Kingsbridge Saint

Partial redemption for the 0-9. We are starting to look a proper team now. Took far too long for Ralph to realise Armstrong was the key. Far too stifled in midfield before.

Armstrong was immense. Could build a team around him and Ings. The fact he gets so little game time does make me doubt Ralph's judgment. Hoj had a weird last 5 minutes - like a drunk coming out of a pub and trying to kick a can down the road. Unsuccessfully.

Too many cowards in the midfield. CB's out of their depth in the EPL. Cedric no longer the player he was. Relegation beckons.

All down to the keeper that one. Need to fire some goalkeeping coaches. Its not the first time.

They will fancy it, we need pace in the side to hit them on the break. Don't change too much in a winning side though. Long should be keeping his place. Boufal off the bench for Djenepo or Redmond second half to keep the pace on. Maybe Valery for Cedric too. Got put on his arse far too easy for the Byram chance at the end on Wednesday.

Agree with this - straight after the equaliser instead of trying to captialise on it he was back in his own half just in front of the defenders, facing back towards his own goal doing the slow it down thing with his hands. Terrific strike for the free kick though. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.

Ralph out. You cant keep picking JWP and expect to keep your job.

Just been out for a coffee. My mate held a bin lid open for the empty cup and I missed from about 10 inches. I instantly thought of Saints.

Who will play upfront? Is Obafemi in the box seat now? Thought he did OK at Arsenal. Che looks a busted flush. £16m down the pan.

Good to see four at the back. the 7 minutes stoppage time and the late equaliser both entirely as expected, so no surprise. Always happens at Arsenal, only difference this time there was no actual gbh and none of our players left the pitch with a broken jaw from a punch 'missed' by the referee. Did the usual thing of raising our game for a tough one, even so managed to miss two absolute cast iron sitters to close the game down and repeatedly give them chances from slack defending which was always going to cost us in the end. Will be back to type for the next two home games with the perma-selected JWP slowing things down as we slowly trudge around unsuccessfully trying to pass through Watford and Norwich. 4 at the back again and Boufal in for the slug and we might win them both - going to need to score two or three as defence is toilet. Hopefully stick with Obafemi and Ings and hope neither of them breaks.

4-2-3-1 = Effectively 6 defenders. Stop slowing the bloody game down on the counter attacks so drop JWP. McCarthy Valery Bednarek Danso Bertrand Hoj Romeu Boufal Redmond Djenepo Ings ©

Lawrie McMenemys Red & White Army! Always.

Just read that Elyounoussi is on £70,000 per week with us. Celtic picking that up whilst he is on loan there. But wow - who signed off on that one?

JWP isn't just sideways and backwards, he's also too slow to cover the back 5 when he ball gets turned over. Also before he plays the sideways/backwards ball, he normally makes a point of slowing the play down. Waste of a shirt and heaping unnecessary pressure on an already suspect defence. Replace with the seemingly permanently benched Boufal.

The home games with Norwich and Watford are going to be pivotal. If he sticks with JWP and we win neither, or lose one, the fans will turn I believe. 4 points minimum - or at least go down having a go. If he chooses a more adventurous line up and we still lose I would be more inclined to blame the players rather than his tactics and selections.

We are in a shocking mess top to bottom as a club. Riddled with Losers and Wantaways, an invisible and disinterested owner and next to no stewardship or strategy. If Ralph doesn't walk before the end of the season it will be a miracle. If we stay up, even more so. On the pitch stop with the 5 at the back - none of the muppets can defend so why invite the pressure? The way out is 4-2-3-1 with an attacking front 4 and probably JWP or Hoj on the bench each week. Maybe both. Need a new captain too as Hoj and JWP are not leaders.

First half was the worst I have ever seen Saints play in nearly 40 years. We are a complete mess from top to bottom. JWP as captain? He's stealing a living as a footballer - no courage on the ball whatsoever.

Bit more confidence in McCarthy but he still misjudged the cross for the winner, and the equaliser was the first shot he had to save, which went in through his legs. Djenepo and Armstrong need to start next week. Two of Romeu, Hoj and JWP out for me.

After giving the players the benefit of the doubt under previous managers this shellacking confirms to me that most of them are actually poor footballers stealing a living in the Premier League. A lot of them are way out of their depth. I trust Ralph to turn things around but some players need to be moved out of the club now, and some pace, energy and enthusiasm brought in. So it's do-able but a lot of changes needed to the team and the squad.

If we persist with a midfield of JWP, Hoj and Romeu we are going down. Choose 2, and put some pace in as well. These three are lumbering defensive carthorses, although that's probably Romeu's job description. So choose 2 of those here and start getting used to it. 4-0 City regardless.

5-4-1 at home invited them on from the beginning. So blaming the increasingly inept Ralph for that. It was directly responsible for the first goal - Ings playing the ball 20 yards backwards putting Bertrand in trouble instead of taking it on the half turn and moving into the space ahead of him. He knew there was absolutely no-one to wok with if he tried to go forward. So we set up for an onslaught from the beginning, and it didn't change throughout. Adams might be absolute toilet, but at least he gives Ings someone to work with. And taking JWP out of the team to accommodate Adams would cost us absolutely nothing.

We need some transparency from the club about the problems that Austin and PEH alluded to. Without that they are just disrespecting the fanbase. You can't have a result like that and keep it indoors and feed everyone bull**** if you expect people to stay invested.

Ralph gets one chance. One. The following needs to happen: 1> No more 5-4-1 at home 2> McCarthy in for Gunn for the rest of the season 3> Take captaincy off PEH, bench PEH 4> No more JWP, Vestergard, Valery - all to be moved on in January

5 at the back and 4 in midfield. Conceded 5. Hows that tactic working out Ralph? You can **** off like the others.

I would be much more tolerant of our sideways backwards ball recycling midfield if every now and then it resulted in a good through ball, a change of pace and the creation of a chance. We go through 90 minutes of this turgidity week in week out and it rarely happens. Ralph needs to sort out what we are trying to do, who is supposed to be transitioning the play - and every now and then we should mix it up either by going long, or actually taking someone on. Boufal is really good at it, and should be in the side ahead of JWP or PEH every week. With Romeu, JWP and PEH we are so plodding and predictable and easy to defend against. The JWP dead ball specialism is a complete myth. Give me the number of free kicks he has and I will find the top corner with one in four. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes. And his corners - arm up, ball straight into first defender or ballooned long or to the keeper. Hopeless.