Teale's 'tache

I certainly saw plenty to be optimistic about in the performance, but it is a performance that has been long overdue and up to this point very much the exception rather than the rule. The issue Gerrard is going to have is that setting up for a free hit against Manchester City is completely different to setting up against Leicester or Southampton in games that he must win. We are going to have plenty of possession in those games and be expected to attack a whole lot more. There's an entirely different balance to find in the team for those games. What has he learnt from that performance? Can he admit his faults and set us up a bit wider? Pick the right personnel? And finally put an end to the midfielders covering the full backs, which suits nobody? Does he have it in him to drop McGinn? Can he motivate them to do the same against lesser opposition? And those are just the short term issues he needs to figure out, longer term there's still plenty of other mess to clear up if he lasts that long. However, having said all of that, he does seem to very much have the players onside at the moment, and I'm sure there will be a shot of confidence going through the camp after that performance. He himself seemed in a bullish mood after the game, can he take these new found positive vibes and build something from them? Time will tell.

I think the most important thing is to show the City game wasn't a one off and to back it up with performances. I'm sure Gerrard will be bullish after that result, but he has to understand the how's and why's, his introspection needs to go deeper, and span more than just one game. If we revert to the same formation, featuring the same players that have failed so miserably before, then no lessons have been learned and he'll be on his way. I think 4 points would probably be enough to hold on to his job, but it would depend how those results are achieved, if we scrape a win and a draw, that's probably not good enough. If we play well in both games and look like winning both, but for a controversial decision or a rather large slice of bad luck, that's different. We need to be able to see progress in the performances first and foremost.

It's depressingly predictable. The hope before the fall.

I think/hope it is 4, but I'm not convinced it is not 5

I don't like reading too much in to things, but it might suggest that Gerrard will have the Leicester game? I don't know, I don't think it really matters what the manager situation is, Purslow would be in for a rough time either way.

That would curry no favours with me...

Hmmm....

This implies they are actually capable of thought

No official announcements other than Tim going out to QPR on loan.

Allow ketchup at the training ground Get some beers in Let Jedinak loose on the BBQ This weather won't last, so best to get it in while you can.

I missed the game last night, but had a good chuckle when I saw that he'd scored from a corner again, absolute mad lad. Football is supposed to be fun, and Luiz plays like he's having fun. We can't sell him he's the only entertaining thing we have right now.

On the contrary, they almost never communicate directly with the fans, everything goes through Purslow. He will make some kind of statement once Gerrard has been sacked I'm sure.

T'was a joke, apologies, it's probably not the right time for such things. FWIW I'm not a big fan of Dendonker, but I can see he has some attributes that we lack.

Are we absolutely sure that it's not a misspelling and we are actually after Neves?

Well, Scott Parker, spoke up. - and was promptly sacked, Lange didn't appoint Gerrard, I'm not sure why he should fall on his sword for that? Rather he should be judged on an appointment he's made himself. Sporting directors are supposed to work in the background, and I'd rather our dirty laundry not be aired in that way. I have been surprised, when I have seen some good scandinavian players going to Premier league clubs and we presumably haven't been in for them.....with his background, that is weird. - really not sure of the relevance of this? He's Scandinavian and has contacts there sure, but that doesn't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, were the players good enough? Were they what we needed at the time? Did they fit in with our policy? Why, when we quite clearly run a very tight ship in terms of leaks do you presume we weren't in for or at least looking at them? Did he suggest them and Gerrard said no? I think SG will be scapegoated for everything....and that could be a danger. - He may well be, but he shouldn't, I agree we need to look deeper than that. I still see many things under SG , that I saw under DS despite their conntrasting styles.....I still see the same errors,now, as I saw with Dean. - There are comparisons sure, but I'm more of the mind that if your team is playing badly then a lot of things begin to look similar, rather than anything deeper than that. I am not convinced with the recruitment either, Kamara aside......Whats happening now, not buying any players, are we clearing the decks, for the new guy?....There is a strange vibe, coming from our lot. - The situation we are in with the manager likely leaving I'm not surprised there's little stomach to spend big sums. I have a feeling something happened on the Australia tour, though I admit I can't put my finger on what, I think the reigns were pulled in somewhat after that. Its folly to say SG has no blame.....but I just think, this thing is broader, then we think. - As above, I agree we need to look deeper than just Gerrard. I ask the question........The owners are benefactors, but how much do they manage,us, do they leave it ALL up to Purslow......too many questions unanswered to me, this is what happens when, it goes tits up. - As I understand it yes, that's how it is, these guys have multiple mutli-million pound businesses and can only dedicate so much time to each. I imagine they pop their head in now and again and have regular contact with Purslow, but Purslow runs the day to day.

For me it's not just appointing Gerrard, it's the licence he's then allowed him across the club. I can appreciate the benefits Purslow brings, that's why I'm not calling for his head, the commercial side, the financial side, the FFP knowledge and understanding, all first rate. However he needs to keep out of the football side, trust his sporting director to do his job, and stick to what he's good at.

