derry

That is arguably our strongest team, I'd prefer Gabbiadini as a goal threat to Boufal or alternatively Long for hard working physical support for Carillo. I'm not sure that Yoshida isn't a better defender than Stephens but Jack has the goal fever at the moment. I'm also erring on the side of JWP against Liverpool despite his lack of pace. He has four goals now, takes free kicks and corners and is less of a risk which gives us a solid midfield but we need two strikers on the field. Against the lesser sides I'd like to see the midfield three plus Long on the right, Carillo as the tatget man and Gabbiadini free role off the left.

Our coaching appears to be based on the theory you can't teach an old dog new tricks. It is a fundamental fact when attacking a cross in front of goal, head the ****ing ball down. How many times when a ball comes in it gets headed high even though the player was over the ball. Long missed yesterday because he didn't head it down and back across the goal. It needs to be picked up on and everybody with that sort of header heads it down. We will get more goals than trying to head into the top corners.

I think if you look at the Hagazi goal and the Stephens goal and indeed a few others yesterday and every week at set pieces there is a common denominator. If the man marking player can't see the ball because his positioning is faulty and he is setting out to stop a player there are only two things he can do. Firstly set up to attack the ball and beat their mark and anybody else to it or blocking the opponent. to do that the defender has to ignore the ball and physically put himself in front of the opponent. The latter is what Stephens was trying to do however he made a mistake, instead of watching his opponent he looked away to see where the ball was coming from and in that instant Hagazi who could see the ball got away from him and left him for dead. Stephens did the same to him for his goal in similar circumstances. If you are going to stop an opponent from getting by then you cannot look away if you have positioned yourself without a view of the ball. That also happened in several other matches yesterday and happens regularly.

I just don't know why when attacking a cross none of our players look to head the ball down. It's fundamental. There can't be any guidance otherwise they would be doing it. All Long had to do today was head the ball down and back across the goal, if it hits the ground it usually bounces over the diving keeper.

I'm absolutely delighted and relieved. I still think this is not our best team. Hojbjerg has had several man of the match games and with Lamina and Romeu would give us a strong midfield and allow Lamina more freedom to get forward and that's two that can shoot. Stephens defends like a pussy at dead balls in the goalmouth but his goals are critical for us as he has the knack in the box. Hoedt needs to do something about his studs because he is slipping over too often for me at critical times. We are not good in the last half hour with the aerial threat and give too many free kicks away in dangerous areas. Carillo looked a good centre forward and would have had a goal from good positioning if Tadic could use his right foot. He worked hard and won some good balls in the air but needed another striker off him, Gabbiadini could blossom close to him. Boufal looked good today but I wish he wouldn't play casual passes in the last half hour when we are under the cosh. Tadic had a chance today but had neither the strikers instinct or pace to finish. He is a classy player at times and better on the left. I don't think Pellegrino did anything wrong today and although a little late made the right substitutions. I was praying he wouldn't bring Davis on. The team played well but still didn't have a real cutting edge up front. We still scored from two set pieces and a long shot. JWP had a decent game and his free kick was clever. We need more performances like this. Make Bertrand team captain.

Now your talking. All ball winners. Lamina is class. How on earth did the clown leave him out for Davis.

It's not playing Carillo. He must absolutely play but he needs support, not to be isolated on his own.It has destroyed Gabbiadin's confidence having no support. Whichever three we have played makes no difference, they pass it sideways and backwards but none of them make the runs or breaks the lines that are required to support one striker because they lack the pace. Long or Gabbiadin should be playing, so should Hojbjerg, Lamina and Romeu to give us the bite in midfield. Add Boufal to that and we might just have a decent team.

If you think that this team is anywhere near a good team you are deluded. It is a cowardly selection and again picks five midfielders and one not very quick forward who in the words of the manager needs time. It is just another rotation of the same players who have got us in this situation because they lack pace and the ability to score regularly. The one plus is the useless Davis left out. The stupidity is compounded by leaving Hojbjerg out. This is just another unbalanced, pass it around because we lack the pace team. Saying that, we could win or get a point because we are playing the worst team in the league and maybe the lunacy expecting a different result might cause the lighning to strike at the Hawthorns but I'm not holding my breath. We should be playing two strikers and our three best midfielders, it is just cowardly to do otherwise. The timid mouse hasn't a clue. I just hope he gets a bit of luck this afternoon because we need it. As for JWP's delivery on Wednesday, before he took it he raised his arm up signifying to me the same as usual whipped in flat cross. He scuffed it and it wasn't even towards one of our players it was only the deflection off the defender that put it into Stephens. JWP's dead balls hardly ever result in a clear chance let alone a goal. He is nowhere nearly as good as his hyped up reputation as a dead ball specialist. Sigurdsson or Eriksen are ded ball specialists, JWP is nowhere near their ability.

Hojbjerg charged the keepers clearance onto the bar.

I think the luck wasn't Stephens scoring it was JWP's appalling scuffed delivery hitting a Brighton player and being deflected to Stephens.

