Gloucester Saint

I hope you are right, let’s see.

You’re probably right, unless we keep conceding like a sieve and losing the midfield. Needs a couple of wins though to get even that far, Nigel beat Villa and even Gray beat Boro and someone else, Hughes won at Palace. Hard to see where those are coming from, whereas under Hughes had a few draws and Nigel had a horrible fixture list but really great effort at City, pushed Fergie’s Utd all the way, fans staunchly behind him. It’s like PL v League One at the moment, and not even decent League One. He has to find a way of moving the game up the pitch and beating the press to give our centre halves a chance so we can get a foothold in games.

SR will act if this goes on much beyond the next 3 games, whatever they’ve said over the summer in the glow of Wembley. I like Russell but if he doesn’t think they won’t be like any other owner then he’s naive. It’s a results business, not a process business. They won’t sack him for a relegation but having invested in the squad, they’ll want to see us at least as positive and having a go as Luton did last season. If he sticks with walking passing triangles between the centre backs and Smallbone/Stephens/Aribo as immovable objects then Lallana will be interim manager by October.

Often happens. The CBs we are utilising aren’t doing well but the intense pressure from being the main resource of possession in the face of strong, quick PL presses isn’t helping them. Nor did the manager pushing them under bus today Nathan Jones style. Whether we use ABK or not, the most important change is their core job becomes 1) stopping the opposition getting shots and crosses at Ramsdale and 2) either finding Flynn/Lesley/Fernandes or if the space is very squeezed, and the wing backs too narrow, seeing if BBD or Cornet are on for an out ball to get a counter attack going and create breathing space. If sides then drop off as a result, then they can drive forward themselves a bit more like Stephens did sometimes for Ralph.

Bella Kochcrap

Still needs extending longer term if he’s willing.

An interesting parallel from our last top flight return is Jason Puncheon. Didn’t have the best reputation behaviourally and a lot of people on here didn’t want him re-integrated with the squad which had won double promotions whilst he was out on loan including in the PL for Blackpool. Brave from Nigel, who was big on behaviour, but it worked as he scored vital goals at QPR, Sunderland and home to City, and worked his socks off. Got his reward with a dream move to Palace near where he grew up for a decent fee and left on good terms with fans and club.

Very different playing careers. Russell’s is very good but Kompany is a world icon. Burnley fans were still in awe despite the results. Saints fans have had Lawrie, Ronald, Poch, a very effective and popular Nigel Adkins and WGS in recent memory. Russell won’t get that time. He has to adapt.

Add in Lesley and I’m with you. Aribo is a handy squad option at the level, good with the ball but you simply cannot live with PL midfields full stop with him and Smallbone. Flynn can’t cover those two, he has his own battles to win at this level and he can’t be facing 2 or 3 on. Will needs to bulk up like Drew Surman did to play in the top flight after Mick McCarthy sorted him out because Saints were in too much a mess at the time to do it. Gym work intensively, protein diet, once he’s bossing u23 games first minute to ninety then he’s ready for the first team squad. The days of Ian Ormendroyd and Ian Olney as skinny rakes in the top flight are long gone. He’s up against elite athletes in a kid’s body. Got the technical ability but so easy to push him off the ball and directly cost us a game last week. Crouch was tall and rangy but could handle the physical side. Will looks like Tyro u11s at the moment playing in the Wessex League.

To be clear, I’m not saying ‘Martin out’, but ‘Russell, this isn’t anywhere near working and the tempo and patterns of play need to be varied far more than the first three games’. Opponents can see the game plan from the coach leaving the M3. Set each line up and formation to win each game.

That won’t last long if we don’t start at least competing next game onwards and the slow triangles at the back don’t cease. Jones didn’t get long with SR and Russell is no different. Credit for last season but if Ranieri could be sacked the season after winning the title, anything can happen.

I get it and my emotions are similar but the optics with players we’ve just signed would be terrible and reminding me of signing Onachu and sacking Jones and Carrillo/Pellegrino. SR do need a serious chat with him about the tempo of play upping considerably now they have funded the CMs to do it and cutting out the defensive passing triangles or I think his job would be rightly at risk if he doesn’t make a serious attempt to adapt. We’re relegation favourites for a reason but we are going to break Derby’s low points record if the manager won’t adapt to the needs of the PL and the club, so even with moderate expectations, there has to be clear improvement in competitiveness and a much changed starting line up for the next few games featuring the new players. As home fans, we might need to reinforce that by being really encouraging positive and pragmatic play, but slow hand clapping the passing triangles. We will get some clog from the manager but it doesn’t matter.

The manager needs to actually select them if they’re going to help up the tempo and stop the Pellegrino type Barclays walking pensioner football. He will have Cornet available so let’s see him replace AA, and no excuse for seeing Will and Aribo starting the next game.

