derry

I certainly will cut them some slack. It was a pragmatic side in the circumstances. What I was annoyed with was Adam's stupidity trying to pick out Salisu on the other touchline, playing straight across our box to Mahrez. Salisu passing forward but straight to a MC player. That was two goals. Bednarek played one pass forward all night. Turning and playing backwards with McCarthy in goal with the ball usually going back to him did us no favours. Never mind his lack of saves his kicking is abysmal and mostly his passes just get us into trouble. It was right to rest players. It was good to see Adams score but he might have had a second, He really needs to pay attention and stay onside we've had several goals ruled out this season because of it. He was well offside tonight even though he could see across the pitch.

Two ways to use his pace, put the ball in behind defenders, he knocks the ball 10-20 yds past the defender and uses his pace, Close control reduces his pace. He won't be any quicker than a nippy defender that is running without the ball. Not to worry though because from his play he gets how to exploit his pace. Walcott was also very quick but rarely uses his pace as he keeps the ball too close. He was better before he went to Arsenal.

For a start, Bednarek needs a sharp kick up the backside. In the first half he had plenty of possession and just hesitated, its in his DNA, instead of taking the initiative he chickened out turned back and played a short ball back to Vestergaard etc. This happened every time he had possession. For us it was a disaster as we rely on the full backs initiating and supporting attacks. The best thing he could have done in the circumstances was put the ball down the line behind Digne and let Ings and Adams try and hunt it down then push up into the space. It is also an ongoing problem when he is centre back as he almost never plays forward always sideways or backwards. It's all very well keeping possession but not if we aren't drawing the opposition out, at least Vestergaard can hit decent long diagonal passes mostly accurately. I quite like Salisu he does a lot of good things including quickly passing forward rather than sideways. I was really unimpressed with his marking of C-L. Standing close and trying to outjump him was crass. He should have to backed off and given himself the room run and jump. A ruthless Centre Back would have piled in under the ball and poleaxed C-L in the process. It's not how brave somebody is when bullying a smaller player its how brave he is when he is going to get regularly clattered and knows it's on it's way. Our whole team game is out of shape. The balance that was there early on in the season has disappeared. Until we get KWP and Diallo back we need to adjust the shape. 4-3-3, 5 3-2, or maybe 4-2-3-1 or a variation on that, play the back 4 as a defensive line unless it is three centre backs with two wing backs. 4-2-2-2 and 4-4-2 are unbalanced by the players unavailable and the demands on the full backs. Forster was ok, Armstrong was a revelation, Vestergaard, JWP were decent. The front two were getting too little too late, feeding on scraps. Adams looks like he hasn't a clue how to read the play or when to make runs. Djenepo put in a proper shift and was brave. Bertrand was subdued and needs to step up to the plate, We were better when Bednarek and Vestergaard were reunited and more balanced with Djenepo then raiding down the right. Redmond needs a talking to. He needs to attack all out when he is forward and stop checking out. If he is going to keep doing that he needs dropping until he gets the message.

I think you sum up the problem nicely. I will add Forster seems to pass the easy balls but hits it out of sight if there is a whiff of danger, something McCarthy seems oblivious of. I also sense the defence has lost some confidence in McCarthy and are on edge. They seem a lot calmer with Forster. The other thing is with Forster's long kicking when danger threatens we don't get bogged down losing the ball as we did today and as he angles his long kicks we seem to get pressure on opponents wide way up the field. He has also kept three clean sheets against Liverpool, Arsenal and Wolves. I know what he was like until he injured his knee, He had a bit of a purple patch when we had a great undefeated run under Koeman. He completely lost his confidence after that. He went to Celtic and was brilliant. His one man performance against Rangers won the cup for Celtic. Give the man a go.

Another self inflicted defeat. The defence and management go on making the same mistakes time after time. The aimless passing at the back is a major part of our problems especially involving McCarthy. We were robbed twice leading to both goals the ball goes across the field and leads to the penalty and the second goal. Time after time we recycled the ball getting pressed tighter after every pass until we lost the ball or gave it away. I understand the theory of drawing the opposition but not with the players we have and especially with a keeper who is not a footballer and is a very poor kicker of the ball. Forster realises his limitations but somebody is bullshitting McCarthy. McCarthy has become a massive problem, he can make the flying showboating saves but he never blocks anything. The Arsenal goal went over his left shoulder and today over his right shoulder. He bends his knees and makes himself small. Forster on the other hand makes himself huge and the ball hits him. He was never going to save the penalty. He dives right so Neves watches him and goes the other way. He has to stare out the penalty taker and not be suckered. If the keeper forces the taker to have to decide late he may have a chance of saving a poor penalty. Even losing we are running down the clock at the back towards the end. our goal didn't come from drawing out the defence it came from Armstrong running wide at the defence and pulling back for Ings. All our tippy-tappy along the back four rarely creates anything clear except for the opposition. Only Vestergaard has the passing ability to pass long all the others are hopeless. McCarthy has had more than enough chances and in my opinion is only in the side because he does as he's told even when it's stupid and he's such a hopeless kicker. Forster is a much better kicker and takes less chances, Four wins and clean sheets deserves a chance not more of the same.

