Vancouver Saint

Confess I gave us no chance when I saw the line-up...six changes, Long, Valery...no Romeu...thought RH was rotating the squad to give us a better chance against Newcastle. Thought that was a massive performance from the whole team. Salisu will hopefully learn from that...he was almost certainly told to 'get up their backsides'...and it worked a treat for 40 minutes...he needed to take something off after the first yellow. Earned ur luck as Wrighty just said.

What? Are we watching the same game? Think he' s done pretty well. My problem is not this game but Brentford now without Salisu and no centre back replacement if Lyanco and Stephens out.

Can't believe we won a game (and away from home)! Was totally psyched for the equaliser in extra time (and probably the winner from them knowing us) so surprised and happy we hung on to win. Feared the worst when I saw the lineup. Thought we should have subbed much much earlier to put some energy back into the midfield...was thinking the worst again...why are we waiting to go behind before changing things? Broja won that for us - total class act when he's up for it. Salisu great. Walcott worked hard, so did Redmond. Great first goal from Elyounoussi. Che Adams and S Armstrong back...Adam Armstrong fit for Tuesday...OMG, do you think we have a chance against Spurs? Foster has to learn how to catch the ball from corners...we will get exploited for punching out every time. I liked big hoofs up the park instead of playing out from the back and being dispossessed or giving the ball away in our own half.

Anyone else think Lewis should be given a chance ahead of Willy C? Willy was terrible against Arsenal - couldn't catch a corner, didn't move to save the second (although that was 80% the non-defending in front of him, better goalies might still have saved that header) gave away chances on poor distribution.. It strikes me that even third choice goalkeepers have to pass some kind of standard to earn a professional contract no? When is there ever a better opportunity than now to give him a chance to prove himself. Willy had the chance and failed to rise to the occasion (sorry, I will stop it...)

I see where you're coming from but I like Ralph because he wants to be front-foot, go-forward, look to win games - I'd rather see that than a Sam Allardyce 'park the bus' from the beginning of games (I still cannot believe people on here would rather see us become Sheffield Utd or West Brom). As we've proven with some terrific performances that short memories forget - we CAN do it - but not when you're missing key players in key areas. I get the 'one trick pony, change the playbook criticism'. I just think that the issue is not the bigger picture playbook strategy, but the lack of tactical flexibility to change it when required. This includes playing players out of position (KWP and Perraud should play with Tino rested or a power-sub higher up / sitting too deep in pathetic attempts to defend a one goal lead instead of attacking for a second goal / not changing it up in some games when you need a 'plan B' from the start...although he tried this a Liverpool and it backfired / general fitness and effort in second half of games / not buying a decent goalkeeper - which was my No.1 priority at the beginning of the season). I think the solution is not to fire Ralph but to hire a rotweiler defensive coach who will counter Ralph's soft approach with some real fear-driven bollocking to eliminate limp performances. We generally are better going forward than defending - so need to strengthen our defensive frailty and make us harder to beat.

This. Now we are really in trouble. Called the 0-3 loss today...very predictable. Lack of effort second half a really poor sign. High energy press first half formula is now transparent to all...we concede more on the counter than we score and have no stamina to compete in second halves of games. Now we have no strikers and no goalkeepers. WC clearly not an upgrade. Bright side? We need a new goalkeeper and now probably a new striker in the January window. Will we get them...don't make me laugh. Am a Ralph supporter and think 'careful what you wish for' to those who call for his head. But I confess it is no fun to watch games you know we have no chance to compete in and/or will predictably throw away.

0-3 or 0-4. Aubameyang will score a hatrick. Getting tired of watching games in which we really have little or no hope. Arsenal will be well up for it after losing their last two. Hope I'm wrong but really can't understand the optimism here with Romeu and Salisu out, a new goalkeeper old or new (although WC probably an upgrade he's not match fit...nor would Stephens be if he plays). Saints podcast pundits all had us losing this from 0-2 to 1-3.

