botak

Unless it was some psychological plan to motivate the players (which is highly unlikely). The only reason to say you will address the rumours at the end of the season is that they are true. Otherwise you would just say they were bollocks.

Tries hard. Wish him all the best. But, being honest, I'm not even sure if he is a decent Championship striker. Couldn't even see him scoring 20+ goals in D1.

RB, LB CM x2, Wingers x2, CF. And most importantly, Manager Bin: Moon, KEA, Herd, Sylla, Tonev, Helenius, Bowery and of course Lambert. Probably need a net spend of 30-40 for that.

Before you accuse the bankers of messing up the world economy, can I please see your phd in macroeconomics...

Long term project to play rank football, consistently get beat by shit teams, not be able to pass the ball, give shit excuses every time we get beat, etc. Can't see how anybody could possibly get the impression that Lambert will ever get us to punch above our weight. We have done nothing but underperform since he arrived. Get rid.

Who exactly? Who would go to a club in which fan expectations and cold hard financial reality are so diametrically apart? Getting the Villa job is a career killer, If Lambert's hadn't had such a massive falling out at Norwich he wouldn't be here.Another managerial change would mean a change in players, and tactics and another year of transition. I'd rather see how Lambert gets on in his 3rd season myself. Not really thought about it cos it's not going to happen. But I don't think Lambert has the ability to make us into a top 8 team, so would prefer to take the risk that we will get someone worse for the chance that we will get someone better and particularly someone who makes us more entertaining to watch. Barely surviving while playing rank awful football most weeks just doesn't get me that excited.

You can give the manager credit for the fact that we are an effective on the counter. The fact that we are absolutely rank in possession at any other time is clearly something you have to blame him for though. I have seen zero evidence that he has the ability to fix this problem, and so can't be too confident that he has the ability to take us beyond lower mid-table range (if we are lucky). Lambert is not an awful manager but he's not a good one either. a 5 or 6/10 manager max. His signings are largely uninspiring, tactics are hit and miss (frequently the latter), coaching abilities mediocre at best and hardly seems to get players to consistently perform to the peak of their abilities. Even if he got 40 mil this summer couldn't see him taking us into the top 8. He probably has done enough to earn another season, but to be honest, I'd prefer someone else.

The club should decide upon an approximate style of play to adopt, and play the same way in every age group team up to the 1st team. managers who arrive take the job in the knowledge that they will not radically depart from this style of play. It's not a coincidence that Barca, Ajax, etc have a conveyer belt of youth player promoted to the 1st team. Consistent transfer policy and consistent development philosophy is the only way to go. What other kind of business would succeed if they required a complete overhaul of their staff every time they changed their managers (which they did every 2 years)?

The Danish Institute for sports has made a report proofing that 80% of all football games can be predicted according to the number of money spend. In short 80% of the time the rich clubs win. It is not surprising, but still very sad. Not much anyone can do to change that. When it comes to money, wage bill is more consequential than transfer fees. Wish we would buy 1 decent player instead of 3 shit ones though.

More because Vinecent Tan is a clueless moron rather than the player not being good enough, which may have been the case but obviously impossible to tell after only 8 appearances. I'm pretty sure you could tell that I wouldn't make it as a premiership player in less than 8 games so it's certainly not impossible. He must be proper rank in training for a team to take a massive loss in 6 months. Must be completely out of his depth for them to want to cut their losses so soon before he loses further value. I doubt Tan has taken the decision unilaterally against the wishes of the footballing staff.

Good signing for the money. 2 free kicks have repaid his fee already. Don't see him being more than a decent squad player though. Will do a reasonable job in a number of positions but don't think he will excel in any of them. Good player to have in the squad, seems to have a good attitude and would love to be proved wrong but don't see him as a first pick in any position in a top half team (which has to be our minimum ambition from next season onwards I hope).

Hoolahan, Ince and Zouma to be revealed Wes, Robin and Jacob presumably...

Guzan - 7 Westwood - 2.5 Delph - 7 Weimann - 4 El Ahmadi - 1 Clark - 3 Vlaar - 5 Luna - 1 Agbonlahor - 5 Baker - 3 Bacuna - 2.5 Benteke - 20 Lowton - 4 Kozak - 4 Tonev - 750k Sylla - 750k Albrighton - 1 Herd - 500k Okore - 4 Bowery - 250k Helenius - 750k Makes about 77m

It is his fault that he has signed mostly awful players who can't pass a football, has trained them badly, has adopted awful tactics, has been in charge for numerous embarrassing results and except for a couple of decent seasons at Norwich has a mostly poor managerial record though.

anyway, 20% possession is not simply a statistic, it is indicative of a total inability to pass the football. I don't understand how anyone could not be concerned about this. Much as it is great to be clinical on the counter, imagine how good we could be if we had even an average level of ball retention skills. You can have 70% possession and still be great on the counter. Possession and counter attacking are not mutually exclusive skills. The fact we are the worst team in possession in the league can only result from bad coaching/tactics, unless you believe we have the worst ball players in the league.

not over the course of a season though

Regardless of whether or not it applies to us this season, if you understand probability then yes you can keep getting lucky. The idea that luck evens itself out over a season is obviously not true.

Hitting on the break is a tactic, having 20% possession is a result of being inept on the ball. We won despite the tactics, not because of them. We got lucky. I found it hilarious and am not going to complain about the 3 points. But to try to say this was some kind of tactical masterstroke is plain bollocks.

There is hitting on the break, and there is having 20% possession. 95/100 you lose with 20% possession. We got lucky. If the breaks had gone the other way we would be talking about one of the worst performances in recent years. Our lack of ability on the ball is very worrying. I can't ever remember it being this bad. Still, am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Stealth victory.

hohoho

How can you accept 60 mins of 20% possession without trying to change something? We look like a non-league side in the FA cup, except they would at least be having a go.

That's what ultra-negativity gets you. Can't believe we are still 5 at the back after getting overrun in the 1st half. If this was McLeish everyone would be going tits..

Winning or not, hate how negative we have become. Treating Southampton like they are Barcelona. Less possession than anyone in the league. Can't get too happy about the direction we are going in.

20% possession. Do I not like 5-3-2.

Bowery isn't even championship standard