Ivan Juric

[LGTL]

3 hours ago, Turkish said:

Sounds like there are also a few issues behind the scenes with Rustys boys throwing a strop. Taking over a basket case club in terminal decline with a load of players kicking off behind the scenes it’s an impossible job 

Yep, and Flynn Downes is the main instigator. He is, by all accounts, an absolute cunt. 

[woodsaint1]

3 points from a possible 24 and a dismal defeat against Burnley 2nds in the FA Cup. Yes you can blame the lack of fitness, the team being poor, the fact its not his team or whatever, but regardless that is a pretty shite return so far.

The whole 'he'll take no prisoners' and the 'no nonsense' approach we were expecting.....I've yet to see it. The performances are still poor, mistakes are still being made, the effort/workrate of some players is still questionable....yet hes commenting that he's happy with the effort and how we've been unlucky at times.

Lets just hope we get another win and then cut our losses in the summer. As well as players, I'm sure Spors will have an idea or two for a new manager

 

[Gloucester Saint]

6 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Yep, and Flynn Downes is the main instigator. He is, by all accounts, an absolute cunt. 

Do share further, any particular snippets which can be shared? 

[austsaint]

4 hours ago, Pamplemousse said:

We are far more competitive, we actually look a threat going forward.

Defensively the issues are still there and that's because the players aren't very good.

I'd be inclined to stick with Juric tbh, he has a proven track record of delivering at the top level with smallish teams, and ship out most of the current team.

I’m less convinced (than I was) that Juric is the right man to lead the Championship campaign.    He has had long enough to assess the players yet picked Smallbone as a starting central midfielder and Aribo to partner him.    I doubt any person at St Mary’s today, or tapping away on this forum would have done the same.    Then there’s the rigidity around playing three centre backs - one of them being Bree, wtf, and at times Aribo helping out at CB.    It’s true there’s a greater threat going forward but the midfield and defence continue to be a shambles.    I know IJ has been dealt a mountainous task, and he hasn’t got much of a deck to shuffle; the Downes situation hasn’t helped.    Just the same, his team selections, subs and formations create serious doubt he should be in charge next season.

[Bob60]

I may be going against the flow here but I feel that this season was dead when it started, a manager wedded to a system that would never work in the prem with our squad then a poor window with no prem quality left is with a slow death this season.

That on top of a decline over four seasons led by little spending in the Kat and Chinese eras, of you stand still in the top leagues you go backwards, have left us in a very bad state. 

Now the backer has taken action and put himself in the chairman's seat, employed a new football director and manager. I am never keen on three at the back but after what has gone before I don't care what formation we play. I now feel we need to get everyone aligned and allow the team to be built around what the manger needs and slow time to turn this around. Constantly changing will not help, major work is needed and this will take time.

[S-Clarke]

Starting Aribo and Smallbone was an utter WTF call for sure, but I do look at the state of it here and wonder what on earth he can do with this horrendous bunch of 'footballers'? 

He's struggling to find the right sorts to play the way he wants. My only criticism at this point is that we've got another manager who only knows how to play one way, rather than a manger who is flexible enough to work with what he's got. He's not going to get 'heavy metal' out of a squad full of crab footballers, so he's lost before he's even started.

Apparently, this is just a rumour, THB is not 'injured' - it's another case of the Downes. We'll see if he's back next week. Juric has got a hell of a lot on his plate really, I can't think of a worse club in the 92 to manage in the current situation. There's no hope.

Edited Saturday at 23:13 by S-Clarke

[Gloucester Saint]

18 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Starting Aribo and Smallbone was an utter WTF call for sure, but I do look at the state of it here and wonder what on earth he can do with this horrendous bunch of 'footballers'? 

He's struggling to find the right sorts to play the way he wants. My only criticism at this point is that we've got another manager who only knows how to play one way, rather than a manger who is flexible enough to work with what he's got. He's not going to get 'heavy metal' out of a squad full of crab footballers, so he's lost before he's even started.

Apparently, this is just a rumour, THB is not 'injured' - it's another case of the Downes. We'll see if he's back next week. Juric has got a hell of a lot on his plate really, I can't think of a worse club in the 92 to manage in the current situation. There's no hope.

THB has been abysmal as well, hope he moves on in the summer and turns a x2 profit on the ‘won an England cap and still young’ card. Juric made another tactical howler today and not the answer but the club is a fucking basket case, only Carlisle and Morecambe worse I’d say. Reading in a financial sense but turned the corner in a football one. 

