derry

As a schoolboy I watched Saints in the old Div 3S, then Div3, Div2, Div1, FA Cup Winners, Premier League then up and down. They're still my team.

McCarthy is awful and Charles is out for a couple of months. I named only those that were fit. Thirdly Bazunu is a more accurate kicker of the ball and could target the 6'5" Quarshie. McCarthy struggles to keep it on the pitch.

We need to move on, Russell Martin is not the answer. the team needs an overhaul not reversion to the awful possession obsessed theories he refused to alter.

Still is a theoretical tinkering coach fettered by systems. It's not systems that make a team. A manager needs and will look at the players, where can they play, what can they do and who are the best characters. We've done nothing like that. The Martin period has left it's mark. Allowing the team to play three random centre backs with two full backs whose default reaction is to pass back and retain possession. Why, because it slows everything down, allows opponents to get goalside and very difficult to break down. Where do we go from here. I know what I would do. Firstly I'd put Bazunu back in goal. he is a far better footballer than McCarthy. From there I'd forbid playing out from the back or even passing back. Two centre backs, Wood and THB, we've only two full backs available playing as a defensive four. The most important thing for me is a relentlessly high tempo. The midfield again is no choice, Downes and Jander with two wingers Scienza and Fellows. Now comes the conundrum. No pace, no power, no physicality up front we've got several alternatives, Armstrong. Azaz, Robinson, Oyekunle. Nothing there really works for me. Personally I'd throw in a wild card and take a chance by putting Quarshie up front and give it a go with initially Armstrong along side. As half our possession is backwards and sideways which we need to dispense with I'd get the ball out wide and let the wingers attack down the lines and the spare winger get to the back post. Quarshie might not be the answer but I'd give him the job of roughing up the defenders and winning the ball in the air. He'd also be usefull defensively against dead ball situations. Will it work, I haven't a clue but it's a lot more positive than the present situation.

At half time Still got it half right. Edwards off, Fellows on. He then added Robinson but the shape was wrong. Scienza and Fellows needed to hug the touchlines with Robinson and Armstrong in front. Roerslev and Manning to play as orthodox full backs alongside the two centre backs. Instead of that we were shapeless with no balance. After that it was chaotic. Bringing on too many forwards didn't work yet again just left us wide open. McCarthy instead of diving on the ball at the forwards feet went in feet first together with weak defending from Edwards lost the ball and conceded the goal. As far as I'm concerned Bazunu should come back at QPR with a back four, he reads the game so much better than McCarthy. I've had it with Will Still's negative tactics. After watching Armstrong unable to play as a lone central striker give the young lad a go with Armstrong in a 4-4-2. Downes and Jander were ok in midfield.

Garbage, most of our possession is defenders passing it around. Go 4-4-2 and take Edwards off, Fellows right wing and Scienza on the left, Azaz and Armstrong. Go for it.

Another self inflicted shambles. It wasn't great then Archer was injured. Substitute Fraser, what was that supposed to do except concede up front. Then the self inflicted, Stephens on Scienza our best player off. That really put Blackburn on the front foot. We were rabbits in the headlights so three more substitutions, that really stitched us up like a kipper. No shape no idea and there for the taking. I think the manager panicked. Robinson should have replaced Archer. That would have increased the pressure on Blackburn not lifted it. Scienza should have been left on and Stephens should have stayed on the bench. Wellington for Manning was just tinkering whilst Bragg made no sense at all. We lost all shape, conceded two rediculous goals whilst again squandering two clear chances. Armstrong trying to repeat last weeks dink, of course the keeper was ready for it. If Still wants to reinvent the wheel then do it somewhere else. The team was barely balanced but the manager proceeded to turn it into a shapeless shambles. Whatever substitutions are made have to keep balance and shape, ours destroyed the balance and the shape. One thing I forgot to say, we are totally incompetent playing three centrebacks allowing opponents to run through the gaps. This team is crying out for 4-4-2. Ie.Roerslev, Wood, Quarshie, Manning, Fellows, Jander. Downes, Scienza, Azaz and Armstrong/Robinson. That's assuming that Charles, Archer, Wellington, are out for the next month or so. As for the goalkeeper I think McCarthy showed today he's not the answer. Reaction saves and killer soft goals whilst totally inept in possession.

