hypochondriac

Not convinced me he's a premier league player yet. Very limited ability on display so far.

This is Martins first taste of the premier league and it shows to be honest. Unfortunately for him it's not the fans' first time. We have a solid history in this league and we know the managerial and player requirements to do well. If we are failing then it certainly isn't the fan's fault if they question the football or the methods. He should be given time to turn it around but he's not going to do that by railing against people questioning his methods. There needs to be some humility and acknowledgement of his own failings. He can call it tweaking if it makes him feel better but he needs to be more realistic with what is required in this league and our calibre of players. What's wrong with building towards the football he wants to play whilst having some level of pragmatism in the meantime until he's built a more solid base of player?

Bereton Diaz is essentially the Adam Armstrong for the opposite side. Both totally out of their depth at this level. Another awful season for Armstrong and I'm afraid it could destroy his confidence as it will prove once and for all that he can't perform at this level.

In what way is Martin suggesting that English football critics and pundits are simply not enlightened enough to appreciate his brand of losing football much different from some of the mad nate meltdowns from last year? I hate his smug belief that he is special and that others just can't see the value in his progressive style because they are uneducated.

Maybe ABK needs to take a shit on the pitch to get everyone back onside.

There isn't really any other reason for him not to be in the squad if it wasn't something like that.

Mad nate would bite his nose off and get disqualified. Full marks for aggression though.

Unless there's some actual tangible reason why he is being frozen out (like he threatened a team mate or something like that) then it's actually negligent not to make an attempt to sort things and utilise the best resources you have.

It was shit because it was our reserves and it involved a substandard keeper being terrible. It had little if anything to do with the formation.

As someone else said earlier which you ignored, we conceded one goal from a Lumley fuck up, one worldoe that was unstoppable and then another goal when we had switched to three at the back. So not quite the gotcha you think it is.

100%.

Or they just had that opinion from the start of the season and have an opinion that differs from yours? You really seem to get a bee in your bonnet about people that disagree with you.

Why would you start Fernandes over Smallbone in a meaningless cup game that no one cares about if you had an idea that he is superior to the alternatives in his position and could have done with him on Saturday? It's madness. He didn't have to wait for three defeats with one goal scored and very little in the way of goal threats in order to feel that it was acceptable to make changes. We've just effectively thrown three games in the bin in order to be nice to the players that got us up and so that Martin can feel that enough time has passed to make changes.

You miss the point. We shouldn't be playing three at the back and most people frustrated about Stephens is because he's playing in a system that people don't want and that we can't play successfully in this league. If you are wedded to playing Stephens then play 4 at the back and drop THB. At least that would be decisive rather than this mess where Stephens has no defined position and gives the impression of being shoehorned into the team.

Clubs always say that. If we do actually lose 8 in a row or similar then I think the noise will be such that he won't be able to continue for long.

Martin: “We're going to stick with what we're doing. In five years of my career, it's got me this far. I will live and die by the sword, I know that, but I'd much rather do it this way and actually enjoy some of the moments the team gives me.” Martin: “When you make a mistake [playing] this way, everyone wants to talk about it. That's the context of what is normal and acceptable for British football, I guess.” Fuck me. You're being criticised because it's an idiotic way to play in this league. He's said though he isn't going to change so on a weird way at least he's put his cards on the table. I wonder if he will, be so stubborn after 6 losses in a row. What about 8? Because that's where it will head if we play this style. I think he has the potential to go seriously off the rails.

It shouldn't have been changed after two games. We should never have started the season with all of Stephens, Aribo and Armstrong in our starting team. They are squad players at absolute best abd this should have been recognised immediately.

Oh yes like when we dropped our championship captain last time after promotion or got rid of a manager who wasn't working. It's a ruthless league you have to do what is required to survive.

They're both solid championship managers. Neither imo have the quality required for the top league. We've had top managers here before so we know what is required.

I'll add it's too early to sack him but I'd certainly be considering it after another three or four games if we perform in the same manner with zero points. It could get really really embarrassing.

Russell makes a big show out of being a progressive manager but he's actually very limited tactically. He shows little ability to make proactive changes or an ability to make changes on a game to game basis in order to get a result. Yes he had his flaws but Ralph was so much better as a manager that it's almost embarrassing. Martin is a decent championship manager but rather like Armstrong when he comes up against top quality opposition he gets found out. In quite a few ways he reminds me a bit of someone like Chris wilder. Sure he's had some success but he can't hack the big time. A few more games of this and maybe we should be looking to bring in our poch equivalent and wave goodbye to Adkins mark 2.

If you'd run a poll when that team was announced then 0% of saints fans would have said that was our strongest team. Particularly after forest.

Russell Martin admits he would start today with different personnel if he could go back, but says the players he started has "built so much credit". Added he does not know what the team will look like for Man United but that it will be different. More quotes to come. That's just fucking ridiculous. You play the best team to win in the premier league. Sentimentality should have no bearing at all. Is he too close to the players? Martin always wangs on about old players of his. It seems to me he doesn't have the killer instinct required to ditch enough players. Anyone with the ruthless streak required would have dropped Aribo, Smallbone etc and probably put THB on notice.

He telegraphed what would be said before the season started. Naivety, insanity to play in that fashion. If he knew what would be said you'd think he'd try and do something about it. Unless he's incapable of doing so without compromising 'his' way of playing.

Martin also said that the only reason Fernandes and Dibling didn't start was because they has played so much against Cardiff. Why the feck did you give them so much game time on Wednesday then if you felt it was going to hamper your ability to play your best team on Saturday? That makes zero sense.