Edited Saturday at 23:31 by Gloucester Saint

[Appy]

Bloke is clueless, we’re on a hiding to nothing but he’s somehow making selections to make us worse. 

[SaintNewForest]

THB has just signed to a new agent, no doubt laying the ground work for a summer move away.

[ally_uk]

Can we have some transparency regarding Bella Kotchap...

If you have no intent on playing him, don't put him on the bench 🤣

As for Smallbone in midfield I don't want to single him out, clearly isn't up to it at this level,.alas smas for alot of our players.

Mass rebuild will need to happen.

 

Ivan the man to take us forwards? In all honesty I don't think he is...

 

[AlexLaw76]

I get that he has been dealt a shit hand, but he knew what he was signing up for.

His tenure should be all about working out what is best for next season. What we have is another manager wedded to a particular system, that our players are not suited to - which is highly alarming 

[Wade Garrett]

Would love to see him try 4-2-3-1 against Brighton.

Not holding my breath though.  

[badgerx16]

29 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Would love to see him try 4-2-3-1 against Brighton.

Not holding my breath though.  

The formation is irrelevant if he starts Smallbone.

[saintstowin]

I've only seen the Newcastle game in person during the IJ time.

In that game, and highlights of others, the space for opposition players in the middle third of the pitch is quite incredible. It stands out as highly unusual in all my football watching, Saints and otherwise.

I don't think this is all on him, because the rot had set in, and RM's last game featured this for example. 

But it's a sad indictment of the complete lack of confidence and leadership which leads to awful organisation on the pitch.

I say with confidence that you could watch the vast majority of games of football - league games, cup games with lower league against better opponents etc, and you will not see one team jog into such empty parts of the pitch to do what they want. 

And stopping that was what I hoped for in a new manager.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

8 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

Starting Aribo and Smallbone was an utter WTF call for sure, but I do look at the state of it here and wonder what on earth he can do with this horrendous bunch of 'footballers'? 

He's struggling to find the right sorts to play the way he wants. My only criticism at this point is that we've got another manager who only knows how to play one way, rather than a manger who is flexible enough to work with what he's got. He's not going to get 'heavy metal' out of a squad full of crab footballers, so he's lost before he's even started.

Apparently, this is just a rumour, THB is not 'injured' - it's another case of the Downes. We'll see if he's back next week. Juric has got a hell of a lot on his plate really, I can't think of a worse club in the 92 to manage in the current situation. There's no hope.

Take it from me THB is injured. I was at Staplewood on Tuesday and he was on the treatment table.

[Forester]

9 hours ago, Bob60 said:

I may be going against the flow here but I feel that this season was dead when it started, a manager wedded to a system that would never work in the prem with our squad then a poor window with no prem quality left is with a slow death this season.

That on top of a decline over four seasons led by little spending in the Kat and Chinese eras, of you stand still in the top leagues you go backwards, have left us in a very bad state. 

Now the backer has taken action and put himself in the chairman's seat, employed a new football director and manager. I am never keen on three at the back but after what has gone before I don't care what formation we play. I now feel we need to get everyone aligned and allow the team to be built around what the manger needs and slow time to turn this around. Constantly changing will not help, major work is needed and this will take time.

You are far too sensible for this place 

[Harry_SFC]

19 minutes ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Take it from me THB is injured. I was at Staplewood on Tuesday and he was on the treatment table.

Yeah he was clearly injured against Ipswich hence why he came off. 

I think he's a bit different to Downes in the sense that he actively pushed to come here, where as Downes clearly didn't have many options and was just about swayed by RM. 

Having said that I can't see either player being with us next season. 

[Forester]

I am not saying Jurić is the planet’s best coach but he has managed for about eight years in Italian top flight, in my opinion has made us more competitive and creative than Martin, and has been handed both an awful squad and then no support at all in the window.

There is some real crap spouted on here.  In recent years teams have won the Premier League playing 343 (Chelsea), 442 (Leicester), 433 (Liverpool), 4123 (City).  It isn’t the formation, it’s the utter lack of top flight quality.  He gets stick for playing Smallbone, who he now will see isn’t up to it, but he hasn’t started under him until yesterday and needs to be given a chance and now he knows.  We have only two holding midfielders in the squad, and one is on strike.  We have two centre backs injured and a third that doesn’t want to be here.  And we have two fit strikers, neither of whom are Premier League quality.  What the fuck do people expect from him?

