derry

Today was the day to break the mould, We could have played without the ball recyclers and given the strikers a go. We lost, finished 8th playing ultra cautious crap. Puel still hasn't worked out that the three behind the one striker are supposed to be goal scoring forwards not ball recycling midfielders with no instinct when it comes to getting on the end of chances. The sooner he goes the better.

A successful football manager gets more out of the team than the sum of the parts. Taking the players and playing them in a formation that suits their abilities is the way to go. Picking a system and sticking square pegs in round holes is what we have ended up with. If he can't see that he is in trouble.

Better he goes, as he now says he likes the way we play and is going to continue that way next season, so good luck with that.

Stephens started as a full back moved to centre back but played either as a centre back in a two or Right CB in a three and as a holding midfielder at Swindon so it's not new to him and he carries the ball forward well.

Puel needs to stick with his rotation this week. Bring in Hojbjerg and Clasie for Davis and JWP, Rodriguez and Gabbiadini/Austin with Redmond if Long is injured. What I'd really like to see is Caceres at Centre back with Stephens and Romeu in front and four attacking players, Gabbiadini or Austin up front with Rodriguez on the left, Austin or Gabbiadini in the hole and Long if fit on the right, Redmond if not, won't happen but I'd like to see it. More movement and get players into the box. Spurs were quickly getting up to six players at a time into the opposing penalty area. We aren't going to get many goals if the single striker is left isolated because the players behind never get forward quickly.

It's not the one striker that is getting up my nose it's the three players behind that don't make runs up in support and play the square and backward passes allowing opponents to mass their defence and block our final attempts as MU did last night. The better teams with one striker often get multiple players up past the striker and play decisive quick balls up to them quickly overloading defences that weren't given the time to get numbers back. Chelsea are brilliant at breaking quickly and getting players up past Costa. We can only use what we've got and Davis, JWP and Tadic don't provide the support a single striker needs.

Who the **** are you to say what I would say. I don't like the four non scoring lightweights and have been advocating for weeks for more strikers and Davis, JWP, Tadic and Boufal to be left out. The only shame on Saturday is that Gabbiadini didn't start in place of the woeful Boufal. I would bet on at least three of the ball recycling non scorers being brought back in tonight and revert to one striker.

More to the point, 9 goals in 3 games, 8 in the other 14.

That would work, I've renewed already because I think he's on his way. In any event about two years is the tenure of a manager here so the odds are very much on my side. In any event I can't see him staying without a forensic critique of his way of playing with the lack of goals resulting in him changing his way or a mutual agreement to leave.

I didn't like Pardew, liked Adkins, Pochettino and Koeman and thought Adkins was unfairly treated and after two promotions was getting to grips with the Premier with a weak squad.

If you want another year of the same negative dross Ron fill your boots, Not for me, The sooner he is gone the better and let lessons be learnt. If he was to ditch the negativity and pick more sides like last Sat I'd cut him some slack. I fear tonight we will be back to the same culprits passing sideways and backwards.

Getting rid of Puel will do nicely thankyou.

Precisely and for my £600 I'm not satisfied with the product.

Agree, finish eighth on even 51 points or ninth on 48 points is evidence of the mediocrity of thirteen teams in the Premier. So far at home winning only six games, scoring a total of seventeen goals in seventeen games, but nine goals in three games and eight in the other fourteen and still being in eighth position is evidence of a regular poor performances at home. Some of the games were depressing in the extreme. I don't expect to win every game but I do expect to be on the edge of my seat on a fair few occasions. That didn't happen much this season at home, which for most supporters that go to SMS is the measure of an enjoyable season.

I think we should get rid of this manager because I hate the boring, negative way he plays.

I think the likes of Rodriguez, Long etc have suffered through not playing regularly in an attacking system that would suit them. I think the manager is a stubborn idiot. Comparing Redmond with Thierry Henry one of the smartest footballers around, whilst trying to make him into a striker and recently describing Boufal as our Messi or Hazard was the height of stupidity and a millstone around the neck of both players.

You've already said somewhere you don't go any more. I've sat through every minute of every game at SMS and seen every other game. I don't want to endure the absolutely negative dross any longer. Watching, Davis, JWP playing backwards and sideways with Boufal and Tadic going round in ever decreasing circles with Redmond giving the ball away all trying to keep possession nearly made me walk out on numerous occasions. Playing forwards that can pressure the opposition and maybe just score goals opposed to one player that could with the right service get a goal playing with a whole bunch of players that couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo is far better. Three from Gabbiadini, Austin, Long, Rodriguez and even Redmond would be more positive, physically stronger and would score more goals than the present set up. Romeu has adequately replaced Wanyama, Pelle wouldn't have played long with no service but Mane is a miss but neither of them would have made much difference with a system that puts possession above everything else.

He won't unless the manager plays him and ditches straitjacket. The real answer is get rid of the manager.

There are three options, play one striker that gets goals and three attacking midfielders that also get goals, more than one striker, or in Puel's, case one striker and hardly anyone else that can get goals on a regular basis. Keep the strikers and play more than one.

A better option is get rid of Puel now.

If Puel brings back the same old failed midfield/attack with the exception of Gabbiadini and plays with one isolated striker alongside Davis, Tadic and JWP on Wed and we lose he should be sacked on Thursday. It would prove he is incapable of learning any lessons and is tied to the toothless dross we have experienced at SMS all season. Clasie has played in the last two wins away scoring, Long and Rodriguez did ok without any help from the woeful Boufal, Redmond was better but Rodriguez, Long, Clasie, Hojbjerg, Pied and especially Caceres deserve another go and also see how Gabbiadini plays with Rodriguez and Long. If he reverts to same old rubbish he deserves the sack. We are only 5 points above the 40 point safety mark even in 9th position on GD, that's no great performance more a reflection of the mediocrity of the teams below the top 7. Finishing 8th is no great performance we are 16 points behind 7th. A half decent home record would have us with many more points. We've only managed 6 wins in 17 games at home and only scored 8 goals in 14 of them and 17 in total. Nowhere near good enough.

you are joking, more like Spurs.

Amongst other things including getting runners through the strikers. Better than the slow slow dross in our own half in front of the whole opponents team with one striker receiving the inevitable punt up field from Forster when we pass it back or chasing shadows while Boufal runs up his own backside before giving the ball away most of the time. 8 goals at home in 14 games is hardly worth turning up for.

Go with virtually the same team that started yesterday, making us physically stronger, except bring in Gabbiadini for Boufal and maybe Cedric for Pied. We need to play a high tempo so leave out Davis and JWP who slow us down just recycling the ball.

Replace the manager for someone that will play more than one striker at a time, keep the strikers and get rid of the lightweight non scoring ball recyclers in midfield replaced with at least two quick, direct, physical, goal scoring midfielders to play alongside Romeu. Boufal is out of his depth and doesn't fit. Keep VVD, bring in another strong central defender.