Macey

For me this is about right, but Hanley and McLean are not good enough in my opinion. If we get through Jan without losing Sara and Rowe we'll do well but come the summer we will lose them no doubt, as we'll have to sell, so where will that leave us then for next season! Up sh*t creek I would say. I agree with @Making Plans though, this season is all but over in terms of promotion. Until everything is cleaned out top to bottom we will be in a mess for a while, that's just how it is now and I've personally giving up on any dreams of promotion, and to be honest don't care as much as I used to. Supported the club all my life, been a season ticket holder then stopped for a while but was on the waiting list but with how the club is being run now I just cba so I've got my deposit back. If the owners (specifically Delia) rants about the fans and comes across the way she does why should I care because to me it seems like they don't. The fans pour hard earned money into the club yet we don't seem to be respected like we once were. Yes Delia has done a lot for the club in the past but she should be able to recognise when its time for change, we've never been able to fully compete because of our model but I am proud that we have been able to somewhat to a point but its clear to see for everyone that it just cannot work anymore. For promotion and prem survival something needs to change, and that is how we are run so that we can afford those player that have the quality needed.

I'm out of reactions! I'm with you on this, I too think we're making a big mistake. Time will tell but I'd rather gamble with Knutsen, who's broken a lot of records on his way to winning the title there, and outwitting many teams in European competition than go for Smith. Others might like the idea of Smith because he has premier league experience etc but I don't think he will benefit the club long term.

Agree with most of this, though I actually think Smith was 3rd choice. My gut feeling is they wanted Knutsen but as you say he wanted to see the season out with his team and wouldn't come, so they turned to Lampard and then Smith. It's clear Smith wasn't even in Webbers thoughts because he was still at Villa at the time of Farkes sacking. All we will hear now is how impressive Smith was during his interview.... Yes he kept Villa up but he's spend a hell of a lot of money in that time, you'd expect them to stay up with the squad they had. For me I don't think he fits with what the club wants to do, the culture that has been built etc.

I would not want Smith anywhere near the club, it would be a backwards step imo. I've always wanted Knutsen personally, and if there is a stumbling block where he want's to finish out the season in Norway to win the league then I would rather have an interim manager until then, god I'd rather have Woy or Adams as interim manger till then than have Smith appointed permanently!

[quote user="Making Plans"]Looking at our game last night, it does make you wonder what actually happens on a daily basis at our training sessions. We have a squad of more than adequte players who currently are unable to carry out the most basic & simple tasks required of a football player of any standard, let alone a PL player.Passing, movement, ball control, crosses, corners, free kicks & throw in''s all leave a lot to be desired as does a general enthusiasm for the game.The players actually look as though they don''t want to be out on the park - there''s little in the way of confidence and they mostly waltz around the pitch waiting for something to happen rather than trying, and wanting, to make things happen.They seem to have lost the appetite for the game that they once had.This can only be down to the coaching staff and thinking about our squad, and with the possible exception of Howson, R Bennett & Tettey, I can''t think of any players who are actually playing better now than when they came here or when Hughton & his coaching staff took over.Martin & Whittaker have gone backwards as has Bassong. Johnson, despite showing great enthusiasm, is not the player he was last season. Redmond, Olsson and Fer did show some promise at the start of the season but generally they are not performing to the same levels now.Snodgrass, despite the odd glimpse of ability, is a shadow of his former self & Pilkington, when he''s been fit, has not produced anything like his form of a couple of seasons ago. Hoolahan''s form is in & out these days & he has not played as well as he can do. (plus he wants out) Neither Hooper, despite a few goals, or RVW have lived up to the form that they had with their previous clubs.Garrido, after looking half decent for a lot of last season, doesn''t can''t even get in the team anymore so he & Becchio must be absolutely dire in training.Elmander is hardly likely to show any improvement at his age but for someone with his experience & ability, his performances have not been as good as we might have hoped.Given that one of the major tasks of a coach is to improve the individual players, as well as the team as a whole, a lot of the blame for our woeful performances must be down to them.  Something must be happening on that training ground that the players either don''t agree with or think is the wrong way forward.Or perhaps they just don''t like the personnel. No matter where you work or what you do, if you''re on board with the overall plan, and how you''re being trained and coached, then you show that in your work, your attitude & your commitment. If you''re not on board with it then you get what we''re seeing now. A complete shambles. [/quote]you sir have hit the nail on the head! been saying this for weeks, do we even have any attacking, technical and tactical forward thinking coaches? 

