Chewy

In the modern media world, images are far more powerful than chants. Non-attendance or a combined demo with images for news and social media will be much more impactful than a few renditions of an anti Jones chant. Remember, the audience that matters is basically Dragan and he won’t hear anything except what Rasmussen tells him. He will be able to see all of the images on tv, however.

Looks like Jones isn’t the only one having a mental breakdown under the pressure, then. We now don’t have a single senior figure at the club making a single rational decision. If he’s in charge for Wolves I suggest the initial chants are aimed at the board, not Europe’s greatest manager. We can turn on him once we’re 2 down after half an hour

I like this idea. I’d prefer Nuno but don’t think he’d come - yes he wants to rebuild his reputation but we’re good as down so relegation won’t help on that score, plus I imagine he’s on a fortune in Saudi; his team are also joint top so he might want to see that out. Might have been interested when we got Jones but not right now. I think Potter will want a break after Chelsea - assuming he goes before season end, the earliest we’d get him is beginning of next season I think. Of course, that’s if he goes at all. Either way our chances of getting the right long-term candidate right now is almost zero. A Rafa character would command respect, get us organised and give us the best chance of somehow escaping IMHO

Thanks for the info - just beyond incredible. Although … not all the players were still training this afternoon; one was at golf by 1 o’clock 😉 Not doubting your facts for one second, just interesting to see that not all the coaching team and not all the players are there at the same time As I say, beyond incredible.

Biggest question for me at this stage is “is there any f*cking point?”

He started listening to fan and player gripes (if at all) after the Forest debacle, one of the most horrific games I’ve ever seen. Players were ignoring him, fans booing and the football diabolical. If he wants to go back to before he took player wishes on board it’s not going to be pretty, it was the worst I’ve ever seen

The one who’s just been appointed manager of Belgium, or another one 😉 I’m still praying that Potter gets sacked imminently and we can get him. In all seriousness, though, as much as Jones appears way out of his depth our board appointed him a few weeks ago and aren’t sacking him any time soon. It’s a bit distasteful having this thread when he’s our manager and will be for the foreseeable. IMHO

What’s the B team score? I’ve given up on the first team

Being a squad game I’m going to cheat … but it does help show where we’ve got strength in depth and where we haven’t GK Bakunu CB 2 from ABK, DCC and Salusu FB KWP and Perraud DM Lavia CM JWP and 2 from Stu and Alcaraz Wide 2 from Orsic, Edozie and Sulaman the magnificent CF Onuachu I’ve discounted Tino as I don’t think we’ll see him this season. I think we’ve got backup for all where I’ve not listed options (McCarthy, Bree, Diallo and Adams or Mara - added to the above it’s 19 of your match day squad) but they’re not good enough to start IMHO. And I’m not doing cart wheels about our GK or LB and need to reserve judgement on wide players and CF. That still leaves all of Willy, Lyanco, Bednarek, Larios, Aribo, Ely, Theo, Djemepo and Adam A to find another sub or cover injuries. I’d happily see them all go and rely on youth quite frankly. Of course, none of the above will happen because, with the greatest of respect, I don’t know anything and we need a back 5.

I’ve gone 7 - to be less than 5 in my mind would imply we’d got weaker and we’ve undoubtedly improved. One or two might turn out to be excellent (optimistic for Alcaraz particularly). However, whether due to age or where they’ve played, none of the acquisitions are proven. And our failure to deliver a cf for January 1st was unacceptable imho. We also didn’t shift anyone. Very pleased with the investment, it’s a good sign of their intentions both for now and longer term, so overall quite happy. Until Saturday when I see our next team sheet, of course

Assuming we do want to at least attempt the unlikely comeback, we could do with adding somebody up top. Mara would be the obvious one, probably for Dialling. And swap Armstrong for … Orsic??

The funniest thing about his selection and tactical switch to a back four is that we’ve ended up with our 4th and 5th best centre backs as our two centre backs. As well as not playing our best left back, playing our best right back at left back and then left wing, a centre back at left back, and our best holding midfielder on the bench. Aside from that, it’s a tactical master class.

We do anyway 😂 Walcott, AMB (loan), Ely, Willy, Adams, Diallo, Stu, Stephens, Salisu and possibly a couple of others (Tella, Smallbone and McCarthy?) - all out of contract in the next 6 or 18 months and need letting go or selling. Plus Djenepo, Adam A and Lyanco who aren’t good enough. We also had barely 20 over age players in the squad so have plenty of space for improvements, even with those we’ve already added.

