saintant

What a pathetic free kick from Reece James/

The bird on Channel 4 has just said England have played well...give me strength.

Nah, this is Southgate being Southgate.

The only difference between this and last Friday is the colour of the shirts.

It's a bit like rugby where you have to pass back.

Another Southgate masterclass so far.

This game is right up there with Villa Saints in terms of skill and entertainment. Has Southgate got hold of a copy of Ralph's famous playbook?

Everton have a much improved defence - just don't see where our goals are going to come from. Predicting 0-0 or a narrow defeat for this one probably yet another 0-1.

Got to blame that fairly and squarely on Ralph and his coaches.

I think we're looking at two different meanings of the word mobile. I accept that he covers a lot of ground and has a fantastic engine. However, I was meaning that he is not mobile in terms of the speed he gets about the pitch.

Che Adams only takes a battering in games like Villa where we constantly launch the ball forward from our own half and expect him to win aerial battles against huge centre backs. Play a bit of football with fast attacking build ups on the ground, getting between the lines, moving off the ball and he is just fine - his hold up play and passing when we do this is excellent. It's the tactics that are wrong not Che Adams getting battered because the latter is all down to Ralph.

Agree, Ralph has become far too obsessed with stopping the opposition scoring at the detriment to any attacking ideas we might have. We are not and probably never will be a side that can defend well - we have improved with the acquisition of AKB so let's be glad for that and start to be more offensive from kick-off.

Agree, the Villa game was an indicator of how poor Ralph has become. From start to finish we were abject and yet he was unable to do a thing to change the progression of the match. That spoke volumes for me as he should have been able to spot where he could make changes in tactics and personnel to turn the game around - maybe not to win it but at least to give us a chance of getting something from the game. As it was Villa were easily able to retain their lead without breaking sweat or enduring any pressure from us even though they played pretty poorly themselves. That is a telling indictment.

JWP is mobile in midfield - hadn't noticed.

Unfortunately I would think in Ralph's eyes he is a bit of a maverick because he'll try to carry the ball, take players on and sometimes roam around and vacate his position. Ralph is happier with players like Elyounoussi who will obey his every instruction down to the last detail. It's why we are so short of creativity as he does not tolerate straying from his ridiculous playbook.

Our identity is to avoid big defeats at all costs hence the negative sideways and backwards passing and continual lumping the ball forward to nobody in particular. It's horrible to watch and does not produce results. The manager shows a complete lack of bravery, his fear is holding us back.

Anyone but Scott bloody Parker.

Problem with keeping it tight for the first half is that we are not good enough defensively to do that and usually concede. Stats show that if we are behind at half time we never win, someone else posted that it's something over a hundred games since we've come back to win after trailing at half time. I don't know if that is accurate but it does feel like an age since we reversed a half time deficit. To me we are always better if we set out to make a fast start and take the game to our opponents from the first whistle. We have never been much of a side that is able to start slowly and build up a head of steam. I'm never optimistic when we kick off with a load of sideways, backwards passing which is more about keeping possession than actually taking a few risks and trying to hurt the opposition - it rarely ends well for us. Better to have a right go from the start and get on the front foot.

I don't get all this sudden idea that now 5 subs can be used it is preferable not to start your best eleven, that it is somehow more advantageous to have a few of your better players sitting watching from the bench so you can bring them on later - what, when you are chasing the game? Talk about putting the cart before the horse! Pick your best team from the start, take the game to the opposition and for me that gives you far more chance of winning. Stick the best of the rest on the bench and use them as and when for injuries, tiredness or as a tactical switch.

Was very hard to tell we were chasing the game as we continued to pass sideways and backwards as though we were trying to hang on to a lead.

I think he's been bullet proof because Semmens ran things for Gao and would never have sacked his pal Ralph. The new owners are likely to take a far less tolerant view of poor results because relegation will seriously damage their ambitions for the project they've undertaken. Semmens will not be able to save Ralph's skin now.

It gets easier for them....they play us soon.

Ralph is happy to keep the goals against column down at the expense of any risk-taking attacking football hence 2 shots on target in 180 minutes. It will continue in this vein until he instructs the players to cut out the sideways, backwards negative passing accompanied by long hopeful hoofs up the pitch. It is not football and will not achieve results other than defeats.

Even Bmuff are above us now!

If that's the criteria he might as well go now then.