OMG Christmas has come early for the punners - can we all stop playing with our Willys now? P.S. Is the rumour we only managed to get him so quickly because he's injured true?...eye injury apparently...he's a one-eyed monster.

UN-.F........ING BELIEVABLE! I have really lost my sense of humour...how the. F can Ralph be smiling after that shambolic defence of a lead with 11 v 10. HOW? HOW? Attack is the best form of defence - when will we learn. WHEN. Just not good enough. Now we lose to Arsenal with no Salisu or Romeu.

Hmmm, interesting - but that is just one week and midfield aerial battles from punts upfield...his headed goal for Leicester was his first headed goal out of the 70 or 80 he's scored apparently - says it all.

Is it right we haven't scored a goal from open play in the last 30 minutes of any game this season? Thought I heard that from a DAZN commentator on the Leicester game. There is definitely a second-half drop-off effect with us that every opposing manager must know. Is it a lack of fitness? Too energetic / exhausting high pressing early on in games (when we score most of our...very few....goals). If we could play two decent high=pressing halves of football we'd win. Think we'll edge Brighton 2-1. Armstrong and Adams playing on the ground (no point in high crosses unless Broja is up top).

Onwards. Early goal killed it - did others notice our win percentage chance was 2% after Liverpool's first goal! We needed Liverpool to be off their game and for us to play at the top of ours to get anything out of this - unfortunately they were on absolutely top form and pretty much everything fell for them. Their second goal would have been called back for handball if it were us - that's how it goes. Hindsight is a wonderful thing - I'm not afraid to admit I was happy to see our 'crazy' formation before kick-off - told me we were going to try to take it to them, yet still have five at the back if needed. So, it didn't work because we never got a chance to get settled - Bednarek got nutmegged for the first goal. Positives for me...we kept going. Lyanco looked good to me (don't get the criticism on here). Salisu solid. Perraut played well. Tella did well both going forwards and running back. We should have scored - Armstrong could/should have had a couple. Anyone who plays the game knows how difficult it is to maintain energy and drive when you know the game is lost - 3-0 down after half an hour and the game is gone. Broja, Adams and Armstrong together against lesser teams could be a winner.

Agree with all this. I'd give Forster a chance to pull off one of those special performances - McCarthy deserves to be dropped after those two weak goals against Norwich. We still need a new keeper. The game will be determined more by Liverhampton than us...if they turn up gung-ho we'll lose 0-3 or worse...if they have a Euro hangover, or just can't be bothered we might battle out a 0-0 draw. Would love to see us do a Watford all the same.

I said this before the start of the season. Can only think the contract situation with Forster blocked goalkeeping options? No excuse now. I have had time to settle about today's terrible second half performance and I'm still angry. Taking Adams off for Walcott was criminal...and Romeu the rock too...madness. Too many bad performances all round. But we let Norwich win a game we should have won comfortably. Worries me that these dropped points and lost momentum will cost us. Apparently the average end of season position is 2.6 places up or down from where you are after 11 games...so on this performance we'll be 16th.

OMG - that was terrible! I'm so angry. We've had some bad second halves but that has to be the worst ever. Some of our worst performances of the season. McCarthy terrible. Dialio terrible. KWP terrible. Walcott - seriously? Ralph - wtf were those substitutions...I get Broja for Elyenoussi who was also terrible...but Walcott, c'mon...take off Romeu? Lyanco is fine but why do that. When we knew we'd likely have control. of the ball why wouldn't you feature Redmond, S. Armstrong or Djenepo - some serious questions here about selection. TERRIBLE!

First goal will be huge. Think Norwich will be up for this and put high energy in to impress their new manager - hopefully we will more than match them and not be complacent. If we score first...then...add a second (yes, I know we don't do insurance goals)...I reckon that will be enough to put them back in their box.

Yes, you're right - that's what I meant.

