Guan 2.0

Nail on head. We have to step up now, the echo is content to be mouthpiece, and while many deride Blackmore's interview with Pellegrino after the Liverpool debacle. Solent give both Blackmore and Merrington in particular a large amount of leeway to talk about the club as openly and honestly as possible. This despite haven their access to non-matchdays cut heavily from previous seasons, and the threat of reduced access on matchdays. Solent ride a very difficult line, and while they can't have their coverage revoked immediately, they can have their job very strenuous.They don't censor the fans feeling on calls texts and do a very honest job under trying circumstances IMO. In other words - Some media will report on it, but we have to make it happen first. A few old heads from the Ugly may know how.

I think K billy was trolling, he told me about the poll!

As i said on the previous page, it is nowhere near to being too late. All we need is for the Board to be bold and decisive (instead of old and divisive ). Approach Ancelotti/Van Gaal/Another big name. Offer them 3 million upfront to manage us until the end of the season. Another 7 million if they keep us up. No thought of any longer term commitment. Cup run not important. Sell it as a chance to scout the league if they decide to return with a bigger team next season. Lift the fans, players and profile of the club. Show them we are a team to be noticed once again. Wash away the negativity in one stroke and put us back on a positive trajectory. Make the fans the 12th man, while the board can focus immediately on identifying a long term manager to be appointed in the summer. The Big name manager here at present won't have to worry about his future, any transfers, or pressure from fans, as he merely has to coach the player, backed by an enormous bank of goodwill from the supporters. And then stay up. If we fail we're finacially hit anyway so not exactly a lot to lose, and half the price of a Guido Carrillo!

Fake News! Thanks to our exciting new restructure program We are heading in a direction down the table and then down the leagues. This is a bold and innovative move to counteract the inertia of most mid table teams. #WeSlideDown

Approach Ancelotti/Van Gaal/Another big name. Offer them 3 million upfront to manage us until the end of the season. Another 7 million if they keep us up. No thought of any longer term commitment. Cup run not important. Sell it as a chance to scout the league if they decide to return with a bigger team next season. Lift the fans, players and profile of the club. Show them we are a team to be noticed once again. Wash away the negativity in one stroke and put us back on a positive trajectory. Make the fans the 12th man, while the board can focus immediately on identifying a long term manager to be appointed in the summer. The Big name manager here at present won't have to worry about his future, any transfers, or pressure from fans, as he merely has to coach the player, backed by an enormous bank of goodwill from the supporters.

I would be interested to see how Locadia does if he makes his debut...

Lallana by an country mile. To say he was two faced would be a compliment, given the amount of spin and stories he told to all the different parties to make himself look 'good'. Did he not imagine that people would speak to each other and realise that he had been saying completely different things to different people? In addition to everything else, demanding a transfer but refusing to put in a transfer request, and breaking his word and then demanding a loyalty bonus, was the icing on the cake. No wait, that was after he realised he was burning all his bridges here, so he went to the press and said he wanted the move so he could help plucky Bournemouth get a sell on fee. What a gent! And lol at the apologists on here. From the board to the OS, from the Press to the stewards, everyone associated with the club gave him by far the worst send off any high profile player has had. And then did nothing to mollify fans before he came back. There are many, many good reasons for that.

If Jones doesn't sign long term, it will come back to bite us IMO.

On the WBA build up I wrote : After today, no doubt I would play that Against Liverpool! The team with the most in-form players IMO. BTW, Props to SKD for his correct prediction!

1st half - Two goals! Niiiiiiiiiiiiiccccccce. 2nd half wishlist. Hoj for romeu Jwp right Tadic left No more free headers in our box pls. COYS.

I think it could be a pretty good front 4. If Guido really is decent with his head, then Bertrand, Tadic, and JWP could deliver some crosses that could cause problems. And if Pardew sets up lumps to deal with the Ariel threat, then Boufal could have a field day if he's played in the hole. So expect a three men defensive midfield and Boufal on the left lol.

McCarthy Cedric Hoedt Stephens Bertie Lemina Hojberg JWP Boufal Tadic Guido

Jesus, what a bunch of wet fannies we have for so called supporters nowadays. Just get behind the team FFS. If worst comes to worst we we be relegated, maybe more than once. If playing Dogsh#t football in league 1 is the price for getting rid of 50/50 scarfs then it is a price worth paying. Never question the club or the manager, just turn up, pay your 40 quid, and watch terrible football for an hour and a half, all the while clapping like a trained seal. Never, ever say the manager got it wrong, only fellow fans for not being as hardcore as you. Everyone knows the league table is basically an applause-o-meter. Never look at the league table, form table, or winless run stats. Just be positive FFS, unless as previously mentioned, you're talking about fellow fans who don't adhere to your beliefs 100%. COYS

Agreed. Tadic should start on the left, always IMO. Boufal can pick up loose balls behind strikers and to his mazy dribble thing.

But if an 80% plays and injures himself for a a month or longer, a 0% Bertrand is significantly worse.

This. And also, for the draw not be part of 'The One Show'. Disgusting.

I was going for a one nil to us as their new boy was injured and their Murray is distracted by legal bother. Then they go and sign Ulloa on loan. Harrumph. Now i'm thinking 1-1 .

Can we get the white witch back to save Bertie and McQueen?

Good Points: A WIN - Nice to have one of of those! Good attacking impetus first half. Always nice to see a defender causing problems in the opposition box. Bad: Bertrand injured Surrerended the initiative to Watford -better teams will (and already have) punished us this season. Dusan not on the left Would have liked to us stay attacking with Youth players coming off the bench towards the end -but we didn't have any. Anyway, through to the next round, and Hopefully MP will learn his lesson for the Brighton game, which has become one of the Biggest of our season. COYS

Hopefully with that strong a line up, we can get a healthy lead by 60-70 and bring off some of our important players.

If we had bought a replacement for VVD in the first week of the the window you might have a point. Or actually signed any of the big names we leaked to the press instead of using them as a smokescreen. Or if we hadn't been forced to bid up from 15 million for a striker no-one else wanted on Pelllegrino's say-so. Don't get me wrong, i hope he scores the goals to keep us up, but time will tell on that one. Whichever way you look at it, objectively that is not a business being run 'well'.

Because we like to be the 18th richest club in the world while running the business like a drunken shopkeeper.

We did incredibly well to sign him, when so many other clubs were interested, and he was such a bargain price. Seriously though, score the goals that keep us up please.

I would have liked to see us bid for Locadia (who went to Brighton for 10 million upfront) but this one has the MP nod, so he got him. It makes sense insomuch as if Reed is backing Pellegrino to stay on as manager, he has to back his picks in the transfer market as well. But the Brighton game will show us who made the better choice. I hope it's us.