saintant

Another one blowing smoke up his arse so he thinks he's something special and will never change. These oppo managers aren't mugs.

Maybe the wind will blow the ball forward for us - in one half anyway. Might help us be more offensive which is quite a good word for us.

Probably not but if you've seen any previous pressers it'll be much the same and include the usual stock phrases and glib comments as Russell blows smoke up his own arse.

For what seems like the hundredth time the vast majority on here have no hate for Martin. You seem to mix up criticism with hate.

But according to Russell we have to go through the 'calamitous ball retention in our defensive third' so that you can 'bloody love our style of football'. That's the deal I'm afraid.

Yeah it's pure heads in the sand stuff. Wake up and smell the coffee guys - Chelsea missed so many easy chances it really could and probably should have been double figures. Don't insult our intelligence by sticking to Russell's snake-oil salesman handbook.

And the fitness issue is a really good point. It is sheer laziness by the coaches not to have us as fit as every other side and quite clearly we are not when you see our players continually blowing out of their arses part way through games. Bmuff never stopped running and pressing last night and shame on Russell that we can't match that work rate.

Well clearly he's not specifically telling them that but his overall message is not to give the ball away so, rather than play a more risky pass that might get us up the pitch, we mostly take the easier option which is a nothing pass backwards or sideways - it's the mantra that he is instilling not specifics that is the issue.

Of course because we won't press them like Bmuff did but they'll press us and score from our usual howlers. Bmuff right now are everything we are not and make us look like a bunch of amateurs which is probably what we are.

Spurs have also conceded some big chances playing Russball.

Michel of Girona continues to make a name for himself and prefers the popular 4-2-3-1 formation. Probably not on our radar though.

Lumley KWP THB Bednarek Taylor Downes Fernandes Dibling Aribo Fraser Archer

Not sure but you should see his fucking garden!

Needs to play a double pivot like all the best sides do but of course he's smarter than the rest.

Whereas playing out from the back never involves giving the ball away or conceding chances/goals. Maybe Russell should be happy to let the players mix it up a bit more and make their own on-field judgements - I'm sure that would take some of the pressure off them and lead to better decision making.

At no point have I suggested that you have denied there are mistakes being made - unless you can quote where I said it.

It's not the mistakes per se it's actually the sheer volume and regularity of them. Maybe you never watch televised football but every commentator and pundit who covers us is pointing out at every one of our games what you seem to be missing or not able to understand. Maybe you're right and the rest of us plus those 'experts' are wrong 🙂

Where in this equation would you place a manager who clearly can't set up us or any of his previous other teams to defend? RM's record in this area is notoriously bad so he is obviously a large part of the problem.

Plus, as usual, a team set up by RM gave them complete freedom of the park from the first whistle to the last. He simply has no idea how to set up a team to be tight and compact hence teams he has managed always ship shedloads of goals. I doubt Palmer has been given more time and space in any other game this season.

Are they still here!!!!

I agree he needs better players but I still maintain he is not smart enough to coach the system he believes in and never will be.

This is the problem with him in a nutshell - high ambitions but he doesn't have the tools to back them up.

I think it's more a case that Russell lacks the talent to execute his flawed philosophy. Snake oil salesman of the highest order and he is still fooling people so fair play to him for that bit of trickery.

Respect your viewpoint but can't agree. He should have gone by now but still clings on.

Not anywhere near the number of times we do now and with such predictability that RM quite literally does the opposing manager's team talk for him. There was never the level of outpouring against the giving the ball away in dangerous areas that we hear today from fans, commentators and every TV pundit in the game.