Forester

I agree on the general point, the club is a big business and needs a CEO focussed on all aspects not just the day to day playing stuff. But any Board member won’t enjoy turning up to meetings and being a lone voice defending the indefensible, and I think Ankersen will increasingly feel the heat if he was the loudest proponent for the appointment. At some point the Board will say enough is enough even if he is a lone voice backing Jones. And Ankersen will lose credibility and political capital the longer a crisis continues. Let’s all hope we go 2-0 up ten minutes into Saturday and somehow get a breath of fresh air all round. But very much hope over expectation

Yes agree with this. Having listened to the whole hour I think Jones is skating on thin ice with the Board, and would imagine that a poor result and performance saturday will be time up. Many fans may think that is too late, and that is fine, but I definitely did not get “full backing” vibes….

If Jones is still here, which I would be surprised by, I hope everyone ignores this circus and gets behind the team. The points are more important. I learned my lesson back in the day wanting us to lose to remove Wigley. Games are running out

Genuinely don’t think Marsch would be a bad appointment for us. He came in and kept Leeds up last season when they looked doomed. Then they sold their two star players in the summer, Phillips and Raphinha. They tend to have lost tight games, have had Bamford injured most of the season and have a pretty weak squad. I wanted Benitez, Cooper or Dyche back in the summer all of whom were achievable then. Rafa still is, I would add Marsch, Gerrard and Nuno as other Premier League experienced managers all out of work. Don’t think Lampard would be credible.

Genuinely don’t think Marsch would be a bad appointment for us. He came in and kept Leeds up last season when they looked doomed. Then they sold their two star players in the summer, Phillips and Raphinha. They tend to have lost tight games, have had Bamford injured most of the season and have a pretty weak squad. I wanted Benitez, Cooper or Dyche back in the summer all of whom were achievable then. Rafa still is, I would add Marsch, Gerrard and Nuno as other Premier League experienced managers all out of work. Don’t think Lampard would be credible.

Don’t think you have read the post, which I accept was long! Hint, it is in the second bullet!

Trying to be dispassionate about things isn’t easy. So here goes and am expecting some criticism! - what Jones diagnoses as the problem, and has been talking about since he came here, is absolute right. We HAVE been leaking goals like a sieve when the ball is crossed into our box for a long time, and we have lacked a cutting edge (“potency”) probably for two seasons now, exacerbated by entering this season with one fewer striker than we had even last year - Prior to this week against Newcastle and Brentford, I have seen no improvement in attacking play since Ralph. But I has witnessed an increase in work rate and better defensive organisation so that we had been averaging one goal conceded since Xmas, which should (and has) given us opportunities to win games in all competitions. I was giving Jones credit for seemingly beginning to fix two of the three problems. So while it wasn’t great watching, we were improving, we did beat three Premier League sides in a week, and it sounded and looked as if the players were behind him - I have absolutely no time for some of our so called “Premier League Stars” who have under performed for a long time under different managers, and in some cases show a demonstrable lack of work rate on the pitch and/or concentration level. And so pleasing players or “pandering” is not something he ever should have or should now feel the need to do. - However, I fear this week may have seen Jones literally pull out the pin of the grenade on his own top flight career. Given the defensive progress we were making, which was real, why change from back four up at Newcastle, including two players making their first appearance under him? - I think Jones deserves huge credit for a great job at Luton on a tiny budget, and people generally under rate how hard it is to succeed at that level. Championship manager of the year is rightly something he is proud of. And it was fair to point this out when appointed, and in particular when he faced questions about his modest background. But after having been at Saints for nearly three months you cannot keep on banging on about old war stories. It just pisses people off after a while, and in particular when you seek to hold yourself up above everyone else who you want and need to be loyal to you. - Whatever, and whoever, he was targeting his comments about yesterday was just a disaster. It was clearly deliberate, as with slightly different words he did the same in interviews with Solent, Match of the day, Sky and the written media. All this does is basically highlight splits and division in the club. Where has that ever been a wise strategy non any company, let alone football. So I will be surprised if he is still hear next weekend, but if he is we need fans to tune out of the soap opera and just support the team as stakes are too high

Well that was every bit as depressing as last trip to Brentford, which was the moment I felt Ralph was finished. We look so vulnerable to crosses in the box that you don’t have to play great football to beat us, just do the basics. The whole back four looks to have been destabilised these last two games by bringing in Bednarek and Bree, whereas we were starting to look competent at the back prior to this last week. I feel sorry for Edozie, at 20 he is so young to be played week in week out when he clearly isn’t up to being a consistent starter and the danger is his confidence will be shredded. I thought we lacked creativity and pace first half, and of all of the subs the one I actually think had more material impact was Theo. I would start to use him more, particularly in this situation where I think experience and mental strength is needed. The games are running out now and it is hard to see where these six or seven wins are going to come from