Do you trust Purslow to appoint the next coach if he so decides? What if he brings in another of his old mates, would Lange not have the same issues again? At the very least I think it all needs looking at, and the next head coach appointment is very very important.

Considering the history between Gerrard and Purslow, who's he going to speak up to? They will simply back each other. Should he go to the owners in that case? Resign maybe? I don't know. I've thought to myself has Lange been strong enough in this situation? But I'm not sure he's been left many options either way. I agree not everything is on Gerrard, and we have to be careful not to scapegoat him for every problem we now face. We've a big re-build ahead of us I think, and the more I think about it the more apparent it becomes that Purslow needs to be taking a good portion of the blame. I hate the word, but we need a 'reset'. We need to set ourselves out a clear philosophy again, on and off the pitch, and we need to make sure the sporting director is allowed to do his job correctly and that everyone is moving in the same direction.

As I understand it Lange is the sporting director, this means he should be in control of everything to do on the football side of things, appointing the head coach, recruiting the players, the academy, the analytics, the lot. This way he can drive the club ethos and philosophy through the whole thing, so you have continuity, you have joined up thinking. However, I think it's quite apparent that Lange did not appoint Gerrard. Purslow overtook that whole process so he could get his man. Now, as CEO Purslow is entitled do that, he can overrule Lange, but the question is should he? It's a bit like hiring a lawyer and then defending yourself. As it turns out Purslow made a grave error. Gerrard has been brought in and been allowed to change everything up to and including the transfer policy, that should not be in his remit. The coach should be hired to follow the philosophy, ethos and transfer strategy already laid out by the sporting director. The sporting director should be above the head coach. Having not appointed the head coach, and no longer in control of transfer policy and lord knows what else, you can see how he's no longer in control, you can see why there's no longer any joined up thinking. There's a disconnect because Gerrard can go straight to Purslow and miss Lange out completely, this is not how we were set up to work and it is not how it should work. I don't imagine Lange agrees with the new transfer policy, in fact as someone who likes to work based on analytics I imagine he's not been happy with a lot of things. Both Purslow and Gerrard have overstepped (though in Gerrard's case he shouldn't of been allowed to), if the CEO appoints the coach and the coach gets to do whatever he wants, then there's no need for a sporting director and we've gone back in time 20 years. I don't believe Lange is to blame for the current situation, though that doesn't absolve him completely. I don't know if Lange is a good sporting director, I just know that his job has been made increasingly more difficult when it shouldn't have. One more thought to consider, if the players are confused about the messages the head coach is trying to get across in terms of tactics .etc Is it not entirely possible that the recruitment team have also been getting mixed messages? May go some way to explaining the strange transfer window we've been having, and the whole Sarr debacle.

I have a lot of mates that are Wolves fans, they refer to him as dendonkey... He's where promising moves and chances go to die. Hard no from me.

He made sacrifices to get this club back to where it belongs, and helped to keep it there, for that he should be very proud, and he will leave with my immense gratitude. He's always behaved with the utmost dignity and professionalism, I hope he has great career from here on in, top bloke and from the look of his Twitter a proud Brummie!

It really depends on the player I think, part of the problem is that when your career finishes you probably feel like you are up to date with the tactics, coaching etc, but by the time you've got your badges and found yourself a job, the game has moved on again. You really need to right up to date all the time, constantly evolving, and that doesn't suite every personality, especially anyone with an ego who already feels like they know everything. If you look at say Ancelotti, great player in his own right, but as a manager it's been a constant evolution and recognition of his own flaws and how to cover for them that has led to great success.

I absolutely understand your frustrations, they are well founded. Though, we don't know what is going on in the background, we could have a couple of deals we've been working on for a long time about to come to fruition, or we could be wildly scrabbling around, as so little tends to get leaked it is difficult to tell. We had a big squad at the beginning of the window, and we've trimmed it considerably, I don't think we are desperate for bodies, but we can't really let too many more go without having immediate replacements. If Sanson goes, we've no real cover for Ramsey or McGinn for example. The injury to Carlos is bad luck, and it has messed up our transfer plans no doubt about it, after letting Hause go out on loan I'm expecting a defender to come in, but I'm not expecting great quality.

I don't know about full panic mode, but certainly we are in a state of flux. It's difficult to have a transfer strategy when you don't know who the manager is going to be in a few weeks time, it's difficult to back a manager who is underperforming, and the whole Sarr debacle shows there's a disconnect somewhere in the recruitment team. We're a mess, at the moment I'd just be happy if we don't lose Luiz, Bailey and Sanson and add some kind of defensive cover, so there's at least something to work with for the next guy coming in. If we lose our only remaining winger, one of our better midfielders and don't add to the defence, then it's going to very difficult for whoever comes in next. I don't think we'll lose any of those players apart from possibly Sanson, but you just never know.