VectisSaint

Think you're being a little hard on yourselves regarding Hughes. He was after all a former (rubbish) player for us.

Note that we were as usual last on, even though we were playing the Mancs. The BBC need to look at their impartiality.

I thought the numbers were a bit odd, got stats from the Premier league site, it says 36 conceded (total bollox of course): https://www.premierleague.com/players/2971/Kelvin-Davis/stats

Its quite straightforward really. We will sell Tella because he doesn't want to come back and that is the only way we can come out of it with anything. We wanted to get him back in January but neither the club (Burnley) or the player wanted to end the loan early (as I understand). Tella has become very important to Burnley, and they will be in the PL next season, why would he want to come back? The only slight issue is that Burnley may not be able or willing to pay very much. Its not that we want to sell him, but we will have very little choice.

Payne and Small went out on loan after form dipped (18/27 Jan), true about Finnigan and Lawrence. Thierry Small had only appeared a few times (while he was on loan at Port Vale), he wasn't really a major factor in the top form we had shown in 22. My point anyway, was not really about players, more to do with the coaching, with Horseman involved to some extent now with the first team, and effectively with the club being 3 coaches short of where we were in January (the Luton staff), is the B team not being supported in the way it was. Its perfectly understandable if it is the case, but with Selles being appointed manager, is the club short staffed at the moment, compromising the B team, it has to be a priority (not the highest of course) to get the Reserves back to Division 1 to provide proper opposition, instead of Division 2 which has become a bit mickey mouse with teams withdrawing, unless of course the club knows that perhaps the PL2 will be restructured next season to take account of the reduction in competing teams. It surprises me that the Club have not recruited some more coaches to fill the vacancies, Selles really needs an (experienced) assistant, no slight intended on Martin and Gross.

Its a bit concerning that the B team seems to have gone to shit in the last few weeks. Admittedly Blackburn are in Division 1, but they are near the bottom of the table. I can only assume that the downturn in form is due to coaching resources being moved to the First Team (of course the 1st Team is rightly the priority), but we really needed to get the B team promoted back to Division 1 for next season, so that they are able to compete with the best reserve sides.

Premier League only Forster 1.23 McCarthy 1.62 Bazunu 1.64 SKD 0.68 So based on that we should put Davis back in goal, not.

It clearly is not the fault of Bazunu. We have lost so many games by 1-0 and a few 2-1, you cannot blame the keeper for a loss when we have scored 0 or even 1. Agreed we have lost 4 games by 3 or more goals, but again it is hard to say that we lost these games because of the keeper. I know the stats say he is the worst keeper in the PL but ask yourself would Willy or McCarthy have been demonstrably any better in turning around results. McCarthy used to get slated on here because he never saved anything, especially near post, I don't think AM would have improved any of our results. Willy maybe might have made a point of two difference but I'm not even sure that a 40 year old who has made just over 30 PL appearances in about 7 years would really have been much more effective. It's interesting that by the end of the season Bazunu will probably have made as many PL appearances as Willy in his entire career. We are not winning games because of our inability to score goals, simple as, allied with some clusterfuck defending by our largely hapless (or hopeless) CBs.

He was, looked a bit lightweight defending at times, but he put a helluva lot of effort in and made some good openings, think his experience was helping and he still has half decent pace which worried some of Leicester's pedestrian defenders.

Good post. On your question, we have a hell of a lot of first team players now who have no or little playbook experience. It is often said on here that this group of players are responsible for a lot that has gone on in the last year or so, but we signed 5 players in January and numerous last summer. There really aren't that many that have been here long term, and of those it includes JWP, KWP, two of our best players. Only KWP (and McCarthy) were in the starting XI for the Grim game (I think)

It did not take long to judge the penalty, the long time was taken looking at possible offsides, which would have made the handball irrelevant. There was not really much issue about the Lyanco handball. Really we should be thanking VAR for looking closely to see if there was any way the handball could be discounted. Clearly there was not really any doubt about the offsides. You are right that it took far far too long. What is completely wrong is to have VAR in some FA Cup games (those where a PL team is at home) and not others. The competition either has VAR or it doesn't. It is totally unacceptable to have this difference in some matches. Personally think VAR should be scrapped, especially for offside, but hey ho.

