derry

WTF was Martin thinking. Edozie up front and TP forced back into a deeper position. Bring him on, stick him up front otherwise forget it. Having said that he still gave it a go. I have a feeling Martin was afraid he might pull a rabbit out of the hat so stuck him in a position he was unlikely to get into the box. Attack wise that was a sterile performance because the midfield was hopeless in an attacking sense especially Aribo. That game was crying out for Alcaraz to keep his temper under control and break out.

Duplicated editing spelling.

Possibly wasn't relaid because of concerts after the season.

Charlie needs some coaching, that round house hook should have been preceded by two ior three left jabs he might have connected then. Otherwiswe Lazio were just a niggly dirty bunch of fairly decent footballers. The ball rotation was rediculous and on an unluckier day seen us buried out of sight.

It's just stupid getting McCarthy to pass the ball because sooner or later he gives it to the opposition. I'm not impressed with Wood. Not good in the air, another that dithers on the ball and gives too many away. Alcaraz and Charles having a decent game but AAW finding it difficult. Mara is showing more effort but because of the rediculous 90% possession in our final third the forwards have to come deep. Edwards and Bree, Manning and Taylor ok. BBD great finish looks like an asset given the ball.

Miovski tore the England defence a new one when he played for Macedonia against them. He looked a decent centre forward.

I went to the funeral yesterday of a friends daughter who had been courageously fighting various cancers for the last four years, finally succumbing on July 2nd aged just 43. She was brought up with my kids, Andy it was heartbreaking. One of my sons was very close, just three weeks older.

Better if we play like we did in the playoffs. Three centrebacks, two full backs, three midfielders and two strikers. Go pragmatic and cut out the crap in our own half. Do that and we can accumulate points. Do it the purist's vulnerable way, passing about under pressure in our own area we'll get hammered. Martin didn't get away with it in the Championship, he sure as hell won't get away with it in the Premier League. Only by changing did he achieve promotion. And only by changing will he avoid relegation.

Personally I think our passing out from the back is a nightmare, if the opponents press hard because of our head in the sand obsession the players still pass under pressure to players under pressure or end up giving the ball away. McCarthy is a panicker wants to pass but can't see one but because of instructions does it anyway and drops a defender in it or passes to an opponent. He needs to cut it out and hit it over the press. I'd dump Edozie, his running up dead ends doesn't work. Dibling would be a better bet there. The first half centre backs looked poor with Manning in midfield disjointed. Alcaraz was struggling to find anyone to link with. Sulemana took too long to go at the full back so allowed numbers to close him down. For an hour that looked like a reserve team playing by numbers not really fancying Oxford's physical approach.. Mara lacks effort, time to unload him the injury wasn't helpful. We looked stronger after the hour but created little. Martin needs to play within the limitations of the players he's got. McCarthy will concede bucket loads if forced to play out irrespective of the press. Even if he gets Ramsdale he can't afford to play around his own box for two reasons the risk of losing the ball and allowing much better teams to consolidate. That will lead to conceding goals and an inability to slowly break down Premier League defences.

The defending per se was abysmal in the Premier. We didn't need a goalkeeper we needed a miracle.

I was talking to a friend the other day about Saint's styles. He was a really good goalkeeper and on Saints books at one time. We were talking about how bringing in McCarthy together with three centre backs saw us through the playoffs. His take on Bazunu and McCarthy opened my eyes and answered for me some important questions. Why did Bazunu look so vulnerable. Martin's obsession with a ball playing goalkeeper seems to be his problem. He plays such a high line he is always going backwards. He is almost never in a shot stopping position coming out and narowing angles. Nearly always unsighted retreating behind defenders and especially vulnerable to deflections. McCarthy didn't because he was uncomfortable playing out so was coming out in the traditional way and making blocks. Personally I think we need to play the same way we did in the playoffs. The tippy tappy playing out in the three friendly games so far looks like a vulnerability clusterfuck in the making. The Premier League will be a much more difficult environment and Martin just doesn't have the time to learn the lessons. If he reverts to the back four, inverted wing back, tippy tappy we are going to get a hammering.

