Forester

I said we needed seven points from the four games that started with Watford, and with our run in I still think that is the ask. So now six points from these next three games against Spurs, Brighton and WBA. Stranger things have happened but the most I can see is a point which puts huge pressure on those next two fixtures.

An excellent post, and reflected the conversation we were having at the time. When Deeney and Okaka came on to go direct and we have a third centre back on the bench and our most gifted attacking player to capitalise on the extra space MP did nothing. He seems a nice guy, sets us up well from the start and usually picks a lineup that reads sensibly. But he has a MASSIVE weakness in in-game management and at this level he gets outwitted by the quality of opposing managers. Examples over recent weeks include Wagner, Hodgson and Silva. Earlier in the season Dyche did the same

Firstly the positives. I said before the game that we must not lose and allow Watford to go 8 points clear and start to look safe. This was first of four games where I think we need seven points, so we now need six from next three games. We looked quick and positive first half, credit to Long for his role in both goals, and good finishes by JWP. Then the negatives. Again second half MP is out manoeuvred by a Premier League manager. This is a consistent theme. I felt we should have replaced a tiring Cedric with Bednarek to help Hoedt and Stephens counter Okaka and Deeney when they came on. Nothing. Then as Tadic and JWP struggled to regain the ball on rare counter attack I felt we needed Boufal. Nothing. We look soft against physical sides in centre back positions. We were the far end and it was hard to see the handball but in all honesty we hardly had a kick second half and Watford deserved their point. One last thing, that was the most insanely overcrowded concourse at half time. No one could move. Bloody dangerous

Cam I just check, as the dumb supporter alarm has gone off, you aren’t seriously suggesting that we should NOT put a wage cut in players contracts in event of relegation? Really? If so I will put you in touch with a couple of clubs called Pompey and Leeds for some advice.....

I can’t work out why so many would pick Gabby. Looks like he wants to be anywhere other than at Saints and a shadow of the player he was. Long played well at Fulham, scored against Palace, and has pace to exploit space behind deferenders away from home

Part of me is excited by prospect of fully fit Theo running at defences. However his injury track record alongside that of Austin leaves me concerned re shelling out a third of the VVD money on him. Would be a great loan signing but I sense Arsenal won’t play ball. Either way we need to bring in two strikers in January whether permanent or loan

For me this is the start of a four game run that will determine if we stay up. I think we need to target seven points from Watford, Spurs, Brighton and WBA. There is no evidence in our form that we will get them but I think it is what we need given nightmare run in to come. Watford have not been anything like the side that they were in the first three months of the year and I think we will get something there, hopefully a win but a draw if not. They are five points ahead of us and we can’t allow them to go eight points clear. In a depressing situation the only thing that is keeping me with some hope is that, right now, there are eleven teams in the battle. But lose on Saturday and I think that reduces to ten and Watford look safe

Have had a quick flick through the cyber warriors’ comments within seconds of the final whistle and as someone actually there I enjoyed my afternoon. A few thoughts, from someone who similarly worries that MP is not the right man but doesn’t want to be churlish: - he picked a decent team given injuries and prioritised winning the game. Fair play - fans were excellent, 4000 gave good encouragement. A few guys tried to spoil the atmosphere and got shouted down. Only moment of tension was when Hojberg was subbed to my surprise but Lemina actually did well when he came on - Romeu and Hojberg superb, well done back 4 including Jan out of position and Long worked his socks off - there seems to be a section of our fans that think Gabbi walks on water. However he is a shadow of the player that he was and looks like he wants to be elsewhere - We won away At a decent championship side. Look at other Premier League sides today who faired much worse. It’s good for confidence. Be happy for one weekend! Now we need to get 7 points from Watford, Spurs, Brighton and WBA. It will be tough but I think these next four games will be make or break

Would not choose a weakened side in our current position as wins breed confidence. Given injuries suggest McCarthy, Stephens, Bednarek, Yoshida, Bertrand, Romeu, Hojberg, Davis, Boufal, Long and Tadic.

Yes I think this is true. But let’s all remember that, heaven forbid, if we were to finish eighth it would apparently be considered failure. And if we topped that up with a cup final then it really would be curtains for the manager....

Yes good summary. I thought that in the first half the players largely won their individual battles on an awful night for football. I was hoping for the “ugly win” that often ends a losing run. Hodgson, seeing that we we just sitting back and waiting for counter attack, decided to take a player out of the congested midfield and go 433. I expected MP to react and bring on Bednarek and go three centre backs. What happened? Absolutely nothing. Palace bossed the second half and that was their third game in five days. I cannot believe we sacked a tactically astute, experienced manager in Puel and brought this guy in. Some of our thick fans who could not work out that the fag end of last season was unprecedented must be delighted with what they are seeing. I was there in the days of Branfoot etc. We WILL go down unless there is the biggest transfer window we have ever taken part in, change the manager, or both.

This is spot on. I am optimistic given Old Trafford result, and crucially we have the greatest advantage you could ask for in terms of Palace three games in five days. This is our chance to get ahead of the dreaded “point per match” ratio which is the absolute minimum needed to stay up. Failure to win would be very grim I fear given the makeup of our remaining home games...

