derry

The prat is on record again that he is not going to change, If that's the case as the teams he select just won't score goals we will not win enough games. How long does it take the prat to see that he has to change the team selection. Relying on JWP, Tadic, Davis and Redmond as forwards is stupidity, as is leaving Gabbiadini and Lamina on the bench and not playing Austin when he had the chance, but I fear he will do it so we can only hope for a clean sheet and a goal. What a way to play!

Because unlike Redmond, Davis, Tadic, and JWP he might just score a few goals with the physical help of Long and the trickery of Boufal. However it's the physical strength of Hojbjerg, Romeu and Lamina together in midfield that could make life difficult for the opposition. Just leave out the lightweights from the starting team. I suspect that Stephens may be right back for two reasons, Soares and Pied may be judged to not be ready to start whilst Stephens height against the diminutive stature of Pied and Soares against the tall Watford strikers would help us. That is unless we decide to play a back three.

McCarthy, Stephens, Yoshida, Hoedt, Bertrand, Romeu, Long. Hojbjerg, Lamina, Boufal. Gabbiadini 4-1-4-1. McCarthy, Stephens. Yoshida, Hoedt, Bertrand, Hojbjerg, Romeu, Lamina, Long, Gabbiadini. Boufal 4-3-3

Giroud (injured at the moment) and Walcott on loan?

I'm not sure we should be bringing in any player that is obviously recommended by this manager as he played for him at Estudiantes for two years. He just doesn't give me any confidence because of his tactics and lack of them, his team selections and most of all his substitutions that weaken the side.

If we buy a big centre forward this clown will play our usual five ball recyclers behind him, how's that going to work. With three proper forwards he might but the timid mouse won't deviate from his prized ball recycling. Won on Saturday with 42% possession he must have been disappointed.

That's not much of a complement:lol:

It doesn't matter who we sign, this clown won't know how to fit them in. If we signed Sanchez and Aguero (I wish) he'd probably rotate them.

At the moment Long has to play because he is the only player with the pace and physicality to work against more than one defender, because Gabbiadini whilst a good finisher relies on assists to take chances but is physically unable to play on his own. Personally as Long is quite good with crosses from the right and we stick with this inappropriate ultra defensive (as we play it) 4-2-3-1 we could play Gabbiadini up front supported by Long, Boufal behind but with Sims given a go on the left as he is a good runner and quick. We then though are left with choosing from Romeu, Hojbjerg and Lamina (I've had it with Tadic, Davis, Redmond and JWP as they are not as good as the other three). However I think we should change to 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3. 4-1-4-1 would see Romeu in front of the back four with Long, Lamina, Hojbjerg and Boufal behind Gabbiadini or alternatively Hojbjerg, Romeu and Lamina behind Long, Gabbiadini and Boufal thereby utilising our three best midfielders. For me that gives us our strongest players all on the field together. We really need to bring in three or four good players back to front that can competently do the job we need.

Precisely but he isn't milky even if he isn't quick enough or doesn't tackle well however he gives everything every game. Still useful but too sideways and backward thinking and playing above his level.

Davis, the milkiest player I've ever seen in a Saints shirt, has the cheek to talk about we are all fighting. I wish! He might pass sideways and backwards, run about a bit mostly finding space out of harm's way, but his closing down is ineffectual mostly not getting in tight and he never ever goes in to a full blooded tackle, at the best trying to nick the ball away without getting a clatter. Up front he never gets in where he might get hurt and pulls out of shots if it looks like there is a challenge coming in. He leaves a bloody great hole wherever he plays. I've lost count of the number of times he failed to track an opponent and the ball ended up in our net. As far as I am concerned if he never played again it would be too soon. Hojbjerg being pulled and Davis left on was a bloody disgrace and just emphasised the incompetence of this clown of a manager.

If we aren't going to pass the ball behind the defenders and give him the chance to run them we are wasting our time just as Wenger wasted his time buying him and trying to turn him into an Arsenal ball recycler. A waste of a massive talent, should have gone to Ferguson at MU who would have used his pace on the break to destroy defences.

The manager's substitutions weakened the team. He never changes the game for the better choosing to leave his substitutions until after the opposition but instead of countering the opposition just changes like for like and leaves everything the same. Yesterday Hojbjerg was showing no signs of tiredness and is our best midfielder. Lamina could have been added to Romeu and Hojbjerg which would have won the midfield at a vital time. The pacy Sims should have been given an outing if Boufal was going to be changed. Long worked his socks off but Gabbiadini should have been on from the start instead of Davis which would have helped Long. Gabbiadini isn't a lone striker and never will be he needs to play with Long either leading the line or coming in off the right. I don't like this formation as we don't get enough players forward except at set pieces. too many ball recyclers and not enough runners.

Unbelievable that he was playing as an attacker and unbelievable that he wasn't subbed early in the second half. He just makes sure he stays away from physical contact and is just milky.

Fairly solid, defended well against Fulham's best player, didn't sell himself, defended the inside line well and made the attackers go outside. Obviously little idea about attacking. Decent display.

If that's the case the worst team they have seen at Craven Cottage all season has got to be Fulham.

