There is a lot of truth in this. I feel that the team needed refreshing completely this summer. Of those in the current squad, I suppose the ones to build the next team around would be PEH, JWP, Redmond, Gunn, McCarthy, Valery, Obafemi, Bednarek, Romeu and Bertrand. We hopefully have some great new acquisitions in the signings made this summer. I would also think that the likes of Long and Yoshida are good squad back up players. As for the rest, let's see how the youngsters do but the others should be bombed out. I am not even convinced if Ings is a first choice forward. As for the others, maybe it is time they were shifted on. The calls for Harrison Reed to be recalled is precisely the wrong choice. For too long we have had players like him, Sims and Gallacher out on loan or floating around the subs bench. They are unlikely to enhance the current squad by being present now. We don't need more fringe players but the kind of player who the manager should be disappointed to have to drop. We need a squad who have a realistic chance of holding a first team place down and not a collection of players who are generally not good enough but who could fill a place in the team if we are stuck. A lot of these players have largely under-performed for three seasons. They will not get better than the performances Ralph coaxed out of the team last season. We should have cut our losses in the summer and got rid of about 60% of the current squad. The calls for Hassenhutl to be dismissed are ridiculous and I feel many people will be feeling differently by the end of September. I am not expecting much of a point haul until the Bournemouth game and anything we secure prior to that match will be a bonus. He is an improvement on the previous two managers and I think he has the potential to finish higher than under Puel if he has the resources to play the way he wants. it does make you currious as to why his assistant left - maybe frustration at the board's lack of vision.
Shame he didn't see the vision for the expansive football that was going to be played at St Mary's this season! I do wonder how the fact that the squad was not re-assembled with better players had a bearing in his departure. You keep hearing that English football is supposed to be the best...…..
Went to the match. In the first half I thought we were playing football, Burnley were playing Rugby league. They out muscled us up front and at the back. Nevertheless we were the better team. In the second half their direct approach paid dividends due to the weather and individual lapses in defence. Burnley are the new Stoke. Not pretty but effective. Adams and Ings weren't effective due to the poor service they got. Too often we were trying flicks and tricks that didn't come off. Burnley hoofed it to by pass the midfield. To sum up, crap journey, crap weather, crap result, but we won't be last on match of the day!
Not a game to remember Salute to the fans who made that journey. Long trip, terrible conditions, nothing to cheer, expenses, few positives.. Well done ladies and gents, you March on.
Galling bit for me is that we play 3 CBs for added security, yet still ship 3 goals to Burnley who aren`t exactly free-scoring.
Jeepers. We lost a game. One game. At the very start of the season. Against a team that are horrid to play against at their ground. FFS. Some people! Have people not watched football before or something I think I forgot during the off season how ridiculous people get on here after a single loss.
That is too logical thinking, there. Have you not heard the season is over, we are doomed and Ralph is not the messiah.
More like We squelch on! Got soaked walking to ground, dried out by end of game, got drenched walking back to car. Looking forward to Summer.
May I be the first to congratulate Brighton for their unexpected crowning as Premier League Champions, 2019-20. Because that’s how football works, right?
I don’t think there’s too many that disagree but that was always going to be impossible, unfortunately. It was always going to be a slow grind as we can improve maybe two positions at a time. We just have to hope that the players we did bring in can be added to our core. And we haven’t had a chance to use them yet so we can still be optimistic. I feel like if you bring in three players one will be good, one will be okay, and one will be a bust. If we get that ratio this year, we should be okay. We won’t be very good, but we should be safe.
Do you really think the squad overhaul was going to happen in one window? You’re dreaming if you did.
Oh and English football isn’t the best. Probably the fastest and usually the most excitement, but there is other criteria. Sky try and convince us it’s the best.
I’m not sure how your football works, but all they’ve actually done is qualify for Champions League. Bloody City won it again.... good that the scousers blew it though. Four nil up at half time? They should have won the title from that position.
This hasn’t totally surprised me. I kept wondering last season if he was really good, or just a naughty boy.
Yep. Why is anything other than hero worship of Ralph seen as wrong? He's been in the hotseat long enough to sort out the defence (along with two transfer windows) and still we cannot keep a clean sheet in a competitive game. We just let in three to Burnley. ****ing Burnley. He's an average manager who is just more likeable than the previous 3 and says the right thing to the fans who lap it up.
