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I think that is a complete replacement figure, except I think it might well mean gardening leave until the contracts paid up at their end date. I can't see that being paid out as a termination lump sum.

If Martin is fired it's not before time and richly deserved. He didn't have to do a lot to improve the team, namely stop rotating the ball around our defensive area and presenting opponents with chances and goals. A more rigid back four and a high tempo press. He has reiterated continuously that he owes it to himself to continue his process. It might be a pleasant to practice it but it sure as hell isn't when playing competitively together with losing practically every week. Players look like rabbits in the headlights as the passing gets quicker and the press tighter. Especially the goalkeeper to whom it is a nightmare. It has alienated the fans because unlike Martin the great majority can see that it is a nonsense and will never supply the defence we need nor lead to creating chances. The whole theory is a nonsense together with the hypocrisy from opposing managers who don't entertain playing like it.

If Martin wanted to improve this team's results play no short passes in defensive third. Goalkeeper play no short passes at all. All goal kicks wide into the opponents half. All throw ins down the line. Any tight situations put a boot through it. Drastic I know, but better than our tippy tappy invitations to opponents to score in our own penalty area. Play four at the back and two close together up front. I can think of many other things including tieing a crushed coke can to Manning and Aribo's left boot all week. Better still get rid of Martin and his staff.

THB asked us to look at the game objectively. I did. What did I see a twat under pressure try and bring the ball down, lose it instead of giving it a belt. Conceded a goal. Well Taylor what did that prove. I'll tell you what it proved, a complete lack of judgement. A goalkeeper who hasn't a clue what we are doing and is doing his best. A left back who can't pass forward or turn left. Virtually the whole team passes back. If he's not gone by the Spurs game the management is comatose.

Except that at numerous other times they both consistently because of their inabilities due to one footedness with the opportunity to turn left and play forward, turned right and passed back into our penalty area. We need them to play out not backwards in those circumstances.

Jack Stephens has now been suspended for a total of nine games through his arrogance and stupidity. Captain! don't make me laugh. He has no idea what Captaincy means. For goodness sake he doesn't even know the rules. After last year, pulling hair is a mandatory sending off. Apart from multiple cameras and officials what did he think it would achieve except his sending off. That worked. His ball watching and positional unawareness should disqualify him. His manager now publicly backs him, I get that, but if he continues as captain, the manager is again demonstrating his arrogant stupidity. Will he now rehabilitate ABK? Me neither

Last night was horrendous for me. The team started well but Lumley was a pussy with Cucarella pushing him and letting him. Secondly what the hell were the rest of our defenders thinking allowing the goalkeeper to be blocked. Somebody needs to physically block off the opponents. The absurdity was taken a stage further with the goalkeeper attempting to pass out and becoming stranded through stupidity. This kind of play is the extreme end of passing out from the back. It is just nonsense to try and rotate the ball without the option of clearing it and has resulted in nine goals so far. This manager is a one trick zealot. His adjustments are more his desperation than tactics because his insistence playing out from the back is the problem and inhibiting our ability to attack. We need the ball carriers, KWP. Dibling, Fernandes etc to be given the ball quickly, break quickly and be supported but keeping a solid defence. Anybody who thinks this is a long term plan is living in cloud cuckoo land. If this manager is relegated and manages to win promotion again does anybody really think this stupidity is going to magically work. I think it's been cruelly exposed and publicly demonstrated as a nonsense. As long as he stays this will get worse. SR spent over £100m in the summer and according to the media still more in January. To do what? Apart from hoping to sell them in the summer. This manager is a busted flush that is only going to relegate us again.

The club has got it's recruitment completely wrong. Part of the problem is one footed players. Last night in the first couple of minutes Aribo had a great chance that needed to be smashed in with his right foot something he couldn't do trying to bend his left foot around the ball and gave the keeper the opportunity to save his weak attempt. Him and Manning are incapable of under pressure turning left with the ball so instead of going forward take the comfortable option and pass back into our danger area. The problem isn't quite so bad with right footed players but to a lesser extent is still there with predominately one footed players. Our recruitment should have set criteria, pace, two footed, good control, ability to turn either way, etc, etc. Even if there is a deficiency it can be worked on I have three very young grandchildren all good footballers who are being coached by the Saints. From the start I've been bollocking them for favouring their right foot. I threatened to tie a crushed coke tin on their right boot if they didn't use their left foot. Now they get it. Professionals should be under the same pressure. Manning and Aribo shouldn't have even been considered because of the one footedness. For years I've seen players with major faults that are never rectified. I don't think there is much remedial coaching at all ever,

No. Non League team at home.

