derry

Last season and this season we have lost sight of the main aims in football score goals, stop goals. We seem to have made the be all and end all aim, keep the ball. We have made over 2000 passes this season and scored one goal from play. Nothing new there then as at the end of last season we made over 3000 passes in the last six home games and didn't manage to score a single goal. Yet we are still playing the same culprits and leaving Austin and Long on the bench. It's time for the manager to earn his millions and set up a formation that ditches the non goal scorers and gets Austin, Long and Gabbiadini on the pitch at the same time.

The whole concept of playing players on the wrong side is based on them cutting inside and unleashing shots with their natural foot. As neither of them can hit a cow's arse with a banjo it makes no sense. If they are going to play then put them on their natural sides. The front four including the lone striker have to be good finishers and aggressive runners, none of the seven that play in the three qualify, hence the lack of goals. The manager needs to stop taking a system off the shelf and work out his own system to get our three goal scorers playing.

If I had to play behind those three forwards I'd probably have decked all of them by now. I feel sorry for the seven decent players we have but the three behind the striker are demoralising. Bertrand knows that unless somebody else scores those three never look like scoring. Did Tadic come out in the second half? enough said.

As usual they didn't and never looked like they would, they may get an odd goal but for Redmond one goal every eleven games doesn't make a goal scoring forward. Gabbiadini makes the runs the others play the ball around but haven't a clue when it comes to scoring goals. Long will lead the line and get a few goals, Austin and Gabbiadini will get their share but the others will rarely ever score.

If Pellegrino thinks this team is the answer he is an idiot. Gabbiadini is a good player but is ploughing a lone furrow up front lacking the support that never comes. Long is a fighter, Austin is a poacher, Gabbiadini is a good footballer give them half a dozen games because the others will still be goalless if they continue. How long does it take to see that the three behind a lone striker doesn't work with the players we have. If that means going more direct so be it because this aimless pass it around isn't football. there is only two aims in football, score goals and stop them at the other end. It isn't two thirds possession and over 4000 pases and one goal from play in eight games.

Just look at Gabbiadini's brilliant goal from his own half last Saturday, Romeu to Gabbiadini to Redmond back to Gabbiadini continuing his run beats Hart from close in. That's not playing off the defender it's making a sharp run through the channel breaking the defensive lines. He can play anywhere but making him play in front of the static square passing dross that is our three offensive players just stifles him. He might get more room away but at home we are woeful.

one minute to go, one goal down, passing around at the back, what a nonsense. The only way to go at that time is stick numbers into the box and put the ball in the mixer and hope. Using up precious time passing the ball sideways and backwards is rubbish. This isn't football it is passing the ball for the sake of it with no end product. Can't shoot either. If this is modern coaching they have lost their way.

Great goalkeeper, German paratrooper, Saints put five past him at Maine Road in FA Cup Jan 1960. Reeves 4 O'Brien. Terry Paine had the game of his life and turned the full back inside out, Cliff Seares I think.

Would you sell your body for £100 the girl was asked, get lost replied the girl, Ok how about £50,000, that's more like it, right let's say £200 for cash, what do you think I am, We know what you are, we are just haggling about the price. If the club takes the money instead of putting this arsehole back in his box and with it sending a message to football that's just about what they are. I loved him as a player but if he never played for us again it would be worthwhile to stop this in it's tracks.

Time to draw a line in the sand Eric and take it from there. Tell him to forget any ideas of moving in January.

If we stand our ground this 26 year old who hasn't played for eight months would be looking at another year without playing. Screw the agent and put VVD in his place. Time to put our foot down hard.

Personally, tell him to get match fit with the U23's, if he doesn't, fine him until he does. If he does, pick him for the first team if he refuses, fine him until he fulfils his contract. Play hard ball and more importantly be seen to play hard ball. Show him what toxic means. and how far away June 2022 is. Tell him he won't be released until he plays a complete year in the first team however long that takes. Tell his agent they aren't acceptable to us and we won't deal with them again. Then nail anybody we have evidence of tapping up. It might not solve the VVD problem but it would save us money and get us a lot of respect. Transfer him when we are through and not to Liverpool.

Well, that was a shambles but entirely predictable. Last Saturday we saw what was needed Gabbiadini received a ball in his own half broke forward passed to Redmond and kept running, Redmond through ball and Gabbiadini finished. When did anyone ever see JWP, Tadic, Davis, Boufal, Clasie, Hojbjerg, Redmond or anyone else for that matter make a lung bursting run breaking the defensive lines. Never, pass it to death but none of them make the runs, pass, then stand and watch and wait for the ball to pass it again. It's down to the management to change that. We cannot continue with the static three behind one striker taking so many passes that the whole opposition get between the ball and the goal. The three attackers behind the striker have to get out of their comfort zones and make those runs getting up in support of the striker and breaking into the penalty area. If the management don't get them doing that then we have to leave them out, because if the lone striker doesn't get a hat full of goals and the three won't then we are in deep trouble. The only way to change that is either to make the players change or change the players. There were major management errors last night. Why the hell were we changing our way of playing to counter the reserve team of a Championship side. Why wasn't it changed as soon as it was obvious it was a cluster****. Why was Austin played as a lone striker, he is a goal area player with great anticipation and finish lacks the pace and mobility to play as an isolated striker in front of players intent on making more than 500 meaningless passes. Surely they know that by now. The only player we have that can play that role in isolation with the pace and strength to rough up the opposition is Long with Gabbiadini close to him. Personally I'd play all three because two of them will get goals and Long will sure as hell get more than the static so called attackers that are failing week in week out. I don't think they have it in them to change. We sure as hell can't keep playing the way we are. Another thing, we keep playing players on their wrong side which makes them either come inside or check back and play the ball back. I know the idea is to open up the shot on their good foot but that doesn't work for us because none of them can hit a cow's arse with a banjo.

