Chewy

We’re good at trumping things this season, though. It was the most baffling sub until 43 minutes later when he took Lavia off. Like Forest was our worst home game ever until the next one v Wolves 😂 As for Alcatraz, looks a super talent. Out of interest, is the assumption that he, Sulemana and tall Paul (Orsic and Bree as well I guess) all stay if (when) we go down? We looked strong candidates for relegation when they signed so you’d imagine there’s no relegation release clause, and they weren’t exactly huge names when they signed? All of them will be an asset in the championship: possibly not the phantom Orsic, but most definitely Charlie.

Ok, it’s official. We know nothing and Selles is the second coming.

Right lads, whatever you do, don’t get one of the Arsenal players sent Off. Will only make it harder.

The guys just nuts. ArmA from nowhere, Eli yet again. No Sulemana. Even the bench … Orsic or Aribo v Djenepo or Mara? Lyanco as right back cover and not Bree? Be delighted to be proved wrong but have a feeling my weekend will be ruined by 8:30 😂

You’re like Rimmer in that red dwarf episode Better Than Life. So ruined by years of saints misery you can’t handle the prospect of anything good.

He is leaving. I have no idea if you have sources or it’s just a strong hunch, but either way they’re wrong. I can assure you he’s leaving.

Le Tiss is available isn’t he? Why not put the maddest possible full stop to our most bonkers season ever??

Unless by some miracle we stay up, JWP is leaving; as are Che, Salisu and KWP. Others TBC but 2 of the above are done deals and the other two will happen, just need a club to be confirmed. And to be honest, I’m fine with all 4. Even if we stayed up I reckon I’d only miss KWP from those.

Easy Moi Selles Wolves home The entire Nathan Jones period Orsic Rasmus To be fair the ‘worst performance’ award was challenging. At the time Villa away was as bad as I’d seen in years but since then we’ve had various performances trump that including Sheff WeD, Forest and Grimsby (maybe some others I’m too traumatised to recall). But wolves has to edge it due to the circumstances. Epically bad.

F*** it, let’s go proper old school, 442, in the mixer, big man/little man up front. Width and crosses. Tell the little man to stay within 7 yards of the big man at all times. Only male in the entire staplewood complex who knows where the goal is is Ballard so might as well put all our eggs in that basket. No pressure Dom. Wily KWP Jan ABK Perraud JWP Lavia Alcaraz Sulemana Tall-Paul Dom Seeing as a JWP free kick is our top scorer by a mile I’ll keep him in, but he needs to vacate central midfield. He’s terrible at the moment. It’s a horrible team and tactic but hey, what have we got to lose? Apart from the 9-0 record we hold …

Broadly agree - I think we could end up with any combination of cbs staying or leaving (except Salisu who’s definitely going). Not fussed cos they’re all a bit sh1t though ABK has potential. Think Tella will want to go and you can hardly blame him. If Lavia and JWP both leave as I suspect, we might choose to hang on to Diallo (desperate times and all that). And I think Che will go. I also think we’ll keep Paul. That will leave us decent at full-back, a complete unknown quantity out wide, and sub-standard right through the spine except for Charlie and possibly ABK. Kind of similar to where we are now to be honest (other than Lavia). I’m not going to miss any of them too much - Lavia a bit but he’d be gone soon to a better club anyway; a nostalgic nod to the Stuey of 2/3 seasons ago. KWP I guess but soon forgotten if Tino returns fit and on form. Recruitment will be tough, though. Loans won’t help a lot as our squad is rammed with unproven young talent as it is, and our own youth prospects as well. We need proven goals together with steel and experience in DM, CB and probably GK as well (Bazunu might be ok in championship if we haven’t entirely ruined him this season). Thats 4 or 5 proper signings that all need to be proven and will therefore cost proper money. I can’t say I’m feeling too confident

Whatever the opposite of a light show is … that’s what we should do. Turn up to the Bournemouth game and do some total darkness.

We were the worst premier league team in 2022, virtually all of which was on Ralph. We would have got relegated under Ralph. He is still better than either of his successors. Neither of them are remotely capable of being a premier league manager. None of them have had a premier league standard striker to work with, and nowhere near enough quality to create anything. All of them have been let down by horrible recruitment. All of them continue to pick weird teams and tactics. All of them selected a captain who’d struggle to motivate a stag party to order a drink. Point being these arguments are futile. Terrible squad, terrible recruitment, terrible board, terrible tactics, terrible player-attitude, 2 terrible managers and one manager who had been good but had been in terrible form for an entire year. I’m not sure it’s an argument worth having

Difficult to know what team to play - only one Moi and 11 players needed.

