Strangely Brown

Can't remember playing Liverpool 4 times in a season before and not conceding!! It wasn't pretty but Claude does seem to have Klopps number.

I was up for giving Puel a chance, after all his footy CV wasn't the worst and he had European experience which is what we needed give the season we faced. We exited Europe going out with a whimper in a group we should have won. He got us to a cup final but with what's being produced since then, I am wondering whether the players played for themselves rather than for him? More recently some players have looked less interested as each week passes by and I noticed on Saturday, that a couple of times Puel was on the touch line and shouting to players none of them looked towards him or basically took any notice of what he was trying to say so I wonder if there is an issue between him and the players?

I hope your right. I still can't work out where he would be best used in the team out wide or more central as a number 10 role. I certainly agree with many that you can't get the best out of Tadic or Boufal on the pitch together!

Like a job vacancy in Poundland in Portsmouth

And if Mcleish gets the Barca job I will eat his sporran!!?

His helper monkey is doing it for him!!

Yep couldn't agree more, quite why he felt the need to punch the ball as opposed to using the normal and standard goalkeeping technique suggests to me, Fraser is someone who isn't confident in his own technical capability at the moment!

I agree with the player assessments but whether Puel ballsed it up is a moot point. If Puel was undecided about whether some of those that played last night were just squad players, or need to be moved on, then I suspect he has probably got a clearer view on some than others. I guess with so many Premiership teams putting out under strength teams it proves that most clubs value being in the PL rather than the FA cup looks like we are no different.

I don't think he has either and he would be daft to ever make such a statement, which of course he isn't!

The same as us!!

Not quite, the Director who spoke on the course was referring to the infrastructure of the club which is a fair point however, the playing staff I would suggest, is far from Champions League Ready and if we want to step in (or indeed up) then we have a long wait for two clubs to fail out of the top six.

Clearly Les didn't get the e-mail!!

Which is really odd when the club mantra is "Champions League Ready".

Which players were "shifted" under Branfoot?

Shame really but that's football I guess. It will be interesting to see where he ends up and whether all the conspiracy theorists were correct or not. Anyway one hopes that we will be active this window for a change

As has been posted already, we lost Austin a month ago and with the likelihood of him being out of action for a good few months, you would like to think that some activity behind the scenes might have taken place, may have done for all we know!! All I would say is that waiting for the last few days of a transfer window to get a deal over the line could possibly end up being counter productive in terms of league places, a potential cup final appearance and a feel good factor for the fans. I acknowledge that even if we did sign someone that this may not be either best value or the solution, but neither is sitting on your hands playing brinkmanship either!

As I have said before, it's the most technically demanding position on the pitch and without doubt one drill that even Semi Pro goalkeepers practice would be dealing with different and difficult back passes, so I can't believe Forster has not done this. If you see little wrong with the rest of his game then all I can say is that you clearly have not played in that position or have no appreciation on the art of goalkeeping because believe me there is a lot wrong with Fraser's game at the moment. Not scapegoating at all, oh and before you get on your high horse and dismissive, one of the posters you suggested didn't read your initial post well enough, was an academy goalkeeper and played football at a high level so I would suggest knows what he's talking about!

Pretty much agree with you, tough call between Clyne and Golac though

Great result needed that one and so chuffed for Jay Rod, let's hope he can kick on from here.

Spot on! Long's loss of form and Jay Rod still trying to find his form in a rotation system and Charlie picking up an unfortunate injury, is a difficulty and we are still doing ok. If we were not creating any chances then I would be more concerned.

I would argue it's technically the hardest position on the pitch to play. These days you have to be able to kick with either foot, receive back passes sometimes of dubious quality, read the game in terms of spotting potential threats on goal, second guess and be ready for poor defensive play, command your area and then be able to cope with a football that could be spinning, wet and moving in the air!! But don't ever make a mistake like any outfield player because your mistake can cost a game. Yep who'd be a goalie?