To Jones' credit, that was definitely improved. However... the changing formations five times a game thing has to stop. Especially with a group who are clearly low on confidence and clarity.
You don’t take a positive in putting in one of the better performances of the whole calendar year? In looking a completely different team to the one that lost against Brighton? I think we all realise that it’s only points that matter at the end of the day, thanks, but at least today we looked like a side that might conceivably win a match sometime, which hasn’t been the case for a while.
I'm on your side, but for a different reason. We still have 21 games (and an entire transfer window) left, so I do think there is still time to keep us up this season. (Whether or not Jones is the right person to attempt that is a different question.) However, we've had years now of "hope". And so far, nothing has been built.
Never going to win a PL game with 1 central midfielder in the side, particularly when Fulham are playing with 2-solid CMs and Pereira dropping deep off the ball, to make a 3. That first half was just as dire as the Brighton game. It doesn't matter if we have been better after half time since Jones has joined if the first halves are as diabolical as they have been. Need to win the next 2 games if we are to avoid going in to second half of the season as favourites to go down.
We lost to an average Fulham side, which will only dent confidence further. Sorry, I don't see a positive in a 5th defeat in a row.
Didn't watch the game, but a lot of us want Stuey on, he has an impact in the last two games, but still on the bench today, I really do not understand it. NJ certainly not helping himself
Every day that the club ignore what is staring us in the face is more bolt's added to our relegation. He's not good enough and has never been good enough. Why have him as the figurehead going in to our most important transfer window in years? Which player in their right mind is going to join a club rock bottom of the PL without a strong, known and respected manager? I'd bet my right ball that 99% of PL players have never heard of him, let alone players from foreign leagues. I'm sure he'll be a big draw in recruiting the essential players we need. SR have well and truly ****ed this up. Unforgivable appointment. Their sheer arrogance has relegated us, I hope they lose ****ing millions
If I was neutral, with no skin in the game, I'd be really interested to watch what happens. Whether that be days, weeks, or months. Sticking with him is the easy decision, in my opinion. Sacking him, especially early on, is the much more difficult decision. He's only been here five minutes, and he was chosen by the current board. We would look like a laughing stock if we sacked him early. But if we duly stayed up, we would be able to say that the decision was justified. On the other hand, if we still go down anyway, it just gets worse. Three managers in one season is very rarely a recipe for survival.
The performance was a lot better than Brighton or Lincoln. But there's no way we should have left pointless today. It comes down to not doing the basics properly. Their first goal - we were far too slow to close down their player on the edge of the box and their second goal we were beaten by a simple flick on at the near post. Not acceptable when there are 3 CB's on the pitch. And we still seem incapable of scoring from open play. It was better but not good enough at the end of the day.
Today was better, but… It seems as if Jones wants to sacrifice possessional structure and attacking build-up play in favour of hoof ball / low block stuff. To get away with that, you have to get the basics right. ****ing set pieces. To be a horrible attritional side, you can’t concede weak as piss goals. Or else there’s no point at all. No style, no substance so far.
Re the last point about three managers I think the reason for that is less about the pure turnover, it means that two consecutive managers have failed in a season and by which time the third comes in there is a mountain to climb. As harsh as it is, given the fixtures he has started off with if NJ doesn’t have a couple of wins on the board by the Wolves game he is already in failing territory. If he had come in to a stable team with time to spare then he would be afforded longer, but his brief is to save us from relegation and at the moment we are on track to go down. In fairness to NJ that’s more on SR than him as he just feels like utterly the wrong fit for our present situation. Of course we could improve in short order, but there is very little time to do it. Better performances in losses are not good enough at this point, we can’t afford gradual improvement it needs to be immediate.
As much as I want Saints to stay in the Prem I really don't give a flying f*ck what division we play in. I am just grateful that I still have a team to support which I nearly lost about 12 years ago. When it is mathematically impossible to stay up then and only then will I accept relegation. As it stands we are only a couple of wins away from getting out the relegation zone.
