SWLondon Saint

Couldn't agree more with all of that. I've been saying that about Downs for a while, he needs a run of games where he's told what to do if he doesn't already know, you can hear the manager / coaches much easier in the u23s anyway. We can only wish we had tall Paul back instead! Our players just seem to have given up completely, particularly the ones who've been here longer. At least Scienza, Fellows, Robinson seem to be *trying* to make things happen, but the movement and energy from most of the others is hopeless. We just seem to revert to Russ-ball at the first moment of pressure and then everything goes backwards at every opportunity. Someone needs to get into the defenders heads it's OK to play optimistic balls into the channels if we then press up after it, do that a few times and it opens up the midfield as you force the defenders to worry about it. When players make runs in behind, give them something to chase and the oppo something to think about. Too easy when it's all in front of them going round our back 5 + 2CM. Switch it PROPERLY, in 1 pass, don't go round every defender first as it takes so f***ing long they're back in position by the time you've got the ball to the other side. I could go on but I can't be arsed, much like our players. Who is even captain? I don't see anyone picking their teammates up, bringing conviction we can get back into the game, driving us forward.

Still is so passive on the sidelines, Heckingbottom making a sub in the last minute, up, active, talking to the player coming on. Still just stands with his hands in pockets, no instructions, no....nothing. I hoped he would come good but this job is too big for him.

Yep, he's done. Can't survive after that. Players awful too, no fight. Whole coaching team has to go, Nivea boy included.

3 CBs just doesn't work for us because against the ball we always have 1 man standing around marking space on the edge of our box, so we're outnumbered in midfield. It can be different and better, but not the way we do it.

Feel for you. We look clueless, we are so easy to press I have no idea what the plan is.

Nah, he didn't put Edwards in MF the other day, he put Stephens there even though he's probably worse on the ball so it'll be the back 3. I reckon Azaz will drop back into mf when we don't have the ball to match up as they normally play 3 at the back as well.

Also got no idea why he puts Downs on the bench if he doesn't think he can make an impact, it can't be any better for his confidence than just being put in the u21s for a few games.

I'm guessing Azaz will play as a false nine. But I just don't get it, a lot of our problems are because when we play with a back 3, they just recycle the ball endlessly, especially with Manning / THB in combo.

Bloody hell, thought you were just being ironic but that is a proper old school centre forward header 😂 Totally unmarked, but still a great effort!

Was just watching from about 75 minutes, we've been absolutely appalling, who is the U21 boss? We have 3 CBs literally standing around at the back next to each other marking space, of course our press has no chance of working. Went 1 nil down and... Nothing, no change in tactics.

That's pretty much where I am too with the team, just have Scienza-Azaz-Fellows with Downs ahead of them and hope any hoofs forward bounce of his back / arse to one of those 3. Archer/Armstrong up top are like the invisible midgets in terms of presence.

Dunno why people are blaming Solak, honestly, he's put his money where it was needed, the problem is he trusted a bunch of idiots to spend it. Dragon should bin off SR, hire a proper sporting director and manager, things might finally improve.

In hindsight it's easy to say, but I reckon if SR had gone for Rob Edwards after he'd just gotten Luton relegated and been sacked, I'm pretty sure everyone would have been grabbing their pitchforks and torches...

I think we were all optimistic given his reputation, but the players don't seem to be playing for him. Having said that, they also didn't play for an extremely experienced manager in Juric last season, who is now doing fine with Atalanta. Would they play for someone like Carrick? Would he even be the right person given Rob Edwards is doing a lot better than him with Boro even after losing Azaz to us? I guess we'll probably find out soon...

I sort of do, because the current Cameron Archer seems to have absolutely no confidence after last season's shitshow. Maybe a switch to 4-2-3-1 could free him up if Azaz / Scienza can supply him from the AM spots, but he absolutely cannot play the striker role in our current setup as his hold up play is crap.

