Hodgey

We’ve all wondered what the long term damage would be of that disaster of a transfer period where we spend on Hoet, Elynoussi, Carrillo, Lemina, Gunn and new Forster contract. £80m fees and another £15-£20m in wages - £100m gone there. At least recent windows have been much improved - equally costly has been the failure to get rid of any of them (even pre Covid)

Combination of changes in manager / style, poor coaching and poor strategy. I think the last lot genuinely believed their own hype in our academy when it was clear that standards had dropped. Think they are addressing now but yes, 5 years of underperformance where we have basically produced nothing for Ralph to work with (and he clearly wants to). Lowest point being when we were sending out 20-21 year olds to non-league (and renewing their contracts) a horrible but accurate indication of the quality on offer. Hopefully in 2-3 years time the production line will be up and running again but it’s not exactly helped our cause in terms of squad - lots of youth players now around the squad who are way short of the level required.

It’s fair comment - we haven’t produced anything in the last 5 years and talent looks sparse and not improving., Ralph obviously likes working with young players but his actions speak volumes on his opinions of our youth. Hopefully with new structure we’ll see talent coming through again in 2-3 years. We’ve had a look in the 1st team at the best we’ve produced ( Tella, N’dulu, Obafemi, Vokins, Smallbone, Valery, Ramsey) and none of them look prem quality (in fact I’d say they are more league 1 level) which has been a big reason (along with some poor transfers we are still working through) why our squad outside c 15 players is so poor. I remember Ross bigging himself up on his policy on buying in great young players like Valery - but in reality it’s been a really poor period, and clearly our competitors have noticed this too and will use it to try and pry top talent away from our set up.

Might just be me - but I recall many an awful performance v Hammers, hope tonight is different but I’m worried about defending corners with no Vest. We can’t play Long and Adams again - that partnership doesn’t look like it will ever work - assuming no Ings we need to play Walcott up front again and recall Djenepo. Rom back big plus as their midfield with Souchek and Rice are strong and mobile. Hopefully both teams try and play tonight

Well - precedent was set when they gave Long a 2 year contract on high wages until he was 35. Bertrand is much better than Long so he would rightly be asking for something similar...

Started well again and deserved lead at half time without creating much. They made tweaks and looked more dangerous - scoring and looking slightly more dangerous until the red. After that I think our automisns just don’t work against 10. We were pedestrian - but we actually often are - tempting players out of position then to play quick through the middle where there is space. Arsenal refused to move out of position leaving only space wide - that’s not really our game nor what they have been trained to do. In the end happy with a point - very hard to unlock a team who park the bus - look at City v West Brom.

Delighted with a point, Walcott missed a good opportunity but so did they - finishing isn’t his strongest point and we know that. Energy levels had dipped and Wolves gamble on taking a def out for a mid worked in killing our game plan of fwd passing down the middle - I thought we coped well with that and intelligently tried to go wide more given how good they are on the counter. I agree with some of the comments on Long - it’s been a while since I’ve seen him have any effect on a game as sub. For me we either need someone to hold the ball up and draw fouls (protecting a lead) or provide something a bit different (chasing a game) and what we generally get is him running around a lot with the game passing him by. My worry is that we are asking him to do a job he can’t do and it may be better to throw a youngster on instead with him being an influence in training / role model on professionalism.

Great win. Interesting that fans and club are in agreement over weak areas - full back (tried to remedy with Williams loan) centre back (Salisu) and centre mid (Diallo). This game proved the rule - and I’d probably add another cf to that list as well as Long now looks like a lower league player and the youngsters aren’t quite ready (maybe the Wellbeck rumours). In the end you had 2 players out of position (Walcott and JWP) two players way off the pace (Diallo and Stephens) and a centre forward who can’t perform at this level anymore (Long). That’s problems with half the team so that second half wasn’t a great surprise. They had so much joy down both flanks and McCarthy and Vestergaard did well to keep them out. As others pointed out our right side desperately needed fixing but Ralph didn’t really have an option. Also when we are under the cosh we need someone to hold the ball up and win fouls - Long can’t do that (neither can Walcott or Obafemi) so that’s a worry. Hope all the injuries are short term.

I’ve never got the Romeu bashing. He’s very good at what he does - and has been a mainstay in any decent period we have had since he joined. Great passer, strong, intelligent (never been sent off despite his style), big club and plenty of Prem League experience, and a real team player (if he gets dropped he tends to come back stronger) Yes he isn’t the quickest, but if he was he’d be top 6 material. I’d give him a 2 year contract now - if he signs for another club in Jan as he is entitled we’d have made a big mistake.

Valery is a massive concern - he’s way off the required level at the moment (really not sure what has happened to him), I’m less concerned about Vokins who has looked OK when required. I think you would struggle to find a worse reserve right back in the division. And we simply don’t know about dm - if Dallio is a quick starter then we should be ok.

I think we’ll be 14th, 11th if JWP / Ings or full backs don’t pick up a month out type injury. confident we’ll end up above Fulham, West Brom, Palace and Sheff Utd. Confident we’ll be below city, pool, Utd, everton, Chelsea, spurs, arsenal, Leicester, Wolves. Think we’ll also end up behind Leeds, West Ham, Newcastle and Brighton...

