thunderball

Has AEG killed this commentators cat?

No it was this

I can’t see us winning a game at the moment, I don’t see anything in this team, we could be 19th by Christmas.

McGinn is a big part of the issue for me, he just cannot put his foot on it and control a game as a central midfielder.

….and everyone else too

I disagree. We are not playing him where he has excelled, he’s new and also playing in a desperate and unsettled side

This commentary is dreadful

lose 1-0 and its bad given whats gone before, lose by more and/or dont score and I think thats it, and probably rightly so.

Two wins and six point improvement if everyone above us loses their corresponding two games, which is impossible and wouldn't happen anyway. 6 points is a huge gap even if you were in form.

I think its time to go, get the right man in place ahead of the January. As has already been pointed out, we are being ever so polite about this because Smith is also a fan, but the ugly truth is we have been very poor for nearly 11 months and look no closer to a winning system without Jack at its centre. Our defence is shattered, our midfield isnt performing, and I think we have an over reliance on myth that is McGinn, who frankly hasnt really performed anywhere near consistently well since promotion. McGinn looks like a pub player at times. I think we need an upgrade on Mings as a first team starter, and increasingly looks like Targett flattered to only deceive and is now average. Is Smith able to makes these big calls? The management action and decision making is all too slow for me, our pre-season was shocking which resulted in a terrible start and 5 dropped points in first few games, and the petulance shown by a few players now indicates there is no fear or enough respect in the camp. I would love him to get a result this weekend and turn the corner, it is possible and I would value continuity over a fresh face, but for me Smith needs a chameleon like change in himself and the first team this week. I have no illusion that with eroding confidence, and the competitive nature of this division, especially this season, we could well be struggling by Christmas, it looks like heads have dropped already and Bailey/Ings/Buendia are all wondering whether they have made a mistake after only 10 games.

Hopefully Purslow starts the search now, give smith to years end to turn it around, if not all change.

Had a wobble first season back, but Smith pulled it out the bag and seemed to have us moving forward in the first half of last season. But this year has been a big mess, a couple of results papered over the cracks. Pre- season was a mess and we have abandoned what was good last season, we are now a real mess. It looks beyond Smith now. We have the players, but I think the midfield isn’t working and doesn’t provide a platform for defence nor attack. I actually think Smith needs to go now. He can’t justify the investment made and doesn’t seem to be quick enough of mind to sort things out quickly enough. The big money ratchets up the pressure and I don’t think Smith has a response quickly enough. Sorry Dean

Bailey isn’t the messiah. We need a shake up and quickly. WHU weren’t really that good. Too many poor performances but the mess we are in is down to soft management, including letting internationals doing as they please at the clubs expense. Martinez is losing his composure

Smith in

Let’s be honest, 3 or 4 wins aside, we’ve been very very poor since last Christmas. Maybe a change is overdue?

TBH we have been unlucky, the WHU performance doesn’t deserve a 4-1 and we have had bad luck today. Not to say we didn’t deserve to win but we can look up from this. However, this defence is now very poor, we are walking into relegation contention already. As much as I love Delano I think if he doesn’t turn around a performance next game he looks like he’s out, we look low on confidence and out of ideas. We have the talent.

Smith has faults but too many players not performing.

We need a midfield shake up. Not sure we have the right personnel if we are brutally honest.

That’s Smith covering for him, he’s on the naughty step.

Surely it should have been Nakamba for Mings?

I feel this is the real McGinn, back to form. I think he on,y has a performance every 15 games. Shame Sanson talked his way out of consideration.

I don’t see that and am really not seeing much coming from Bunedia , but to be fair he is not hiding and hopefully it will click, but he seems surprised by the PL’s speed. A general lack quality and basics from everyone.

Let’s build on this, we need confidence…… Young making a difference

This is a very poor side now, we are definitely a relegation battle side at present, no ideas, no energy, no passion, not a hint at how we might score. What the F has happened?

Would be happy with this. Surely before Grealish‘d sale was forced on us, we were buying Buendia to play on the right opposite Jack, so a forward three of: Grealish - Watkins - Buendia So with Grealish now gone the only fundamental change would be Bailey in lieu of Grealish? Integrating two new creatives in a side in one go is a big ask, so why then further complicate it by shoe-horning Ings into a forward line and going 3 at the back when there was nothing wrong with our defence last season?? Ings is a very good player, we needed another forward in the squad, but don’t play them all at once, let them compete and rotate, keep each other on their toes? Lots of other teams seem to be able to do that?