sandwichsaint

Not blaming him per se, clearly the goal was caused in large part by Fonte's attempted back pass. I'm saying Forster could have done several things to make it harder for RVP to score, he could have come out of his area and beaten him to the ball (couldn't see if that was the case on any of the telly angles but some on this thread suggest that was possible?), he could have headed him off at the top of the box, he could have got closer to the ball and stayed on his feet and attempted to channel him wider, he could have rushed the ball in a big starfish/Schmeichal-type spread. The fact that he didn't do any of these things gave RVP one of the easiest goals he will ever score. The forward would probably score that goal 80% of the time, Forster's seeming unpreparedness (for what was an entirely predictable scenario) is the fine margins we are talking about.

There's your problem right there – he’s currently got a problem with a combination of concentration/anticipation which puts his decision-making under-pressure and he is having to re-act to events rather than be pro-active and manage himself, his defence, his own space and the oppo players too (if he did those things more pro-actively he would find his concentration levels naturally improving). A top line keeper must expect the unexpected - 'what if?' scenarios if you will. 'He didn't expect Fonte to be a pillock' wouldn't stand up as an excuse in an u13 Sunday team. Fonte receives the ball, there isn’t much on, Fonte takes an extra touch and closes off his options, RVP is lurking clear of the CB’s and close to the line of any putative back pass - Forster needs to get active much quicker - get wide right to receive the ball from Fonte and take RVP out of the equation, or shout Fonte to get rid into touch, or shout Fonte that RVP is behind him etc. Worst case scenario – (What if….?) Fonte slips/miskicks/brain farts and the ball is played back down the line of RVP (which is exactly what happened) - Forster needs to know what he is going to do BEFORE this happens ... which parts of the pitch can he reach first? where is it 50/50? what will he do if the ball is played into that contested area? which areas of the pitch can RVP receive the ball unopposed? what will he do if that happens? etc etc. He has to make all these decisions BEFORE the event happens; his starting positions, his (lack of) anticipation, his re-acting to events, shows you this isn't happening. Once RVP received that ball unopposed, and Forster then made his little hesitation/indecision the moment where he may have prevented the goal was lost and it was pretty much a formality for RVP to walk it through/round/under/past him. Ditto the second goal, he had no 'plan' to deal with the scenario that unfurled, he stands passively in his goal and is then nut-megged from 3 yds - Gazza or Davis would be getting absolute pelters on here for that level of performance. We all want Forster to do well, unfortunately at the moment he’s coming up a little bit short of the standard required. Not sure where we go from here? There’s no viable alternative to give him a break at the moment so guess we will have to keep backing him while he learns on the job but he is a long way from the finished article at the moment.

Good tonight, but no surprise for me, don't get the hate.

Has Forster touched it yet?

Has Pelle had a free kick given for him all season?

get in!!!!!!!!!!!!

We must have one of the biggest corridors of uncertainty known to man. More a chasm of indecision.

Here's hoping Mane / Pelle / Long can find a couple of goals between them because that's the weakest defensively our back 7 has been for for a long time. MS always leaves a man-size hole when he's out and Bertrand has been a real attacking find so far. COYRs! I'll take a squeaky 2-2 now.

Check this, http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/08/case-studies-food-banks there's two very ordinary people using food banks.

Are Southend still in? We could reprise that magical Friday night game but without the biblical rain. Brighton away, Brentford away, Charlton away, basically any away game nearer than SMS and that we could win. Are Dagenham and Redbridge still in?

Agree, yesterday was a good save but it was one he didn't need to make, it would have been much easier to get to the ball first and hack it clear. You would have to think a keeper could hack 9 out of 10 loose balls clear, particularly when he starts as odds-on favourite? How many times will a keeper save a one on one, not 9 out of 10. All he's done is given the oppo the 'heads up' that he won't be leaving his box any time soon and that his starting position is often very deep - expect to see other teams chipping our back four with a ball that holds up 20-25yds from goal, they know Forster won't be interested and any quick fd has got a free run at it, and a one on one.

If we don't have MS and JC on Weds and throw in the current non-form of GP and DT you could say we are struggling with the PL at the moment. We would need another 6 PL standard players to play in the Thursday cup and still stay competitive in the League.

There's very little difference, its the EU innit. If your car is taxed, insured and MOT'ed then you're good to go. They drive on the right and they are generally much more considerate and disciplined than we are. Be prepared to drive more considerately/slowly in towns and to get on with it / get out of the way on M Ways. Hanging about in the middle lane or the outside lane of a 2 lane Mway is a total no no (and a complete breath of fresh air). Obviously Belgians are exempt from the above, they have no idea how to drive on M'ways and IMHO are consistently the worst drivers in Europe, enjoy.

700 quid for a telly with 'below average contrast' and 'dimming sometimes clumsy'. You have checked it does colour pictures, yes?

TBF there's a barber in Sandwich that once a month drops to his knees to give praise that the 'flat top' never (quite) went out of fashion.

Errors leading to opposition shots at goal, 0. Obviously not been updated since Monday evening then?

Cheers for that.

Names? I'm in Sheffield this week-end so any recommendations in the town centre that would cut down on leg work would be greatly appreciated.

Yewtree will be around later, they have a certain knack.

Gotta feel sorry (?) for all those who bet on a Villa win, the 'happiness tax' someone called it yesterday, unfortunately the draw turned that little plot into a bit of a lose/lose situation.

This could be almost anything, I don't particularly 'fear' their attackers, I obviously respect them (and they are a big step up from most of those we have faced this season) but we have a very good back 6 and they have the stats to prove it. Could it be time for FF to step up and pay back for last night's howler? (or will he shrink further into his sometimes nervy paralysis? Guess we'll know quite a bit more about FF after this game). We can match them in the middle f'sure, can we score against their unpredictable back 4 and their often good/sometimes awful keeper? Guess it comes down in part to which City team turns up and after last night's reality check hopefully we can turn up and get back on our previous performance levels. I'll go for a nervy 1-0 with us scoring in the last 10 minutes and then holding on.

I see what you did there.... A player I haven't seen mentioned yet - Toby - he didn't have too much to do last night but he really does look a top class centre back, quick, good anticipation and very clean and decisive when he does intervene.

Done, definitely one of the more thoughtful questionnaires we have had on here, hopefully you can come back and share your findings.

Body language all wrong from the start, for a team that usually has loads of energy and togetherness we haven't had much of either. Did Koeman drop a bollock moaning about Xmas and saying it wasn't fair and we couldn't hope to compete with a smaller squad (I paraphrase but that was the drift of it) - has that message got to the players however subliminally?

Pathetic goal. Long struggling central, get Tadic in behind Pelle.