SKD

2 up front (Austin and Gabby) with Boufal in behind them, please. I’m guessing it’ll be: FF CS VVD MY RB OR ML SL DT SB MG

Surprisingly I find myself agreeing with you on this one.

Always and Pamplemousse, so no one with any real understanding of the game.

We should have taken Silva when we had the chance as many (pretty much all other than idiots like always, who couldn’t see past the fact he’d just been relegated) on here said......

But you’re forgetting that Les wants us to play 4-3-3 with slow possession based build up play. Unfortunelty there is no room for a player with Boufal’s flair in that system, he just gives the ball away too much (trying to create things, which is exactly what we need).

Spot on. If you look at the form from the back end of last season (+ all the players who wanted Puel out) we would have been in a worse position than we are this season, in sure of it. But let D!ckhunter continue to try and persuade everyone that Puel is the best thing since sliced bread. Our troubles are more deep rooted than just the manager... Unfortuntely Glasgow is right, we need a clear out starting at the top with Reed and Wilson.

He needs to realise that possession based football doesn’t win matches. 2 mangerial appointments with the same philosophy......

If he doesn’t start 2 up top and Boufal in the next game then I think I will agree. Looked much better when we went 442 and Boufal is so much better than Redmond.

Biggest thing for me is that we've just had the international weekend and I haven't missed and I'm not looking forward to Sunday, to the point where I probably wont go.

I would imagine that any England Fan intending to travel will apply for tickets through the FA / England supporters club, rather than through FIFA where you can get tickets for any game, for example Costa Rica vs Egypt in the middle of Siberia! That being said, I reckon England fan who wants a ticket, will get one for every England game.

It wouldn't surprise me if we changed formation and went with 2 up top very shortly. I know it's what the players want (to try at least) and the manager has said he has an 'open mind'. Interestingly I found out the other day that our wingers have been told to play high, pretty much as forwards, so we are basically playing 3 up front. The trouble is, those 3 currently starting haven't been up to the mark at the moment. If we persist with a front 3, I still want us to try Boufal, Austin / Long, Gabbi (give very little defensive duty) with a flat 3 behind behind them of OR ML SD.

NFL is ****** - I don't care how boring or disinterested I become in Saints / England, I'd rather watch the Skate week in week out than that sh!t.

Spot on, IMO. Our lack of goals is more than just needing a striker. Our wide men (who play fairly high and practically as forwards) offer little to nothing these days.

This is very very true, and which is in the main (IMO) the reason why we generally produce very poor British coaches. A lot of very good coaches get overlooked / can't get the relevant qualifications because they don't have experience in the professional game. Something the FA need to look at, if you ask me.

Lets also remember that Puel inherited a squad that's confidence/moral was at it's highest. MP has inherited one where it's the lowest it has been for a long, long time. I don't get the argument that we shouldn't have sacked Puel, because MP hasn't pulled up trees. It is completely possible (yet to be seen either way IMO) that Les made the incorrect decision in appointing MP. There were and is still better managers on the market then both Puel and MP. We were right to sack Puel, (possibly) wrong to appoint MP.

Which highlights exactly why we are sh!te in front of goal at the moment.

There has been just as many plane accidents as there has been goals at St Mary's this season. 2 accidents* & 2 goals (since July 2017) *credit Wiki

It's easy to remember that he came to us with a pretty serious injury and hasn't ever had a decent run of games to get fully up to speed. He is without a doubt our most creative player, who has the ability to do what no one else in the squad has (take a man on, create a chance / shot from nothing and shoot from outside the box). He needs to play. Put your arm round his shoulder, tell him you believe in him and give him a rum of 5-10 games to prove himself. He cannot be any worse than our current wide men are, who offer practically nothing. Tadic -- Gabbi -- Boufal as a front 3, with little defensive responsibility and the freedom to interchange and roam.

So, if we had brought in Silva and made the start that Watford had (other than the 6-0 drubbing to City, which realistically could happen to any team), who IMO we have a much better squad than, would this thread have started? I do agree that the club should have been certain they had a clear improvement lined up, which I believe they did in Tuchel however for one reason or another that didn't come off at a late stage. It is impossible to say how Puel would have started this season. Looking at the form at the back end of last year and the squads discontent, IMO it would have been no different, if not worse.

We were completely right to sack Puel. He lost the dressing room, the fans and the form / performances at the end of last season was dreadful. Also, lets not forget he was given the chance to change his philosophy, which he turned down. On the face of it, it looked very harsh to sack him and he done a very good job getting us to 8th, with the squad he had (He owes a massive thanks to the instant Impact of Gabbi for that!), but with all the other contributing factors, IMO the club made the correct decision. What was the wrong decision was putting all our eggs in the Tuchel basket, when it was pretty unrealistic, and turning down Silva. Silva is the man that should have replaced Puel, not Pellegrino. That being said, I think we are close to having a very good squad. We need to back him in January and get that creative forward we've been missing for a number of seasons.

Cheap, out of contract and happy to abide to Les Reeds demands.

Any idea on who is out of contract next year? Both ins (from other counties that we can nap) and outs. IMO we need replacements for Adams, Alsop, Ervine and White! Should have Rossouw back, which even though he wasn't great this year, is a plus. Think we are probably a fast bowler short as well as I'm not sure Topley is good enough for red ball cricket. 1. New 2. New 3. Rossouw 4. Vince 5. Bailey 6. Dawson 7. McManus 8. Berg 9. Abbott 10. Crane 11. New (Fast bowler, if not stick with Edwards, assuming he'll be back?)

Minimum of 30 odd overs left with 6 wickets in hand (needing 145 for the win) We're taking it to the wire - I just hope we start this session better than the last!!

56-4 Once again our top order fail with the bat.

They could have, yes, but that would have been no benefit to them. They are already down. As it currently stands, it looks like it will be between us and Middlesex (by the way, have you seen the wicket down in Taunton? To say it's a pitch to ensure are result is an understatement - wouldn't be surprised if a complaint come in from Middlesex....). Its in our hands, with 3 bowling points a draw is enough to keep us safe. If we go down, it will be (as it pretty much has been all season) due to our failures with the bat.