His contract had had a clause of a return to Liverpool, They chose not to exercise it and he joined us for £420,000 written into his contract,

Another clean sheet. His long kicking is far better than McCarthy, a good out ball into the opponents last third into the corners when seeing out the game. McCarthy has been poor of late. His brain fart against Arsenal when he came out and gave a goal away and being beaten on the near post was a nonsense. Forster deserves a game after four successive clean sheets including Liverpool.

I was a Herald captain, landed at Southampton. Met by the BA SDO, a season ticket holder, Keegan had just flown in and met by LM etc. He was told there was a news conference at the Potters Heron at Ampfield later. Everything happened as he said.. The most exciting signing in my time. The current European footballer of the year signing for Saints on a FREE.

A hundred passes across the field against nine men. I bet Newcastle couldn't believe their eyes. Stick Vestergaard up front, put the ball into the box. Intense pressure not square passing just wasting time. If Redmond checked back once he did it fifty times. Get to the bye line you idiot.

McCarthy is not a footballer, trying to use him as a sweeper is nonsense, He has hardly made a save recently. He either puts his foot through it or he sits on the bench. Forster isn't a footballer either but the difference is he knows it. He's had three clean sheets give him a go. We get ourselves into trouble time after time, there comes a time when it is getting tight to belt it long, not pass it to McCarthy.

And Windmill Walker.

First team approximately that I watched, Christie, Wilkins Traynor McLaughlin Parker Elliott Flood Reeves Day Mulgrew Hoskins. Also McGowan Ellerington Page Kiernan that season.

On Saturday everybody but Dean and Mason thought it was a penalty. The linesman who unless he had five minutes and loads of cameras would not have been able to see that Ings's equaliser was arguably offside but immediately waved his flag. Against MU Dean gave a penalty, reviewed and disallowed. Adams goal again disallowed with not even marginal evidence of offside. Bednarek's sending off for a forwards dive overturned even though it had to be a sending off if Martial impeded. It was obvious he went down looking for the penalty and hung out his right leg to contact Bednarek. It will be' but it shouldn't be left there. Either the officials are grossly incompetent and should be removed or alternatively there is something happening that needs investigation.

We are too slow to pass the ball forward when the central defence just slows everything down and aimlessly retains possession usually resulting in McCarthy kicking anywhere. Bednarek is bad but Stephens is worse. Build from the back but don't just retain the ball setting up the opposition with the ideal circumstances to win the ball back. It's happening far too often and we are not opening up teams because they are being given time to get back in numbers. Stephens is a hopeless centre back because he is a constant ball watcher focussing on the ball picking up nobody and rarely checking behind him. There are countless goals we have conceded because of this. The latest yesterday from the time Targett put in Grealish he never once checked behind him. Barkley consequently was unchallenged although he had been behind him for a while. He is often late with challenges again through being caught out. It's not a new fault but patently it is not being addressed. Part of the problem is his body positioning or rather lack of it. Focussing on the ball rather than on his positioning and ability to see the threat behind him by turning more sideways on enabling him to see both the ball and the threat.

It turned out his contact that caused the isolation was twice retested due to a suspected false positive and both tests negative RH tested negative. No apparent problem.

We were much more incisive with Armstrong mostly playing on the right. If Walcott isn't going to play up front, (I'd be interested how he would play with Ings), maybe he should play on the left and let Armstrong revert to mainly right side. Adams needs to wake up, in the last two matches he has been marginally offside when crossing for Walcott and Ings goals to be ruled out. The crosses were spot on but wasted by a lack of awareness. He could see across the backline so no excuse. It may have cost us four points.

Armstrong was an idiot, he'd won the ball and no passing options, so put it up into the back of the stand. Game then has to reset. Losing the ball was critical in the match and immediately led to a goal. Possession is great but not when it overcomes common sense. Any danger and no help forget possession immediately it's safety first and foremost. Grealish is a disgrace indulged by referees as he looks to go down with almost no excuse. I think its about time players realised he is going to get a foul so give him the foul but leave something for him to be wary of next time. the penalty was a con. I've looked at it so many times, he stabs the ball forward then makes no attempt to run and just immediately dives forward. The key is his other leg made no movement to continue running after stabbing the ball forward it stayed behind not moving as his torso dived. Gallagher did his usual, agree with the referee. Grealish is the biggest con man in football at the moment. Referees are conned time after time as players lean in and fall over.