Haaland wouldn’t get into double figures with the constant checking back and allowing quality defences a chance to set-up. The ball had to moved at a better tempo and the pattern of play mixed up. City go direct at times so Martin is not beneath it.

With the transfer window closing, Stephens, AA, Smallbone and Aribo need a break until November or so, prioritise Fernandes, Lesley, Archer, cameos from Lallana. Ramsdale-THB- Bednarek need to build an understanding. If any positives come out of a dire display and result, the end of the poxy slow passing triangles at the back would be a good one. We’re a promoted via 4th FFS, defend properly, look to find Flynn/Lesley/Fernandes at the first available opportunity or sometimes to mix it up and beat the press look for BBD/Cornet/Archer early and get a couple of the CMs driving with Flynn or Lesley holding.

Only because we’d already long since conceded the midfield by leaving Flynn on his own against their strong and athletic units by selecting Aribo who is not really box to box and Smallbone who has the frame of a 16 year old lad.

Having had a taste of Fernandes, Lesley and Archer at Cardiff with their willingness to be positive and take risks (20 slow passes in front of your opponents is not brave - WGS called it propaganda football), even with that caveat of their second XI, I agree, but the manager has to be reminded by SR that they backed him, gave him what he asked for, so those incomings need to start subject to form and fitness. Smallbone was never the right pick against their midfield today who are strong and athletic and it needed to be Will OR Aribo not both if he really must pick one of them. As for Stephens, same, it’s whether he drops THB or Jan to fit him in if he must.

Not advocating sacking him, but he is seriously out of his depth tactically. He needs help, and his coaching staff are all as dogmatic as he is. Good man manager and communicator but I’d question whether Brentford were scouted properly as Will Smallbone is 10st dripping wet and against their midfield was asking for trouble. Aribo doesn’t have the movement to break their lines. Downes covered their flaws last season but has he own battles to win now in the PL and can’t carry them too. The pissing around at the back has to go or Russell does. The next home game needs to be a slow handclap from the fans when it starts up, then it’ll soon stop. Win the ball, get on the half turn and take it forward. Passing but moving the ball at a better tempo. That’s what the likes of Fernandes and Lesley are there for. Finally, we’ve got a small but quite mobile front line, play to their strengths with through balls and occasionally look to go over the press and early to them. Help them a bit. If Martin wants to play the slow crap then use Onachu and throw crosses in and attack the second ball after a slow build up.

Leaving Downes and Aribo to do all of the work in the middle is insanity. Because Brentford away is not the game for Will Smallbone until he’s hit the gym, he will bullied out of it within the first 25 minutes and the game could be gone. Only hope is that Brentford struggle to take their chances, and/or Ramsdale has a stormer, and we can bring our new signings on in the last 30 to move their midfield around (which is what we should be doing from the outset) and nick it. Did the club actually scout Brentford?

Hence why Will is struggling. Drew Surman is a good example for him on how to build a bit more physical presence without trying to be Papa Bouba Diop to go with his technical ability and going on to be a PL regular for quite a few years.

I think we will get some more back with the Turkish and possibly Saudi windows, and I didn’t realise the Dutch window was open until Monday. Ipswich have bought some players at the right age too with potential but can’t afford too many Sulemanas/Carillos or they need one or two Lavias to cushion them under the current PSR framework.

I’ve far better things to be doing than trawling through your anti-vax and conspiracy theories/chemtrails drivel which is very closely aligned with Q Anon and Trump’s base. But for someone who doesn’t support Trump you are making quite the fuss. I’m clear as to why I post on this thread - I can’t stand Trump and the world will be a safer place once he loses again in November. Seeing as you don’t support him it doesn’t matter whether I think you support him or not. I want Harris to win.

As long as we move the ball quicker, the style can work but it has to have the right players to be effective. I can see the rationale behind the Fernandes signing now and a midfield of him, Flynn and Lesley with Will and Aribo for competition will probably suit it better and help beat the press which Russell has struggled with a bit. With the front line we now have, there’s times when we need to mix it up and hit the likes of BBD, AA, Cornet and Archer quicker. Russell did it well towards the end of the season and those players need through balls as they play on the shoulder of defenders. If it can be the element of surprise, even better as it doesn’t allow opponents to get set in the way Newcastle and Forest have thus far.

Probably wanted to move Edozie out on loan as a finishing school as he’s not been the same since Jack Stacey crunched him and ropey/rusty displays so far this term. Silly boy, several promotion-chasing Champ clubs and gets entangled in the mess of Rangers. I think Cornet will still go through, and Samuel gets options for loan in Belgium or Goztepe. He needs to be playing every week more or less somewhere to get that end product consistently, not PL level yet.

Like the Cornet loan signing if that comes through, had a stormer against us in October 2021 for Burnley. OK, had an injury but a while ago now and needs/wants to play. Surely shirt number 99? But we’ll pass on the flake as we’ve already got Ross Stewart.