The first wasn't blatant. But it was clear on replay on TV, and with VAR that is what matters. Lyanco was a touch unlucky, he seemed to misjudge his header, but then he didn't actually need to do anything at all, he's just a clumsy poor footballer. As for the DCC penalty of course the Grimsby player went down like a sack of spuds, made the most of it, but who wouldn't. You can't slap someone in the back, whether you are provoked or not. DCC has clearly shown that he doesn't have the temperament for our game, that's why he was red carded against Newcastle, he is a complete and utter liability. There was no way that should not have been a penalty, he was very lucky not to have been red carded. Still he did redeem himself slightly by scoring, but only slightly. His other effort was unbelievably bad. Trying to pretend that we lost that game because of two dubious decisions is laughable. We were dire, I have never seen us as pathetic as we were tonight, we were better when we lost 9-0 (both times). Mara, Orsic, Aribo, Edozie, Armstrong really have no case for being in a PL team (not to mention DCC and Lyanco). KWP was disappointingly ineffective, Charly gave the ball away too often, Djenepo tried hard and at least seemed interested and up for a game, Perraud tries hard and gives his all but overall is not very good. JWP made a difference when he came on, but actually did a lot of chasing after shadows, because no one else was trying. Felt a bit sorry for Walcott, that was a very well taken goal, and showed that he has some class, the margin of offside was miniscule but nevertheless it was offside. I actually thought that Bazunu might have got to one or other of the pens, certainly more likely than McCarthy who never saves penalties. I think tonight made me finally think I have had it with football, the game has been ruined, my club has been ruined, but I suppose I will tune in again on Saturday to go through the whole depressing process again, ad nauseum until the end of the season.

The handball was not blatant, that's why the ref didn't see it. It also didn't hit his hand, those saying it hit his hand should go to Specsavers. But it clearly hit his upper arm as he stooped and missed his header. It was clearly a penalty on review, but certainly not in real time. It took a long time because they were checking for offside in the build up, but there was no way it was offside. Took a ridiculous amount of time but in the end the correct decision was reached. Bazunu might have got to the penalty 😉 We ain't gonna score in a month of Sundays, Mara is absolute dogshit.

Strangely soon after you posted this there was a tweet quoting Alfie House (Echo), Tino "underwent small surgery after Christmas following that injury setback". Selles confirms he has no return date but is "much better". Doesn't expect him to join us soon but doesn't know exactly the time.

You're right but I think David simply misworded his point, its not horseshit. But your other comment shows that you missed the point. The problem is not that we have conceded too many, that is the point. The problem is that we haven't scored enough. Conceding 41 is 24 games is really not that catastrophic. But where I disagree with David is that thinking that if we scored one more goal in many games we would have a whole load more points, mathematically that is correct, but it doesn't work like that, more likely if we had scored one goal, then the opposition would have simply scored another.

No.

We have 5 players now who did not play under Ralph, that's half a team.

1 down to Leeds after 4 minutes.

Is he the son of Jay?

Remember this is Division 2

Jason Dodd also had 69 appearances in the First Division (pre Premier League). MLT has the most top flight appearances, 443. Mick Channon has more Southampton top flight apps than JWP (346) and Terry Paine has 320.

True, but if Martin was to be Assistant then who does what Martin did before. We are currently 3 bodies down on where we were.

I think the search now should be for a good assistant. Selles can't do it all.

Given JWP was booked for time wasting during the time added on it would have been strange if the ref had not added on some time to the 12 minutes.

Or was there no available alternative, you would have squeezed if he had picked Lyanco, DCC and Salisu not available/out of favour, even Bree who can allegedly play centre not in squad. If he still picks Janny B when these players are available then you have a point. Don't understand AMN over KWP, or why Walcott, Moi are in the squad but not Edozie or Aribo or Orsic. Think there is more going on behind the scenes which we are not party too.