austsaint

It's going to be a nervy experience, isn't it. Best players in their best positions. McCarthy Cedric Yoshida Hoedt Bertrand Lemina Romeu Sims Gabbiadini Boufal Austin/Carillo Hoj. Jack S. Hesketh JWP Long Davo Tadic. Are there 7 League games left or 8?

Well said Crab.

Quite so. Here we are 5 minutes to midnight with 8 games left and people are expecting Managers' who already have good jobs to come on over, or Silva who clearly is destined for Porto or Everton, or Bilic who tailed off badly at West Ham. In the circumstances, Hughes is a good appointment. The real anger should be directed at the belated sacking of Pellegrino, not the bloke coming in.

I really hope Hughes resists the temptation to play Ward-Prowse, thinking his corners and dead ball deliveries are going to lift us to safety. His last few games played wide right have exposed his lack of pace in attack and defence and slows our movement down - players like Sims, Boufal and even Redmond/Gabbiadini have to be the players wide to up our speed and movement. Agree about Gabbiadini; I think he will be used in tandem with Austin or perhaps Carillo if Austin is unavailable. I expect Lemina, Romeu and Hojbjerg to play a lot of Football in our remaining games and if Yoshida is fit he will be played, probably in preference to Stephens. If Tadic can lift, or be lifted, he could play a part, wide left. Speed of movement and quick build up is needed, not possession based, slow build up ending in hopeful crosses which are not going to get us over the line.

Your observation about our attacking players is a worrying prospect for the new Manager. That starting four last Saturday - Tadic, Redmond, Ward-Prowse and Carillo is in my view the least effective and slowest in the Prem. Players like Sims, Boufal, Gabbiadini, Austin need to be drafted in attacking midfield support from Lemina and Hoj. Players like Redmond, Tadic and Long sub roles only.

He was badly misled by his career advisor. Seemed to be mild mannered.

He is the (type of) short term fire-fighter we need. Whoever it is, our remaining games look the most difficult of all relegation threatened sides - Stoke aside perhaps.

It really is - had to happen; should have happened ages ago. There is now a glimmer of hope!!

This is it...in a nutshell. Awful Manager and players like Tadic, Redmond, Carillo, Hoedt and the biggest dud of all, James Ward-Prowse whose dead ball skills BS hype has helped suck the life out of the side's attacking force. The decline of our Club's on-field performance in the past 2 seasons has been a sad thing to watch.

Yes, but what the feck is the mysterious reason for keeping him? His dismissal has been the plainest, most logical decision to make since Leicester at home.

I've developed a hatred for Pellegrino, I can no longer listen or read anything he says; yet he's clearly not a detestable person. It's just his ineptitude and its effect on SFC. If he isn't immediately replaced I'll have loathing left over for Reed and Kreuger too!

It is completely meaningless, given that we would have zero chance against the remaining big teams should we sneak past Wigan. The chance of staying up should be the only focus; and belatedly getting rid of Pellegrino is the urgent first step.

Well done for making the effort; you deserved better! Just one thing though - JWP played the whole game; I thought the game passed him by - completely ineffective when played out wide and overrun when placed in CM. I thought Sims was again the one bright attacking player.

Sims is a bright note on a dark, dark day.

This is the depressing truth isn't it. Our midfield are making Shelvey look a world beater too.

Lemina off but Ward-Prowse stays on....ha ha ha ha ha.

But it's not that. Just ponder our front four...Carillo, Tadic, Ward-Prowse and Redmond on the left side!!!! That's the problem; and we've seen it before and it results in the same slow, static build ups and huge let downs.

Get Tadic and Ward-Prowse off the park.

Of course it is.

No attack, no run, no threat. Sims, Boufal, Gabbiadini should have been starters today.

But Sims played an outstanding attacking game last week - dropped for the plodding Ward-Prowse. Tadic awful last week - keeps his place!!!!

If Pellegrino was sacked tonight - we won't be relegated.

They weren't that bad - JWP's would have improved things but we got much more run and directness from Sims and Redmond in open play than you ever get with W-P.

Tadic was kept on too long - a much better second half with Redmond doing well; Lemina the midfield powerhouse and Sims very lively and direct, proving that players like he and Redmond/Boufal should always be played there rather than the slow moving Ward-Prowse. Definitely two points dropped - the positive bit was the belated attacking intent.

Yep, Tadic has been awful, Redmond not much better, even if they are being played on the wrong side of the pitch. Has to be Gabbiadini and Boufal for those two. Sims has had some bright moments showing the value of direct run and movement. Awful game - awful Manager.