Hopkins

Boyd and Maclean over Barnard, Connolly and Guly any day of the week for me.

Do you have anything to back that up or is it just a sweeping statement made in an attempt to sound like you know what your on about? Seriously, anything to present that shows AP being undermined by his coaching staff, or anything to show that the coaches lack ideas beyond 3rd division football (which just so you know is exactly where we are).? You worked with them? You been in and amongst there coaching sessions, tactical and coaching meetings? You picked any of the brains involved? You surely must have something to come to a conclusion like that....

433 when we attacked. 451 when we defended. Always annoys me when people are stuck in the past and assume 433 means 3 strikers. A modern day 433 includes two wingers who track back when off the ball. Infact if anything, Chaplow and Morgan took it in terms to bomb forward and get in and around a hapless Lambert, so it became 4 2 4 at times when we attacked.

3 stupid lapses in concentration cost us today. Formation wasn't too bad for me, the idea was good and to be fair, especially 2nd half we dominated with it and the majority of the first half (although without the tempo that we had at times in the 2nd). But 3 silly goals given away and were fooked. Annoying really. Lambert was utter tosh by the way. 451 is fine, if we have a stiker who is in form, but one that looks totally lost of any confidence and touch is of no use to us in a 451 situation.

Whats the deal with these tickets? How many can I get with 2 season tickets and how much will they cost? Also can someone get a ticket if they don't have a customer number to use? Cheers

Which in itself can be argued is unrealistic and could open up arguments about coaching vs natural talent etc.

Mark Dennis ffs.

Anybody questioned Lallana having less flair than Puncheon and the same as Lambert? Lambert is probably one of our least flair players.

Morgan so underrated its horrible. Love the idea that bringing the ball down, taking a touch, creating some space, playing a short pass and essentially keeping the ball is easy to find in this league. We could have Wotton coming in and ****ting himself every time he gets the ball. Lets berate the one of the very few players in this league and in our team who actually looks composed and comfortable on the football and who knows when to play a simple pass and also knows when to switch it up and ping it to a winger. Baffling. Composure is something that is hard to find in this league and he suits Hammond or Chaplow as a partner as they both want to hassle everything and do everything at such a high tempo. Morgan's brings a calmness to our play and without him or someone willing to play a simple pass we'd end up playing even more long balls and even more balls into the channels. Take any team in the world, well any decent team, and they have a deep lying player in the centre of midfield who is the simple, composed, effective midfielder. **** the lack of goals, he brings alot more to the team than that. Busquets for Barca, Mikel for Chelsea, Alonso and Sami Khedira for Madrid, Spain and Germany, the list is endless. It's probably the most underrated role in football today and yet probably one of the most important. Morgan is our League One version. I point you to this article regarding deep lying centre midfielders. http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/07/30/central-midfield-role/

Eh? Lower expectations of this lower league? I'm sorry, but as much as I don't mind Puncheon, to say that he's having adapt to a lower league is just wrong. When has he performed and excelled in a higher league? He got let go from Plymouth and has played most of his Career for MK Dons in this league and Barnet in a lower league. Don't let facts get in the way of a dig though. Especially one that results in an epic fail.

Lol@TheRooneyHate. I don't care who you are or what line of business you are in, if your rivals had a quiet word in your ear about doubling your wages, you'd turn round and mention it to your current employers and tell them your doing one if they don't match it. Rooney ain't the first or last player to accept the money thrown his way. Players are certainly not any kind of problem with football today.

Forgot to check back at my reply. Bugger

Keeps telling me the number is busy. Sign of them gone?

Love Pilkington. Slightly gutted that everyone will know about him now, used to be an amazing feeling finding someone who knew of his genius.

LOL@ People thinking Crosby will play. Utter morons. HAHAHAHAHHAHA Amazing.

