Midfield_General

Aitor Karanka, Malky Mackay, Brian McDermott, Paul Lambert, Ian Holloway, Owen Coyle, Phil Brown, Aidy Boothroyd, Ian Dowie, Gary Megson. All perfectly decent managers who were good enough to get their teams promoted, sometimes very convincingly, but ultimately didn't quite have what it takes to be able to take on the elite managers of the Premier League. Based on the evidence, I think Russ probably belongs in this group. Everyone has their ceiling, and the PL is the most competitive and unforgiving league in the world. Not everyone is going to be able to succeed in it. There's no shame in that at all. In my opinion he comes across as a decent and likeable man. Promotion last season was amazing and he'll always, quite rightly, have a special place in the club's history for that. But for everyone's sake I think it's time to shake hands and move on now, and let's try a different approach that might give us a chance of grinding out a few results, because this just isn't working.

Absolutely fucking embarrassing from start to finish. Can't even be bothered to analyse it. I've really tried to give Russ the benefit of the doubt, and have advocated for giving him time, but we're getting worse not better and unfortunately he just has no idea how to win games in this league. So many awful, mad decisions tonight. The players look confused and lost, and Russ looks lost too, so it's best for everyone if we leave it there, get someone in who can coach a defence, and try and build something that is at least a step up from humiliation every game.

Having four centre forwards on the bench, then playing two up top, where one is an out of position midfielder and one is an out of position winger. Genuinely one of the maddest things I've ever seen at this level.

I was all for giving Martin more time but I actually think it would be better for everyone, him included, if we parted ways after this.

This is genuinely traumatic to witness.

I know! And what are these 'footballs' and 'boots' that these damned hipsters keep going on about? What's wrong with a pig's bladder and clogs? World's gone mad

Going down Megabowl after. Three games for a fiver on a Monday

Onuachu Stewart Archer Brereton-Diaz Armstrong Cornet Aribo Lallana Taylor Sugawara Ramsdale If the full-backs can get forward and get some crosses in, 7 centre-forwards should give them something to think about

Aaah fair play

He said that about Bournemouth.

He's a man of extremes, is Russ. Can't just play out when it makes it sense to - let's do it literally every time. Can't just make a substitution - let's do four at once. Can't just have attacking options on the bench - let's have five strikers. No nuance or balance. Just shit or bust. It's weird.

Tall Paul on the bench. Interesting.

Agree 100%. The basics for any promoted side should be to build from the back and make yourself hard to score against and horrible to play against. Grind out some draws or nick a few 1-0s and then build from there. We're the absolute opposite of that. We're also actually quite well-stocked to play on the counter. Dibling, Archer and Cornet are all quick and can play off the shoulder. Lallana and Fernandes are both very capable of picking a pass from midfield and giving them something to run onto. We could be effective playing that way.

He did an interview with the Telegraph over the weekend as well, saying that he's ready to come back. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c749n4ej9nko Feels to me like some post-sacking contractual thing has just expired in the background and now he and his agent are keen to tout him around for the next decent Prem job. I still think he'll think he can do better than us / a relegation fight, and he'll have his eye on a club with more spending power and top-half / European potential, but none of those jobs are available at the moment, and if ours came up it would be interesting to see if he could be persuaded. I don't think it's out of the question, if he was promised a decent wedge to spend in January. Obviously I hope we win tonight, but it will be interesting to see what happens if we don't, especially if there aren't any obvious signs of improvement.

Yeah, whether Potter would get the United job or not, Ten Hag has to be a dead man walking now. That performance was absolutely abject. They aren't improving. God knows who'd be able to sort them out.

Sky have just announced that Potter is the studio guest for Bournemouth vs. Saints tomorrow night.

And Sky Sports announces that their guest in the studio for Bournemouth vs. Saints will be… Graham Potter! Interesting.

Man-for-man I'm not sure Ipswich have better players than us, but on that evidence they utilise them a lot better and play to their strengths. They're limited in ability, but they're well organised, well-coached, physical and always look to play forward. They muscled Villa out of that for long spells and made them uncomfortable. And that's a Villa side who were looking to go top. They may not not have any wins yet but they're grinding out hard-working draws, which not only gets points on the board but also builds confidence and provides a gritty platform to build on in a way that trying to play pretty football and then losing every week absolutely doesn't. Personally I don't think Delap is all that, he looks very much a blunt object. But he's big and strong, tough to knock off the ball, and they play to his strengths and get the ball into him in the positions he wants it in order to maximise the strengths of his game. In our system, we'd make him look like a fish up a tree. McKenna looks very much like a pragmatic manager who adapts his approach to wring the best out of what he has available. I'm not sure it will be enough to keep them up, but on that showing they're going to be competitive and will put up a fight. He's also clearly got a team who are really playing for him, they fought like hell in that game. That prick Morsy should have been sent off though, not sure how always seems to get away with it.

Some poor finishing by Ipswich though. Clarke should have scored that header, and Delap should have finished that 1-on-1. Two very good saves by Martinez in that half, although he should have stopped the goal. Can see someone getting sent off. Think Villa will win 1-3.

Great cross, proper striker’s header from Watkins. Good goal. 2-1 Villa.

1-1. Hilarious defending.

Ipswich 1-0 up. Delap. Poor from Martinez, should have stopped it.

Good effort. 6/10

Fraser and Cornet both play in that position

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