As some have said we need to stop the endless carousel, back him and new Technical Director, get Sport Republic out of the way of football decisions and build something.  I watch us home and away and have more cause than most to complain based on money shelled out but I can recognise when someone has been handed a hospital pass and this really is one.

[LGTL]

8 minutes ago, Forester said:

I am not saying Jurić is the planet’s best coach but he has managed for about eight years in Italian top flight, in my opinion has made us more competitive and creative than Martin, and has been handed both an awful squad and then no support at all in the window.

There is some real crap spouted on here.  In recent years teams have won the Premier League playing 343 (Chelsea), 442 (Leicester), 433 (Liverpool), 4123 (City).  It isn’t the formation, it’s the utter lack of top flight quality.  He gets stick for playing Smallbone, who he now will see isn’t up to it, but he hasn’t started under him until yesterday and needs to be given a chance and now he knows.  We have only two holding midfielders in the squad, and one is on strike.  We have two centre backs injured and a third that doesn’t want to be here.  And we have two fit strikers, neither of whom are Premier League quality.  What the fuck do people expect from him?

As some have said we need to stop the endless carousel, back him and new Technical Director, get Sport Republic out of the way of football decisions and build something.  I watch us home and away and have more cause than most to complain based on money shelled out but I can recognise when someone has been handed a hospital pass and this really is one.

I do tend to agree in fairness. Out of everyone responsible for the current shit show, Juric is probably the most innocent. I’m still torn on next year though and whether anyone involved in this horror would be able to actually sort it out. 

[Colinjb]

26 minutes ago, Forester said:

I am not saying Jurić is the planet’s best coach but he has managed for about eight years in Italian top flight, in my opinion has made us more competitive and creative than Martin, and has been handed both an awful squad and then no support at all in the window.

There is some real crap spouted on here.  In recent years teams have won the Premier League playing 343 (Chelsea), 442 (Leicester), 433 (Liverpool), 4123 (City).  It isn’t the formation, it’s the utter lack of top flight quality.  He gets stick for playing Smallbone, who he now will see isn’t up to it, but he hasn’t started under him until yesterday and needs to be given a chance and now he knows.  We have only two holding midfielders in the squad, and one is on strike.  We have two centre backs injured and a third that doesn’t want to be here.  And we have two fit strikers, neither of whom are Premier League quality.  What the fuck do people expect from him?

As some have said we need to stop the endless carousel, back him and new Technical Director, get Sport Republic out of the way of football decisions and build something.  I watch us home and away and have more cause than most to complain based on money shelled out but I can recognise when someone has been handed a hospital pass and this really is one.

Very much inclined to agree.

[notnowcato]

It’s only fair to look at Juric based on his time here and the hand he’s been dealt.
 

There are varying opinions on the cards he has to play with, I’m firmly of the opinion that we have a relegation squad, have been since August. 

 

As for what I’ve seen of Juric’s team’s performance, I’m not convinced. I see no patterns of how we’re trying to win games, we’re living off scraps. There have been some frankly strange selections and our shape often shows a barren midfield. 

[WALK DMC]

2 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I get that he has been dealt a shit hand, but he knew what he was signing up for.

His tenure should be all about working out what is best for next season. What we have is another manager wedded to a particular system, that our players are not suited to - which is highly alarming 

There is an argument that the reason why he has dropped Ugochukwu a couple of times now (Palace, Bournemouth) because he is pretty certain not to be here next year and wants to see how other players such as Smallbone can do.   I don't buy into the "Ugochuckwu needs a rest argument", we're not playing during the week at the moment. 

As for the formation;  it isn't working well and the number of goals that we're conceding playing it is pretty awful. I also wish that he would be a little more flexible and switch systems during the game occasionally. 

 

[Toussaint]

1 hour ago, badgerx16 said:

The formation is irrelevant if he starts Smallbone.

I don’t think he will, he made a reference in his post match interview 

 

Did you think jeering of Smallbone as he came off was unfair?

IJ: Yes, because he's a great guy, an incredible professional. He gives everything he has. I'm disappointed that he didn't play well.

I'm not angry with him, I'm just disappointed because he's really a guy who gives everything on the training.

I expected more, it's obvious, but I'm really sorry for him because he doesn't deserve it. He's a good guy.

