sydney_saint

A little worrying there from Holgate. Boro play into his channel, nowhere to be seen (that's a tactical thing rather than his fault), but was hardly busting a gut to get back

Oh chance for Adams, legs made of treacle so never really got away from defenders. Excellent work from Smallbone

The only thing I can think of is we are trying to pace Edozie through the season?

When did AA and Smallbone become so undroppable? It feels like we have two Jermaine Wrights in our side. Both have had about 1 good game each this season. Worried that Fraser might also be joining them in that club. Worrying the manager has his favourites already

Yeah mate, and we had one of the biggest injury lists I've ever seen during alot of that period. But sure, you wanna claim that downhill, then you also have to admit we then went through another major uphill again to get ourselves back up to 10th and effectively safe 2/3s through the next season. Who would have thought that football has ups and downs, it should be ups only right? So yeah things were pretty alright for the next year, we stayed up comfortably, and then stayed up again the next season. Many fans wanted him sacked at the end of that season. I reckon we would have gone down the next season if we had done so. We did what we had to do both of those seasons which is that we were never really in a relegation scrap. That's all that mattered. And if you look at our squad both of those seasons, I challenge you to find more than 5 clear EPL quality players. It was a big achievement to stay up those seasons and that's what should be reflected on.

Mate, 27 games into that season we were 10th on 35 points and had only lost 8 games all season. We had effectively stayed up by March. You can argue it all went downhill from that Villa game, but things were pretty alright for over a year after that Liverpool game.

Not really though did it mate. We stayed up pretty comfortably the following season with a garbage squad. Sitting in a nice 10th before the Villa game over a year later. Now we ain't even sitting in 10th in the Championship

Javi Grarcia could be a decent and realistic shout. Thought he was unlucky with Leeds and that he improved them. Was also unlucky when get got sacked by Watford. Don't know much about the rest of his career, but he clearly is at least an okay manager with a track record with some success.

Oh mate I wholeheartedly agree! What a laughing stock, a grown man showing emotions. It's embarrassing. I'm so glad we got rid of him after that cringey response. Languishing in the bottom half of the Championship with the worst defence in the league after getting relegated without a fight is simply a price worth paying. I'm sure nobody gives you stick for that now like they did after we beat Liverpool...

Yeah it's just a really odd thing to bring up when it has nothing to do with the topic. I also don't worship Ralph. I just thing the job he did here was really underrated and I can't possibly see how anyone can think he did a bad job when for most of his tenure we were one of the lowest spenders in the league and he managed to keep up an incredibly subpar squad in the league for many seasons. Burnt out at the end- sure. Bad job overall? That's the thing I can't wrap my head around. Naught to do with Puel.

Bless you. I genuinely have no idea why you are talking about Puel.

Kevin Muscat. He's an absolute cunt. But his managerial career has been annoyingly successful and has learned off Ange.

Honestly mate, we could be bottom of League 2 in five years time having tried another 20 managers, and some fans will still be saying 'buT RaLPH cRiED At livERPool'

Exactly. Ings two most prolific seasons in the Premier League was under Ralph. Surely he deserves credit for that? He also got a squad containing these players to 7th in January. This was the lineup when we beat Liverpool. Forster, KWP, Bednarek, Stephens, Bertrand, JWP, S Armstrong, Diallo, Ings, Djenepo, Walcott Four of that line up are in our squad at the moment that's languishing in the middle of the Championship. And a number of the others have been binned for being poor players. Wasn't much better for the bench either. Valery, Tella, N'Lundulu, Harry Lewis, Vokins, Kayne Ramsay, Smallbone, Chauke, Long. I know people will never really like Ralph. But come on. Imagine getting that side up to 7th in January. I know people will turn round and say our form collapsed. Damn straight it did, cos we had an unbelievably shit team with about 3-4 EPL quality players in it. It was a huge managerial achievement keeping that side up.

As I mentioned, it was a shortened summer due to the WC, with lots of arrivals and departures. I highly doubt Ralph got any sort of break. A couple of weeks to sit down and watch some football during the World Cup might have helped. Not saying it was guaranteed but for me it was worth a shot. Because even though you say the error was his replacements, they are reasonably linked ideas. Have a look through the 'New Manager' thread. It is so damn uninspiring. There are even regular suggestions of 'Get Big Sam in'. I mean really? There weren't many good available names out there. There was always a very high risk of downgrading, which we have, multiple times over. I said at the time so I am not using hindsight. If there is a clear upgrade available, then yes replace him. Funnily enough I suggested Ange as that person and got shut down for it. But in the absence of a clear upgrade, our best bet was giving Ralph some time off during the WC to find his mojo. As we sit here in the bottom half of the Championship by 10pm tonight, I still think that would have been the best approach.

I very passionately never wanted him out, and felt that a number of fans wanted him out since that Liverpool incident regardless of results. A very small group kept us up over a number of seasons which was Ralph, JWP, Romeu, Ings and KWP. It's no coincidence that they all burnt out here, with the exception of Ings who knew when to bail. I always felt that if there was no clear improvement on Ralph, then we should have given him the World Cup to see if he can find his spark again. The Summer before he left saw a bunch of expensive kids arrive, no striker, and a shortened summer to get things clicking in preseason. A world cup break may have given him what he needed to recharge. If he didn't, then sure, time to say bye.

Every move breaking down with AA. Great he's getting on the ball, but he's showing why he is simply not a midfielder

Good opening but Smallbone takes way too long with it.

Surprised Edozie is coming off. Think he's got the potential to unlock them, or at least more of a chance than our other attackers

Genuine question. Does Aribo have any pace, or just relies on strength and good ball control? I don't think I have ever seen him sprint

Usually a manager starts making bizarre decisions when they are approaching the end and have run out of ideas. Yet Martin is a couple of months in and already so many bonkers decisions - Playing KWP as both a cm and a right back - Making AA undroppable to the extent he is now playing in midfield - Making Smallbone pretty much undroppable - Playing our best, and only, CDM in centre of defence - Playing Holgate when he just came off the bus, and then never playing him again.

Nice touch from Aribo, looks okay going forward, but is still missing whilst defending

A not very good striker at that

Another excellent chance for Ipswich

Should be two. Aribo and Bazunu teaming up this time