Some limited changes to capitalise on leg weary Palace I think. 4231 with McCarthy, Pied, Hoedt, Yoshida, Bertrand, Romeu, Hojberg, Davis, JWP, Tadic, Boufal. Hit them with Long, Redmond as second half goes on. Stephens doesn’t deserve to be dropped per se, but think we need overlapping fullbacks

Thought long and hard before driving up yesterday having been full of cold and seen so many disappointments of late, notably Wembley. Just goes to show why we love football so much and you can never tell! A few thoughts: - haven’t seen it on TV yet but we all thought it was handball at the time down our end! - Good to see the passion/anger between Yoshida and Hoedt when Lukaku got between them for the header. We need to see this much more -thought that apart from that one moment both centre backs, Romeo and Hojberg were excellent base backed up by hard work from JWP, Tadic and Boufal. Boufal really looks a class player -after a nervous start with distribution, McCarthy settled well - unlike Wembley when frustration boiled over, the fans were positive and supportive from minute 1 -my disappointment was with Lamina and Gabbi who were woeful when they came on. Their only remit was to use energy, win the ball and retain it to wind the clock down, but this seemed beyond them. What on earth has happened to them? - finally my daughter thought that Redmond bug*ered off down the tunnel rather than join his team mates in thanking the fans at the end. Any one else confirm? Tuesday is massive.... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

As has been picked up on earlier, Palace match is a great opportunity as it is their third game in five days. Last year it was our misfortune to have the worst Xmas schedule, yet another thing that made it a weird season upon which to make any judgements. So would pick a team for this with an eye to the Palace game: 3-5-2 with Forster, Stephens, Hoedt, Yoshida, McQueen, Pied, Hojberg, Davis, JWP, Sims, Tadic

While still a majority want him gone, interesting to see its more even than the poll on MP which is almost universal in wanting him out. In my opinion Puel was a perfectly sensible appointment, did a good job with very different circumstances. And if you take the big picture Les has presided over four consecutive years of top 8 finish, two seasons of European football and a cup final. For a club of our size that is a good record. He has been instrumental in a number of very good signings over the years. I think he is in the dock on two grounds, the failure to replace Pelle and Mane adequately and the decision to sack Puel. Puel should have been backed in the summer, the malcontents shipped out (like VVD) and a tall target man signed. So in my opinion he has had a poor six months. Let’s see if he recovers in January window....

Yes I rate him and would be very supportive in a summer switch. I am worried about a relegation battle and a young inexperienced manager, so timing not great, but perhaps a gamble worth taking. No guarantee that Derby would agree to talks of course, regardless of compensation.

Can’t believe some are moaning about this. £75 million, world record, is great business and may help attract a good replacement soon with a war chest for MP replacement. I hate seeing good players move on but he hasn’t been the same player this season as we all know.

Romeu was on record as being a fantastic supported of Puel, said he breather confidence in him and we had a good level of security in front of our back four last season, including the bore draws at the fag end of a long season in May. This is one of many, many things that have gone backwards despite hours of uninterrupted coaching time following the Wolves Reserves fiasco

I know Nick it is hard work getting it into thick skulls. As I trooped out today having shipped five goals, and contemplated the long journey coming up Saturday, I looked back longingly to the 4 goals at both Sunderland and Watford, the 3 goals at Wet Spam and Bournemouth, the wins at Boro and West Brom and, most enjoyable of all, the wins at Anfield and Emirates en route to Wembley. This season we have won on the road just once, 1-0 at Palace who at that time had yet to score a goal all season back then. Still, if the three dull May home games never to be repeated was too much for some of our headbangers to cope with, I guess it’s is all too much....

This is a very good post. I am dreading the long drive north on Saturday. Not sure how much came across on TV but the booing of Redmond was widespread, not just vocal minority, and the chant of “sacked in the morning” again had mass support. For those who travel to games we enjoyed good trips under Puel, 4 at Watford and Sunderland, 3 at Bournemouth and Wet Spam, wins at WBA, Boro, and of course fantastic wins in the League Cup at Arsenal and Liverpool. Previous season under RK wins at Chelsea, Spurs, Man Utd etc. This season we have one away win, and the away fans are absolutely low as a snakes belly. Putting money and time in and minimum expectation is commitment. Currently I don’t see that commitment from too many. Redmond backing out of tackles, Lamina a shadow of his former self. The historically poor decision to fire Puel was explained by some (albeit not those who know) as having lost the dressing room. So how are those precious wallflowers who didn’t like him getting on now? We are sleepwalking to relegation under MP and he needs to go tonight.

No they weren’t, but they did see the Leicester debacle

This is a very good post. We have won only one game away all season, against a Palace side that at that time had failed to score a goal this season. The other three wins at home were against 10 man Wet Spam (stoppage time penalty having been outplayed second half), 1-0 against WBA thanks to Boufal late magic and beating the most demotivated Everton side you could imagine. Throw in the humiliation to Wolves Reserves and it’s massive deterioration from the very competent Puel even if he wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I will be amazed if we aren’t stuck on 19 points after 21 games and that is relegation form. A reminder that because of Wet Spam switch of venue we have majority of games away in second half of season. Time to pull the trigger on MP

I think that we will retain until the summer, unless there has been a big hissy fit behind the scenes which we wouldn’t know about

t I confess to once turning up wanting us to lose for this very reason, and it was Steve Wigley. Got my wish that he was sacked, but sadly we still went down! While we were in a worse position league table wise there are some uncomfortable parallels as that season we wasted a lot of very winnable home games before Xmas. While Harry had his faults for sure, the team he put together was much stronger after January but we had left things to late. So since then I vowed to be careful what you wish for!