Toussaint

Nearly paid off though, if Dier's goal counted it would have been interesting.

Puel not picking his strongest team for the Europa run

As an aside, I'd be interested to know who has changed screen name from what to what? I'm sure some of the posters haven't disappeared, just re branded. Likewise who has multiple accounts.

Yes, I do. I don’t mind the championship , I’m actually enjoying it here and there, but we need to get back up asap, there is a fine line between enjoying comparative success in the championship, bolstered a sprinkling of premier league quality players, a few loans who will probably be destined for a premier league return and the benefit of the parachute payment, and the footballing oblivion that could be not too far away.

Deffo needs to shut his pie-hole and let the performances do the talking!

It’s not really making things up, you chose those words purely to belittle another posters pov. it’s speculation, supposition, conjecture, call it what you will, we all do it. if we took all speculation away from the forum and restricted ourselves to reporting facts, there wouldn’t be much left and what was left would be extremely dry. I have formed the opinion that RM is very rigid in his style of play and really isn’t that keen on players going rogue, based on what I’ve seen so far this season. Someone, probably RM, took the handbrake off against Leeds and often late in matches when we are playing catch up, but other than that it seems very rigid. I appreciate you like the guy and the regime, but I detest it and struggle to motivate myself to go to matches, despite having a season ticket for decades. I’m willing to speculate that the greater majority of fans feel the same way.

Its not nice, but they were happy with their manager, and doing well. They didn't want Rooney and he is not doing well, however that will probably turn around Saturday.

We need a convincing performance, things are on the verge of turning ugly(er). The win at Hull rebuilt a temporary bridge between the 3 amigos and the supporters, only for the bridge to become destabilised by last nights performance. The result on Saturday could be instrumental setting the tone from hereon. But then I think that about most games lately, its always going to be an uneasy relationship between the fans and the 3 amigos. Only a consistent high level of performances will settle that.

I'm happy to donate Russel to Reading as an act of neighbourly selflessness.

If it helps the situation I am more than happy to say bye bye to JW and Rasmus.

The full pitch pivot, where the GK became the CF, Russ is a tactical genius.

The way we play, and played last night I don't think a striker will make any difference, its not like we are creating chances and missing them. Our build up play is so ponderous we often find 10 men between us and the goal, the result being we are trying to thread the eye of a needle, almost imopossible. That is all on the arrogant bore of a manager.

No, he’s definitely playing …

I have no particular beef with Everton, my interest is in fairness, so I just hope the pursue some of the more difficult and better resourced targets with equally vigour. As well as Bournemouth, who should be deducted several hundred points which carry over to subsequent seasons, for FFP breeches, having a joke of a ground and horrible little chav fans.

Hull should be out of site by now. Maybe that’s a good sign???

If we somehow win this, it would be good, but we aren’t convincing and really don’t seem to be improving in any way.

Russell looks very dapper today, so he’s definitely won the best dressed manager in todays key battle.

Hull cut through us very easily. I prefer their style to our randomness

Maybe because it’s so disjointed up front?

Well, setting a very low bar and being ok with not quite achieving it is one way to avoid disappointment.

I expect Klopp will want this game replayed given the miscarriage of justice in not sending Konate off????

I believe the flaws in this argument are:- 1. we haven't had to factor in Russball Radicalisation in previous seasons, a system of football that is so complex most of us stupid fans and most of the players seemingly struggle to comprehend it. Confusingly the opposition seem to have sussed it out a few games into the season. 2. When we have lost our best players in the past we have charismatic top quality managers who could attract new high calibre talent, Koeman as one example. We have also had premier league income plus player sales revenue to rebuild we have now sold most of the family silver. 3. We are now in the championship, if we fail to get promoted this season our financial and playing resources will be seriously diminished going into next. 4. We do not have Marcus Liebherr this time to pull us from the brink of oblivion. But, as you say, keep winning and this all becomes academic. However, I'll say again, we need to bounce back his season.

In summary, we really need to go up this season or we could spend years in the doldrums, as many clubs, much bigger than Saints, have done in the past. That I see is the reason, and justification for the impatience and acrimony. He needs to turn it round soon, ideally starting tomorrow, time and tide waits for no man, including the good talkers and smooth operators.

No it definitely doesn’t, we went down as a poor team, sold the best players from that poor team, bought in a few who should be capable of getting us promoted. We’d be the whipping boys, we’d need a playing turnover similar to Forrest’s last season to have a chance, and even then they flirted with relegation.

But that's not what we did against Leeds, at least in the first half.