James G

I think this is spot on and a great observation. If you are three at the back, there's an extra defender to keep an eye on when it comes to keeping the line and making challenges. It also means if you are playing out from the back, there is more likely a passing option beside you rather than in front. Russ needs to think about getting the ball forward to midfield quickly and defending from there, so if mistakes are made you have that line behind to protect the goal.

I think this is where the problem lies, it's not so much the style, it's the number of passes. If we have the best team of players with a 90 per cent pass rate, the ball is given away 10% of the time, so more passes means more mistakes. If you eliminate the side to side passing and just move it forward quickly, it's less transitions, and you can then push higher up the pitch. The reason we are passing to the side is because of the formation, there is always a higher chance of an available player to the side of you than in front

I agree. If he puts Les and Downes as the 2, then Fernandes as the AM 1, kwp and Sugawara keep some width, then the front two stay central. It felt like 8 in defence on Saturday and no real link to the front two who were often out wide. Smallbone and Aribo are effective in certain circumstances but I don't think they suit the current setup. Once Justin beds in, we might be able to go two at the back eventually which might bring Smallbone and Aribo back later. I think the three at the back just now is to protect the gk. I think with the current setup, there are always more passing options sideways than forwards, the forward options looked further away

I feel quite positive despite the result. We've got the new midfielder for next week, I think play AA on the right and Archer in the middle, put the new midfielder in the middle next to Downes. AM only made one mistake, but I think a new goalie would be good. I also think TP could be useful this season Saints dominated throughout, and kept their energy until the end. Forest will be the first marker.

He looks a good player, he seems like a natural finisher, carries the ball well, has a turn of pace and has good awareness.

Raya is statistically a better shot stopper and offers more valuable passes. Ramsdale is still a good keeper though

All teams have bad signings. Liverpool signed Keita for 50m, and ended up leaving on a free transfer. I don't think Paul is a bad player, he's just a victim of the Jones era and probably not suited to Russball

I studied in Leeds for 4 years ages ago, I went to one Leeds match but it was the scariest thing ever lol. On the way home, there were fans vandalising phone boxes and front gardens. There were people standing in the road and acting aggressive towards car drivers. It wasn't good

I think there would be a loan fee. One would pay wages within the club structure then the fee covers the rest, so it'd be 3m at least I would guess. It would be a great signing though

I agree, I think the stories are lazy journalism. I don't think Ings has an agent just now, and his wage is too high. From his perspective he'd be better staying at West Ham

It's 140 million minimum, upwards to 190m

What about the Irish GK at Liverpool. He's supposedly wanting to leave, available for 20m ish

It wasn't actually Leeds scoring for me, I thought someone was going to get sent off with all the yellow cards.

That second half felt like an eternity

Amazing 👏

It was by mutual consent. Poch explained to one of the owners that young players need experienced players to improve, but the club are planning on selling senior players this summer to bring in more young players, and Poch thinks that will take the club backwards, whereas the owner was saying that the players at the club now have experience. It was something along those lines, conversation was about 6 weeks ago

Crazy game

4-3

3-2 Southampton

I think, crunch some numbers, who can tackle and do a simple pass to recycle the attack. Is it Charles, Aribo, Armstrong, one of the defenders. Just anyone, put them in, then keep the team who played well before it all went pear shaped. It can't be that hard. The new players need time to learn Russball, neither of them should be starting.

It's the absence of Downes that has changed the dynamic, pure and simple. It's about keeping the team as it was, and finding a suitable replacement. Russ has tinkered with all the other positions and we're back to square one again. It needs to be someone who intercepts and recycles, Smallbone is not that person neither is Rothwell who came with poor interception stats. Also, too much faffing in the box today, play in behind and shoot. Pinball the ball and pursue outcomes. Get the goal, then spaces appear. Lastly, there needs to be more work on set pieces, corners etc.

Forest, as with some other teams, track their players each week with numbers, and it takes into account the opposition. The overall stats for alot of the players have dropped, so it wasn't so much the results that got him sacked.

I don't think so, but I didn't ask. I think that might be a Premier League rule. I'm back on 8th January, so I'll try and find out more that week. It was just mentioned. I spoke to them twice about two weeks ago, then the next time will be January

Yeah, I spoke to one of them maybe two weeks ago. I'm attending a function, I'm travelling down in the first week of January, then there is another event in Manchester in April, so I'll meet people from various clubs at both events.

I think it's happening. Stewart landed awkwardly and he thought it was nothing, he got a precautionary scan, and I think he's off for a couple of months at least. They are looking to loan Ings until the end of the season. It's going to be looked at in January, both sides are keen. At this point, Holgate is going back to Everton, again, reviewed in January