Every time I see Pellegrino I think the lights are on but nobody is at home. Then he proves it with his ridiculous substitutions. Romeu and Hojbjerg were controlling the midfield but Lamina should have replaced Davis not Hojbjerg. we then lost the midfield and were under the cosh for the last ten minutes. Redmond came on and proceeded to do nothing productive, get in the way and give the ball away time after time. Why not Sims? Never a better opportunity. Gabbiadini bottled the back heel from Lamina. Bednerek had a quiet but solid display at right back. The back four and McCarthy (except for the dropped cross) were solid as were Romeu and Hojbjerg. JWP worked hard and took his goal well, Long worked hard on his own all game supported by the milky Davis who flattered to deceive but certainly shouldn't have been playing where Gabbiadini should have been. In any event he should have been substituted after no more than an hour. The problem is the manager for picking players that aren't good enough and leaving players like Lamina and Gabbiadini out. We were hopeless up front with one striker plus Davis and sometimes JWP. He needs to get a grip. This display won't keep us up. Against a better side we would have conceded a couple in the last ten minutes after he weakened the midfield.

If the manager knew what we were doing wrong both with the players and the team selection then it would already be fixed. Unfortunately the manager is glib, when he was criticised earlier in the season for the 4-2-3-1 formation with one striker and three non scorers he justified his system by stating it was the way the better teams played. That was too simplistic and ignored the real problem that is still staring him in the face and not recognised. Going back to his justification of it's the way the better teams play, no it's not, there is no resemblance at all. The better teams pass the ball quickly and play with a high tempo. When they attack they quickly get forward in numbers. 6,7,8 players get forward into the last third and the remainder push up behind. The intention to quickly out manoeuvre and outnumber the defenders and create goals. We on the other hand play like the poorer teams keep more players back and commit few players in attack. Our possession excuse just strangles us by slowing the game so that the opponents are all goal side and block us out. It has been obvious since last season that JWP, Davis, Tadic and Redmond prefer to play in their comfort zone, sideways and backwards, because they don't want to put in the effort needed to get forward quickly. Two of those players are incapable of playing on the wrong side because they are one footed and can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. They are not forwards with goal scoring instincts so shouldn't be playing at all in attacking positions because they won't score enough goals. Behind them we have two more midfielders sitting in front of the back four, what for? A holding midfielder Romeu is enough, change the formation, move Hojbjerg and Lamina in front as box to box midfielders with Boufal left and Long right and Gabbiadini up front. That is with the existing squad, With both full backs pushing forward one attacking on the ball side the other to push up give the defence problems. It's chicken and egg the more attackers we have up in the last third the more opponents will have to defend. If the ball is lost the nearest players have to press hard to buy time for a rapid transition to get as many players goal side as possible to help the defenders. That is what the better teams do not sit back and play sideways and backwards.

Just watched Arsenal v Chelsea, what a difference in attitude. Plenty of passing but midfielders and defenders high tempo, pouring forward 6 or 7 attacking in and around the penalty area. Our midfielders rather than joining in just sit back and watch. Time to ship a few out and get Romeu, Hojbjerg and Lamina supporting at least three forwards not three ball recyclers. Two full backs scored, hardly ever happens for us. Our full backs cross and watch rather than playing like player that wants to get in and score Our excuse for a manager needs to grow a pair and get his players battering the opposition as a team instead of slow possession for possessions sake, no runners and outnumbered up front.

Maybe if some of the midfielders made some effort to get up front instead of indulging in their comfort zone sideways and backwards possession, whilst often just unloading the ball to avoid having to run with it, the crowd would wake up a bit rather than being bored stiff by the rubbish being served up.

So that's all right Ralph, we have an incompetent, clueless manager who fits in well and has a nice personality. I think you need to think the implications of that through, because it doesn't mean the same to us as it obviously does to you.

The manager has the timidity of a mouse and his team desperate to hear the final whistle at the start of the second half drop off and play the same way. Pellegrino is probably a very nice man but his timidity and stupidity and stubbornness will get us relegated. We need a firebrand full of aggression and with the courage to get the team playing aggressively and importantly ditch the non scoring passers whose sole aim is to pass the ball get it back and pass it again. Those players who freeze in the last third who only look to pass the responsibility to someone else. It's not pass the parcel. Davis, JWP, Tadic, Redmond and to some extent Boufal are never going to get us the goals we need and never were. Boufal has ability but needs runners and support. Our approach play is too slow and just neuters any forward runs, usually only Long, Austin or Gabbiadini make the runs and have to stop because the ball doesn't come and they are offside. Passing for the sake of it just allows the defences to get back and form up. Stop playing just one striker and three passers plus two holding midfielders. The three passers have to be ditched. 4-2-3-1 just plays into these players hands and feeds their comfort. Time to go for it. Play one holding player, 4-1-4-1. Romeu holding, Lamina and Hojbjerg box to box, Boufal and Long wide and Gabbiadini up front. Stop the possession based play and get the ball forward quickly, not necessarily back to front but stop playing keep ball it doesn't work. In the meantime get in three or four players, a centre back, aggressive attacking midfielders or strikers with a good scoring record, a quick big strong centre forward. everybody must have pace no slow coaches.

That was just about the most incompetent management of substitutions I've ever seen. Hodgson got his changes in and put us under pressure. Pellegrino taking Hojbjerg off was just stupid what did he think the lightweight Davis was going to do. Lamina should have been brought on but wasn't and Redmond FFS. Gabbiadini should have been on earlier for Tadic. I'm afraid this manager is just negative, score a goal and hope to win. He has no idea how to win games again we surrendered to Palace and dropped off, how many games is that?

The forecast is awful tonight I'm going to watch it on ManiaHD. It's not the match so much as the walk after in heavy rain and storm force winds. After the results this season I just don't fancy being ****ed off and soaked. They might actually do better if I'm not there as I missed the WBA and Everton games through sickness, probably clutching at straws.

It was about 1955/6 when we sold the penny on the ball tickets because during that season we won a match ball which was orange plastic coated which we used for kick abouts .