derry

A lot of people have blamed Forster but one player had more to do with each of the goals that we conceded. For the first Davis was the end man in the wall the other four made made themselves as tall as possible as the ball was kicked, on the other hand once Smalling had peeled away Davis lowered his head and was as small as possible only coming up as the ball went over him into the net. For the second he didn't close Rojas tight then didn't track him and just let him go, passing to the unmarked Lingarde and for the third was in a position to tightly close down Herrera but again just did nothing and let him cross for the goal. It was a brilliant game, the result contaminated by the poor decision to disallow the first goal. The team played well especially pulling back from two down. What a buy Gabbiadini looks. We have some good players, missed VVD, but we need to upgrade and strengthen the middle of the field due to the lack of goals from that department and the fact only one player Romeu can decisively win the ball.

Alfie Jones played midfield in the last U23 game and scored. Gardos and Martina were the centre backs.

I wonder will they announce it or wait until they have the permit. Presumably with the pressure they'll want to quiet the criticism.

The upside to this provided we sign him fit and get him into the team is that it releases another versatile player. Stephens started as a full back played as a holding midfielder and CB at Swindon and now having had a few first team games could possibly supply alongside Romeu the tall holding midfielder option we have lacked since losing Wanyama and also cover the right back position in front of Martina. McQueen was a forward converted to a full back but I'd like to see what he would offer as a left sided midfielder either attacking or holding.

It seems to me the ticket site stays open for the current criteria until 30 minutes before the next criteria opens up. Then 30minutes before it opens, a list of those that log on to sfc on a first come first serve basis in the 30 minutes is set up behind the notice page displayed. At the time of opening those that are high up on the list automatically see the log in home page the rest get the two time boxes, estimated and elapsed and at the appropriate time they enter. Anybody that logs in after that gets the page with the time estimate.

In the last five minutes we put at least four half way up the Chapel. Most of our shots yesterday were just speculative having run out of ideas and were mostly viewed by Randolph sailing into the Northam or Chapel or worse like Redmond's shot last week that didn't even make the goal line shanked over the touch line. We really only should count shots on target and work on improving that.

What is really killing us is the management's obsession with playing deep keeping possession for the sake of it, not pressing and having a slow tempo. Usually when first we have the ball deep, two or three front players make a run and when the ball is passed sideways instead of up to the runners they find themselves with nowhere to go. Offside is usually the result if the ball is eventually played up. There needs to be a fundamental change because the players aren't as bad as the performances. If the manager can't see this he has to go because it stands out like a dog's balls. Whatever the formation we need to start from the front, start pressing hard, close down the opposition and play with a high tempo, lose the ball, gang up to get it back and try and get the ball up to the attackers quickly. Davis, JWP and Clasie physically don't suit, put in Hojbjerg with Romeu then play four attackers, Gabbiadini with either Long and or Rodriguez with a choice of one of Sims, Redmond Tadic or Boufal and go for a physical presence and a bit of height. We have far too many physically lightweight and/or slow players. Boufal for all his qualities can't be bothered to track back more than ten yards before he gives up, Redmond JWP and Davis can't tackle, Clasie can tackle but is slow and negative. We need to change back to the way that suits the players. Puel deserves the sack for unnecessarily completely changing from day one, first the diamond then the 4-3-3. With staggering complacency Puel continues to play the same way even though it doesn't work. Yesterday Rodriguez showed the way with a superb early chip over the top that put Gabbiadini clear for his superb goal. Stephens lost Carrol for the first goal, The whole team after clearing the corner just stood inside the area, nobody came out to press the ball and allowed the shot for the goal, Davis not for the first time waved his foot at the ball and gave Forster no chance for the third. Forster was expecting Carroll to go across him but Carroll finished with his swinger just inside the near post, for the second it looked like with all the bodies in front of him he didn't see the ball until the last second. At the time I thought he was absolutely useless but on reflection he had little chance with at least two.