Hmmm. Before the new manager thing I'd have said 0-3 or 1-4. Now I'm less certain. Let's see who comes back fit from the international break (with the chorus on this - waaaay too many bloody international breaks at the moment - not interested). Last game against Villa was revealing. Armstrong way off the pace. Livramento had his worst game by a mile - let's hope it was just a temporary blip. We missed Redmond's creativity whatever the Redmond-haters on here think. JWP...works hard but putting every corner into the 6-yard box is becoming predictable for opposition goalies (they've even rehearsed the quick boot up the park to take on Bednarek). KWP is good, Lyanco looks promising, Salisu a beast, Romeu a beast (but needs a fast, creative midfield counterpart..Dialio arguably better than JWP in this respect) A Amstrong looking sharp, Adams a grafter with an occasional worldlie in him but needs to score more, Broja a proper No. 10 and the most threatening of all I reckon. Elynoussi putting himself about a bit more, but I kinda feel is interchangeable with Djenepo. Feel / hope Walcott has one last hurrah run of goals and great form to give us. So it's more even than it should be. If we score first we should win, but if they do the crowd there are going to be right behind them and it will be much closer than it should be.

OMG that was TORTURE! Classic us...should've been out of sight at half-time...9 shots on goal 1 on target says it all... Looked very leggy second half. Can't understand why Ralph waited so long to sub Elynoussi off, although S Armstrong had one of his worst caemos and is still clearly not match fit. Even the DAZN commentator was saying Che Adams was tired with 20 minutes to go...and we were struggling to hold the ball up top - why on earth not bring Tella on and defend by attacking?! McCarthy man of the match - made a match-winning save at the end. Happy we got the points, but my goodness it's no surprise we seem to have mastered the formula for losing points from winning positions - giving teams that should be dead and buried hope.

Not sure how I feel after that. Writing this without reading thread to not be influenced by it. Exciting game. Can't help but feel that was two points dropped rather than one gained. Their second goal came at the exact wrong time and in exact wrong manner - am I the only one that thinks McCarthy should've done better? Burnley better than their league position suggest but so are we...all these draws are going to kill us if we can't convert them into wins. Redmond played well, but that mis...arrrgh! Mistake to start Walcott instead of S. Armstrong. Adams miles off the pace.

Phew...so happy we won that one! Had to work this morning so watched the replay on DAZN....had that 'seen this movie before' feel and I was just waiting for Leeds to score a flukey deflection with their first shot on target...or to equalize in extra time...so thankful that didn't happen. We were totally dominant. Broja and Salisu beasts...Romeu too...Redmond played really well...Tino always good but not his best game and looked spent after 75 mins. Important win and hopefully will push on from here. As commentators said we've had to work really hard for our points. We do need more goals, but I like our trio of Armstrong, Adams and Broja.

Very good balanced post. I only watched the second half and thought we played well until the red card changed the game. Yes we have challenges - top third goal chances and conversion being the main one - but Hasenhutl is not one of them. Everybody seems to discount we've played 4 of the top 5 clubs, 5 of the top 7... We've had two bad halves this season..Everton away first game second half and Wolves at home first half. Otherwise Ralph has generally managed the team well. The next run of games is hugely important so it's a real shame we won't have the consistency of JWP in those crucial games. But I'm interested to see how we do without him...

So what's the mood about no JWP for the next how many games?

My god, some short memories on here. Brilliant performance against City last week, relegated this! C'mon. Yes, it's very frustrating we just don't seem to play well at St Mary's or get the results we deserve. I saw two pretty even teams today, with us having the edge and the better chances, undone by a punt up the park, a poor bit of defending and a well-taken goal. End of.

Sooooo predictable - called it. Wolves smash and grab with a punt up the park. If we can keep fit and not lose confidence we will be fine...but some serious questions. Long? Seriously? You just know the media will be all the Raul Jimenez story (and good for him) but that was not the story of the game - their goalkeeper won them that match.