We needed a striker and didn’t get one. We needed a good manager and didn’t get one. Both of these are on Rasmus. You can go through all of the peripheral things as much as you want but I’d suggest the above two points, in that order, are why we are down.

Had high hopes for him after his first few games but if he’s not going to sign a new contract £25m would be a good price with just a year left; he’s not quite progressed as much as we’d have hoped but I still think he’s got all the attributes to be a top defender

One thing I noticed is how all the Man U players, especially Shaw, were screaming in the refs face for not seeing the handball that caused the whole incident in the first place. Ok, they obviously didn’t touch him but it’s the same ugly, disrespectful behaviour type as Mitrovic, and the same as we see many (especially the big teams) do every single week. You can target Mitrovic and I think the FA will, but you need to stop ALL of this behaviour, not just the most extreme example. It’s ugly, unwarranted and a terrible example for kids. It really does need sorting IMHO

Edozie is the obvious one for me to at least be on the bench. Pace, dribbling skills, able to beat a man. Very little end product so far but surely a better option as someone who might change a game. Orsic clearly isn’t an option right now (though god knows what’s going on there) and Aribo to me will never have the pace or work rate required for this league. Certainly not out wide. Djenepo is entirely unpredictable and mostly rubbish so probably a better bet than ArmA who is entirely predictable and always rubbish. The other possibility would be one of KWP, AMN and Perraud with the other 2 at full back if all fit. I just don’t see what Eli has ever brought to the team. In our position we need wins, which needs goals. Of course you can’t forget about how many you concede but we’re at the point where how many you score is more important because draws aren’t enough. Eli and ArmA bring no goal threat so why are they in the match day squad? It baffles me.

I think the FA will throw the book at Mitovic, Silva and probably the club too; hefty fines and bans. That said, a touchline ban makes hardly any difference and Willian will be out for just a game so it’s only the Mitrovic suspension that will severely impact them (and benefit our rivals). Think he was out injured for a while and they maintained good form then so maybe they’ll get the results we need. But from a morale perspective I think this will damage them. Awful capitulation and I’ve got a feeling they’re form will nose dive

Saints - choosing the championship so we can have more midweek light shows

Another day in the plus column; got to be happy with another clean sheet and a positive performance. He does look set on 4231 which I think suits us far better. The trouble is, beyond probably Stu for Theo or Charlie there isn’t anything you can see as a viable sub to freshen things up in attack. I guess Paul for something different up top but the rest of them … Aribo, Orsic, Moi, Mara, AArm, Djenepo … all utter gash or seriously out of form. Possible exception is Edozie but he hasn’t really produced and looks out of favour (he’s also just a kid). Getting a settled and increasingly confident first choice 11 or so is really good progress from where we were, but a lack of options and goals (obviously) is going to cost us. But that’s on the board, not Selles. Great work so far - let’s hope it continues at St Mary’s!! Looking forward to it for once!

Ramos has 2 goals and one assist for Benfica.

Which is all very well but if he does make an interception he trips over and/or gives it straight back. We need to win football matches. In the final third I’d rather have someone who actually can use a football productively. I must be going mad but I’d actually consider playing Perraud left midfield. Occasionally scores, can defend a bit, isn’t Moi. Assuming Charlie is out have two of Che, Paul and Sulemana up top (the other would come on as a sub). I just simply can’t ever make a case for choosing Moi, though.

I don’t think he’ll change a great deal - possibly Sulemane for a more conservative option (god knows who, and please not you know who) although I think we’ll need pace on the break so I hope not. The other unknown is Charlie. Given we’ve got Brentford 4 days later if there’s any doubt I’d save him. Again, not sure who’d replace him. Diallo seems out in the cold, Stu would be a riskier option (not known for retaining possession). Our squad is so poor we really are a bit hamstrung. Maybe Paul as an outlet alongside Che, but those two and Sulemane together on the pitch looks a bit too attacking. Whatever the case it’ll be very tough. Would bite your hand off if offered a point!

On the other hand we’re also mostly sh1t against the top and middle sides. And sides from League 2 as well.