saintant

He made a couple of very good saves that would likely have beaten Bazunu.

Ok fair enough, you want to keep playing him and agree with manager's picking him. What I see time and time again is a liability. Couldn't give a monkeys what our managers see in him.

Stephens is hopeless - people just don't watch him closely enough and he is stealing a living. All 3 centre backs tonight were superior to him and Liverpool would have found it far easier if he'd been playing. Don't get why people want him in the side on Saturday but it's all about opinions I guess and Will Still will likely stick with his captain.

A very honest appraisal and he is clearly as frustrated as we are by the cheap goals we continually give away and is right to call it out.

So presumably you'd keep Capt Jack in? Astonishing.

That's more like it! Excellent performance and we made them fight all the way for the win. The 3 centre backs were all way better than Capt Jack and THB. Midfield played well and it's a shame about McCarthy's brain fart because other than that he played very well. I will just say that Stewart must be hopeless if he can't get on in front of Downs who was very poor and has no touch whatsoever. Was there a hint of offside for their winning goal? - he looked slightly ahead of the guy making the pass. Lots to be pleased about and I hope Will Still picks the next side on merit which means no Stephens or THB. Overall tonight was a big step in the right direction and we should take a lot of confidence from it. Bring on Boro.

Why play Stephens? Wood and Quarshie have both been far better than him tonight, Edwards too. Both Wood and Edwards confident enough to bring the ball out of defence and get forward under the pressure of Anfield. THB and Stephens are done for me after seeing that 45 minutes from our 3 CBs.

Make no excuse for starting on a positive note because that really was a very good half and no way should we be behind. The 3 centre backs have been superb and far superior than Capt Jack and THB. Jelert has been good as has manning. Midfield buzzing around and forwards with good movement and decent press. We should score from AA's shot that hit the bar then 30 seconds later comes the usual goalkeeping howler under zero pressure. Real shame because up til then McCarthy had been faultless with some good saves. More positives than negatives and we look like a team tonight.

Fair point and I agree both deserved a start tonight.

Depends how their replacements do tonight. If they show some grit, fight and determination I would expect them to keep their places at the expense of those who have been well below the required standards.

Well it seems to me that he is fed up with senior players making glaring errors and not 'showing what we're about' so has decided to see what some of the fringe players have to offer which is a perfectly sensible approach. What would be gained by continuing with those who have let him down so badly? This is a free hit, we don't expect to win so why not experiment - at least we may learn something.

Can you name a team from our squad that would have a hope? 🙂

Not bothered about promotion. More interested in seeing an evolving team heading in the right direction.

Does it really matter who is our captain because as far as I can see he does nothing more then lead the team out, take part in the toss for ends/kick-off and mumble some rubbish in the huddle. It's a role anyone should be capable of.

Spot on. If we analyse where we have been weakest so far it is clearly the goalkeeper, centre backs and centre forward. These areas have cost us points. Unfortunately it is a recurring theme at this football club.

Even some of the best players take quite a few games to make their mark at new clubs. Relatively few actually hit the ground running.

I'd sooner have a shit McCarthy in goal than the guy who continually makes schoolboy errors that cost goals and the first one against Hull was a prime example. He puts us on the back foot by practically throwing the ball into his own net and I'm afraid it will never change because he's just not at the level needed to be a professional.

Not sure where he would ever have accumulated any shreds of confidence to have enough to be totally shot of but I take your point..

But if they don't renew his contract we run the risk of losing a keeper who was described as the best in the Championship just 2 years ago - have you considered that?

As this guy manages to continue to be an automatic pick and gets a 3 year extension on his contract our recruitment team are signing the wrong centre backs. Simple as that.

Can we get our money back from Man City under the trades description act because there's no way on earth Bazunu is 6'2".

Millwall now just 2 points off second spot - who'd have thought it? 🙂

No, we should have signed an experienced big powerful centre forward for far less than we paid for Downs. They're about but just not on the radar of our far-too-clever recruitment team led by Spors. This was a catastrophic error and many fans including me were saying we should sign such a player during the window. We didn't need a Downs type player who needs time and we've been crying out for a proper centre forward for numerous windows but it is never sorted. Now Still has to try to operate with wingers but they have nobody to get on the end of their crosses - ludicrous state of affairs.

Not sure that's relevant to the point I'm making which is that new signings at any club usually take a number of games to settle in. They have to deal with moving to a new area/country, change of coaches and team mates, new systems, language for foreign players, different training methods. It's not just a case of turning up with a pair of boots, saying 'Right I'm ready, what position do you want me?' and hitting the ground running.

He's no Diego Costa that's for sure 🙂