sadoldgit

They were saying this on Talksport last night. Goughie was suggesting that you need a larger squad to constantly cope with a high pressing game. With all the injuries and suspensions we have had it has left us exposed. Being overly reliant on Pelle hasn't helped either.

Dear God. is it just me but do the contestants get worse each year? How the smug, back stabbing Mark has made the final I don't know. The business plans of all of the candidates last night were rubbish. Surely the candidates have their business plans at least looked at when they apply? This is also the programme that launched the talentless harpie Katie Hopkins to the World. Whilst I am at it, get rid of Karen Brady and bring back Margaret! She says more with a raised eyebrow than Brady has in all the time she has been on the show. Rant over. Oh and it should say The Apprentice 2014

It was in the Echo the other day too.

Even with the changes we should have had enough about us to win that game. Perhaps the players thought they just needed to turn up but they need to have a look at themselves today.

It does. We def need some more quality come January!!!

B@stards!!! Why do that to us?

Yeah, good call. That was trauma inducing!

We dominated Manchester United and did well against Arsenal. I haven't seen all of the stats but we seem to have the same amount of possession we had last year too. Winning games when you don't play well is what the top teams do and what United did against us. We just don't have the depth of squad to continue playing the way we play all season as Poch found out too. For the first time RK is coming under the microscope. He needs to take a breath and regroup. I still think we have had an excellent season and am not going to start wetting the bed over two poor matches. If things are still cr*p come the end of January though I may invest in some rubber sheets

But he is good going forward so why not? Okay, it didn't work this time but it is hardly asking him to do something he doesn't know how to do.

There is a difference to be unlucky and to playing crap. Just look at QPR. To me we have only had two really poor performances this season - last night and against City. We are not 5th because we have been lucky. We have been a good side. Yes we need to score more goals but you could say the same about Pochettinos sides. Adkins teams scored goals but also conceded. We haven't got the balance right yet but I would rather be us than any of the teams below us.

I am not saying we didn't gift the game to United but would you agree that we were by far the better footballing side that night?

But what is a natural position? Wayne Bridge was a wing back before he was moved (was it Dave Jones?) to left back. Ashley Cole also played further forward in his early career. Bale was a left back before he was pushed forward. Both Bertrand and Clyne get forward and there is no reason why they can't adopt.

I expected Jose to be third choice CH this season but fair play to him, he has upped his game and has been a worthy captain. He is always capable of a rash challenge in the area and that worries me but then many CHs do too. This is a marathon not a sprint and the team have hit a wall. Give them a break.

Let's face it, if someone had offered us 5th running up to Xmas after the summer we had we would have bitten their hand off. If the losses had been spread through the season we would also be ok now. We had an amazing run of wins that was never going to continue and we have had a run of losses which will also come to an end. This season has surpassed anything I had expected at the start so to start slagging off Koeman or finding players to be scapegoats is ridiculous.

We outplayed United and were decent against Arsenal you are right.

Good to see Homeland tackle this very issue at the moment.

Either way to be 2nd for so long means that we haven't been entirely useless so far this season.

Yet were are still 5th. Go figure?

Why? We need to move forwards not backwards.

Last night was poor and City did a number on us but other than that we have been a decent side so far this season and well worthy of a top 6 place.

Ditto, A very informative post.

I think that RK should have shaked Cloughs hand but by all accounts the Sheff United benches behaviour was appalling all night. They had one guy sent to the stands and were constantly questioning decisions and trying to get our players sent off.

Just recently I saw RK criticised for not playing Targett and pushing Bertrand forward. Now he is criticised for doing just that. RK wasn't the best manager in the world when we were 2nd and he isn't the worst now we have lost several games on the trot. We have done well to get where we are but were always going to struggle with injuries and suspensions. The real work starts now.

Good take Wurzel. I feel a bit short changed when writers have various different endings in mind but I guess that is TV for you. If it had been a book adaptation there would have been one ending and that was it. Still can't get over all the time I invested in The Sopranos only to get the black screen at the end....argh!!!!!!