Minsk

That's how it looked to me too. Kepa gets his fingers to it, the ball then hits the post. It was going just inside the post, into the inside side netting if you like. Well placed, just not hit with enough pace.

It was a very good performance from Saints from beginning to end. Such a shame to go out on pens, but far better than being stuffed and outplayed (as many on here had predicted pre-match). Well done to Ralph for his formation and tactics and to the players for executing the game plan. FF displayed again why I rate him above Macca (even though I do admit the latter has been better so far this season). KWP, Lyanco and Salisu all had very good matches. Valery was very shaky at first and seemed to be out of position a few times but, overall, had an okay game. Good contribution to the equaliser. It is great that we now have some depth in defensive options. Unfortunately that means someone will always need to miss out. Far rather that than how we were in the back end of last season. Stuey started slowly but got stronger and better as the match went on. Very happy that he got those minutes under his belt last night. Will go a long way to him being given his first start this season (hopefully at Watford). Diallo had another good match and I felt was unlucky to be booked so early for a pull back when the ref ignored far more blatant ones from the Chelsea players (how did Saul not get a yellow last night?) Moussa was Moussa: decent performance as a wingback; good trickery getting down the wing; lack of end product. Tella non-stop harassing and looks threatening when on the break, but thought he was a bit wasteful with some wayward passes. Che really wasn't at the races in the first half. Seemed to come alive and started playing far better after his goal, until he got another knock. Arma pacey, lively and direct. Need to persevere with him. Said it last week and will say it again this week, would live to see an Arma/Armando pairing up front. As for the subs: Long did well when he came on; as did Romeu, Smallbone and Tino; Theo didn't. As with the defence, it is nice to have options in CM. Completely changed the mid 2 without us breaking stride, and that was without JWP being available. The squad is coming together nicely. Ralph has once again displayed flexibility over formation and tactics, and his ability to coach the players in executing them. Just need to work on the attack. That will come. Would certainly rather we used the money in the bank on bringing in another striker in January than in paying off Ralph. Until then, as I said above, I would like to see Arma and Broja paired together for a few matches, with Tella coming off the bench.

Lyanco put in a very good performance last night. Had Havertz in his pocket for much of the match. Loved those raking long balls, cross-field and up the wing. Also looked comfortable bringing the ball out of defence. Very promising indeed. A CB pairing of he and Salisu could be very interesting. Both have pace and positional awareness. Unfortunately I can't see Ralph trying it this weekend, having rested Bednarek last night.

There we go, little SKDMan reverting back to name calling because others have a different opinion. It is you, and your ilk, who are the hypocrites. A year ago calendar year results meant nothing. Now they are the be all and end all. We have merely pointed out that if they didn't matter then they don't matter now. Please tell me how many points we have dropped this season due to our form in February or March. Please post links that indicate any premier league manager was sacked this early into a season based on his team's performances the previous ones. To not understand the reasons for many of those results last season, and to deny that we have improved upon those performances, says far more about you than it does us. Of course it is what is happening this season that matters. If we were: getting played off the park; getting ripped apart defensively over and over again; completely failing to make any goal scoring chances ourselves - then you might have a point. However, we have put in many good performances; are much tighter defensively; have created more chances than our opposition in more matches than not. Is Ralph perfect? No. Does he make mistakes/do things I disagree with? Absolutely. However, some of us are able to see the bigger picture; some you are either not or simply refuse to do so (because you couldn't possibly admit to anything that goes against your long held agenda).

Small and Smallbone both missing from the B Team which won today. Maybe involved/on the bench tomorrow?