 

daily echo 

 

 

Edited Sunday at 09:26 by Toussaint

[badgerx16]

2 minutes ago, Toussaint said:

I don’t think he will, he made a reference in his post match interview to the effect of giving players a go who had been looking good in training but it not working out. My words, not his, but it was quite damming I thought. 

Some of them must look World class at Staplewood.

[Toussaint]

1 minute ago, badgerx16 said:

Some of them must look World class at Staplewood.

Juric is just desperate to try anything to form a competitive 11 from the dross squad of talentless losers. 

[Fabrice29]

15 hours ago, Turkish said:

Sounds like there are also a few issues behind the scenes with Rustys boys throwing a strop. Taking over a basket case club in terminal decline with a load of players kicking off behind the scenes it’s an impossible job 

I’m not advocating anyone throwing a strop to the possible extent they have but fostering an environment like last season, playing a particular way and having success only to rip it up and change it completely the moment it starts to go wrong at a higher level was always going to piss some people off.

[Gloucester Saint]

10 hours ago, SaintNewForest said:

THB has just signed to a new agent, no doubt laying the ground work for a summer move away.

As long as we get £40m for the cunt I don’t care.

[trousers]

12 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

I’m not advocating anyone throwing a strop to the possible extent they have but fostering an environment like last season, playing a particular way and having success only to rip it up and change it completely the moment it starts to go wrong at a higher level was always going to piss some people off.

Good job most highly paid footballers  are professional enough to overcome such first world problems rather than throwing their toys out of the pram. #diddums

Edited Sunday at 10:25 by trousers

[CB Fry]

9 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

I’m not advocating anyone throwing a strop to the possible extent they have but fostering an environment like last season, playing a particular way and having success only to rip it up and change it completely the moment it starts to go wrong at a higher level was always going to piss some people off.

Interesting interpretation of "the minute it all goes wrong". If Flynn and THB think they are going to get open top bus parades, little congratulatory cuddles and non stop praise at any other Premier League club for winning one in 16 or whatever it is then they've got a fucking shock coming.

[Chez]

2 hours ago, Forester said:

I am not saying Jurić is the planet’s best coach but he has managed for about eight years in Italian top flight, in my opinion has made us more competitive and creative than Martin, and has been handed both an awful squad and then no support at all in the window.

There is some real crap spouted on here.  In recent years teams have won the Premier League playing 343 (Chelsea), 442 (Leicester), 433 (Liverpool), 4123 (City).  It isn’t the formation, it’s the utter lack of top flight quality.  He gets stick for playing Smallbone, who he now will see isn’t up to it, but he hasn’t started under him until yesterday and needs to be given a chance and now he knows.  We have only two holding midfielders in the squad, and one is on strike.  We have two centre backs injured and a third that doesn’t want to be here.  And we have two fit strikers, neither of whom are Premier League quality.  What the fuck do people expect from him?

As some have said we need to stop the endless carousel, back him and new Technical Director, get Sport Republic out of the way of football decisions and build something.  I watch us home and away and have more cause than most to complain based on money shelled out but I can recognise when someone has been handed a hospital pass and this really is one.

Some very good points. He also is faced by the issue of having a large number of players fully invested in RMs possession at all costs game. Even though that wasn’t working in the PL, it’s not easy for players to just give that up having had success last season. 

[Fabrice29]

10 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

Interesting interpretation of "the minute it all goes wrong". If Flynn and THB think they are going to get open top bus parades, little congratulatory cuddles and non stop praise at any other Premier League club for winning one in 16 or whatever it is then they've got a fucking shock coming.

I don’t think anyone’s expecting that at all but completely ripping up everything that was successful last season rather than trying to work a way though it has ended up just as catastrophic really. So now people who enjoyed those certain aspects of last season and in some examples directly used them as reasons to join up again are probably left feeling a bit lost. Yes you want better and I don’t advocate anyone throwing strops that have meant they aren’t included but also there’s not many links between last seasons wave and this season left.

[Chez]

1 hour ago, WALK DMC said:

There is an argument that the reason why he has dropped Ugochukwu a couple of times now (Palace, Bournemouth) because he is pretty certain not to be here next year and wants to see how other players such as Smallbone can do.   I don't buy into the "Ugochuckwu needs a rest argument", we're not playing during the week at the moment. 

As for the formation;  it isn't working well and the number of goals that we're conceding playing it is pretty awful. I also wish that he would be a little more flexible and switch systems during the game occasionally. 

 

It could be argued that Les hasn’t been picked to start in every game because some performances haven’t exactly been great. He’s up and down. 