I don’t get the McCarthy bashing. We all know his limitations - that’s why he was bought as a no 2. But he’s better than the two keepers we bought as no 1 - that’s been proven given he’s displaced both. I can accept an argument about finding a better keeper - as clearly there are out there (but we don’t have any money so that’s out). But in reality we have much bigger issues to concentrate on than an average prem keeper who is a bit uncomfortable with his feet. Btw he played well yesterday - I can’t believe anyone watched that and thought ‘dodgy keeper’

I’m pretty sure I saw stats on save % for last year and McCarthy was something like 12th - he also faced a lot of shots, so he is (or was last year) an average prem gk. Gunn was bottom I think and I’m pretty sure last season he played properly Forster was bottom 3* Granted we are playing a different way this year that might change that - but if the new way means a gk who sweeps - I don’t think I’ve seen a gk less comfortable doing that than Fraser - then again I’ve also seen Gunn charge out of his box missing everything so not sure even he is much better. * prepared to be MLGd on these stats but I’ve got a pretty good memory

Just reading this chain is depressing but classic saints. Long cannot be the answer, the only thing he had was pace and that’s gone. depressing though it is Vestigaard is probably an upgrade on Bednerak at the moment, both painfully slow but at least Vest looks to get the ball forwards and gives more of a shit. have a horrible vision of a team with Forster, Vestigaard, Davies and Long as starters - heaven help us.

Ralfs comments were telling - he put the blame firmly onto not pressing the ball rather than the high line. I thought we looked much better going fwd which is a positive - Ings looked sharp, Adams good link up but poor shooting, Djenepo and Armstrong much better than Smallbone and Redmond last week . We have big big issues with centre mid and defence. People slagging off Romeu and JWP but they are leagues ahead of anyone else we have, we are clearly not going to find a player better than those two with our budget and scouting system - just hope we can find someone as good to put pressure on them. Let’s be honest - Salisu isn’t going to be some kind of instant VVD - I mean does anyone actually know if he is quick ?. Whilst our two bog standard cbs are slow, you’ve got the snail like Vestergaard waiting in the wings so I’m hoping so. Don’t think any of our gk are good enough for this system either its a real mess, think we need to abandon this high line system and until we do we’re going to concede a lot

How many teams in that division. They seem to play Loudoun every other week...

Wasn’t writing him off - he’s got something and has lost his way (he may actually be a better winger), May well improve in a few years but equally may drop down the leagues. point is - we thought he was an immediate replacement for Cedric - he wasn’t and we almost got badly burned....

Fantastic signing at a good price. We’ve got away with this as we clearly thought Valery was the next big thing, but that hasn’t worked out leaving us horribly exposed at right back. If KWP hadn’t worked out we would be in panic buying mode now and other clubs would know it. All that aside, he looks like exactly the sort of player who can fit into our team, with clear quality going fwd. People worried about him being beaten on the far post in the air - well Clyne was the same (we used to do it against Palace) it’s part and parcel. Really pleased with this - not often you buy someone knowing they will walk into the 1st team - especially at that price...

Spurs will look like they have a good deal - but selling is just one half of it - who you buy is another. VVD at £75m looked a decent deal - until we effectively replaced the best CB in the world with a load of dirge still out on loan now without troubling our 1st team and on treble VVDs wages. if it’s KWP plus a few million so be it - better than £25m to be pissed up the wall again, let’s just get it done, if KWP ends up at West Ham etc we’ve got a massive issue at right back

Our best player today isn’t our player!. We have to sort out full back positions - I’d sign KWP using whatever cash Everton give us for Hojbjerg. We have no squad depth and the youngsters are a marked step down (someone mentioned you can get away with one of them filling in, but any more and it is a big issue). Of course to get a better squad we’re going to have to get rid of some of our £100m flops Forster / Carrillo / Moi/ Lemina / Boufal / Hoet / Vestigaard. Sadly cant see any buyers so can only do the essentials of Right back (KWP) and centre back. Yes we need a powerful cm as a critical buy too but for me we try Reed. tired of getting little at home against poor but well organised teams. their goal was an utter joke btw. I played park football and we’d be having a word with ourselves conceeding like that. Astonishingly Stephens is fast becoming our best centre back - and for me he should be 3rd choice behind two new cbs - I’m unconvinced about Bednerak. good second half showing, but concerning that it took a player we don’t even own to inspire us.

Was a poor kick - he got underneath it, unusual for a technical player. Given Ings form I think handing him pens is fair - that said everyone was missing pens for us before JWP steadied the ship so I get why he took it. I actually thought JWP had a solid game today but there were a few poor passes - wonder if he’s fatigued

I’m shocked at how little some rate him. He’s good for 4-5 goals a season and is everywhere, him and Ings are our best players by a mile. Whilst I agree he isn’t top 4 material - he’d get in Spurs / Arsenal / Everton / Wolves / Leicester teams - and be a regular in most. He’s picked up the captaincy with ease and looks to be doing a better job. I’ll tell you this - I don’t see us finding anyone better if he does leave.

Interesting comments on the athletic on this. In essence the journalist says there is absolutely no point in playing Long with that set up as even if he wins balls nobody is anticipating or running past him. IMO Long is worth a 1 or 2 yr contract but only at vastly reduced wages and to be used where relevant - not as a first choice. We’re in Stephens territory here - both players commendable for attitude and application but neither should be first choice for any ambitious prem side (by that I’m not saying they shouldn’t be first choice in our current squad, I’m saying our current squad is nowhere near up to the mark in these positions + right back and maybe gk)

Ross Wilson wasn’t behind Van Dijk (or Romeu) - although it’s part of his ludicrous self promotion that clearly a lot of bright people have fallen for, he’d barely arrived. Don’t forget he was also in charge of our now awful youth set up. And there are a fair few articles pointing out he made the Carrillo decision against his scouts advice. Overall an utter Charlatan who ****ed the best part of £200m up the wall and has set this club back a long way (and we are still literally paying for a load of his mistakes). I’ll give him Ings though - fair play on that gamble.

Matt LeGod - are you agreeing with me or are you suggesting that loaning Young reserves for your reserve team only and sending 3 20 yr olds to play in amateur non league set ups is the norm for Premier League teams ?. If so if you could let me know why you think our youth teams are in fine shape I’d love to hear ?