derry

Absolutely true. When I was coaching, one of the players was a recently retired Olympic sprinter. As a youngster he had played representative football. In a couple of set up sessions I proved to him that dribbling the ball he was really hardly quicker than any other player. I then got him playing out of his own half, either receiving the ball then knocking it twenty yards past the defender. He was lightning quick so immediately left him for dead, three touches later the two central defenders were dragged out and he was in at the byeline playing the ball back across the edge of the penalty area to the incoming forwards. The other way was the midfielders and defenders playing the ball diagonally towards the corner where his pace again took the same three defenders out of the game. That is the only way Sulemana would be effective. He's not as quick but still very quick. Alternatively playing high centrally as he did two years ago in the last match of the season when scoring twice against Liverpool. Personally i'd like to see how he does given a go alongside Onuachu.

Like Onuachu we have just wasted his lightning pace. When was the last time we played a decent through ball in front of him, never. He has to be played in on the break, If he's expected to face his own goal then turn and attack a consolidated defence he's wasting his time. I think the only way we can use him is to bring him in alongside Onuachu and out of the way of the wing backs. Quicker than Armstrong and Archer and stronger than Archer. They might make a pair. Power plus pace.

Personally I Thought Ugochukwu looks the part. Sugawara really messed up shanking the ball for the corner that led to the goal then played Bowen onside., thats not the first time he's messed up in that position recently. Downs seems off his game. Fernandes was good. I thought Aribo was hopeless because he is so left footed he is continually passing backwards we just don't need that. He just kills the momentum. Onuachu all round had a good game as did KWP. The centre backs were ok but reverted to square passing too often. Wood has spent too much time under Martin and needs to get with the new direct system. Overall this was much more like it. If we had played like this from the start of the season we wouldn't be in this position. We wasted half the season playing the crappy possession nonsense. Sulemana looks lively and might be better alongside Onuachu rather than Armstrong or Archer.

So could I.

Apparently he's a big Ed Sheeran fan and big Ipswich fan Sheeran came in and talked to him about Ipswich so he signed there.

Nobody is saying ABK should automatically get into the team however if fit I defy anybody to say he's not worth a place on the bench. Potentially our best centre back but has to deserve a place and show by his attitude that he wants to play.

He is what we need. Aggressive and going to give it his best shot. It would be unique to see him pull it off and would be probably our greatest achievement however unlikely. If he gives the players a lift we could run it close.

Manning's biggest problem is his over reliance on his left foot which unless he is already facing outwards makes him turn back inside and pass backwards which for me is a major impediment.

I personally consider that Martin froze him out as he did to others because ABK didn't suck up to him.

If I remember correctly ABK's problems started after he slipped on the astroturf surround and had to come off. He subsequently had to have a shoulder operation after trying to play on at PSV and was then out for a long period. That physical problem hopefully is history. Leaving after relegation happens with every team. Having observed over the last two years and historically from his Swansea days, in my opinion his stubborness, and stupidity that eventually led to his sacking, I'm not surprised in the least, his discarding some players and favouring sometimes undeservedly others that he sidelined ABK. I'm not even sure that ABK may have called him out regarding the stupid way we indulged in kamikaze passing in our own penalty area. When he played against Cardiff he didn't and passed out to midfielders and never appeared again. Martin in an interview noted that playing for the U21s was entirely voluntary and ABK had declined the invitation even though the inference was it would help in getting match fit. That was the last we heard of him until now.

Personally I can see that Onuachu hasn't been successful with us. However I can also see that we have never tried to make him a focal point and given him any worthwhile service. Personally I think we have the most useless bunch of crossers anywhere just chucking the ball into the box and hoping. Our corners and free kicks are nothing short of incompetent. Fraser and Dibling are the only players that try and target an attacker. Onuachu has a terrific record except with us and that has been down to being shoehorned in and made to fit in rather than being used sensibly. If he is expected to be a rotational pressing presence in midfield as a centre forward then we are wasting his and our time playing him. Give him the service he needs and put a predatory player alongside him then see what he can achieve. I'm wondering if Onuachu and BBD (who incidentally we have also grossly misused playing wide) up the middle might give us a stronger presence. Archer and Armstrong are different sorts of players and don't win much if anything up front. Archer needs sponfeeding and provides no physical threat and may be better suited to wide left in the last half hour.

