Gloucester Saint

I agree with nearly all of that bar the last sentence. Biden got a clear win in 2020, not a big win, but plenty clear enough, whatever conspiracy rubbish Trump et al spew out. Popular vote Trump will significantly lose again, Electoral College will be far tighter but 5-10k headroom to Harris in enough of the swing states.

There are some valid points there but also there’s some key differences to 2012/13. We did have to adjust then too but the start Nigel had was brutal fixtures-wise. Also, the side had a focal point with Rickie, penalties meant goals with him, and he was superb on set pieces. A younger Lallana also added an unpredictability we don’t have now, and Morgan/Davis was a dynamic central midfield. The likes of J Rod took until the second half of the season to contribute but we always had goal threat from midfield including Puncheon as well. We need to get in the box more, first 30 minutes yesterday we moved it far quicker and looked miles better. Fernandes/Flynn/Lesley are automatic picks if fit/available, Tyler on the way to that. Forward areas are more difficult but get BBD central, disrupting defenders and creating pockets of space for Fernandes/Dibling/Cornet to get into.

It’s terrible and makes you wonder what organisation is happening on the defensive side. I don’t think Russell’s coaching team are up to much, but as you said yesterday replacing Ralph’s and giving him Selles didn’t work out either.

This got laughed at another thread, but I’d ask Tony Pulis if he’d come in a couple of times a week to help with defensive drills on shape, triggers and offsides. He’s local, likes the club and is well past the point of wanting to manage overall again so not a threat to Russell. His sides weren’t great to watch at all but they rarely conceded any of the idiot goals we’ve conceded this season, and most of last as well.

*Brentford*

Agree with all of that. Such a shame after a positive start, Archer’s penalty was pathetic. But then BBD should have been on it, known he was on it and practising all week. That’s down to the manager. What’s happened to Calderwood? We need the defenders drilling all week on the basics of defensive lines and shape Pulis-style, they are the bread and butter of the PL. If it’s good enough for City, Arsenal and Liverpool to do it…..

I reckon BBD will do OK under whoever the new manager is, as I don’t think RM will survive much after the Ipswich game unless it’s an unlikely win. But yes, needs to play through the middle. Obvious to anyone with a football background that he isn’t a wide player.

David McGoldrick missing twice v Watford. Tadic’s at Burnley was powderpuff, as the one at Chelsea which somehow went in. I still remember the shock in the home and away end after Crossley saved MLT’s penalty, MLT was so stunned he blasted the rebound almost over the Archers.

Moreton in Marsh Beer Festival. The beer pictured is Beowulf Black & Blueberry, which I enjoyed but bit too sweet for anything more than a half. Best beers were Red Dawn from Ludlow Brewery and Stoutrageous by Gorilla in Mexborough. The others were decent but lacked some balance.

I can’t recall seeing one, but they do usually have a good choice of ales and food on. https://www.realalefinder.com/beerboard/?the-fleece-inn-bretforton If any of you are ever Evesham/Worcester/Cheltenham or Gloucester way, it’s well worth a visit https://lovetravellingblog.com/2024/06/04/the-fleece-inn-bretforton/

Yeah, that’s not great. It was red card all day long although cheering the sending off as it sounds like a few did is even more bizarre. Cheering BBD getting subbed - it’s not the player’s fault that the manager is playing him clearly out of position. Dibling is only 17. And yes, you’d be hearing similar around the country.

Bancroft and Miles Hammond is a heck of an opening partnership and good seamers in Payne and the lively Josh Shaw. Taylor is decent but more of a white ball type. Mark Alleyne winning some more silverware to echo the success as their skipper in the 1990s, his lad was in Saints academy but went to Man City.

You might need to change your username in around 9 months time….

I was surprised to see Archer on the penalty, I assumed it would be BBD based on previous track record when AA isn’t selected.