[Chez]

1 hour ago, Toussaint said:

Juric is just desperate to try anything to form a competitive 11 from the dross squad of talentless losers. 

Try anything except a change of formation?

[Huffton]

He's the Croatian Nathan Jones, a very Saintsy appointment 

[trousers]

18 minutes ago, Chez said:

It could be argued that Les hasn’t been picked to start in every game because some performances haven’t exactly been great. He’s up and down. 

Bit chicken and egg maybe? Quite often a player who's inconsistent needs consistent starts in order to become consistent? 

#toomanyconsistentsinonesentenceklaxon

[Lord Duckhunter]

Let’s face it, the blokes not a fucking idiot, he knew we were down when he walked into the building. If he’s trying to win a series of one off games, then I’d be worried about him being in charge next season. If he’s playing the likes of Smallbone, Bree, to decide whether they’re for him next season, then that’s a different matter. It looks like he’s decided AA, Downes & Archer aren’t , and after expressing “disappointment “ in Smallbones performance, hopefully him as well.
 

There’s no doubt people would be relatively happy appointing someone with his cv for the championship, so the thing that’ll go against him is results this season. There’s one key question and you’d hope the DoF will be all over this, are some of the players cunts, pining for Lego, wanting to get away, going through the motions, unfit,  or is the shambles we’re seeing down to him? Behind the scenes is he making a difference, Chris Wilder didn’t seem to make much difference to Sheffield Utd last season, but clearly has. I’m hoping it’s the same here, because you can’t keep burning through managers and expect anything other than what weve  got. A fucking dogs dinner of a squad, with players bought for 3 or 4 different managers. 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

1 hour ago, Chez said:

Try anything except a change of formation?

He's getting a tune out of players that did nothing before. I don't mind him playing the remaining matches this season like a series of one-offs and mixing and matching the team to see which players will work next year...but I do want to see him also try out different formations.

I recall Ralph stumbling on 5 at the back against Arsenal winning that game and then did it for a couple of games before reverting to a back 4 because it suited the players. I would like Juric to experiment too.

[Whitey Grandad]

2 hours ago, badgerx16 said:

Some of them must look World class at Staplewood.

They would do. Just look at who they’re playing against.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, trousers said:

Bit chicken and egg maybe? Quite often a player who's inconsistent needs consistent starts in order to become consistent? 

#toomanyconsistentsinonesentenceklaxon

#thatsthepurposeofaloanspell

Edited Sunday at 12:24 by Gloucester Saint

[Wade Garrett]

5 hours ago, badgerx16 said:

The formation is irrelevant if he starts Smallbone.

He said in his interview after the game that he had made some mistakes.  I’m assuming starting Smallbone was one of them.

Edited Sunday at 13:20 by Wade Garrett

[Toussaint]

2 hours ago, Chez said:

Try anything except a change of formation?

There is that, but that could be part of the same issue, he just doesn’t trust what he has to do what’s needed so feels the formation is the best use of what is at his disposal?

[notnowcato]

Playing players in EPL games to see if they’re what you what you want in the Championship?? What could possibly go wrong?  Fuck me, what a load of bollox. 
 

He fucked up, again. 

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Wade Garrett said:

He said in his interview after the game that he had made some mistakes.  I’m assuming starting Smallbone was one of them.

Surely he must have seen enough of him in previous appearances to know that he’s not up to the challenge. And if there’s any doubt stick another player alongside him in midfield.

[Tommy Mulgrew]

Perhaps Juric should watch the Saints women play: Remi Allen has them in a 4:2:3:1 or 4:4:2 formation most games and we concede at a rate of one goal a game.  The extra player in midfield that playing only two CBs gives you should avoid the wide open spaces we have been seeing in front of the defence and reduce the endless oppo runs to the heart of our penalty area.  It might mean we play one fewer full backs, too.  😉

I know plenty of others have said something similar on here; I just thought I’d add my tuppenceworth to the debate.

[StrangelyBrown]

9 hours ago, notnowcato said:

It’s only fair to look at Juric based on his time here and the hand he’s been dealt.
 

There are varying opinions on the cards he has to play with, I’m firmly of the opinion that we have a relegation squad, have been since August. 

 

As for what I’ve seen of Juric’s team’s performance, I’m not convinced. I see no patterns of how we’re trying to win games, we’re living off scraps. There have been some frankly strange selections and our shape often shows a barren midfield. 

