Midfield_General

Setting up to play a high line against Spurs, when anyone who had ever watched them play knew that Kane would drop off and keep trying to play in Son to run in behind, was a cause for massive concern. Not changing it while watching Son score basically the same goal four times as a result, was an almost unfathomable level of tactical incompetence from everyone involved - the manager, the coaches and the players. I'd stuck by Ralph up to that point, through the 9-0s and everything else, but that was the match where he lost me. It was just comically inept. An under-10s manager would have changed it after the first few.

There isn’t a single source or scrap of evidence in that story to back up the claim in the headline. FI is a joke of a site and that story is literally made up. By all means let’s criticise Jones for what we see on the pitch, but not for fictional bollocks written by a fantasist who pretends to be a journalist.

An uphill wank, but not impossible

Top of the group after two games. Shite, Southgate out!!!11 Jesus

The forum gazelles breathe a sigh of relief

Everything about this is so artificial and forced. Nothing’s authentic, it’s like watching a reconstruction of what people who have never been to a football tournament think it might be like.

Of the ones I was there for… 1. MLT x 3 vs. Norwich (MLT at his absolute best on a freezing cold night at the Dell) 2. MLT flick up and volley free kick vs. Wimbledon (couldn’t believe he’d tried it, let alone scored it) 3. Wayne Thomas screamer vs. Ipswich (sat right behind it, could see it was going to fly in the moment it left his boot) 4. Horne vs. Bolton (for the pitch invasion) 5. Ruddock last-minute penalty vs. Newcastle (for the celebration) Honorary mention for Clyne’s thunderbolt vs Arsenal at the Emirates as it knocked them out and I know a lot of gooners!

Flag-holder on the left appears not only to be wearing a nappy, but also to have shat in it

OK I'm starting to warm to him now

I think if Lawrie McMenemy was on the table now as an option he'd genuinely have more fans backing the appointment. He may be 86, but you can't put a price on experience like that.

All fair points but I don’t think a single person has suggested Gerrard.

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The thing is though, you do need good interview skills at this level. You need to be able to clearly articulate all your thoughts and ideas in an inspirational, motivational way, at all times. Have you ever sat through a bad presentation or wedding speech? When the person speaking doesn’t feel in control, that gets picked up on quickly by the audience, the speaker loses their respect and they lose the room quickly, and that’s peanuts compared to the pressure of what a Premier League manager needs to be able to do. It can’t be easy facing aggressive journalists or trying to hold the attention of a roomful of young, cocky multimillionaires. So you have to be bloody good at it, or the danger is they’ll just tear you to shreds, either to your face or behind your back. Six months ago, a fair chunk of our first team were working with Guardiola. That’s the level we’re talking about. If this guy doesn’t command their respect instantly then it just feels like it could end really badly, for him as well as us. I really hope SR know what they’re doing, but I’m very far from convinced at the moment. If he starts badly I fear he’ll get torn to shreds, and then we’ll end up scrabbling around in a panic for Sean Dyche’s number in March, by which time it will be too late.

Out of interest, what are people seeing in that interview from last night that they like? To me he comes across as an inarticulate, jabbering bag of nerves. His body language is terrible and his communication style is jittery and unfocused. It reminds me of when a coach has been made into a caretaker manager and has to give a TV interview for the first time. Like when Wigley for us or Terry Connor for Wolves first had the cameras put on them - no gravitas, just like a rabbit in the headlights. It’s not the be and end all, but if you’re inarticulate or a poor communicator it puts you at a real disadvantage from the beginning. I watch that from last night, and some of his other interviews, and it’s like watching someone on the Apprentice going on stage and nervously stuttering their way through an awful pitch. It doesn’t exactly instil confidence. But who knows, maybe when he’s behind the scenes he suddenly transforms into David Dimbleby.

Well he sounds ideal, let's get him in. How does he look in a waistcoat?

Yeah but he was widely known to be an absolute solid gold throbber.

Guardian reporting that the compensation has been agreed with Luton. Which would explain their tweet about how simply super we are.

Eh? Since when has Che been any trouble?

Is anyone else who lived through the horror getting major Branfoot vibes?

Amazing comeback from Leeds. 4 shots on target all game and they scored all 4. Marsch celebrating like they've won the Champion's League, unsurprisingly. It would be hilarious if they sacked him anyway

Leeds showing some proper fight Absolutely banging match

Yeah that’s Marsch done I reckon

Loving your work on this!

We're the same age - that was exactly my experience as well. I'd started going with my dad 3 or 4 years earlier but that side/ squad was the first one that felt like 'mine' as a Saints fan. That was because it was when I started going on my own, the Denmark kit was awesome, the 4-2-4 football was so exciting to watch, and looking back that squad contained some of the names who though young players at the time would go onto become proper club legends who we'd end up watching spend their whole careers at Saints. That one, the 2010-12 squad that got promoted from L1/Championship, and Koeman's 2014-15 squad are the three squads that have really defined Saints for me over the years. They all shared quality in every position, all played exciting, attacking football under a manager who wasn't afraid to have a go at anyone, and all pulled off some properly memorable results because of that. It was. Originated by the Ugly Inside when it was still a paper fanzine, I believe. Following on from christening Shearer and Ruddock 'the Bruise Brothers'. They did Ruddock Stomp t-shirts and everything, I wonder if anyone's still got one? I'd settle for scrapping out an ugly 1-0 win from an 89th minute penalty this weekend.