Which is OK when you have the budget and squad for that plan A. When what you have available/transfer budget doesn’t fit plan A, adaption and pragmatism is needed, or the change will be the manager. The task now is to get the team defending and attacking as a unit before the Ipswich game otherwise SR will be making another change one suspects.

Not sure I’d go that far but appreciate what you are saying. Needs to be up front, use his physique. The work rate across a lot of the team after the first goal today was well below professional standards, and I mean even lower leagues and below. Dibling, KWP and Lesley excepted from that comment but that’s insufficient, all 10 outfield players have to be fully committed and organised doing their jobs.

That is what a lack of organisation and structure causes. Over to SR to learn from their mistakes. The trendy option rarely works in football.

Bar the missed penalty by Cameron Archer, which Jeffrey would have taken with more conviction, CB Fry got it spot on didn’t he?

It’s not just about Jack, or any individuals. We need to defend as a team, as we did under WGS, and that starts from the forwards and midfield helping the wing backs stopping crosses coming in. We got away with it last year because the quality of the delivery isn’t as punishing. Jack let his people run today and we know his limitations but since Ronald crosses and longer range shots have come in unopposed more or less, and that is down to lack of standards within the club and coaches. The squad must be far fitter with that, Poch type double training sessions to return please.

Probably, the NHS won’t get a hugely bigger settlement without some blood letting of ineffective leaders in the Trusts and arms lengths bodies. It would be giving Russell Martin a £250m transfer window budget with his odd tactics otherwise and waiting lists won’t clear by themselves. On renewables, we’ve got to build the market more to increase our energy independence. It was a manifesto pledge as well so they have to go do some forward looking things, the economy was left in such severely bad shape that you could spend all of your time repairing it. Foreign aid - depends where it goes, but it can be a soft power solution to reducing asylum pressures somewhat. If you look at just how much the country has been spending on short-term accommodation for processing claims (most of which will be rejected) it is worth a try.

For me there are two options. Either back him further, but get a PL coaching set up around him to deal with the training and tactics in each part of the pitch eg Pulis 2 days a week to work with Ramsdale to drill the defence and midfield in the PL basics of marking/shape and in stopping crosses (an ongoing problem since Ronald that started under Puel and got worse). The first two goals today I’d be disappointed if Cheltenham Town in the fourth tier conceded without effort. It might be boring to drill 100 times during the week on the basics but we know as fans that is what’s needed right now and imperative that the owners are listening. The forwards need some similar specialist input. Also, the Pochettino style double training sessions need to return. if that isn’t an option than better to move on now. It’s unlikely the season can be saved but more likely to get a capable manager to instil the top flight basics now than in November when relegation is all but confirmed. Unfortunately the owners and management are a lot less experienced than the fans in what’s needed to survive let alone prosper in the PL. If Dragan will push Rasmus aside to listen to us, we might have some hope.

Here’s what he said. He’s going senile - that’s as bad as mixing up the Ukrainian President and Putin did https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3wp6q132p2o

Good win in the end, Salt got England off to a good start, excellent knock by Bethell but MOTM with bat and ball Liam Livingstone enjoying being up the order.

Mike Clarke normally on the money. I reckon Putin will end up with the Donbas, which is Russian speaking more or less, and Crimea which is less palatable to Ukraine. I’d let him have Donbas, his minions have destroyed it completely anyway and they can’t afford to rebuild it with their shot away, sanctions-riddled economy. The interference in US politics isn’t working this time either. Xi and Modi would kick his arse also even if he used tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, an arse Xi owns. Get Ukraine into NATO asap, and shore up Georgia and Moldova which Putin is eyeing.

Aussies got 193. Rashid, Livingstone and Carse did a great job pulling it back but Topley and Curran bowled county medium dross and got smashed all over Cardiff, as they got smashed all over Southampton midweek. Pity about Carse’s gambling ban as he’d have got Test opportunities this summer but might get a game on the Pakistan tour coming up. Hopefully a better start with the bat than Southampton.