I'm sorry but this simply isn't true. Not least the comment about them being the weak link in tight games. Antonio for example was the difference in a very tight game at St Marys against Charlton, where we one 1-0 and Antonio scored it. His pace and power was the difference that day along with a blinder from Kelvin. Towards the end of the season Antonio was alot more than an impact player, he was starting games ahead of Barnard, especially big games, home and away, and either playing upfront or wide right while Puncheon played just behind Lambert. I'd love for you to point out these tight games where he was a weak link...because I can go through his end of season run and show you what an important role he played the better he became. Waigo yes was an impact player, however to lose someone that had his impact, along with Antonio, means we have become one dimensional, and except for a 17yr old, we have no pace or another option. Especially so on the right side. Obviously we don't know what would have happened if they had been around, but certainly at home, we'd have different options to come on, and in Lallana's absence players like Antonio would have been ideal in games against Rochdale and Orient, where we simply lacked any pace, variety or unpredictability (Which you seem to make out as a flaw, but for me, is a fantastic option to have for any team.)

That is dated the 9th of September chap. Have a look before you make a tool of yourself.

Where you getting all that from btw?

Oh brilliant. So you don't think having some sort of tactical know how is needed? Some new ideas as a coach and a manager? He can't manage off his reputation. He tried that at Newcastle and failed miserably, with a squad that at the time should have stayed up. He doesn't bring anything else to the table other than his reputation, and certainly doesn't impress me as an energetic coach willing to work with players and improve them and nor has any of his punditry ever led me to believe he knows anything about world football or any tactical expertise. He'd be the worst appointment for anyone, let alone us.

Chuffed. Decent record, good reputation of the football played at S****horpe. He won't come in wanting to change everything like a top name probably would. Don't know too much about this but he always striked me as someone who's a bit of a maverick and I'd suspect that side of him shows in the way his teams play, so he'll be willing to change and try different things tactically (especially at home, where we have always been stuck for a plan b). From his record (how long he's been at certain placeS) I doubt he'd leave a pretty tied down job to something that could be considered a huge risk, so I'd imagine he's willing to come here for the long term and work with the academy etc. Fits the bill imo. Didn't want a big name like O'Neill or Keegan because they'd both use there reputations to throw there weight around, which would ultimately cause problems with Cortese again (which whether we like him or not, we have to get used to the fact that he's overlooking everything).

What is the deal with his season ticket situation btw?

Or Shearer? Which is literally my worst nightmare.

The BBC didn't mention a "wow factor" at any point. They said it would be an appointment which would show fans that Cortese knows what he is doing. Adkins would show this imo. He's proven at this level and he's young and probably looking to improve himself not just our team. My personal problem with appointing a " big name" would be they'd come here set in there ways and be pretty stubborn with it. Which is all well and good in the short team and could lead to success but in the long term could cause problems, especially if things arn't working and with Cortese. I'd rather a young manager came here, willing to learn and try new things, be brave and experimental and for this to show in our play, as well as being successful. Howe or Adkins would be willing to grow with the team as we progress, i'm not overly sure an O Neil would. Plus with a big name, say O Neil (not that I believe it would be him), would be up for every job in the prem and England if they get rid of Capello any time soon and also Forest when they get rid of Davies later this year. It wouldn't be the most long term option and certainly wouldn't scream stability. I'd rather a manager came here, with something to prove and willing to look at us long term as a club he'd like to mould and take into the Prem, than someone we'd all be worrying would jump ship at the first sign of bad times.

Martinez is probably one of the most secure managers in the Prem right now. You just need to know a little history of his relationship with Wigan and listen to Whealen speak to realise that there relationship and trust in each other is as strong as anyones in the Prem. Nor would it be Holloway who has regularly lol'd at the rumours in the papers about his position and i'm pretty sure wouldn't fancy throwing away a chance to manage in the prem for an unstable League One job. If anyone it would be MacDonald.

A 4-0 win against the worst team in the group is just papering over the cracks tbf. 442 just a terrible idea, made even more terrible by expecting Gerrard to play in it, disciplined. Against a top team, an England side with Gerrard in a 442 will get ruined. In fact against a top team England will get ruined. 442 or not. Still a decent win, but much much more tougher games to come and actually nothing solved last night. Still playing 442. Still battering poor teams but as soon as a team with some quality and or discipline, we'll be asked much tougher questions.