Once the greedy six get their hands on power we can expect the TV money etc to be re-divided. Bigger share for the top six less for the rest. Leading to even less money available fund the remaining clubs and the top six able to steal more players for less money. Thanks but no thanks. Weve been warned about scams during Covid and this is the biggest one Ive ever seen. Ponzi based in Liverpool and Manchester.

Leaving my disquiet about his ability to close down effectively to one side. Provided he still has pace he could be a real counter attacking asset. I think he comes in the same sentence as either Redmond or Djenepo as I think Armstrong is a vital player for us. He could also offer us an alternative up front, I regretfully can't help thinking what might have been for him. I personally think he made the wrong choice. Wenger's Arsenal where ball possession and overlapping full backs was the style with closing down ten yards away the norm. I often watched Walcott bemused moving inside as his slower full back made runs into the very space he should have been racing into, I felt Alex Ferguson's MU would have been a better place to go and have his lightning pace used into the space behind defenders, I remember his great game for England playing wide, tearing I think Croatia to ribbons without an overlapping full back. He always seemed to play the way he was required and only rarely had the opportunity to use his pace. I think there was a great player in there wanting to get out but submitting to the multipass regime. I wish him the best and hope that we use him in a way that suits his abilities.

I did see somewhere today proposal for a swop for Jack Butland. Possible, logical but likely I don't know.

If we are going to play a high press then walcott is a luxury we don't need. He has no idea how to close down or press. He didn't bother in his last match and left his defence in the lurch. My onclusion is he likes to attack but defence is for the less talented. I won't lose any sleep if this doesn't happen much as I liked him in 2005.

That was a bit of historical deja-vu. Pochetinno had a good start with his high press and we were going well. Then Villa turned up and put Benteke up front hitting balls up and over the top so we conceded and lost easily. Its no good having weak players (Smallbone) in a pressing game. It was a gift to Spurs pushing both full backs upfield and two slow square dithering center backs without the wit to realise they had to get goal side of Son if he stayed onside. Even the equaliser in the 48th minute was a clusterfuck. We knew there were only seconds left how incompetent can you get then repeat it all the second half . More than one person needs a kick up the backside.

The last two games were unadulterated dross. 71% possession at Palace, 66% possession against Brentford. Probably half of that was the back five and a fair bit more from the two midfielders. Nearly every time our possession goes over 50% it almost always represents lots of backwards and sideways in our own half. The only thing that achieves is the time it allows our opponents to get goal side and stifle us. Our biggest problem is allowing the goalkeeper to get involved and recycle more of the same, The forwards need quick ball so stop the defenders and midfielders from just aimlessly passing it around because eventually we'll lose the ball as for Palace's goal. The marking for Brentford's first goal was atrocious and nobody attacked the ball. The second goal was a shambles everybody out of position, no shape and the scorer unmarked. Our best results have come from high tempo quick attacking with early passing up to the forwards. Armstrong is a big miss at the moment. Leaving Djenepo on the bench was rediculous whilst playing Smallbone out of position and Tella. We need to get back to our High tempo and stop exposing our pedestrian centre backs. They looked awful in the last two games. Redmond has to stop checking out and passing backwards, Its a complete mess at the moment.

We are the 19th worst home team in the league whilst being the 5th best away team. It doesnt need a genius to work out why, away, the players move the ball forward quickly, at home the back six even if they are going forward don't pass forward but almost always stop and pass back. The slow play allows the opponents to get their whole team goal side and crowd out the forwards. Away we attack quickly in numbers and often cut defences open, at home we don't. The changes haven't helped and have only accentuated our abysmal football at home whilst playing the same negative go nowhere possession at the back we've played all season.

A very good performance, much more positive from the back four and central midfield when in possession, A lot less of the aimless passing that gets us into trouble. The emphasis was in making forward passes and runs. Vestergaard had a good game but I noticed especially when the cross came in for the own goal he tends to ball watch and not move. He should have been moveing to cut out Welbeck as Bednarek went for the ball but he didn't move. It didn't make any difference in the event but it is a major weakness and would be fatal against City etc. We had 53% possession which was unusual in a good away win but I think that was more to do with Watford going long most of the second half reducing their pass count. It was a very good team performance. KWP, Romeu, Smallbone played well, Armstrong lifted us when we needed it. Adams looked a decent player with a lot more to his play than the one dimensional Obafemi. To turn it around at home the defenders and central midfielders just need to cut out the disasterous keep ball and play on the front foot and like yesterday move the ball up to the attackers quickly. That in itself would be a game changer. KWP gives us a positive balance to Bertrand and Romeu / JWP played well together. I didn't miss PEH one bit.