Toussaint

He is, we need someone better than him.

Is it him though? I doubt it, all I can imagine is he wants someone badly and has been told to raise the funds from within? Also, if he is on the thin ice it would seem he is would he be empowered to make long term decisions?

I don’t see how that would help fund a new striker anyway?

There is, but he has to finish his GCSE’s first and get a letter from his mum.

I’m not sure he nosedives, what I notice with Jack is he’ll have a few solid games and then makes a howler or two, the the process repeats, or he gets dropped and we don’t see him for weeks.

I knew the saints ultras would ruin it for everyone

Sounds a good option right now

We could be much harder to beat though, that is one thing a new manager could do while the striker and other issues are being addressed. We have enough good players to grind out a few results.

It is, i did think that, and immediately thought of City and Liverpool, but as you say, we don't have that calibre of player, which makes Ralph foolish / pig headed, trying to get players doing things they are not capable of doing.

It's not just the set up, it's the AWOL midfield under Ralph Ball (unless that's what you meant by set up). As one example, away at Villa last season, (I was there and had a good view). For whatever reason we had no right midfield cover for Peraud when defending, Peraud was continually 2 two or 3 men, one of the CB's would come across to cover, leaving a massive gap at CB, then boom, goal conceded, whilst the midfielders were racing back downfield behind play. Peraud was dropped after that, but none of it was his fault IMO. There are plenty of other examples, Chelsea at home, the midfield 2 + 2 were lined up in front of each other, leaving acres on the wings.

The not that bad bit, or the playing regularly bit?

Understanding is one thing, I'm just not sure it is actually possible to play Ralph's way for anything other than fleeting moments, It isn't sustainable, and when it breaks down it generally does so catastrophically. When we were 2 - 1 down Saturday, we were throwing so many players forward, Djenepo was committed in the right wing position, I said to my daughter we were going to turn it over and concede a goal, then pass pass goal to spurs. The massive spaces we leave would make VVD look a clown at CB

I'd be happy to see him return to the team as a starter, as many have pointed out we lack leadership, we lack a vocal input and we lack players with resilience. He has all of those. He never gets a run, he is really not that bad when he plays regularly. If there is a clamour ro play Ketchup and Salissu, why not play him in the middle if we are going for a 3?

Gao didn't do us a lot of good, but he didn't do us any harm either. I have the same feeling now as I had when Lowe was the main man, someone / people in control that "know better". Ralph should have gone last season, but I'm not even sure that is going to solve that much right now. We have bought poorly so far, it seems from the outside that Ralph is now working within a rigid framework and he has less control. Of the managers that get talked about here aren't going to work or flourish under those conditions, or even accept a job.

That’s very plausible, I think 6 games could be too long if the current trend of accumulating 0.38 points per game will have amassed a mighty 2.3 points by then.

I don't think it is misleading, the trajectory is alarmingly a downward one, a nosedive. I wouldn't want to be on a plane piloted by Ralph Right now.

Look at the stats above, he was under used by our incumbent loon last year, his goals per minuets equates to approximately 1 goal every 3 games, nearly 13 goals a season. Who knows, had he been started every week he may even have improved on that? You add that to the pathetic supply any of our strikers receives from the midfield and it's pretty impressive.

Agreed, it's a massive risk

I don't think someone like Dyche would be bought in, unless it was a last effort ditch to save us from relegation. I get the impression that we are now working to a different model, where the manager is simply a coach, another part of the management team, who can be "swapped out" for a coach 2.0 should the need arise. In answer to the question, yes I would have him.

I wouldn't such have a problem with it if we had a solid base, we don't, our base is extremely weak. Therefore I believe "moneyball" really high risk strategy for us. The strategy I would suggest, assuming we want to stay in the prem, is investment in the first team. We have all generally agreed that over the last two seasons we were two or 3 players short of being a competitive side, since then we have lost Ings / Broja and temporarily lost Tino, that in my view makes us about 5 short.

My jury has always been out, the cynical side of me suspects they are in the money ball racquet. I think they have seduced a lot of fans with words they want to hear and splashing out £50 or £60 million, but if their plan was to sell of some of the big guns to offset the spend, and then the next phase of the plan is to unearth some gems and flog them off when they become profitable, then they will definitely not have been what we needed. My jury is still out though, the window is open and they may have a cunning plan? ???

Pepe

It’s feeling like it’s SR. I don’t have a problem with Semmens, but he is not a “football man” and, I’m speculating, may have been happy to hand footballing control to others.

That game was a freak, I’ve been shot down more than once for stating that, but I think that is what saved Ralph. Had we lost that, the end of the season may have been very different.

I get that, but what about the protection (chronic lack of), in front of the last line of defence?