James

What I'd give to have Pelle back....to think we sold him for £12m is so infuriating. We've had a good quality target man during all of our recent success and we are suffering for not having one now. We played so many long balls forward today but they just came straight back.

Agreed - when Forster came back from injury we were given a lift, didn't concede a goal for something like 11 hours and went on our supreme run to sixth.

Exactly. The club reportedly asking him to change his style and he wouldn't. Fair play to him sticking to his principles but the club made the change. As things haven't changed under MP, it stands to reason they aren't happy with what they are seeing at the moment. I do worry that the board and club believe this squad to be better than it is though.

The crossing thing is bizarre. Our fullbacks are probably our biggest attacking threat but to make use of their crosses we either need a big target man (we had a good one but Reed sold him) or we need to play low crosses like we did against United in the final. These constant high crosses that sail over everyone (if there is anyone in the box) are just a waste of possession.

It was a reference to posters on here dismissing him rather than a comment as to why the club didn't appoint him.

Yes, as I said in my post above, I also think Les Reed is responsible for constructing a deficient squad and for selling off our best attacking talent. However, I've seen managers produce better football than we currently are with much more limited players so it at least has something to do with the manager.

Well said. Most wanted us to go for Silva but he was dismissed for being relegated with Hull. Was always concerned at the thought of MP as his goal record with Alaves was dreadful. I was encouraged by some of the comments about him but as yet he's not changed anything.

Of course it's my opinion, it's a forum. If he was so brilliant then why was our football so dull to watch, why did we fail to score in six consecutive home games and why did the board, ultimately, decide to part ways with him? If you think the board actually sacked Puel because the fans didn't like his interviews then you are kidding yourself. If they responded to the fans clamouring then they'd have signed an attacker in the window.

Your "I told you so" style posts really are incredibly tiresome. However, I agree he wasn't very good today but at least there's a chance he might beat a man or do something to get a move going as opposed to Davis who can only pass sideways or backwards.

Are you going to bang on about Puel all season? He was ****e, if MP turns out to also be ****e then it won't make Puel any better. Reed is at fault here. We could have gone for Silva but we dithered and we should have freshened up our attack but instead we've been stockpiling centre halves (which, ironically, was what we should have been doing last January). Fact is, the rot had set in during RK's second season where we played some awful stuff until we went on a one of a kind Mane/Long inspired run to sixth. Continuing to flog our Crown Jewels, replacing them with average, cheap players (compared to the current going rate) and leaving glaring holes in the squad every window was always going to catch up with us and I do worry we will be dragged in at the bottom this year. Even Brighton have started scoring.

This would be great.

Watford look like Barca compared to us. Not good enough.

He won't last. If he carries on like this it won't be long.

We might as well put a sack of spuds in our net. It's about as much use as Forster.

Gabby off. Oh do **** off. Not sure MP knows what he's doing here.

Got to say, not impressed by MP so far. He hasn't delivered anything we were told he would. Shambles.

Game over. See what happens when you have a shot? ****ing rubbish. A lot to do for MP.

Let's get one of Long or Austin on but leave Gabby on too.

Tadic for JWP. Don't understand that at all. Must be watching a different game to MP.

But the clappers will tell you that we've had a first class window. I've said it before, we are always a window behind in terms of rectifying obvious deficiencies in the squad. We can't score and we did nothing to try and improve that over the summer.

Has JWP touched the ball yet?

So hiring Poch was a brilliant move by the sporting department but signing Gaston (who had, lest we forget, excelled at the Olympics that summer and who we were all excited about) was an atrocious decision attributable only to NC? Seems pretty convinient to apportion good and bad footballing decisions to suit your narrative. Cortese was great for us, I was gutted when he left and I honestly think we'd have qualified for the CL had he stayed. Reed's big problem is that summer when we sold everyone. Regardless of what's been achieved since the fans will never 100% trust him following that.

This. Stephens is good on the ball but not great at actually defending.

I must have imagined that absolute screamer against Sunderland in the cup. Beautiful control and technique, we've got very few players capable of that. Hardly the mark of someone who is "woeful". The guy clearly has talent, whether he can translate it into consistent performances in a top league is another matter but to write him off as you have at this stage is incredibly harsh.

7/10 for me too. Still short up front but brilliant to have not sold anyone significant and to have recruited two quality players.