Where do I stand? I don't rate Puel. I personally like to see a team play as a team because it is the collective spirit, tempo and ability that makes a team. Since the start of he season we have been encumbered by mass rotations underpinned by the best defender in the Premier and now we are regressing into a collection of individuals just aimlessly playing the ball sideways and backwards upping the possession statistics. 70% possession and losing as we have done many times is ridiculous. Our good results have come on the occasions we attempted to get the ball up to the forwards quickly. Chasing the game today two goals down with ten minutes to go we managed to play multiple passes in our own half, give away a succession of ridiculous impetuous fouls and hit a number of speculative shots into the back of the Chapel, demonstrating no plan, thought or composure. The real hole in the team today was Davis and JWP. They buzzed about but failed to defend or attack and slowed the game down every time they touched the ball. FFS there is more to a football game than just recycling or unloading the ball to literally anyone in a red shirt as long as it was unloaded. These two should have been substituted but were left on. Forster looks like a man that has lost his way and knows it. The back four isn't the best without VVD, but is just about good enough. Romeu is fine as a holding midfielder. If we are to continue with this 4-3-3 and I don't think it suits us, I would like to see Hojbjerg, Romeu and McQueen given a go in the middle. More bottle and bite with the ability to support the front three quickly. Gabbiadini is a shoe in and I'd give him Long and Redmond. Boufal and Rodriguez looked injured when they went off but if fit could replace Redmond. I'd prefer 4-2-3-1 or even 4-4-1-1/4-4-2 which I think suits us better. I think Romeu and Hojbjerg or McQueen at the base with Long up front with Gabbiadini and from Redmond/Boufal/Tadic/Rodriguez/Sims filling the wide places. I just think that suits the players better and would probably play less own half possession and serve the ball up to the forwards quicker and play with a much higher tempo which for me is all important added to earlier pressing higher up the pitch. Puel's low tempo, non pressing, slow own half possession is just neutering the forwards.

Go to the second named box, click on the little arrow inside the box on the right hand side of the name, a drop down menu with all your registered names will appear then click on the selected name which will appear in the box. Repeat for all the other boxes. I'm presuming you would want to leave the first box in your name. When you've changed all the boxes just scroll down to the selection boxes at the bottom of the page and select Update Basket. All the details will then change with the correct prices now appearing.

Nearly all the lower centre tickets are long gone. In the corners all right. I could have got two this morning but three of us have only one game so I will get all of them in the morning.

Another high possession defeat. The possession in the first half was slow and negative and struggled to get out of our half. Playing seven players in a backwards and sideways comfort zone doesn't cut it because the three forwards play without support from behind and end up either losing the ball in the face of a massed defence or pass it back again. Our best results have come when we have the least possession. the obsession with no object keep ball is a nonsense. We need Romeu in front of the back four but with at the most one of the negative pass it around midfielders but add Boufale plus Redmond or Sims on the right and Gabbiadini on the left with Long or Rodriguez up front. Rodriguez can score and given the right service so can Long, 3 in the last 5. I'd like to see McQueen tried beside Romeu now we no longer need to rotate and leave out the lightweight midfielders. If Tadic is going to play it needs to be on the left. Discipline lost us the match last night, It looked like Bertrand was on his own to cope with the break whilst Soares made a big effort to get back off the right as did Yoshida but nobody else was in sight. If the centre backs are up then we need at least two to hold the half way line. As long as they aren't square one can attack the breaker whilst the other gets goal side. The goal side position is important as it stops the man taking the breaker being the last man as Bertrand was last night. It allows the defender to take out the attacker and only give a foul away as early as possible maybe with a yellow at the worst. Bertrand had plenty of time to take out the attacker last night but I guess the fact he was the last man even though the player probably early on wasn't a goal scoring chance. I personally think he might have stopped the player, given away a free kick but ended up with a yellow if he had done it early enough.

Some lessons for modern day footballers. The way the headers attacked the crosses rather than standing underneath. Painey's crosses and through balls right on the money, Channon getting across defenders.

Just heard Puel on Sky and to say he said three weeks would need digital interpretation it sounded more like few than three. I see the OS said three but he mumbles and it could have been anything.

I paid good money to watch a badly set up, unbalanced team, masquerading as a Saints team. I don't expect to win all the time but I don't expect the team to just go through the motions. People paid up to £500k total on Saturday to watch that tripe. They at least deserve better. Still by going to all the home matches I am at least guaranteed first choice for a cup final ticket.

