Midfield_General

Am I counting all the managers we’ve had in the list of all the managers we’ve had? Yes, yes I am.

They got relegated under Martin and we’ve had five managers since then. How many more do you want to try?

Yep. The point is that if they’re not performing for whatever reason and haven’t for ages, and if the increasingly persistent rumours are true that they are the toxic influence in the dressing room, then there is no value in keeping them however good they are meant to be, we may as well get rid and start afresh, and now there’s not really a lot left to play for this season, we may as well start now.

I’m not convinced we’d necessarily do worse without those players. I do know we’ve been appalling with them though, and it’s not like we’d be risking derailing an otherwise brilliant season is it? We’re not going up and we’re not going down. Perfect time to do it. And we are allowed to sign other players to replace them, it’s not them or no-one. God forbid, we might actually try to sign some who are better than them and improve the team. Maybe Manning could be next, or would that be way too risky?

Yep, we’re not going up and we’re not going down so might as well get some use out of this season and use it to purge the clique. Get rid of the lot, make Scienza captain and build the team around him for next season to try and get him to stay.

Not just a great talent but comes across as a terrific character both on and off the pitch, the absolute highlight of another bleak season supporting this club. I liked him before, and he’s gone up even higher in my estimations after reading that article. If we had a team of Scienzas this season would be a different story. Top, top man. Would just love to see him get the winner this Sunday and properly write himself into the history books of the club.

Harwood-Bellis looked much more assured tonight. He looks so much more comfortable in a four.

Shout out to Peretz for winning us that. Bamford should have scored but it's refreshing to be thanking the keeper for a win and a clean sheet, rather than fuming after them equalising from the one shot they manage on target.

No Bazunu ✅ Drop Manning ✅ Drop Wood ✅ 4 at the back ✅ Fellows playing as an actual winger ✅ A target man who can win a header and hold it up ✅ ...and we win a game. Who'd have thought it. Tonda's a genius.

Predictions: - Stewart goes off injured, out for the derby and the rest of the season - Flynn gets himself sent off so he doesn’t have to play at Fratton - Tonda switches back to 3 CBs at half time when we’re 0-2 down and chasing the game

The bbc graphic shows 5 foot 7 jelert as one of three CBs. Now that I would love to see

No quality metrics whatsoever then. No mention of whether the transfers were a success or not. Just that they were 'facilitated'. It's like that bit in Spinal Tap when they're described as 'one of Britain's loudest bands'.

It's not being kept that well-hidden really is it mate

While I totally understand the argument, this is the bit that doesn't make sense to me. I can totally see why people think that the 3 CBs is being imposed, given how consistently it has been used by so many different managers, whether it has made sense or not and whether it has worked or not. Surely the key argument for imposing one system would be to apply it across age groups, and different clubs in a multi-club model, so that players and coaches effectively become more 'interchangeable' within the group, which creates efficiencies and supports the model. But Valenciennes don't religiously play a 3, and neither do Goztepe. So if Ankersen was going to impose it, why would he only impose it at Saints, and not at the other clubs under his remit?

100%. And Damion Downs, obviously. 6 foot 4, USA international, 13 goals and 6 assists for Koln, 21 years old so will only get better and more valuable. Of course we don't need to actually see him play. What's not to like?