I'd swap Azaz for Sesay, or Azaz as a false nine instead of Downs but otherwise that's what I'd go with since I don't think Aribo is getting a chance. Archer was completely invisible against Blackburn and Armstrong missed our best chances. Fellows deserves a shot in that position.

Think it's safe to assume he's talking about our 'core players' who are now on the brink of getting a 4th manager sacked in the last season and a half?

I'm not sure he particularly wants to - he's just being pragmatic. I thought after Blackburn - 1 point from 3 very winnable games - there was a high chance he'd get the boot. But as it didn't happen on Monday, every game of the next 3 is now a 'must win' for him to keep his job. Hopefully the club is lining up a replacement in the meantime, be bloody stupid if they weren't.

Come on, do you really think Rosenior is going to leave Strasbourg, in the top half of Ligue 1, part of the Chelsea group of clubs, to come to us?!? Realistically, any club is always going to look at who's out of work first.

Still may or may not be a decent manager - but I don't think he's got the chops for this job, right now. To be honest, that statement by Mads is bloody worrying - it sounds like things behind the scenes in the squad are toxic. Hard not to assume it's the senior players who've been dropped who are pissed off. A manager like Still does not have the experience or gravitas to tell them to f*** off - which they probably deserve, since they've all been utter shit for a good season and a half. As I said before, I've no idea why Lallana and any of the coaches from last season are still here either, the lot of them should have been binned off and that can't be helping. And what's with the complete disorganised crap that lead to Bragg coming on last week? That's on everyone at the club, not just the manager. Best case for me is if Still resigns - just say it was too big of a mess and too much for him and he'd come out with some credit from before. If he wants to stick it out he basically needs to win all 3 of our next games or he'll be sacked at the international break if not before. I don't think it's an easy job even with some quality players as the squad is unbalanced, so it needs someone with complete authority right now who can come in and bin off / play whoever he wants.

It really doesn't matter if we have 3 CB or 2, I'm pretty sure we had a back 4 against Hull and from what I (unfortunately) remember that was crabbier than a crab trawler full of crabs who've shat themselves. Always more about how you play and the players you have on the pitch.

They didn't win the ball with their press and then score from it at all! First one they had the ball in midfield, played a hopeful through ball that should be cut out 7/10 times and the remaining 3/10 goes straight through to the keeper. Second one they have the ball and are attacking, take a hopeful shot from outside the area (which we should do more of) and it takes 2 deflections and comes off the post. Third one Jander is under no real pressure, he just plays an absolute hospital pass to Wood. They weren't really pressing, they just sat in a low block. But instead of just letting teams do that, I think we should actually give them possession in places that suit us, like throw ins deep in their own half, as it disrupts their defensive shape as they have to try and clear it. Kick for the corners!

Archer - invisible except for his crap finish. THB - so negative with the ball, seemed to lose his rag completely 2nd half and asking to be sent off. Fraser - never ever looked even slightly like a threat going forward, targeted in the air, also super negative with ball.

Got to say, hats off to you and our other away fans, outsung their lot by some distance and deserved better. Players should have been on their knees in front of you lot apologizing for that shite!

I think where Still has been weak is managing the squad, and SR did him over in some areas: Still's fault: He clearly liked Sesay, Matsuki, Robinson in preseason and the first 2 have disappeared and Robinson has gone bit part when he was one of our better players in the first couple games. Roerslev came in, one good game at Norwich, one shit one at Hull and he's copped it. Fraser has been moved all over the place and looks lost. Stewart should never have played 3 games in a short time. Downs needs time in the U21s. I don't think an experienced manager would have allowed such a big squad. SR's fault: Extended Stephens and kept him as captain. Too many CBs in the squad, should have shipped some out. THB and Downes don't seem to want to be here. No GK or CF recruitment, Downs not ready for this level. Too many attacking midfielders, we should have bought a striker instead of Azaz or Fellows. Lallana should have gone after the debacle of last season, don't think having him around will have helped tbh. And that Carl geezer too.