derry

The worry is who is played in support because they have to score some goals and what formation we use. 4-3-3 would allow us to play Romeu, Hojbjerg and Lamina. 4-2-3-1 omits one but would allow Gabbiadini and Long to play with Boufal/Sims or 4-1-4-1 would probably see Gabbiadini or Long on the bench whilst 4-4-2 would be the most attacking with one of the midfielders left out. Despite his goals, as yet I can't see JWP as a forward and I must admit I have Redmond in the 'move him on' category. Tadic was much better on the left and his assist at Watford was precise. Long showed at Watford his ability to get down the touchline and deliver telling crosses. It will be interesting to see who else is brought in assuming that Carillo is on his way. To get out of this we are going to have to win matches, therefore beating all our direct competitors. To do that we have to win the mini league by scoring regularly.

Estudiantes

So suddenly the clown is going to play two up front, I can't wait to see how that gets ****ed up.

Boy, was that depressing! Where was the possession game? just gave the ball away all over the pitch, no cohesion, teamwork or balance.

I'm not advocating his piecemeal approach to fighting fires. My way was attacking with Sims and Long wide occupying the full backs, Gabbiadini up the middle, Put the three strongest midfielders, Romeu, Lamina and Hojbjerg together in midfield and press the ball ruthlessly not stand off. Putting quick players out on the touch line makes the defenders keep four back. The ball on the left, the wide right comes in with Gabbiadini, vice versa, the midfielders press up and force the opponents out of their space to deny the option of comfortable route one into our nine defenders as their forwards would have to come back to help out and our back four could push up. We are no longer backing off.

Play the strongest physical team, tear into them like a cup tie and go route one with three up. We sure as hell won't outplay them or sit back and hold out.

For me, the manager trying to cope rather than get on the front foot and into the Watford defence, restricting their ability to dominate and penning us in our last third, with, Davis who shouldn't have even been still on the field, giving the ball to them to score the first and finally surrendering a two goal lead to a cheating hand ball was a defeat because it gave away two points, one wasn't good enough. And MP admitting he dropped Romeu in front of the centre halves, but leaving Davis on was just incompetent. Who dares wins, somebody needs to lay it on the line. Pellegrino lost us that win together with a host of points because of his negative, scared tactics, he is like a mouse in the headlights.

This defeat was self inflicted after going two up. As soon as Deeney came on Davis should have been replaced by Lamina and as soon as we were struggling with Watford playing direct we should have taken JWP and Tadic off and brought on Gabbiadini and Sims to give the slow Watford defence a different problem, then, together with the front three, Romeu, Hojbjerg and Lamina should press hard into the ball rather than positioning up to ten yards in front of the ball and being easily bypassed. If nothing else, if Lamina had replaced Davis, that first goal may well have not happened and we might have snatched another goal with more forwards. We certainly would have relieved a lot of the pressure. Leaving one forward to attack and five midfielders backing into the back four conceded the ball and space to Watford. Three nippy forwards would have given the Watford defence problems and probably given us some control again. Putting more defenders on just concedes to the opposition, putting forwards on moves the pressure back on the opposition, as we could go route one through them on the break as we did with the second goal. The full backs would have been restricted and they were light in midfield. All right going forwards but very vulnerable to counter attacking.

McCarthy didn't even try to save the second goal because Doucoure hand balled it past him, he was as gobsmacked as everybody when the goal was allowed. Made some good saves, caught crosses good punch under pressure and is an improvement on the out of form Forster. The second goal was a disgrace. It took to post 74 before anybody pinned the blame for the first goal on the right culprit. Step forward Steven Davis, under no pressure dithers on the ball turns one way then the other and tries to beat a man and loses the ball seconds later it's in the net. 100 caps and doesn't have the common sense to move the ball on, he had loads of time. I've made it plain my dislike of Davis, he is a liability and keeping Lamina on the bench for him was just another selection error. JWP, fair play to him, took his goals well with assists from Davis and Tadic. Long did really well with the spadework for both goals and was perhaps a little unlucky not to get a goal.

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.