Liverpool reported saying that if they don't get VVD they won't be signing an alternative. that's them screwed then. As we weren't going to sell to them anyway that as sure as hell would make sure. I suppose they are going to spend the rest of the season tapping him up for us to then sell him to somebody else. Why don't they give it a rest we aren't going to sell him to Liverpool. I be surprised if LFC, VVD and the agent haven't been informed that we won't sell him to them. All the agitation by the ex players etc is desperation.

Bertrand pushes Hart, Long's header disallowed no problem. Zabaleta pushes Yoshida under the cross to prevent him scoring. Anywhere else on the field it was a foul even more so in the six yard box with a goal chance. If Zabaleta hadn't shoved Yoshida he would have had a real chance of burying the header. Gallagher on Sky's Ref watch endorsed all of Mason's decisions except the Noble tackle which he put down to being distracted by Arnautovic's injury and stopping play. Doesn't excuse the linesman though.

Missed three out of nine for us with a few pretty ropey successes. Not convincing enough. Austin every time.

Just a little statistic that the connoisseurs can hang their hats on, six matches over 3000 passes no goals. Yesterday we won the ball in our half Romeu to Gabbiadini to Redmond to Gabbiadini, three passes for a goal. Most of the passing play yesterday was negative for possessions sake crap. I know what I want to see, a lot more of the direct running and quick balls and a lot less of the possession only slow motion.

Redmond, Davis, Tadic ( even the penalty) again never looked like scoring. We cannot afford to have only one goal scorer (Gabbiadini) and three recyclers in attacking positions. JWP, Hojbjerg, Clasie and Boufal aren't any better and the two defensive midfielders are not contributing. Personally I'd prefer Long, Austin and Gabbiadini plus one to be on the pitch at the same time as the current attackers aren't going to get enough goals., besides Austin and Long give us a bit more height defending free kicks and corners. We recycled the ball a lot and at times were slow motion, 66% possession mostly in front of the WHU team. The crosses and shooting were apart from Gabbiadini's shot, hopeless. If we are going to cross like that how about a couple of players on the 45 outside the back post to put the ball back in. Stephens has got to improve his heading, nowhere near good enough yet. Lamina looks a useful addition alongside Romeu.

14.57 Sport Witness now saying after meeting with the agent the transfer is proceeding.

I heard that and then waited for the report which confirmed that he would not be sold.

I would be surprised if all the interested parties haven't been in touch with Saints and been told forget it, it's a matter of principle, VVD isn't being sold, we are moving on and when we say not for sale that's what it means. Consequently, no bids. Even if they do try Saints will look absolutely stupid after the we are moving to a different level not selling the players we want to keep statement. The management know that the implications for VVD not having played for eight months already, now looking at not playing for another year will concentrate the mind.

For what it's worth, Sky reporting deal not completed but the player has had a medical so it sounds promising.

If he waits until the window closes I don't think we can put VVD unconditionally into the team. If the back four and especially the centre backs are keeping enough clean sheets by playing well, as far as I am concerned VVD can wait as back up until a vacancy exists through injury or loss of form. Then, the longer he is out of the team the better we are playing without him. I would take that. If we buy another centre back, which we need to, unless VVD gets a move, on he could well be sitting on the bench for a long time if we are doing well without him. Of course if it is proven that we need him, of course he should play. If he goes now the club are going to look really stupid.

I see Peachey has been tweeting that Krueger is saying that by not selling players we want to keep, we are making a statement to move to a different position in the pecking order. Moving from being a club that sells to being a club that wants to get the best out of the players by keeping them. Up to now although Krueger has been saying this since May and Reed went on Sky saying the same thing, everybody thinks we are a bolted on seller. This is a strategy to put us in the 'it doesn't matter what the agent or the player says we are not selling'. In future if we say it, we are more likely to be believed. I wouldn't mind betting that Chelsea and Man City believed Saints so haven't bid, but Liverpool were too arrogant and presumed too much. As Liverpool have been the most troublesome over the years it had to come.

He is probably sick and tired of the nauseating speculation, desperately fuelled by the ex Liverpool FC pundits and probably orchestrated in the background by the desperation of Saints firstly not dealing with them and sticking to the original statement that VVD will not be allowed to leave.