That was an absolute shambles. The team selection was a nonsense. The way we play three centre backs is a nonsense. It is totally negative we work the ball upfield then in two passes end up back with the centre backs so pass it around for a bit and start again. Possession statistics are a myth. It's just a count of the number of meaningless passes we are making. The three at the back left themselves wide open and were done regularly on the break. The three goals were defendible but the centre backs were incompetent. Charles made a beautiful thirty yard forward pass to open up Bristol for our goal. Scienza looks a handful. Armstrong might get the odd goal but as soon as an attacking ball reaches him he selfishly tries to finish. Last night he had the opportunity of a square pass to Archer for an open goal but just shot. I think Still is becoming a problem fiddling while Rome burns. He has the players, he now needs to stop trying to invent a shape and use the players in their best positions. As far as I'm concerned every set of players has a natural shape, it's negating their ability trying to shoehorn into a selected shape which is what Still is doing. It stands out like a dogs balls that the players he has are made for 4-4-2. No fit right full back. Edwards or Stephens could play there. Two wingers, Azaz and Armstrong/Robinson up front, Charles and Jander midfield, two centre backs, Wood + 1, Wellington/Manning. It's the most natural shape unless Azaz drops into midfield making a 4-3-3.

That was garbage. We were set up not to concede. We were also unbalanced. Three centre backs, the left back behind a winger the right back was the winger. Armstrong and Archer were hopeless everything but finish. The two central midfielders were reasonably positive. I've had it with smart arse technical coaches. Keep it simple, stupid. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel and go back to basics. We've bought two good wingers, so play them. Two full backs and two centre backs as a defensive back four. Two midfielders and Azaz with Armstrong/Archer up front. Today we were wasting high crosses as Swansea gobbled them up. We need to attack and defend as a team. Scienza looked brilliant on the ball but hitting crosses make it impossible for the strikers he has to pass it. Fellows the same, standing the ball up was easily defended. I know it's 4-4-2 but it's balanced and just go for it. 4-3-3 is a compromise but doesn't look as balanced with the players we've got. Personally if I was looking to have an aerial presence I'd push Quarshie up on the centre backs and let him battle it. Until we get in a couple of uncompromising big centre forwards on New Years day and from the UK.

I've seen this before. In that case there was an influx of good players. The problem was obvious, the manager had a loyalty to the previous season's players. Instead of picking the best team it was a political expediant to ringfence some of the old hands. Everything was a compromise. The manager has to be ruthless, look at the players and pick the best team irrespective of origins. It's not a case of choosing a system its a case of playing the best players in their best positions which will automatically produce its own shape. The three at the back isn't really working, it slows everything down and Edwards is just as poor as THB defending far post crosses. Ditch it and go four at the back. With the wingers we've got we don't need the full backs selling themselves. Play Fellows and Scienza. with two up front, If Stewart not fit play Archer or Robinson with Armstrong. It's a choice of Jander, Charles, Downes or Azaz in midfeld with two wingers. Trying to compromise is stupidity. Downs is a stroller and can't get into the game. He is physically weak and not at all aggressive. It looks like a slow working brain without sharpness.

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What I found unforgiveable was his lethargic tracking back. He needed to sprint flat out to get goalside not trot. Up front his movement and physical challenges were equally lethargic and ineffective.

I thought the outfield team last night that played well should be started with the luxury of some good substitutes to use later. they deserve another go. If Jander not fit possibly Charles. Personally as there isn't an alternative I'd play Bazunu because the three centrebacks are more combative and Wood and Quarshie are far superior to THB and JS in defending an areial threat. Because of his incompetence if the ball is passed back, like Bambi on ice, unless 100% went long which it wouldn't, furthermore Middlesborough will be looking to exploit him I wouldn't want McCarthy.

Having watched McCarthy over the years there are several things that for me rule him out. A classic stupidity that having passed out to a Newcastle player who then crossed for Izak to score then last night to do exactly the same thing for Izak again to score. McCarthy might be a better shotstopper but he chickens out if he has to come out and block at a players feet alternatively on occasions pulls his head out of the way instead of trying to block at the near post, an example against Wolves a few seasons ago when the ball was blasted into the roof of the net as he got out of the way. If McCarthy is to play he would have to absolutely not play passes purely belt the ball upfield out wide every time. I think this play it out fad has really time expired, it causes more problems than it solves.

That mess up from McCarthy has been coming from the start. He's like Bambi on ice with the ball at his feet and his brain in what do I do now mode. He saved the first time, nearly got caught several times until he just passed it out for the goal. Shades of Newcastle last season. He never learned anything same player scored. The shame is that is the best we've played all season. Whoever thinks McCarthy can displace Bazunu is in cloud cuckoo land. It looks like Still has accidently found a team.