You can bet if we sign him we’ve been monitoring him since then and will be delighted to finally get our man, the one we’ve always wanted, after all these years

Which is why I’m confused we’ve added Orsic out wide and are linked with more wide players, especially given Jones’ preference for a back 3 and our strengthening of the midfield. Back 3 implies 3 5 2 or 3 4 3; JWP, Alcaraz and Latvia would imply 3 5 2 … but looking for wingers and not strikers suggests otherwise. Hopefully it means 4 3 3 but I doubt it. And quite frankly, either way if we don’t have anyone who can find the net at all neither tactic will make a lot of difference. It’s one thing feeling disappointed and let down by the board not sorting this weeks ago, but the whole thing just feels massively confused. Bree and Alcaraz might be excellent but pretty much the only position we were ok in was right back and Alcaraz only makes sense with a midfield 3; we’re light in DMs, not AMs. Oh well, b*gger all I can do except moan and look confused

Only he said “everyone”, not “some fans”. His words, his victim perception.

This is true. I was there and quite confused at the amount of fans irate at Bazunu not launching the ball forward to get an equaliser. We had ten men, getting safely to full time still just about in this tie was clearly the right play but some fans thought otherwise. But … with the GREATEST of respect, it was a minority of fans and our manager looks a total melt for raising it in an interview and labelling “everyone” of the fan base as such.

Can someone confirm the team? I can’t see it on the website 😣 Thanks in advance!!

Even though relegation will be entirely the boards fault for not getting a striker? Im not a Jones fan, but it’s this single thing that will get us relegated, cost Ralph his job, will probably cost Jones his job and will cost the jobs of a lot of staff we’ll have to lay off to cut costs for the championship. Ralph and Jones will still be loaded with their pay-offs but I imagine many others won’t. Either way it’s pretty galling that the people responsible will keep their jobs, no doubt, while a lot of others suffer.

I still just want a striker - doesn’t have to be emmental signing, just someone who can score.

Of course, if we’d signed a striker for January 1st like we needed, they could have kept the Twitter noise down a touch … I have heard some cr4p in my time but really???

Post match thoughts Uninspiring debut by Orsic but isolated (no support from Salisu who isn’t a left back) and up against Trippier so not going to write him off just yet. Excellent full debut from Alcaraz - did well to last the 90, especially with a yellow card (his only real mistake). Thought Diablo did quite well until he lost all passing ability with about 10 minutes left. Djenepo was awful, KWP had pretty much his worst 30 mins in a saints shirt at the start (not helped by Djenepo being awful in front of him and Lyanco being awful next to him). Lyanco can’t play centre back (kept being sucked in and turned), DCC had no option but to take chances on those challenges due to errors by Salisu and Diallo respectively. And our front line is sh1t … but we know that. Mara was ok but isolated, Edozie doesn’t convince me - beats a man occasionally but little end product although he’s young and raw still. Armstrong looked really lively, though. Less said about Adams the better. I am encouraged by the prospect of a midfield three of JWP, Lavia and Alcaraz for the rest of the season - they have awareness, energy, composure and technique. They’ll help us control games between now and May. Unfortunately they’ll all be sold in June when we’re relegated because we haven’t signed a striker.

Have we not shown him Nathan’s personalised PowerPoint presentation on how he’ll turn him into Mbappe?? Once a player sees that I thought they felt like they simply had to sign. The power of Nathan Jones compels you The power of Nathan Jones compels you

I don’t think he is actually that bad - his body on the line defending has been great at times. Unfortunately he’s useless on the ball and slow so not exactly suited to playing the high line Ralph wanted or passing out from the back as Ralph wanted. In short, the worst possible fit for Ralph’s system. He might do better in this system … but the one place we’re leaking goals is marking at set pieces and he’s not exactly a man mountain. Oh well. More concerning than this news is the total lack of progress on a striker. 10 months and the 30th richest team can’t find anyone. I mean literally no one. Whatever Jan’s abilities it is the lack of a striker that will relegate us above any of the other issues.

My morning after two penneth. Thats 6 points dropped by not having the striker we’ve obviously needed for months lined up for Jan 1st. This alone is entirely unacceptable by the board. I can’t stress enough what a dereliction I find this. Adams bad, Mara even worse (nothing except give stupid fouls away including the one they scored from). Armstrong lively but doesn’t score. Any good work by Diallo undone by giving the ball away dangerously at least 4 times. Bazunu really bad but I’m not blaming him for the goal - free header from 6 yards from a pointless free kick … give the guy some help lads! Walker-Peters much better at right back, Elyonoussi utterly pointless and dreadful. And our new forward probably needs more than 5 minutes. Aside from all that, my last game was Forest and we were much better. Villa are now a decent and well organised side and we matched them. Jones made an effective tweak at half-time which gave us some impetus though we appeared to lose it after the VAR break. Probably not helped by replacing Lavia (good times) with Elyonoussi (horrific times). But for all that, if we don’t have anyone who can score or offer any realistic threat other than JWP we’re down. This has been obvious for months and whatever decent work might be being done elsewhere will be utterly irrelevant if we don’t score.