UpweySaint

Christ this is painful to watch. Not the first f*cking clue what the plan is here and I don't think the players do either. We're in miracle territory for the last 30.

Very very unlikely. Willing to admit I'm clutching at straws - I think I have been for most of the season to be honest! 😆 Lavia has everything about him to be world class. In the spirit of frantic straw clutching he is only 19 and has had one season of men's football. A second in a well coached (don't laugh), familiar side in a decent standard of competition (even ignoring Rasmus bullsh*t metrics) could be better for his development than a season potentially bench warming. Really depends on development pathways etc - the counter argument is somebody like Foden who has benefitted from a gradual introduction into a top side.

Something like, we agree to City activating their clause early with agreement for a 1 year loan? We lost out on being able to hold a bidding war but we keep Lavia for one more season. I think he's already too good for the championship but would have to start as a squad player at best in the type of sides who realistically would be going for him (top five/six clubs). I anticipate there is a valid question about what could be better for development - consistent games in the championship or training with top quality players and coaches with hit and miss game time.

It doesn't by itself, as you say big part of the reason we've come up short. Our best teams have had a blend of both and clear, coherent leadership which we've sorely lacked. I don't agree we need 5-6 but it depends what's left next year. A midfield of Prowse, Alcarez and Lavia is good enough. We should be able to put together a decent CB partnership from the bunch we have - they're internationals and with the right coaching should be able good enough for the championship. Baz has been thrown in to the deep end and in a proper side with a settled defence you would hope he might fare better but accept we could improve. Up front - the right striker would do wonders. We went big on tall Paul and I'm still not sure why. You may disagree but I fancy Adams to get goals in the championship but much prefer him in a two. I hope Ballard get's a chance to show if he's got enough next year. Probably a bit of an idealist w@nker but in lieu of competing for trophies which seems an ever distant prospect one of the few things that gives me a bit of joy being a saints fan is when we bring decent talent through the academy. Spreadsheet manager or not I just want to see somebody with a coherent plan and as you say ideally a big of experience! Ralph before the 9-0's scared the life out of him, Poch (probably loved a spreadsheet), Koeman (probably only had one to tally up the golf scores), Adkins ... Even Puel I sort of got it - didn't always like it but you knew what his plan was on the pitch. With the late stage Ralph, Nathan 'I don't recognise myself in this team' Jones and Selles I rarely have a clue what our plan is in games. I mean, Aribo starting today - why? Where did we see the goals coming from?

Cooper would be great if available or Potter if attainable. Rowett has rebuilt a once promising reputation and knows his way around the championship. I genuinely don't think we would be the worst attraction next season. There is enough quality in the squad (even with some departures) to compete for promotion if they can get some early momentum. The board, despite some major cock ups this year, have backed us financially and seem likely to continue to do so. We have some exciting young talent to work with and mould. Premier league jobs are hard to come by and highly coveted so anybody fancying building a team in their own image and taking them up may fancy it - just look at the amazing work Frank and Silva have done! Both managers I would have wanted in years gone by but well out of our reach now. I expect we'll also be paying good wages comparative to most top European leagues so should be able to cast our net wide if there are promising managers elsewhere - Knutsen seems to be linked every time a mid to low premier league job comes up and he's got some pedigree.

Insane how much time he has to get that shot away. We're done short of a minor miracle. Such an uninspiring watch - we look clueless.

While it's not likely it's good to at least have half a chance. Let's face it, if Jones stayed we didn't have a hope in hell! If we go we go but we at least look like a side that will be fighting rather than going down with a whimper. Momentum will be key. If we can put back to back results, even a win either side of a draw and the psychological shift will be massive. Brentford aside we've actually looked like scoring the odd goal in most games since Selles took over and that may be the key to get us over the line. Alcarez, Walcott, a little spurt from Adams (we can hope), JWP to keep doing JWP things ... The only game I would write off is Arsenal away. CIty at home is almost in that camp but we've shown this season we can pull off a result against them - albeit the cup game they had made several changes. Away at the Amex could be tricky but it may be a non event for Brighton by that point and a credible draw or a sneaky win isn't entirely out of the question. As ever it's the hope that kills you but results like today keep suckering me back in to believing we could just pull it off.

First win blatant pen. Second one? They're both at it! Stupid as you like from DCC but a bizarre decision from the ref.

Gallardo is certainly a manager with an exciting reputation. Probably unattainable but certainly worth a discussion and a chance to 'sell the vision' (whatever that currently is!)

Can Jones get through a single presser without being a complete cock?!? Honestly I didn't expect him to be able to perform miracles but we look beyond inept. It doesn't say much about him if he has been letting others dictate style of play, personnel or tactics be that the club or the fans. I would be gobsmacked if as part of the interview process he did not explicitly give an overview of how he planned to get the best of the squad and what recruitment he felt was necessary - any decent coach would. We're a long way from Poch, Koeman and bugger me but even Puel had a plan - dull as it may have been. If we want to scrabble for silver linings today at least we shouldn't be ransacked if we do drop. Some of our players stock must be plummeting. How many of our players based on the way they are currently playing would have many suitors? KWP? JWP? Somebody who thinks they can get the best out of Salisu? (I rate him highly but he's regressed and the carousel of CB pairings can't help) ABK who has looked good in flashes? Adams maybe to a side who will play two up top? Lavia for less than Chelsea bid in the summer? I could see some of those going but beyond that I can't see many vultures circling.