That's more like it. For a start Ramsdale wasn't pissing about and mostly played long. Because we had two vertically challenged players up front his mostly long balls went into touch in Fulham's half. That in itself is fine despite giving the ball away it stops the game and forces opponents to reset. don't kick it down the middle because it goes through to the keeper. Archer comes from the non pressing don't get too close to challenge group. Dibling looks out of his depth anywhere but on the wing. Armstrong looks like he doesn't have a clue, If we're going long it's Onuachu all day long. The three centre backs were fine. Both full backs weren't great. Bree looked fine. I'm not a lover of the totally one footed Aribo. We looked better with Downes and Les who had easily his best performance. If we're going in to play combat football, great. There might also be room for Brereton-Diaz, ABK and Sulemana. A clean sheet away is a great start. Today was a bit of transition in styles. I'm looking forward to what I hope is a ruthless manager.

I've seen somewhere he's bringing his usual three coaching staff in with him. I'm looking forward to the change in emphasis. He speaks excellent English.

What we don't need is another smartass. Forget all the attendant crap, inverted fullbacks etc leaving acres of space for opponents to exploit. Basic football, full backs and centre backs that defend, holding midfielders that hold, attacking midfielders that attack, strikers that score goals, wingers that cross. Forget all the reest of the crap, keep it simple stupid.

At last we can move on. We have been exposed to one of the most extreme form of possession by an obsessed manager. Vincent Kompany's similar style was completely exposed last year and Burnley were relegated. The fact that Martin insisted on ultra possession in his defensive area irrespective of the pressure or ability of the opposition was the main reason for our downfall. All the top sides recognise that clearances under pressure rather than tippy tappy are preferable. His insistence that we adopted his straitjacket also inhibited our forward movement and ability to score goals. Our set up at defensive set piece and attacking free kicks and corners was crass. There is so much that given a proper professional manager that can be improved. Personally I think with a manager that places a priority on disciplined defending, high tempo and penetrative fast breaking we can enjoy a better second half to the season. One of our big problems has been kamikaze full backs who don't defend and leave acres of space behind them on our flanks to be eagerly exploited by the opposition. I don't feel sorry for Russell Martina as his contracts have made him a rich man. His intransigence has ruined this season.

It's obvious that Pep's team has completely followed the Martin template and presented MU with two goals and three points with two goals conceded straight from the Martin playbook. Maybe teams have been able to capitalise on the weaknesses and playing the same way as opponents that have beaten Saints. City are a shadow of their successful period and although 1-0 up with 5 minutes left lost 1-2. It is time to ditch this stupid possession game and consign it to history.

Captains years ago were very influential, knowledgeable and able to change / influence matches. Nowadays any twat without a brain is usually the captain as in our case and really only does the toss..

You're absolutely spot on. I come from a family part of which is involved in rugby. Currently I have a young cousin, an Irish International fly half, now playing for Bordeaux. Started at Leinster, but Johnny Sexton was in the way so he was often at full back. He went to Munster as first choice but had his ankle trod on by a monster forward lying on the ground at the front of a ruck. while he was out Crowley came through so he couldn't get back in and so didn't renew his contract in the summer. The long and the short of it, I am an avid watcher of Rugby. The discipline in top rugby in the main is impressive from all concerned although the South Africans cut it fine.

Works for me.🤣

They and Martin knew what they were getting in the Championship. He had no experience in the Premier League and the way he is instructing the players isn't working worse still his methods are causing defeats. The owners have a right to make changes.

I know it's not traditional in football however I think the owners are missing a trick. Sack the manager gives change, good or bad. If it was my club, I would do two things, firstly I would order Martin and his staff to cut out the mistake ridden short passing in our final third, secondly I'd call in the players and instruct them likewise. Martin then has a choice comply or be suspended.

Personally I'm absolutely against appointing a caretaker manager. With 23 matches currently left we owe it to everybody to get in a tough manager that will give it a go and turn relegation into a battle. Throwing in the towel now is a nonsense. Giving a caretaker and the players a free ride irrespective of results is also a nonsense. Martin's stubborn, selfish promotion of his pet theory is based on one thing only, promoting himself to eventually find a big club that wants to adopt the theory. Vincent Kompany like Martin sacrificed the club to advertise his prospectus to a future elite job. I don't buy it and I don't like it and feel that he should be sacked as soon as possible to give the club a chance. We have nearly six months of this season left so get somebody in with the guts to put up a fight whatever the final outcome. No surrender.

Whatever happens unless he is sacked we're relegated. If we are relegated and could keep enough players to be promoted he has to be sacked at the end of the season or the cycle will be repeated.

Martin slaughtered on the football show on Sky for the tactics against Villa, his criticism of fans, the goalkeeper not playing long out to the touchlines allowing a reset if it goes out of play, the defenders poor defending and kamikaze possession in area.

Unfortunately for the concept EUFA and FIFA won't allow it and if we go ahead anyway all our football teams will be suspended from the international club and nation championships.