UpweySaint

Hard watch. Not the first f*cking clue what the plan is out there. All for giving managers time but I can't see what Jones has added. He makes it so hard to warm to him and isn't getting the results/performances to warrant some of the nonsense he peddles in his pressers. We're running out of games to put points on the board yet lining up with Janny B, Ely and Diallo in our 'best XI' - right now it looks like we're going down without a whimper. Surely the CIty game was a template?

Jones isn't doing himself too many favours. We almost exclusively churn out dross playing with five at the back, there seems to be a myth that it is a more solid formation but we always seem to lose the midfield and then the backline is pulled apart far too easily. Newcastle are largely well drilled and have clear patterns of play with sprinkles of top quality (Saudi blood money goes a long way) and if honest I didn't expect a result. Those on the pitch worth a mention: Bree a bit jekyll and hyde. Luton fans said he could attack but was iffy defending, probably about right. Good to see Adams score, we all know he is a confidence player so let's hope this is the start of a streak. Armstrong, works hard, harries but Blackburn fans told us he needed five chances to score one goal - they were right. Diallo isn't up to this level. I don't rate him. He's had a handful of good performances but is mostly a passenger. On their end how Bruno had the bollocks to whinge that he hadn't even fouled Edozie was bizarre. A stupid tackle and righty a red intentional or not.

I think we were obviously interested if you believe Jacob Tanswell - to be fair he's pretty reliable. We started off wanting a loan with an option which sounds sensible for a fairly raw player without much experience in top leagues let alone English football. It reads that Villareal wanted a permanent deal therefore we had a price point over which we didn't want to go. I've posted similar but only time will tell if we were right to stick to our guns. Fwiw I would rather see us break the back for a centre forward as we create chances but lack a clinical edge. I don't see Jackson as that player.

Just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be. Negotiating isn't 'pissing around'. We may have got this wrong, we may not - time will tell. Let's say we set a spend limit on a wide forward because we want to put the budget towards a proper striker, Beto has been mooted at £30mil which is well above our record fee. Legit know next to f*ck all about Jackson. Bournemouth's new owner has come in and they've spent £40mil + on two wide forwards without any experience in the league - they may take it by storm, they may flop, they may just bumble along or take 6 months + to settle in.

I've never seen Jackson play and his record wasn't all that impressive relative to the mooted price tag. I think the meltdown is premature until the end of the window at least.

Not at all. Not sure if it says more about my opinions or our current attacking talent to be fair...

I don't mind early balls over the top in principle to vary play but neither Ely or Adams have much in the way of pace so it doesn't seem to suit. Much prefer Adams in a proper two up top with somebody with pace (AA?) off him.

Agreed. I'm trying to be very que sera sera about it. If we go down we've rode our luck one too many times and I'm less worried about SR letting the club implode that I was under Gao. If we stay up it will be great escape style and by god they are good rides! Weghorst was an odd one, he looked a great fit for Burnley at the start and I thought they'd played a blinder only for him to fade away. A quick google shows he is averaging almost a goal every other game albeit in a lower standard league. The way Jones has us set up he could well do a job for us! I still look back with longing to the days of Lambert/Pelle with quality buzzing around them and linking with them.

Certainly possible. Either way it reminds me a little of Burnley getting Weghorst and in that I would be surprised to see him turn out for us in the championship. In fairness I know sod all about his character, motivation etc. I'm making assumptions based on his stature/career phase.

I'd be gobsmacked if he didn't to be fair!

Indifferent on Wan Bissaka but that would be a really sensible window and you would think would very much improve our chances of survivial.

Even if if rescue this one at the death I feel we have stopped progressing under Ralph and it's the end of a cycle. The squad isn't perfect, we all know it, but we've looked dross against Everton, Villa and Wolves - none of whom are up to much this season. I honestly can't see what the plan is anymore - it's pure speculation but I think the body language of some players suggests they don't either. Ralph doesn't deserve some of the derision and abuse he gets but I would be surprised if Sports Republic aren't actively exploring other options. I'm never a fan of change for change sake (see Watford) but things have gone stale for far too long and it seems that despite new coaches and players nothing much has changed since our dreadful run in last year. We are a hard watch most weeks and I'm not convinced we couldn't be doing better with a different coach at the helm.

You're not wrong but I don't think it's a particularly controversial statement. The club clearly wanted another forward and we seemed to be willing to commit good funds to the right player. It didn't come off but we're clearly a better side than last year and should have enough about us to do okay this year. I think 99% of the forum agree - another forward would have been ideal. The only split I see if those trying to take a more circumspect view of us as a 'work in progress' and those who feel that the club have dropped a major boll*ck and should be hung up (with a few shades in between). On another day we'd have taken something from this one and we didn't do loads wrong. Che should have had at least one though he has had a fairly bright start to the season. We have a few options albeit the likes of Mara and Edozie are very raw.