I'm not hung up on anything. I get that people have different opinions, hence why we are discussing them. Mine are really not so different from yours, if you actually bothered reading everything I had written. I just don't claim to know more about our players than the coaching staff who train them day in day out, or claim they are completely inept because they haven't picked a player/formation/tactic that I really, really, really, want them to. I have also never said that Ralph doesn't make mistakes. We all do. I am very open and critical of the things he does which just do not seem to make sense. I can think of 3 off the top of my head: sticking with KWP at LB against Wolves, when he was clearly having a mare; bringing Long on in the same match; starting at persevering with Theo against Burnley. As I've said many times, I agree with you that Broja looks to have all the attributes to be a top striker. Yes, it did look that way from some video clips when he joined, but how many times have we been duped by such clips? De Ridder? You disagree that Ralph has been man-managing him, yet Broja himself even admitted to not pulling his weight at the beginning. You think Ralph was deliberately ignoring him. I think he was easing him in. Who knows whether or not he would have started against Leeds had Adams been fit? It seemed to me though that Ralph dropped Arma for Broja. Otherwise, why not just play him instead? Ralph also then opted to keep in the starting 11 for Burnley. You should have been overjoyed but your response was to come and give it the 'big I am', slating Ralph for not starting him (in the league) sooner. As for Tino, again, I have said many times that he will probably make a good RM and that I would like to see him given a go there. I just don't think we should be doing such experiments in the league in our current situation. It's a long old season and is far more of a squad game nowadays than it ever was. I am sure KWP will get plenty of game time by the end of it.

And there's the rub: If Ralph tries it and it doesn't work, he will get slated. If Ralph tries it and it does work, he will get slated for not trying it sooner. If Ralph doesn't try it he gets slated. Just my opinion, of course. Who does deserve to start at RM? Hopefully Stu Armstrong after getting more minutes against Chelsea tomorrow. Failing that, Tella, Redmond and Moi. Yes, I would rather see Tino there than Theo, given his recent couple of performances, but not over and above any other option possible. (And, as I said, it would be great to see it given a go in a friendly/cup match.)

Okay. Thanks for answering.

The actual question was 'would you accept a loss if he tried it and that was the result?'

Why not the last 76 games? Actually 2 whole seasons. What we really should be looking at is our performances THIS SEASON and how many points we have THIS SEASON. Nothing else matters!

They all know this. They just like to ignore to the facts. The same people were very quick in saying a year ago, when we would have been top 4, that calendar year results mean nothing. We are certainly playing much better this season. I think a lot are still pissed about the Wolves result and can't get over it.

As I said, I agree with the Theo thing. As for Redders, he glaring miss aside, I think he has put in some decent performances of late. Ralph absolutely should have played either Che or Arma up alongside Broja; with any of Redders, Moi or Tella starting behind. (Really didn't look like Stuey was ready to start still on Saturday). I would also be interested to see how Tino would play at RM, ahead of KWP. I can, however, completely understand why Ralph hasn't done that yet. Maybe an experiment for a friendly or cup match against lower league opposition. But we all know if Ralph had tried that against West Ham and we had subsequently lost, or if he had tried it against Wolves and the result had still been 1-0 (due to the CB fiasco) Ralph would now be getting both barrels from the haters for having tried it, as opposed to not having tried it. I have yet to see anyone say they would an accept a league defeat in return for him trying it; yet loads slate him for not doing so. Go figure.....

Yep. Broja even admitted in his post match interview after the Leeds game that he hadn't been pulling his weight in training, and was reprimanded by some senior players for it. But hey, Tedder has watched every match he has ever played in and knows everything managing young footballers. Be interesting to know which professional teams he has coached/managed. Must be loads.

As usual, you have twisted and put your own interpretation on my words, whilst trying to belittle me for having a different opinion to yourself. I noticed on another thread you refer to anyone who doesn't want Ralph sacked immediately as 'one eyes'. Referring to other posters, who dare have a different view to yourself, in such ways just go to show that you are a bigger prick than all the other posters on here together. You also always fail to engage in any real debate or answer any direction questions posed. Undoubtedly because you lack the intelligence to do so. As such please excuse for ignoring the bollocks that you spam every fucking thread with. Bye, Bye, Dicky.

It isn't 'guff' at all. It is what happens with most young players. How many times did you watch Broja play for Vitesse last season? How many times did you watch Tino play for Chelsea U23 last season? Must have been loads because you know so much more about them than their actual professional manger who gets to see them train day in day out. Or maybe you're just talking bollocks? P.S. You seem to have failed to have answered any of many questions posed. I wonder why.........