JWP, Tadic and Davis cannot take a pass from the defence and outpace the defence, all they do is come inside and end up in passing it round sideways and backwards, or go to ground. Give long an early ball with space to run into, he will outpace the defender as per our two goals at Watford. He is also fairly good crossing. He also gives us a physical presence which without him we lack. Davis, JWP, Tadic and Boufal are players we cannot consider as goal scorers playing with one striker. We are where we are because of their selection every match plus the equally ineffective Redmond, now out of favour it seems.

I think Long would give us so much more playing from right wide with Carillo in the centre and Gabbiadini coming off the left so there would be minimum two together in the middle.

We had 66% possession worth of creativity and didn't create anything. Those three midfielders should dominate midfields and get quick supply and follow up support to the forwards or bring the full backs into play. If we do go front to back as we often do, as soon as the 66% possession goes back to our keeper it mostly goes route one to the opponents back four. I'd prefer the option of the early through ball or over the top or diagonal over the top option without the backward option, with three proper forwards up to try and win it.

Probably from the same tip we scavenged this manager from. Probably a circus tip because all three are clowns and not the least bit funny.

FFS. A schoolboy wouldn't have made the mistakes in selection that this manager has been making since the start of the season. He has been picking one striker, unfortunately he left the only goal scorer out for the first dozen games, then brought him in and lo and behold he scores goals then gets injured. His biggest cock up is to think the second line of attackers is going to score goals. Davis, Tadic and JWP are ball recycling midfielders not forwards. Hojbjerg, Romeu and Lamina should be our midfield which would allow us to play three forwards, Boufal if you like but not for me, Carillo leads the line and until Austin is fit play Gabbiadini on the left and Long on the right with any two of the midfield supporting helped by the full backs. When Austin is fit he has to come in and play off Carillo and probably Gabbiadini sacrificed with Long playing either side. Last night the manager ****ed up big time. If he had to play 4-2-3-1, which in itself was stupidity leaving £70m of buys on the bench, Carillo should have been up front, Long, Lamina and Boufal/Gabbiadini. I'm afraid Davis is a liability we cant afford and JWP and Tadic are too slow to put through. Davis showed his stupidity late in the second half, picked up the ball in the centre circle and for once broke the first line, Carillo immediately made a great run, I'm yelling pass it, it's crying out for a quick ball in front of Carillo to break the last line and put him in, the prat decides to run 25 yds with the ball as the defence backs off, leaving no space for Carillo's run and the pass is stifled. A great chance ****ed up. The substitutions were stupid, it was the right idea he had to do something but instead of going for it but, he ****ed up big time again and played safe, that ****ing worked didn't it?. Tadic, JWP and Davis off. Lamina, Carillo and Gabbiadini on and go 4-3-3 and batter them, we only scored because JWP messed up and scuffed the free kick which luckily missed everybody and went to Stephens to back heel in. How lucky was that. We can't buy a goal from play because of the stupid selections, obsession with possession and one striker. Get rid of the incompetent clown. He is a typical coach, obsessed with possession and timid with it. He is not a manager and his team selection show that apart from the theory he hasn't a clue about what makes a team work. It's not systems, it's shape and balance using the players to make the best team possible. Picking the popular system of the year and sticking five midfielders and one striker in it just won't ****ing work and never will work..

As long as the ****s don't get relegated first. All the other teams are strengthening considerably, Swansea have just beaten Liverpool and Arsenal and still strengthening.

This seems just another case of early in the window identifying high cost targets and then trying to buy on the cheap. Consequently Walcott to Everton, Promes not coming. They'll think it was cheap at the price if we go down. I expect they are all sitting comfortably, patting themselves on the back and letting the Gao's know how much of the VVD money they have managed to save for them. I hope I am cynically wrong and we will sign a suitable quick player tonight.

The only way to get him would be to trigger the release clause and pay up front. Then watch the Russians delay the paperwork until after the deadline.

Unless we bring in a quick goal scoring attacker it will be a disaster as all the teams around us have had no trouble strengthening.

No because he didn't have the pre season at Leicester to castrate them as he did us. Give him the summer, then we will see whether he has the sense to leave well alone, or do it his way. He took a sixth place team that had been on a tremendous run at the end of the previous season, changed completely the way it played and made it the most unenjoyable season for years, until this clown easily surpassed that with the easiest starting fixtures we have had in years. Unless things change could relegate us.

According to Sky reporter at SMS, the club are saying it is unlikely to happen, the requested fee has been met but Spartak won't sell unless a replacement is brought in and they are struggling to get one.

I think when triggering a release clause the specified sum has to be paid to EUFA to protect the players owners.

Because Stoke got him to put some elevation on it rather than the flat throw he mostly did for us if I recollect correctly.

It's more likely having to pay the lot up front if we do. Stage payments. if we negotiate without triggering the payment without Spartak's agreement.

If we do that as far as I know the complete fee has to be handed over to EUFA in one hit to trigger the clause.