Embarrassingly fucking easy that goal. Pressure on the ball? Challenging a man? Having anything resembling a shape? Forget it. Brentford hold up such a mirror to the clusterfuck that is our club. No stars but a clear plan on the pitch and off it executed well.

Hard watch. Not the first f*cking clue what the plan is out there. All for giving managers time but I can't see what Jones has added. He makes it so hard to warm to him and isn't getting the results/performances to warrant some of the nonsense he peddles in his pressers. We're running out of games to put points on the board yet lining up with Janny B, Ely and Diallo in our 'best XI' - right now it looks like we're going down without a whimper. Surely the CIty game was a template?

Jones isn't doing himself too many favours. We almost exclusively churn out dross playing with five at the back, there seems to be a myth that it is a more solid formation but we always seem to lose the midfield and then the backline is pulled apart far too easily. Newcastle are largely well drilled and have clear patterns of play with sprinkles of top quality (Saudi blood money goes a long way) and if honest I didn't expect a result. Those on the pitch worth a mention: Bree a bit jekyll and hyde. Luton fans said he could attack but was iffy defending, probably about right. Good to see Adams score, we all know he is a confidence player so let's hope this is the start of a streak. Armstrong, works hard, harries but Blackburn fans told us he needed five chances to score one goal - they were right. Diallo isn't up to this level. I don't rate him. He's had a handful of good performances but is mostly a passenger. On their end how Bruno had the bollocks to whinge that he hadn't even fouled Edozie was bizarre. A stupid tackle and righty a red intentional or not.

I think we were obviously interested if you believe Jacob Tanswell - to be fair he's pretty reliable. We started off wanting a loan with an option which sounds sensible for a fairly raw player without much experience in top leagues let alone English football. It reads that Villareal wanted a permanent deal therefore we had a price point over which we didn't want to go. I've posted similar but only time will tell if we were right to stick to our guns. Fwiw I would rather see us break the back for a centre forward as we create chances but lack a clinical edge. I don't see Jackson as that player.

Just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be. Negotiating isn't 'pissing around'. We may have got this wrong, we may not - time will tell. Let's say we set a spend limit on a wide forward because we want to put the budget towards a proper striker, Beto has been mooted at £30mil which is well above our record fee. Legit know next to f*ck all about Jackson. Bournemouth's new owner has come in and they've spent £40mil + on two wide forwards without any experience in the league - they may take it by storm, they may flop, they may just bumble along or take 6 months + to settle in.

I've never seen Jackson play and his record wasn't all that impressive relative to the mooted price tag. I think the meltdown is premature until the end of the window at least.

Not at all. Not sure if it says more about my opinions or our current attacking talent to be fair...

I don't mind early balls over the top in principle to vary play but neither Ely or Adams have much in the way of pace so it doesn't seem to suit. Much prefer Adams in a proper two up top with somebody with pace (AA?) off him.

Agreed. I'm trying to be very que sera sera about it. If we go down we've rode our luck one too many times and I'm less worried about SR letting the club implode that I was under Gao. If we stay up it will be great escape style and by god they are good rides! Weghorst was an odd one, he looked a great fit for Burnley at the start and I thought they'd played a blinder only for him to fade away. A quick google shows he is averaging almost a goal every other game albeit in a lower standard league. The way Jones has us set up he could well do a job for us! I still look back with longing to the days of Lambert/Pelle with quality buzzing around them and linking with them.

Certainly possible. Either way it reminds me a little of Burnley getting Weghorst and in that I would be surprised to see him turn out for us in the championship. In fairness I know sod all about his character, motivation etc. I'm making assumptions based on his stature/career phase.

I'd be gobsmacked if he didn't to be fair!

Indifferent on Wan Bissaka but that would be a really sensible window and you would think would very much improve our chances of survivial.

Even if if rescue this one at the death I feel we have stopped progressing under Ralph and it's the end of a cycle. The squad isn't perfect, we all know it, but we've looked dross against Everton, Villa and Wolves - none of whom are up to much this season. I honestly can't see what the plan is anymore - it's pure speculation but I think the body language of some players suggests they don't either. Ralph doesn't deserve some of the derision and abuse he gets but I would be surprised if Sports Republic aren't actively exploring other options. I'm never a fan of change for change sake (see Watford) but things have gone stale for far too long and it seems that despite new coaches and players nothing much has changed since our dreadful run in last year. We are a hard watch most weeks and I'm not convinced we couldn't be doing better with a different coach at the helm.

You're not wrong but I don't think it's a particularly controversial statement. The club clearly wanted another forward and we seemed to be willing to commit good funds to the right player. It didn't come off but we're clearly a better side than last year and should have enough about us to do okay this year. I think 99% of the forum agree - another forward would have been ideal. The only split I see if those trying to take a more circumspect view of us as a 'work in progress' and those who feel that the club have dropped a major boll*ck and should be hung up (with a few shades in between). On another day we'd have taken something from this one and we didn't do loads wrong. Che should have had at least one though he has had a fairly bright start to the season. We have a few options albeit the likes of Mara and Edozie are very raw.

I'm going to sound very bitter because they keep beating us but f*ck me Wolves are boring to watch!