He owes us one, gave Burnley a Penalty against us did he not, missing the fact that Jack S was being fouled?
That's his job! The fact he got it wrong isn't the point, I can understand why, but now he is obliged to make amends is he not? Sadly, it doesn't work like that, particularly where we are concerned...
So you do actually admit that Stephens was being held down by Crouch, thus explaining his raised arm?
I totally agree with this comment but believe that neither Long nor Austin have been disappointing this season. Wednesday will be a massive match and I think we will win. I cannot believe that we can continue to be so useless at home. What fascinates me is the continued faith in Ralph to pull the rabbit out of the hat. Amazing to think that we are now relying upon a striker who was ever so close to being shown the door. This team feels down on it's heels just as the last Saints team to get relegated did. I don't see any character in the squad outside of the midfield positions. We are performing marginally better than under Ralph and the better parts of the performances as more enjoyable to watch. However, there has not been a massive turn around on fortunes. I was really excited to begin with after the Arsenal home match but the recent defeats and underwhelming performances have been depressing. I don't think that Ralph has been given a fair crack of the whip. Quite how we failed to improve the forward line and stiffen up the defence in the January transfer window is pretty scandalous and only adds to the perception at how inept we are at recruiting. These have been serious issues for the best part of two seasons and whilst I think most reasonable fans would understand that it is not going to be possible to recruit another Van Dijk, the recruitment has been woeful in the last few seasons. I would like to see some of the youngsters given a try on the subs bench. Letting the likes of Cedric go out on loan doesn't necessarily seem sensible to me. I just get the impression that there are players Ralph likes and those he doesn't and that this judgement is more about character and a willingness to adapt to his style of football as opposed to about ability. Lose or draw tomorrow and I think the fans will turn against him. Oddly enough, the criticism about Stephens is, in some degree, understandable but he had a good match in the last home game up until he made the error at the end.
I'm not convinced it forced him to raise his arm that high. If the shirt pull was that big he would have gone to ground.
On the yoof, my real answer none of us know. It's true that Sims looked good 2 years ago and this year he was rubbish. There's a lesson there about players like Young Michael/Valery, but apart from that we just have to assume that what the coaches see in training is more important and they judge based off that. Effort isn't really a problem, but being unfit is, so shout out to our best striker Nathan Redmond who's only missed 90 minutes all season. The next outfield player is 9 hours back.
Must be easier for youngsters to shine if called into a squad that's performing...hard to ask a youngster to carry a team.
I don't know where my colleague read it but apparently Liverpool are monitoring Valery. Not sure how true this as I have not seen anything in the press to that effect.
If it is all that we have got, there isn't an alternative, from what I have seen of them they are capable of doing a job if called upon.
Presumably if they were impressive in training, then they would get a chance. It’s not like Ralph has been reluctant to play academy graduates if they are up to it. So we can only assume the ones not getting selected aren’t showing enough in training.
Wouldn’t be at all surprised. Doubt they’re the only club monitoring him. Let’s hope they get told to **** off.
A big game, need experience rather than youth for this one Niemi Dodd, Higginbotham, Lundekvam, Svensson, Telfer Fernandes, Marsden, Prutton Pahars, Ormerod
For me this is the test as to how much Ralph has got into the players minds and skill sets. I’m not surprised we’ve had a fall off from the early promise but overall we’re marginally better but severely restrained by an injury crisis. Hence concerns as to who we can actually beat. Relying on Cardiff to slip up again, is a mugs game, either we’re good enough or not and at present I’m not absolutely sure if we are in fact good enough, others may disagree. But if Ralph has done his job well, we should and, frankly speaking, must see points on the board v Fulham, not one point, three. It will at least be a clear demonstration that a turn round is on the cards. If we lose ground this week, then we will be in the same dilemma as last year with a weaker team in my view, unless the injury list shows a dramatic improvement. I hope he can do what I think he is capable of with this team, but at the end of the day, as with previous managers, once those guys cross the white line, they have to produce their very best to give us any chance of staying in the PL.