I'm going to sound very bitter because they keep beating us but f*ck me Wolves are boring to watch!

Game of opinions. I think after the first one he should make some effort to get his arms out of the way, for me he keeps them up and affects the play directly. The handball rule is clear as mud these days but I think you if that happened across the weekend in several games it would be given in most.

Seconded! Bizarre decision. He basically juggles the ball with his arms. Even if you don't give the first touch as 'accidental' there are three.

I didn't watch much of preseason so thanks for sharing that, good to know it's a consistent theme and not a one off. Whatever has prompted the change it feels like a real positive that there are potentially multiple voices to share legitimate expertise.

Take the point but something I noticed was the coaching staff collectively were discussing what to do. Selles looked like he was giving advice. We can't know what goes on in these discussions but I think 99% of us have been crying out for a coaching team to actively support Ralph during games it it looks like that may have been the case today.

Ralph is a good guy and some of the vitriol is unnecessary but his race is run. The formation does not work. The set piece defending is a shambles. The selections are mystifying. We don't press. We have no threat. We have no plan. Even with a £30mil striker we still wouldn't have looked likely so far today.

The Good We scored. A decent finish from JWP which suggests he may continue with the goals from open play the crept into his game last season. Aribo showed some promise. I think there is a player in there in a more sensible shape. Lavia looked composed and a more dynamic presence than Romeu. I would like to see him in a midfield two with JWP. KWP remains top quality - he got through a lot of work and luckily came away without an injury. It's only three points and let's be honest nobody expected much today so hopefully we can dust it off and go again. The window is still open and hopefully the need for an actual striker has been made much more apparent - if Sports Republic are serious about us surviving and/or pushing on the cheque book needs to come up for a reliable goal scorer. The bad The lack of tactical plan. In the second half in particular I had no idea how we expected to score - where was the goal threat? The score. 4-1 is a pretty depressing way to start the season against any opponent. Romeu looked lost being asked to play further forward. I just don't see it. Bazunu understandably nervy and his distribution was patchy - though who he was meant to be hitting wasn't clear. Spurs fans giving it the big'un. Armstrong. Barely had a kick and couldn't hold up the ball at any point - though this is evidently not his game. Presume the plan had been for him to play off the shoulder and hit Spurs on the break but it didn't work at all. Broja is a big miss on today's display ... still bizarre Adams didn't get the nod at any point. The officiating. It wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference to the outcome but f*ck me there was some poor decisions - how Romero didn't get at least a yellow is beyond me - he didn't get the ball (despite what the commentary team on my feed were keen to tell us) and it was a reckless tackle with unnecessary force. The Spurs players then had the audacity to mob the referee to complain it was even given as a foul . The Ugly Same old same old. A calamity goal conceded and then we fell apart. We need to start keeping our heads and stay in games - at 3-1 we are still just about in the game (in theory) but at 4 we are all fearing a tanking and it's a case of damage limitation. The lack of ambition. I can take losing games. I can take the odd spanking (just ask Mrs Upwey ...) but when we set up like we did today and still get taken apart I just don't see the point. I miss seeing us trying. Ralph. I've been an advocate of giving him time and patience - in the cold light of day I still might sit in that camp. What worries me the most is he appears to have lost his bottle. Where has the high intensity, front foot football gone? He got plenty wrong today. Tactics, line up, subs, game management ... The defence. All over the f*cking shop. I'm a fan of settling on a first choice CB pairing and giving them a run to build a partnership and understanding. Nobody seemed to have a clue today. Salisu's howler. I rate him. At points last year he was a ball magnet and his positioning was quality. But he had a shocker today and won't want to look lack on the own goal any time soon.

I expected to lose today but to see us capitulate again is surely a concern? This could be a cricket score and it's not because we are 'going for it' in any way. If we went for it at 2-1 down and Spurs smashed a few in fine but I can't even discern what the plan was/is today.

F*ck me! Fallen apart. Spurs have so much more quality than us but quite how Romero didn't get a booking is beyond me. I'm a Ralph fan but he's got this very wrong. I didn't expect to win but we need to find a way to be more competitive. How we are playing with no striker is beyond me - clearly isn't working.

I think it depends. If things go south it has the ingredients for an unhappy dynamic - if they do well and he performs you anticipate any issues will quickly be overcome.

He may not want to go. Just because a release clause is triggered we can't block a move but KWP doesn't have to accept a contract with them. May also be vague journalistic bullsh*t which seems equally as likely. I would be gutted to see KWP leave but at least £30mil is a reasonable amount of money to put towards a hypothetical replacement. That being said in an open market I would want to see us hold out for a bigger fee for what is one of our top talents. Probably not the profile we would go with but Aarons at Norwich has a good reputation and Norwich seem open to sales for the right price.

I heard he was big in Japan ...