UpweySaint

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!

Game of opinions. I think after the first one he should make some effort to get his arms out of the way, for me he keeps them up and affects the play directly. The handball rule is clear as mud these days but I think you if that happened across the weekend in several games it would be given in most.

Seconded! Bizarre decision. He basically juggles the ball with his arms. Even if you don't give the first touch as 'accidental' there are three.

I didn't watch much of preseason so thanks for sharing that, good to know it's a consistent theme and not a one off. Whatever has prompted the change it feels like a real positive that there are potentially multiple voices to share legitimate expertise.

Take the point but something I noticed was the coaching staff collectively were discussing what to do. Selles looked like he was giving advice. We can't know what goes on in these discussions but I think 99% of us have been crying out for a coaching team to actively support Ralph during games it it looks like that may have been the case today.