I agree that KWP had a very poor match against Wolves. He did, however, have very good matches at LB against City and Chelsea. So whilst I don't really blame Ralph for playing him initially, he should have replaced him when it was clear he was having a mare. I also agree that Theo shouldn't have started Saturday and, having done so, should have been hooked at HT when it was clear he was having a mare. In either scenario we may have gone on to win. We might not have. However, I really don't feel the overwhelming need for Ralph to experiment with putting a young player who has yet to reach double figures in senior appearances out of his normal position. See my response above, and maybe answer the question. I'm intrigued to know how many people really do want Ralph to experiment with players out of position and will accept a defeat if he does. Because I see dozens of comments on most match threads complaining about him playing people out of their normal position......

I agree that Theo shouldn't have started or stayed on for so long. Never said otherwise. Yes, either of them might have done better. Heck, Valery would have probably done better. I get that people want to see Tino further forward. I understand the comparison to Bale. Bale played a full season in the Championship at LB. He then spent around 3 years at Spurs, in and around the first team at times but when played was as a LB. Had a few injuries too. But it wasn't until dear old Harry was manager there in 2010/11 that he was given a go at LM/LW. I will ask again, if Ralph plays Tino at RM against Watford and we lose will you be happy with the result because he experimented with a young player out of position? Or do you think we will have a raft of 'why did Ralph put a square peg in a round hole, again' type posts? I just can't help but think there are many on here who just want to slate Ralph no matter what he does. (Not saying you are one).

I saw an interview with them last week (might have been on the BBC2 show, after House of Games) and said to my daughter that they appeared to be sat VERY close together (with his arm around her). Good lad!

Just maybe, as I posted above, Ralph has man-managed him perfectly? Easing him in with game time where appropriate before handing him a full debut which Ralph admitted himself 'he grabbed with both hands'. Very happy for Armando. Well done to Ralph too, for the way he has managed him. I doubt we would be seeing the same result had Ralph thrown him straight in at Everton, when he wasn't ready....... Oh, and please quote all these posters who have stated that he's 'not in the same league as AA and Che because he is raw and has so much to learn'. I must have missed them.

The quoted post of mine above is one I posted on the Livramento thread a few weeks ago. No one has bothered responding to it. Maybe you will, on here? In short, it asks which matches Ralph should have 'experimented' with Tino at RM and KWP at RB (obviously, therefore, with Perraud at LB). We have, of course, played 2 more matches since the original question was posed. 1 won; drew 1. Can you guarantee we wouldn't have lost either without Tino at RB? (Yes, I know he was at fault for their first goal yesterday, but he was also MoM for most - playing at RB.) Further to that, may I ask - if Ralph does this against Watford and we lose will you (and this is open to all) happily accept that defeat as at least he tried the idea you have been wanting him to try? As an aside, I think it was you who said that Ralph should have put Broja in the starting 11 from the first match of the season. Apologies if not. However, if so, had Ralph painted himself into a corner over not starting him then? That would have also been after 7 matches, the same as the above quote. Or, more likely, was Ralph manager a young player, giving him game time and when, until he felt that player was ready to start? Similarly, why are you so certain that Ralph hasn't thought about playing at RM, with KWP at RB? Just because he hasn't done so in a match doesn't mean he hasn't thought about it; or even tried it in training. Or, just maybe, as with Broja, he is man-managing Tino. Playing him in his most natural position, in the hardest league in the world, without 'experimenting' with him elsewhere before he has even racked up double figures in appearances!

Page 5 of this thread.....

This matches my views exactly. That starting 11 but with Arma replacing Theo would have been my pick. At half time I was really hoping Ralph would switch it to that. And kept calling for it to happen right up until Theo was withdrawn. Wasn't too disappointed it was for Stuey, but he did still look off the pace. Would like to see him start and get an hour under his belt in midweek. We can use 5 subs in that match so Ralph might be tempted.

I hated myself for typing it, but want to keep Tino/Perraud fresh for Watford. And certainly don't want Tino getting burnt out. So maybe KWP at RB and Small in at LB? Or KWP and Perraud. Don't want Moussa at LB. Think Ralph might play Valery though.

Forster Valery Bednarek Salisu KWP Romeu Diallo S.Armstrong Djenepo A.Armstrong Adams

I can see 4