Lee On Solent Saint

Not too worried about Redmond playing, but Djenpo? Just nothing there for me.

No Shit. You didn't consider I meant at the time of Yoshida's departure?

Not good enough to fill that defensive midfield role. Not really sure what his best position is to ne honest.

Which I find hugely concerning. Desperate for the club to have pulled a rabbit out of the hat with this one. I hate writing off players without ever seeing them play or anything like that, but with the options that were mooted on here, am very concerned thetas the best we have come up with.

I'd rather we kept hold of Yoshida as back up than Stephens to be honest.

Think

I know Ralph has said otherwise, but wouldn't be surprised to see a couple more departures before Tuesday. Pretty sure they would let Valery go if a offer came in, possibly Ofembi too.

Unfortunately for us though, Biesla is a better manager than Ralph.

Given the current circumstances would take the 50m. However, we are less than two weeks away from the transfer window shutting. This deal needed to be done way before first team training started again. It takes us two weeks just to identify a target, let alone start talks etc. Think for this reason he stays until the end of the season now.

Wonder if Joe Rodon from Spurs is available? Don't think he was in the squad for their game today unless he was injured? Always looked pretty tidy when I've seen him play.

And that's another absolute piece of bollocks from the club. Why are we the only club never to go for another manager who is employed by another club?

Maybe out thought wasn't the correct term, but it was a switch from Benetiz that Ralph failed to deal with, yet again. I just don't understand if we as fans can spot the changes, why isn't Ralph able to spot them and react to them? If he doesn't spot them, what are the other guys on the bench doing for 90 minutes??

You think? All it was effectively was a simple change in formation which Ralph failed to recognise. Or if he did was too stubborn to do anything about. If the fans can see it, why can't a professional manager see it? It happens all the time. JWP was clearly unfit, he should have been off before they got the second goal, or not have even started. Good managers react to situations. Walcott should have been off at the same time. The guy spent all summer bigging up Tella, but doesn't start him. We had the strongest bench we have had for sometime, and yet the subs were still not made until we were 2-1 down.

To be fair though, we are operating at a totally different level to Chelsea. Am not saying I would want Lampard here, but tactically he would be more aware than Ralph seems to be.

I'm no real fan of Howe, but I'm pretty certain he wouldn't have been out thought tacitally by Benetiz.

I'd blow all the budget on getting in Johnston, a good keeper commands and sorts out the defence. McCarthy is bollocks at doing this, far too passive. Forster is a little better, but not much. If we don't sign a keeper then we are going to have this pathetic policy that Ralph keeps rotating the keepers. We need a clear and obvious number one.

Agree with that, although Lampard did ok, he would want shed loads of money to try and get this lot competitive. Howe is the obvious choice as you rightly say. Am not totally convinced by him either, but at least he would bring in some fresh ideas.

Yeah that's the big hope. Although the fixture list hasn't been too kind too us. The big fear is that when we play, am loathe to say it a "winnable fixture", our confidence will be so rock bottom that we just cannot drag ourselves up

Exactly. If it's obvious to the fans, it should be to a so called professional football person. Benetitz is a decent manager, but even a National League manager would be able to out think Ralph tactically.

Just worries me about replacements though. Am sure we would be an attractive proposition to some, but we probably missed a trick last season in not getting in Thomas Frank from Brentford. I know it was only one game, but last night they looked like all the things we aren't under Ralph.

I kinda entered the season with a bit of optimism, but it's so frustrating to see the same mistakes keep on happening. I don't understand why Ralph is so slow to react to changes and refuses to make subs. I agree that he may not last the season, but with us struggling so badly financially, I wonder if it will be too late before we relieve him of his duties.

I really wanted Ralph to be a success here, he's enthusiastic and probably cares for the club, but taken as a whole it's not just one game in isolation, it's been the best part of half a season. We were shite since January last year, there's no getting away from that, those problems still persist. He can't react to simple changes and doesn't make subs and when he does they are more out of desperation than anything else. Maybe he is the right guy and the wrong time for us.

You have to be joking right?? This shit has been going on for the past six months. Knee jerk reaction to winning three games in twenty odd games?? Two 9-0 defeats in successive seasons?? No defence, no goalkeeper and no idea how to react tactically to the simplest of changes. I like Ralph but he is the definition of a one trick pony.

Tactically outplayed yet again

For still being the manager