saintwbu

On Tuesday night we started with 10 senior players (Tella the 11th player) and had 5 on the bench. We had 5 senior players (counting Smallbone and Obafemi as they’ve been in the senior squad for a while now) out injured. How many senior players would a team like us, who don’t play in Europe, be expected to have sitting around outside of the squad incase of an injury crisis? I think our ‘lack of depth’ is overblown. We’ve brought in 5 players since the summer window, and only lost Hojbjerg of note. We are in a freak injury crisis, the likes of which we’ve never seen before and probably won’t ever see again. a back up full back who can play both sides is the only area I would say has been neglected, elsewhere we’re suitably stocked.

I didn’t say he was today. But the original post said ‘keeps up these performances’ which suggests he has been poor in games beyond today, which just isn’t true. The midfield was very condensed today because weren’t as expansive as normal, and it showed, we gave the ball away a lot.

Djenepo was brilliant, i think he gets a tough time on here when so often he seems to be Ralph’s go-to utility man. Often puts a real shift in for the team when i’m sure he’d much rather be attacking further up the pitch. Really pleased for him today. Salisu also very good, dare I say it, we’ve made two good signings in the summer? 😮

What’re you talking about? He’s been one of our only decent performers recently

Ah well that explains it then.

Ah okay. Makes sense because it seemed weird Ralph didn’t include him in that game, which would’ve suggested maybe he’d lost faith in him which would’ve been a shame.

Shouldn’t Jankewitz still be suspended? Didn’t think the ban applied in the FA Cup? If so it’s only the third game since he got the red card...

I was watching the highlights of the second leg league cup final at Anfield the other day. Redmond was absolutely brilliant over both legs, tore them apart. It’s clearly in there, but he often seems scared and lacking confidence. Really hope he can find it again.

Are we scared of the rain? We are absolutely terrible when it’s raining

Ings has been really poor, slowing everything and misplacing everything

two own goals for Bednarek in successive games, both Stephens fault probably

Teflon Jan all at sea for the goal, typical Stephens!!!

Haha it must’ve autocorrected! ffs

He doesn’t need to apologise. Only one player has said a word since Tuesday night - Kayne Ramsey. He’s posted a great bit on Instagram protecting his mate and slaughtering the deplorable abuse he’s received. The youngest kid in the team apart from Jankewitz himself, putting his neck on the line for his teammate and standing up for him. I hope we see more of them both.

Fulham had a red card reviewed and given by VAR against Newcastle, only for it to be overturned after the game. It’d be truly quite astonishing if within one season we saw two red cards given in real time by a referee, reviewed by VAR, and upheld by the referee on second viewing, only for it to be overturned. What an absolutely horrifying reflection of the officiating standards in the Premier League.

I remember him sending off Redmond against Spurs a few seasons back and giving a penalty when it was outside the box I think? Every single time we have him we seem to get something hugely contentious given. Bizarre bloke.

McGoldrick was a player I was thinking of actually, and more referring to the likes of Lloyd James, Simon Gillett, Matt Patterson etc - I wonder if they’d have made it to the top level had they been brought through in better circumstances, McGoldrick is finally there at 33. I don’t fault him for wanting to play either, there’s been a wave of youngsters giving up Premier League football to go abroad and get games earlier (Sancho being one of the first) which I think is great, I more just mean that all of that then leading to last night just adds to the reaction from our fans so I hope he can take it and grow from it.

If we appeal the red card does the ban get delayed? Is that still a thing? We can afford to lose him next week but we’re fucked this week.

Really feel for the lad - he’ll never forget this, a weak mind would also probably never recover from it, but hopefully he’s got the mental strength for it. I often think about the careers of the youngsters who came through under Poortvleit, and if they’d have had better careers under different circumstances. Whilst this is completely of own doing, it’s the sort of thing that can completely divert career trajectory. Tonight was all set up for him to establish himself on the big stage away to a title challenger, dominate his opposite number live on TV and become an overnight star, with plenty more game time being available short term to show he should really be competing for a starting place. He established himself alright, but in the worst way possible - will he ever play for us again? He won’t be back before the injured CM’s are, and maybe the club will let him go in the summer as per his request. Without wanting to be overdramatic, his whole career path could have just changed on the back of 5 seconds of madness tonight. I hope when the anger of most passes in the morning, they’ll take a softer view on the kid, as the abuse i’ve seen so far is horrendous and more befitting a bigger club full of global twitter fans, and it’s not nice to see at all.

Positives: Maybe clubs will be put off Ralph Maybe clubs will be put off Ings Its happened before so it doesn’t feel anywhere near as bad as it could do We won’t have to hear about the Leicester game much anymore...

I do have to question how a manager can allow his team to get beat 9-0 twice. Once was obviously bad but a culmination of a long period of deterioration. Why can’t he park the bus like other managers? The officiating was, yet again, an absolute scandal. Some bank accounts need checking at this rate.

Happy he’s playing Ramsay - no point shuffling players out of position when we have a RB, even if he’s not up to it. Plenty of average players can have good games, it’s maintaining that level that’s their problem. Excited to see Jankewitz.

Think he’s ineligible due to signing after 12pm yesterday

I hope he just chucks Ramsay in there, if he’s the backup RB. No square pegs, we can then be strong everywhere else.

We currently have 2 senior, experienced GK’s, 4 senior CB’s, 2 quality full backs, 3 good quality CM’s, 5 senior attacking midfielders, plus two senior strikers. Beyond that we also have N’Lundulu, Obafemi, Tella, Jankewitz, arguably Caleb Watts too, all regarded as first team squad players to all fill in where required. I’m not sure how much depth people actually expect from a team in two competitions?! We are in the midst of an absolutely freak injury crisis, and we’re still fielding a full senior 11 - I doubt most clubs outside the top 8 could manage that. We clearly tried to get a backup fullback, but AMN wanted to play CM so turned us down, Ole wouldn’t let Williams go, Liverpool wouldn’t let Neco Williams go. So instead of saying ‘oh well, we tried but never mind’ and saving the pennies, we’ve just gone and signed an attacking player that all of this forum would’ve been absolutely creaming their pants over had he signed for us directly from Salzburg. Strange place at times, this place.