VectisSaint

It may not be a "must win" but it is certainly a "mustn't lose".

Are they planning to hand out more than 3 points for a game?

He's scored twice now. 1 goal in each of 2 1-2 defeats. So both goals have no value (in terms of results), still good to see he has equalled his tally for Saints 3 years ago, and only needs 1 more to equal last season. Waiting for the next Long goal could be a long wait (pun intended).

Good point, we actually let 3 CMs go before this season, I'd forgotten about Mario (as you do). Even worse than I had recalled, 5 CMs to 3.

I clearly said JWP made Hammond superfluous, but it doesn't get away from the fact that we started the season with 4 senior CMs. Can't believe that someone actually writes 'Reed was never here', dear me some people. Of course he was here, he was our player. You clearly don't get it, I give up, wasting my 3 posts. 🙄

Schneiderlin, Davis, Cork and Hammond. JWP quickly rendered Hammond superfluous, but we sure did have 4 senior CMs when we came up. Our current situation is different to when we came up and is stupid, with only 3 (senior) CMs for 2 positions, especially given the system we play where the 2 CMs are integral and hard working. We lost 2 last summer (Hojbjerg and Reed) and only brought in Diallo).

You are joking, 2 CM positions and we have 3 (first choice) players. Even Diallo is only 21, not exactly experienced and younger than some of the kids that we don't trust. Yes we have some kids but that's not the same as having squad depth. Full backs and CM are the two areas we are short. We should have two for every position.

Doesn't matter if Jack Stephens plays DM, RB or not at all, the hard of thinking on here will blame him for everything regardless.

That would be the Jack Stephens recalled from Middlesbrough loan because Ronald was unhappy that he played only 1 league game. Did well? He only played once!

Always used to work on the basis of having 2 for each position. Really that means we are short at LB, RB and CM unless you count Smallbone. LB is actually the biggest gap, because Vokins was never really considered backup, whereas Valery was. Unless they thought that McQueen was going to be back (which I doubt).

4 years ago today FB reminded me this morning. Seems longer.

or at least below 10 😏

I thought we were trying to get the kid from Accrington Stanley (Toby Savin), who would be the backup to McCarthy.

I am firmly in the "not sacking" Ralph camp, but the one thing that I think he is to blame for, at least partly is the squad size and depth. He was very public in his desire to work with a much smaller squad, hindsight though being a wonderful thing he did not take into account this last crazy year, with far more intense schedule due to Covid, lack of facilities for recovery etc. This desire for a small squad has come back to bite him (us) very badly, I don't think this factor can be wholly blamed on others, although of course the club management were instrumental in downsizing. I also don't believe that Valery and Vokins would have left if Ralph had not sanctioned, even encouraged it.

Actually I don't think that's the case. Our reaction after the disallowed penalty, the disallowed goal and after going 1-0 down was actually pretty decent. It wasn't until they got the 2nd that we seemed to give up. I thought we had a good chance of getting back into it after their early 2nd half 1st goal. Until we went 2-0 down we actually played quite a decent game, and should have been 2 up at half-time, even without the disallowed goal, we completely dominated them without having too many clear-cut chances. Problem seems to be that Ralph/players don't seem to be able to adapt when the opposition tweaks things at half time, as they invariably do.

He didn't lie about his system. Surely you don't take every word he says as gospel do you? He's not MLG. No one who watched the match and has even a modicum of understanding of systems and formations can possibly believe that we played 4-2-2-2 throughout that game.

Regardless of what Ralph might say, we did not play a straightforward 4-2-2-2 or 3 at the back. We actually played very smartly a fluid back line with Bertrand slopping back into the back line as needed, and when he did the 3 CBs shifted across. Occasionally the opposite happened and Djenepo slipped into a RB role, and the others shifted across. We may have even had 5 at the back a little. It's diffIcult to say JB played traditional RB, but he certainly did at times. Was quite impressed with how the back line operated, very fluid and covering each other well. Beds was the one finding it most difficult, there were times he clearly wasn't sure who to mark but he didn't do much wrong. Djenepo was awful for the first 15-20 minutes but he really grew into the role and put in a massive performance. I'm guessing he is struggling to walk today, some of the treatment meeted out to him, would have made Brian O'Neil or John McGrath proud.

A team without KWP and Armstrong has no energy and no creativity. They aren't necessarily the best players of the season, but they do make us tick, and we are ponderous without them. The folly of such a small squad this season (with games coming thick and fast and limited recovery facilities) is really coming home to haunt us at the moment. Think I'll find something else to do this afternoon, rather than watch this potential shit show 🙄

Not sure I would take the view of KK as being particularly insightful. Not exactly the best manager was he, especially when it came to defensive tactics. I don't particularly disagree, defenders are next best choice to midfield for sure, in my view strikers and goalkeepers are no-nos, but the reality is that someone in the middle of the pitch is the ideal, just doesn't always work out that way.

Rubbish. Why does it have to be down to the manager? If there are these mythical people thinking we won't get 7 points they probably realise like most rational people that our problems are not down to a single factor like Ralph. Indeed if they were looking for a scapegoat the more rational approach would be 'Gao out'.

Almost, but not quite. Not long ago they kept telling us that we were closer to the top 4 than the bottom 3. Not any more, not even the top 6 now. I'm not saying we will go down, just that it is not beyond the realms of possibility as some would have you believe.

10 points now between us and Fulham. I always consider 10 points as a rule of thumb as the size of gap that can be closed. More than 10 points and its pretty safe. (Hopefully MLG won't be along to try to discredit my rule of thumb)

Doddsy might be a better bet. Could also help out with the B team coaching.

Not B Team but I see the U18s were smashed 7-1 by Brighton today. That's not good is it 😬

Given we can't play golf at the moment it doesn't help anyway, no matter how bad you are.