saintant

As you played semi-pro level you must realise we are competing at a much higher level so last season doesn't mean much - also just because you played at that level has no bearing on whether you understand the game more than I do and it's a little arrogant to think you do. Learning RM's way I believe is not going to happen because we don't have players of a high enough skill set so we'll likely get relegated trying and then be back to square one next season with a different set of players trying to learn the system - we're in a Catch 22 situation. The next few matches will be interesting.

The system is shite making most of the players look shite including Smallbone. I have major doubts about him at this level but the way RM sets up and expects us to play is suicidal.

THB and Bednarek are a good pair and generally play well together. It seems to me when Stephens is added it results in THB looking poor. Let's get back to a defensive four with Stephens on the bench apart from games against the top sides.

I don't believe it is about adjusting expectations - most of us are realistic and accept we will be towards the bottom of the table. Only losing 1-0 against ten men and Forest is far from pretty good in my opinion especially the manner of yesterday's performance. In summary we don't expect to be above mid-table but we do expect to watch a well-coached side with a decent tactical plan that competes and gives us the chance of some victories - at the moment we are not seeing that and I get that it's only two games in but we all know RM will not change anything because he's continually told us that.

A damning statistic and further proof that the system is totally unsuited to the Premier League.

Easy, a coach and a striker. The coach wouldn't insist McCarthy gets involved in tippy tappy football and he's a reasonable shot-stopper as he showed yesterday.

I'm convinced the squad we have with the addition of a decent striker and maybe a creative midfielder would be good enough - the biggest problem we have is RM's insistence on playing his way which won't ever work in the Premier League unless he is given a war chest of circa £400 million.

RM has continually repeated the mantra that he will never change the system he believes in so it'll not happen until he is sacked - which may well be sooner rather than later and he'll have brought it on himself if and when it transpires.

A tad harsh on Armstrong who was totally let down by RM's poor tactical set up yesterday - playing your two strikers wide on the flanks was a hopeless ploy that didn't work from the first minute. Judge Armstrong in a set up that gives him something to feed off which certainly wasn't the case against Forest.

Agree with all of this. RM's strategy of playing tippy tappy football starting from the back will not cut it in the Premier League because we cannot afford the quality players needed to make it work. It won't happen but we need to develop a mega fit, high energy pressing side with pace and power and go more direct. We need a team that wins the ball high up the pitch so that we can get straight at the heart of our opponents defence and create chances plus the ability to win the ball back quickly whenever we lose it. Trying to be a clone of Man City is not going to work and the quicker RM comes to terms with this the better - if he can't or won't then he'll be gone within months if not weeks.

This way is shite football from what I'm seeing.

We won't.

He doesn't make enough five yard passes sideways and backwards so unfortunately Russ deems him not good enough.

I don't want to hear RM utter the word brave again until he sorts his shit out and sends a team out to be brave. What we are seeing currently is a timid, meek, cowardly side afraid to pass the ball forwards or to commit players to attack. Put your money where your mouth is Russ and people might start taking you seriously because you're coming out with a load of bullshit that fools nobody at the moment.

What and disrupt our silky, one-touch possession football - nobody is going to put up with that.

Showed today we have some huge shortcomings other than goalkeeper which is a real worry.

Let's see how the season unfolds but he needs to up his game and be less pedantic.

Agree. It's a sobering thought that all the focus has been about bringing in a decent goalkeeper - after today's shambles we are clearly lacking all over the pitch. Maybe a couple of the new signings can help but we know that RM takes his time to introduce newbies and is more likely to stick with the bulk of the team so the same rubbish will result.

Said it before - we lump loads of aimless crosses into the box under RM's system. Might as well stick someone up front who might get on the end of them instead of this snobbery that. 'we don't put in high crosses, oh no, that's for team's who can't play football'. Give me a break Russ - you aren't good enough to coach a team to play effective possession football at this level so swallow your pride and stick a big unit up front.

You have to remember he's very limited as a coach whatever mumbo jumbo about being ourselves and being brave he comes out with. The Championship is his ceiling.

They'll learn eventually.

36 more games and we can close this thread for good.

So we need two quality strikers plus a brilliant creative number ten as a bare minimum. We don't have the spending power so relegation beckons, just hope we avoid embarrassing ourselves.

I'll tell you at the end of this one.

Give Russ a call will you.