Midfield_General

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?

👆 That quote is absolutely incredible, and is the absolute crux of the arrogance of the man. He just doesn't get it, and never will. In any situation, he's made his mind up already, and doesn't want to be exposed to anything that might conflict with the opinion he's already formed, regardless of whether it is actually helpful insight or not. If he just ignores any opportunity to see evidence to the contrary, he can convince himself that he is never wrong, and if it doesn't work out later down the line then it must be someone else's fault who didn't train them properly, or psychologically screen them properly, or whatever. It's like the corrupt policeman who has decided to pin a crime on someone despite not actually knowing whether they did or not. They've already made their mind up, now they just need to build the story around it that supports their opinion and then use that to present it as fact and use their position of authority to bulldoze it through. We are so fucked.

Holy shit. I've never seen that article before. Well that's it, isn't it. It all becomes clear. That's why they continually make the appalling decisions they do, where every single one just makes us worse, and why we are where we are. And the reason why the downward spiral will continue, on and on, until everything to do with Ankersen has been totally expunged from the club.

Flynn will find a way to bottle out of it. Absolutely nailed on.

That would explain so, so much.

Cheers mate 👍

Have you got a link please?

And presumably weren't attuned enough to the supporters to know that a good chunk of the fan base thought Lallana was a wanker

Nah. If they're going to get rid, it will be after Pompey. They're cowards, and they know they'll need him as the fall guy during and after the derby, otherwise all the heat will be on them and no-one else. Then after we lose on Sunday, they can sack him to keep the heat off for another week or two before giving it to Lallana or Dream Academy to guide us seamlessly to the actual relegation.

Exactly, that’s my point. But he obviously won’t, so that would leave Archer as our only remaining number 9 to provide the attacking focal point for the rest of the season, with literally no other options. Not only would we be relying on him to be our main source of goals when he’s clearly not up to it, but we would never be able to drop him, rest him or even sub him off, without playing someone random out of position at centre forward. Just Cameron Archer, for 95 minutes, every game, often three games a week. Surely even SR aren’t that dumb, so it’ll mean that Armstrong stays until the end of the season, but won’t want to be here and we’ll just get more of what we saw against Hull where he appeared to have finally just given up.

And started both games with three centre halves and five at the back. For defensive solidity, obviously.

We have got significantly worse since Solak went ‘hands-on’. How he has succeeded in any business is beyond me. He’s a fucking clown, who surrounds himself with other clowns. He should start a travelling circus. Although he’d probably find a way to fuck that up as well. I wouldn’t trust that cretin to sit the right way round on a toilet.

West Brom were absolutely appalling tonight, the only side I’ve seen look as utterly lost as we do

West Brom had more possession and lost 0-5 at home Just goes to show what a meaningless propaganda stat that is, literally worthless

Norwich now 5-0 up away

Of course he was The cut of his jib would obviously put him firmly on SR's radar as a great prospect and one to watch Fuck me 🤣

4-0 🤣 West Brom collapsing like we did against Boro and look absolutely awful. Their new manager Ramsay looks as clueless as Tonda.