I'm afraid that there is complete consistency. Don't go against the interests of the top sides as the media will make a big deal of it. Easier to go against the sides at the bottom. God forbid being involved in a big team being knocked over. Take the easy way out.

I actually think he was ball watching.

Manager of Wolfsburg, today beat Red Bull Leipzig 5 - 1 away with 38% possession. I'd take some of that.

I'm not a referee but I think this flexible maybe/maybe not offside rule is a clusterfuck. I think the original rule was much more clearcut especially now there is VAR around. With the old rule Armstrong was a yard offside. None of this interpretation whether interfering rubbish.

I don't think the Keeper changed his foot position until after Archer's shot. Leads me to think Archer blindsided him and his whole focus was on the cross so wasn't distracted by Armstrong otherwise he may have moved to his left to cover Archer.

I thought the instruction to linesmen was to delay flagging offsides if there was a chance a goal might result. Sometimes the flag is raised when for offside immediately if it's early in a move. A reference to football rules / instructions to refereees would help, however everybody has an opinion. I'm not looking for opinions but would welcome precise rules.

From reports it seems the linesman flagged and the ref gave it. VAR then reviewed it. I'm querying if that should have happened.

I thought that the officials weren't suppose to make a decision if a goal goes in but wait for confirmation from VAR. If that's the case the officials jumped the gun and left VAR looking at overturning the onfield offside decision. In which case why didn't VAR ignore the premature onfield decision and adjudicate on the video.

I hate this five yard closest shepherding suedo press. I hate the use of arms and holding. What I want to see is physical effort, tackling hard and taking the ball. Not waving a foot and staying out of the firing line.

But he and everybody else could call them stupid. I can't help thinking that sooner rather than later he'll lose them to the realisation that they've been had.

Taking the logic of planning with less than a third of the season over that we are already relegated in order to get promotion next season that Martin is the manager to return us to the Premier League. Taking it a stage further at that point he should be sacked as he is out of his depth in the Premier League. Personally I think he should have been sacked already and a manager that can use what resources we have plus the transfer window to give it a good go in the last 26 matches. Martin's tactics are a busted flush.

Bill, this is a very good synopsis of what is wrong. Knowing your intelligence and abilities especially as you played for a team that I managed and the fact we have been friends ever since I think you've nailed this problem. I am tearing my hair out because we still have a chance of getting out of this with a more orthodox manager, With this pie in the sky ego we have no chance.

The problem is the manager. The suicidal short passing straitjacket the defence has to use is only part of the problem. It's what dictates the total shape and the positioning of our players. The slow short passing not only attracts the opposition to press, it draws our attackers and midfielders into our own half. The shape makes it innappropriate to then play long as we aren't set up with attackers tight up on the oppositions defenders and are just gifting them possession. If our keeper is going to play long as Pope does at Newcastle he needs targets up the field to hit who are then reinforced by the team rapidly moving forward with the exception of the back four who maintain the defence so any break or ball over the top is covered. Full backs required not wing backs. We can't play long with the present tactics and the opposition know it, neither can we continue with the suicidal play in our defensive third. The only solution as far as I'm concerned is get a manager that plays in a way that is more varied and frees the players up.

That defeat today is the consequence of his stupid possession at all costs. We made a few individual breaks that improved the result. We cannot improve until he goes and a more orthodox football manager devoid of this sort of stupidity is employed.

Our dire defending was down to Martin's stupidity, insisting on short passing in our own final third. He got the result his stupidity was asking for. the sooner he goes and takes his looney theory with him. These players are trying to play this alien way even though they know it's costing them dearly. We need to bring in a more orthodox manager to cut out the mistakes and get the best out of these players.