I think some people are doing Ralph a great disservice by saying a bottom 3 season beckons and other such ****. It's one game and the weather was awful. I was pissed off during the game but I don't for one second think we'll be near the relegation zone at the end of the season. A lot of teams in the bottom half will have defensive issues. As long as our attack functions well (and I believe it will) we'll be fine.
We definitely disagree on JWP. He's valuable up the pitch; he's really pretty hazardous in a two-man midfield.
Ralph said a few days ago that he was happy about preseason but nervous about how good we were compared with the rest of the leave (not quite those words but the gist was there). I admired his honesty...the man isn't kidding himself. Far too early to rend garments though. We lose and we learn (to quote RH).
I believe Reed is good enough. Saints clearly don’t. So why the hell are we hanging on to him and loaning him out year on year?
Just back to friends after, sadly, going to Turf Moor. For an hour we were marginally better than Burnley. 2 on target. To nil. Then Vestergard and Gunn made basic mistakes.. and we fell apart. Truly pathetic. Redmond and Ward-Prowse were good. The rest weren't.. Things can only get better, as the song goes..
His interview on Radio Solent gave me the impression that he was genuinely finding it difficult to explain things away. Frankly I have yet to be convinced that this squad learns enough, and whatever they do learn doesn’t stay with them from one match to the next and this has been going on for the last 3/4 years despite 4 different managers.
For those blaming the weather in part to our defeat . I think you will find that Burnley played in the same conditions …..
Despite his run of brilliant form last season coming when he was played in his best position of AM? Despite the goals and assists he got in that position?
On the bright side. I hadn’t turned over my Calendar to August.... Something good from today at least
Probably because he kept us up and completely changed our fortunes despite not spending a penny. But yeah, apart from that he has done **** all
He didn’t look happy .....hopefully he will sort the buggars out before the easy task of facing Liverpool