature. Very early days.

Any stream for those of us on holiday?

Baz THB, Stephens, Quarshie Roerslev, Charles, Downes, Welington Fernades, Stewart, Robinson Tough on Wee Man but unlikely Roerslev will play 90 mins