[quote user="Simple Jack"]Quite right Kangaroo. We didn''t pay top dollar for a kid, a prospect, one for the future. We paid £8.5 million for a top class striker who would hit the ground running and the back of the onion bag on a regular basis. Is that what we got?[/quote]So far nearly all your posts have been about how you dislike Ricky, its getting rather pathetic to be honest. Its not just about this one player why we are struggling, we need to look at the bigger picture. Yes Ricky is our club record signing and yes he is struggling but NO he is not are worst ever signing, why not try and get behind the lad on match days instead of b1tching and moaning all the time which is most likely effecting his confidence.Please debate on other things which are a bigger problem than Ricky, like tactics from a manager who bought these players but cant get the best out of them, strange subs, Snoddy undroppable & under performing, defenders and midfielders backing off players when they run at them, the list goes on and on.  

[quote user="Sussexyellow"][quote user="hogesar"]I don''t really think we''re playing well enough to play RWV. Which may not initially make sense - but my point is that we probably need another physical presence up alongside Hooper such as Elmander to hold the ball up and bring others into play. Our attacking is slow, predictable, mundane and boring. we don''t look for quick through balls or anything of the sort so RVW''s apparent preferred playing style of being on the shoulder of the last defender is not going to work. When we''re playing well, passing well, retaining posession and attacking with fluidity and pace - that''s when we can fairly judge a player of his style...[/quote][Y][/quote] dito

[quote user="jas the barclay king"][quote user="Macey"] In short, stop people need to stop some of the RVW bashing because there are also many other players in the team who are not performing as well, why are there not more Snoddy, Bassong, Martin, Johnson, Fer post etc because they have been equally as poor...  [/quote]   because we didnt pay 8.5 million quid for them [/quote]Because 8.5mil means he should be able to do everything on his own? Its a team game for F sake.... The managers tactics and subs also need looking at imo as they are shocking too.

I am like you, I think he is a good player but I think unfortunately he is in the wrong team for his first year in the prem. We just don''t have the type of players that would get the best out of him, someone like Southampton, Swansea or Arsenal would be more suited to his style of play. Plus he could have done with being in a team that weren''t so reliant on the strikers which would give him more time to get use to the prem and bulk up because atm he is to lightweight for it, and yes I think Hughton is trying to change his style of play i.e. dropping deep etc as he did with all of our other strikers.... Having said that is does not help that our midfield is useless atm, no pace down the wings etc and no creativity in the centre, Snoddy always cuts back onto his left foot which means RVW or any other striker has already made their runs and it gives the opposition time to sort themselves out.In short, stop people need to stop some of the RVW bashing because there are also many other players in the team who are not performing as well, why are there not more Snoddy, Bassong, Martin, Johnson, Fer post etc because they have been equally as poor... 

[quote user="iron_stan"]am now genuinely starting to wonder about the wolf, looks out of his depth[/quote]Can''t really slag are strikers off atm since our midfield and defence are not even on the pitch atm.

looks like same sh*t different game... sitting back inviting pressure on.

[quote user="mrs miggins"][quote user="pete_norw"]then we see stupid money like £20ml bid from Everton for a Southampton defender .sorry I missed the players sounded like Shaw[/quote] He probably is worth that to Man U or everton (if Baines goes) as there aren''t many old left backs about. He''ll be one of the best in the world in a few years time imo[/quote]Agreed, he is one of the best left back I have ever seen at his age, also he is very attacking which means it might be easy to convert him to a LW which for me is a massive bonus considering how many managers are trying to play the game now. He would probably also suit a 3313 formation as a wing back etc, he has great potential, I just hope he does not get burnt out or injured that might effect his England caps in the future.

[quote user="nutty nigel"]Didn''t we pay nearly 1m for him?     [/quote]Yeah not far off, I think it was about 700 or 800k, something like that anyway.

Would be very disappointed if this happened, not improving the starting 11 at all, more like going backwards, we would be better bringing a youth player to the first team squad....

he is most likely on more wages than we could offer him still anyway so no point even thinking about it.