Forester

One of my all time press conference answers!!!

Assuming no desire to move from 343 I would pick: Rambo Wood, ABK, Stephens Bree, Downes, Aribo, KWP Fernades, Tall Paul, Kamaldeen I think Bree and KWP right now are our best full backs (Welington has promise) and yet Juric has not seen Bree play right wing back. While every one of the centre backs has question marks, at least play players in their natural positions

Fairly or unfairly, there would have been wild complaints on here if Rusk had have been given the job at the time. This feels like 20/20 hindsight

I am not saying Jurić is the planet’s best coach but he has managed for about eight years in Italian top flight, in my opinion has made us more competitive and creative than Martin, and has been handed both an awful squad and then no support at all in the window. There is some real crap spouted on here. In recent years teams have won the Premier League playing 343 (Chelsea), 442 (Leicester), 433 (Liverpool), 4123 (City). It isn’t the formation, it’s the utter lack of top flight quality. He gets stick for playing Smallbone, who he now will see isn’t up to it, but he hasn’t started under him until yesterday and needs to be given a chance and now he knows. We have only two holding midfielders in the squad, and one is on strike. We have two centre backs injured and a third that doesn’t want to be here. And we have two fit strikers, neither of whom are Premier League quality. What the fuck do people expect from him? As some have said we need to stop the endless carousel, back him and new Technical Director, get Sport Republic out of the way of football decisions and build something. I watch us home and away and have more cause than most to complain based on money shelled out but I can recognise when someone has been handed a hospital pass and this really is one.

You are far too sensible for this place

Chelsea literally won the Premier League under Conte playing 343. Alonso and Moses wing backs. It’s about having good players

Yes SAA has promise, but £7m plus add ons is decent money for someone aged 18 who has never done it at top level. We have so many other options in wide positions, especially when Edozie comes back, and I don’t see how he fits the high energy game Juric wants. We do need to bring money in as well as spend some and our squad size is huge.

Thoroughly enjoyed that, and a more enjoyable walk back to the car than the sickening finish the last time we went there! Great support from the travelling fans. I thought Welington looked a little off the pace first half, but played better the longer the game went on and looks a find. Albert looks quick, ideal for pressing style, and again early days but looks a good acquisition. I thought Rambo, KWP, Bree, Fernandes and particularly Aribo were all excellent. I have been saying on here that we are looking like a properly coached team in recent weeks and for me Juric is a good manager managing a squad short of quality. By adding the two new signings I now think he has 13 players he genuinely trusts. Not enough to survive. But I expect us to continue to improve. For me the realistic aim remains bedding down his style of play, retaining say 8 of those 13 for next season and bringing in three or four players under Juric to add to the good championship style players we have that I don’t include in that trusted 13, like Smallbone, Manning, Wood, Stephens, Armstrong, Archer and Downes, all of whom I expect to excel in championship.

Firstly great credit to all Saints fans today, really got behind the team second half after booing them off (deservedly) at half time. As others have said, I believe we have a good manager who is quickly learning about our deficiencies and is highly capable if given the right tools. Regardless of points haul I have seen enough from him that he is comfortably better than our last three managers. At the ground it was noticeable that both THB and Ramsdale got really stuck into Downes after the dreadful lack of effort, and I wonder what was said at halftime. Standing off players, failing to get tackles in, first half was terrible but great credit to Jurić for turning that around and we so easily could have nicked a point. As I said after Thursday it’s hard to change a style so dramatically mid season with low quality players. I really feel we need to wrap in cotton wool a number of players who are clearly not good enough at this level but will be crucial next season in championship. Archer, Armstrong, Smallbone, Downes and Sugawara in my opinion all need taking out of the firing line or their confidence is going to be shot to pieces. Stick to a core 13-14 players for rest of season, injuries permitting, of Rambo, KWP, Manning, Bree, Wood, THB, Bednarek, Les, Aribo, Charles, Fernandes, Dibbling, Tall Paul, Kamaldeen.

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.