I'm with you on the relegation squad. We didn't always look completely convincing last year in the championship and we've barely improved upon that team. There is a huge gulf in quality between the leagues so it's no wonder we're struggling.

[notnowcato]

13 minutes ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

Perhaps Juric should watch the Saints women play: Remi Allen has them in a 4:2:3:1 or 4:4:2 formation most games and we concede at a rate of one goal a game.  The extra player in midfield that playing only two CBs gives you should avoid the wide open spaces we have been seeing in front of the defence and reduce the endless oppo runs to the heart of our penalty area.  It might mean we play one fewer full backs, too.  😉

I know plenty of others have said something similar on here; I just thought I’d add my tuppenceworth to the debate.

Unfortunately we have much bigger issues than which formation to play. 

[Maggie May]

8 hours ago, Chez said:

 He’s up and down. 

He’s more yoyo than Yaya.

[pimpin4rizeal]

7 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Let’s face it, the blokes not a fucking idiot, he knew we were down when he walked into the building. If he’s trying to win a series of one off games, then I’d be worried about him being in charge next season. If he’s playing the likes of Smallbone, Bree, to decide whether they’re for him next season, then that’s a different matter. It looks like he’s decided AA, Downes & Archer aren’t , and after expressing “disappointment “ in Smallbones performance, hopefully him as well.
 

There’s no doubt people would be relatively happy appointing someone with his cv for the championship, so the thing that’ll go against him is results this season. There’s one key question and you’d hope the DoF will be all over this, are some of the players cunts, pining for Lego, wanting to get away, going through the motions, unfit,  or is the shambles we’re seeing down to him? Behind the scenes is he making a difference, Chris Wilder didn’t seem to make much difference to Sheffield Utd last season, but clearly has. I’m hoping it’s the same here, because you can’t keep burning through managers and expect anything other than what weve  got. A fucking dogs dinner of a squad, with players bought for 3 or 4 different managers. 

Think it would be a idiot move to tear up the squad in the summer. for example letting AA Go to a championship rival when he’s prolific there would be really dumb so we probably will lol.. most of our players are gonna be strong championship players we dont need that much surgery .. maybe get a couple of midfielders that suit juric more and rest is good to go 

[woodsaint1]

10 hours ago, Forester said:

I am not saying Jurić is the planet’s best coach but he has managed for about eight years in Italian top flight, in my opinion has made us more competitive and creative than Martin, and has been handed both an awful squad and then no support at all in the window.

There is some real crap spouted on here.  In recent years teams have won the Premier League playing 343 (Chelsea), 442 (Leicester), 433 (Liverpool), 4123 (City).  It isn’t the formation, it’s the utter lack of top flight quality.  He gets stick for playing Smallbone, who he now will see isn’t up to it, but he hasn’t started under him until yesterday and needs to be given a chance and now he knows.  We have only two holding midfielders in the squad, and one is on strike.  We have two centre backs injured and a third that doesn’t want to be here.  And we have two fit strikers, neither of whom are Premier League quality.  What the fuck do people expect from him?

As some have said we need to stop the endless carousel, back him and new Technical Director, get Sport Republic out of the way of football decisions and build something.  I watch us home and away and have more cause than most to complain based on money shelled out but I can recognise when someone has been handed a hospital pass and this really is one.

I expect him to not play 4 full backs. I expect him to not play James Bree or Joe Aribo at CB. If we're desperately short of CBs with injuries/other issues, then why does he persist with a system which requires 3 CBs. Same applies to defensive midfielders. Both problems could be resolved by playing a 4-4-2 or 4-1-3-2 formation. But we have a manager who is wedded to 5-3-2 at all costs, despite it not working and us not having the players for it. 

Performances have improved......barely though as we've only been competitive in maybe 3 of his 8 PL games in charge. Nobody will deny that hes been dealt a shite hand, but he knew that and got the job by convincing the board that he had been watching the team and could turn things around. If the current form persists, I cant see Dragan being persuaded to keep him on (despite what he said on Talksport weeks ago)

[Saint86]

5 hours ago, notnowcato said:

Playing players in EPL games to see if they’re what you what you want in the Championship?? What could possibly go wrong?  Fuck me, what a load of bollox. 
 

He fucked up, again. 

Wait a minute, we're operating from the viewpoint that we have 11 premier league standard players? Let alone in midfield, and let alone when Downes is sulking? 😄😅