I don’t share the hate for Jones that many in here have. But I think it is a huge mistake for him not to be there. A genuine chance to engage and persuade. You will never win everyone over, at least not until you have success, but the quiet majority will often be persuadable. Poor decision

Voted for narrow survival. Leeds, Bournemouth and Everton are three I think we can finish above

A different way of looking at the Ayew transfer is if he was the second striker we sign, ie to add depth to that department but we get one of the other two in as first choice. I would be very happy with that!

I think we signed Pelle close to 29 from memory

You heard of injuries and suspensions? And never, for one minute of any match, want to play three centre backs? Who is playing right back at the moment?

The level of hysteria on here is insane.. First people slag off a player as not good enough, then up in arms when it looks like Bournemouth may get him. Which one is it? There could be many reasons he is going there, if he is. Firstly they aren’t rock bottom of the table! But it may be they are gambling and not inserting relegation clause in contract. Have a look at clubs that have done that in the past, Pompey, Leeds (fifteen years out of Premier League) etc etc. The reality is that we needed to sign at least one more striker in the summer and didn’t, and it will be massively difficult to do so now unless we are prepared to pay ludicrous money. Why would a top striker (as opposed to promising one but unproven) join the club bottom of the Premier League? We need to have a bit of self awareness. This is why I say that is we go down the Board and Ralph are accountable not Jones who arrived with us in bottom three. If he keeps us up he is a hero

I dont think this means ABK is more badly injured. Just sheer maths that, if on occasions, you want to play three at the back you realistically need five in squad to cover injuries and suspensions

There must be some very embarrassed people on this thread! Nothing has changed for me, which was to judge him at end of January albeit I never thought that would include two semi-finals. I think that there is no improvement in attacking patterns from Ralph, but there is huge improvement in two areas, namely defensive resolve and midfield work rate and organisation. That is why we are not shipping more than one goal per game, and he deserves massive credit for that. Players seem hugely supportive of him, which is a nice bonus but not the be all and end all.

Having witnessed many defeats up there that felt good! And great, passionate support from away fans from start to end with only one nob booing a misplaced pass after five minutes. Christ he must have felt stupid at the end. Highlights for me were: Lyanco (again) and DCC immense at the back JWP a constant attacking menace Superb centre forward performance from Adams second half holding up ball Good, sensible subs and formation change from Jones The key stat for me, which I endlessly bang on about on this forum, is we are averaging one goal conceded now over our last five games. While everyone focussed on needing a striker (and we certainly do, in case Adams gets injured) our four top eight finishes were all built around conceding less than 50 goals. Keeping this ratio going would mean we would get out of trouble

Ideally a win, but crucial we don’t lose as Everton would go six points clear of us. Baz Lyanco, DCC, Salisu, KWP Lavia, Diallo Djenepo, JWP, Armstrong (A) Adams I can’t believe I am proposing Diallo and Djenepo to start, but both were superb on Wednesday and am keen to keep things rolling. So one change for me which is Adams back for Mara

I think this journalist deserves the chance to show over time that he is in fact competent. Just like Jones………!

When you get a moment look up the difference between causation and correlation……

Willy KWP, Lyanco, DCC, Salisu, Perraud JWP, Lavia Djenepo, Adams, Armstrong (A) Not a Djenepo fan but him and Armstrong will both track back and help

Sticking to my assessment a couple of weeks ago, which is to call it no earlier than at end of January following the transfer window, the cup games and the Everton and Villa league matches. Any earlier is ridiculous.

First game I haven’t seen this season so reliant on radio commentary. However real fans will celebrate this rather than the “let’s lose to try to get Jones out” brigade. I learned that lesson two decades ago with Wigley! Positives seem to be: - Jones playing back four and it sounded pretty secure - only one goal per game conceded last two games, which if maintained until end of season would give us a real chance - work rate sounded good, so the towel definitely not being thrown in Anyone expecting a transformation from us looking shite to suddenly playing free flowing football is naive, so baby steps but good nonetheless. Given this could easily have been the result at Fulham too bar bad luck and stupidity at the back, could it be that St Mary’s is becoming harder for our fragile confidence than going away?

Yep, with Pulis as defensive coach and Strachan fitness coach