As far as I'm concerned Adams is a chance misser not a chance taker. Secondly his runs into and across the box are almost non-existent. And if he does get on the end of something it can almost be guaranteed he'll be offside because he is careless. Just move on.

Bednarek in valuation terms owes us nothing. I think we bought him as an U21 international for £5m ?. We've had our use of him. As far as I'm concerned if somebody wants to pay over the top, fine. If we need another year out of him we can afford to let his contract run out next year. I don't know what our negotiations about a new contract are currently if any. I think the club should keep him for his experience.

I had just flown into Southampton and was walking across to the office to sign the paperwork for the next flight and was met by the British Airways Senior Duty Officer. They handled Keegan's flight. I played golf with him and he was a ST holder at the Dell. He told me that KK was met by LM and they were going to the Potters Heron for a news conference that evening. KK's signing for Saints was to be announced. I arrived home in Southampton before the local news and saw the announcement. There was massive excitement.

The Scottish FA had a poll for fans on which thousands of Saints fans desperate to get shot of him multiple voted for him. He won the poll and was selected if my memory serves me correctly.

Personally watching that game last night there was only one TEAM on the pitch and that was Spain. We had a collection of individuals trying to play a negative, reactive framework that did the opposite. A good team is better than the sum of its parts, we were the opposite. We had a decent squad that was grossly misused by the manager. The selected teams had no blend or balance, stayed in the competition clinging on by it's fingernails. We were relegated last year in the Nation's cup. This result disapointed me as I hoped we might scramble another unlikely result but it wasn't to be. It didn't take long for reality to kick in though. This could mean that maybe we could get rid of the millstone. These players need a top manager not a journeyman that is liked by the FA because he is politically astute and doesn't rock the boat. Promotion from the junior teams isn't the answer especially given the salary available. These players need a manager that sets up the team to get the best out of the players and believes completely in blend and balance. Hopefully he'll go now because the suits won't push him. If he doesn't go we are going to get more of the same dross in the future.

Interestingly not mentioned by those criticising the referee's decision, not only did he change the decision and gave a penalty, he then booked Dumfries. To me that scales up his decision from one of indecision to certainty it was a foul.

Maybe that's why he was reviewing it. VAR is only pointing out mistakes by the referee. Once the video is reviewed the referee really has no choice but to admit the mistake and change the decision. The referee clearly has the option to make no change however he better be right.

I had a glance at the last couple of pages. It really is a wind up. I don't advocate closing it however it should be renamed "The Big Wind Up". Nothing on here of interest to me.

Personally I thought that was a penalty all day long. Dumfries went in high, studs up and late, was nowhere near the ball and took Kane's foot. I thought the commentators were irrational and wrong. We have been crying out for years about passive VAR operators that ignore incidents that should have been reviewed on the excuse it doesn't constitute a clear and obvious error. Clearly the VAR spotted the foul. It would probably have been given anywhere else on the pitch. The key for me is when the referee reviewed the video he didn't take long to change his view on the evidence and gave the penalty. That alone was enough in my view to justify the VAR intervention. The referee was wrong to let it go and gave it on the video evidence. The referee's actions just confirmed that it was a clear and obvious error because he missed it live, VAR spotted it and the referee gave it on the clear evidence rightly changing his original decision. Objectivity wins over emotion.

Miovski

A bit I'd missed, two yellows entailing a one match suspension is carried forward but all single cards are cancelled.

All yellow cards are cancelled after the quarter finals only red cards carry over so possibly Carvahal suspended.

Adams was poor for Scotland and demonstrated all his limitations. My thoughts were in next years Premier he really isn't good enough. I wouldn't be surprised if other Premier teams originally linked went cold on signing him. Now that he is out of contract I think we should move on. Personally even if he comes looking for the contract we should use the funds to get a better option.