No we didn't, we played three weakened teams with Premier team names. Sunderland and CP already poor teams rotated in reserves and were even worse, Arsenal were the weakest team they have fielded for a long time, on a par with the team we fielded on Saturday. What was unforgiveable was the abject surrender any self respecting lower league team would have been ashamed of. We could have given it a better go than we did the other night. I can forgive the players selected not being good enough but not the lack of fight. They were beaten before they went out. I paid good money to go and I didn't like what I saw. I have been watching Saints for over 60 years and I know crap selection when I see it. The team lacked shape and fight. I have seen plenty of disappointments in those years and have no great expectations except to do as well as we can. In 1960 Saints won promotion played over 50 games, quite a few on crap heavy mud heap pitches not beautifully manicured lawns and used 16 players. We have been rotating since the start of the season and the players with few exceptions haven't each played anything like the number of games we have played. We have made over 200 changes in 36 games, only Forster 31, VVD 30, Romeu 28, and Redmond 26 have started in over half. All the other players have started in about half or less of those games. That is in over five months hardly a recipe for fatigue.

The team didn't give it a go, they should have got stuck in. pressed hard and made it difficult and try and rattle Arsenal. What really ****ed me off was the fact whatever the team selection the team played the slow backwards and sideways passing, backed off, no pressing and were pulled apart.

FFS we got a free pass to the semi finals, two weakened crap teams, A weak Arsenal team then two stubborn displays against Liverpool. Utd played about seven regular first teamers tonight, only one youngster, have played as many matches as us and will now have a lot more to play and got the result to give them even more matches. I know they have a big squad but they kept their core and it showed. It was with disbelief that I heard Isgrove announced, he was out of his depth against an abysmal Sunderland, was anonymous the other night against Arsenal U23s as was Gardos and should be packing a suitcase not playing in the Cup.

Tonight was a disgrace.

I was at the match. The team selection was a bloody disgrace and disrespectful to the fans who were paying to watch a mismatched, shapeless awful gutless performance. On the bright side, tonight showed that Isgrove isn't good enough, Reed's limitations were obvious, Clasie was a poor buy, Martina should be on his way and when VVD is fit or a CB brought in Stephens could cover right back. Young Lewis was from his confidence point of view hopelessly exposed. Gardos has a long way to go. If Puel was going to do this in the fourth round, why didn't he send this team to Norwich, it would have saved us two crap matches and the need for rotation, everybody could have had a rest. Tonight was pointless.

It was called hand ball for a reason the ball hit him just below the shoulder, any referee that gave that would be slaughtered. Great result my head said MOM Romeu or Yoshida, but my heart said Jack Stephens for his courage in keeping calm in such an important game. JWP and Davis have often been poor together but tonight they both had a good game. The two banks with no room between the lines playing on the break, keeping the shape was excellent. Dispensing with playing the ball around slowly and getting it forward quickly has revolutionised our game and we look so much better for it.

Davis and JWP up to now have been abysmal when playing together. I hope that they can turn it around and both put in a performance. Best of luck to Jack Stephens, I hope he has a good game and takes a step forward whatever the result.

Picture of VVD on Saints site leaving the ground with a calf length protective light boot/

Two of the big differences were Tadic and Redmond swopping onto their natural sides and the two flank midfielders making forward runs especially Hojbjerg even though he needs shooting practice.

Yoshida was outstanding, followed closely by romeu and Soares. The midfield was the key, hojbjerg started to get forward more which gave us momentum up front even though he was off target with his shooting. JWP had his best game for a long time helped by his shot going in and being more positive so less sideways and backwards. Rodriguez is showing good signs of coming back to form and worked hard, Tadic on his left at last was better, Redmond missed a sitter early on, needed to head the ball down but was better on the right but not much of a threat, The team played at a better tempo but later on played too many short balls to opponents when the ball needed was up the channels behind the static Morgan and Huth with Leicester pressing and leaving them exposed. Stephens did everything he needed but it must have been difficult with the high balls and the low sun late on.

Gardos was pretty ordinary in the U23s against Arsenal. An international at that level should look outstanding but I was surprised that he was playing at the same level as everybody else.