[Slick_Footwork]

I have tonight officially pressed my panic button.

At 2.30 this afternoon I resisted the temptation to post a response to the line up, even though I was flabbergasted by the starting line up - Mulumbu out so we start the game without a defensive midfielder, Berahino still starts out wide, besides Gardner we start with the midfield trio of 4 or 5 years ago, no whiff of any width on the pitch or the bench and no sign of Lescott

I didn't post, deciding to wait and see how things turned out, 2 minutes into it the game was effectively over, we huffed and puffed up to half time, then halfheartedly huffed and puffed a bit more, creating nothing for another 20 minutes before Everton scored again, it was almost like putting a stricken animal out of its misery.

AI hasn't had a clue when or how to change things in 4 and a half games this season so what was the hope he'd do it at half time or 10 minutes into the second half of this one. Instead we wait till we're 2 down before doing anything, so we chase the game by taking off Ideye for Samaras, like for like position wise, and Brunt for Blanco - a creative midfield player - and sticks him out on the left wing!!. That was exceeded though 7 minutes later when he brought Gamboa on for our best player Poco, then swaps Wisdom over to the left and Gamboa takes Wisdoms position on the right.

WHAT WAS THE FOOKING POINT OF ANY OF THOSE SUBSTITIONS APART FROM PLAYING 2 PLAYERS OUT OF POSITION!!!!

We have a £10m striker in Ideye who's being made to look like a modern day Paul Williams (younger members, google him), we haven't given him any service since he's been here, he's not had a through ball to run on to or a cross put on his bonce (apart from one at Southampton). We have the soon to be record goalscorer for the U21's playing right wing when he's obviously a striker, Brunt playing left wing because he's the captain so has to play somewhere??.

Am I the only one who thought we might have gone 3 at the back with McAuley coming on, wing backs Poco and Gamboa bombing on to give us some width, with either Samaras or Blanco coming on to give Berahino a crack more centrally with Ideye, what had we got to lose trying something different. Just my opinion, I'm not paid to manage the Albion - but Irvine is.

Alan Irvine will take us down, of that I now have no doubt, nice bloke he might be, premiership manager he ain't, he has shown no tactical awareness either before, during or after any game. He is out of his depth and if it's allowed to continue it is going to be painful and embarrassing to watch, if Everton had gone for the throat today could have been the start of that embarrassment. If we wait for 10 games we'll be lucky to have 4 or 5 points.

My advice to JP would be act now and try to protect your investment

Good post and I agree for best part.

But Saido did play up top today in a 4-4-2 with Dorrans on the right hand side of the midfield 4.

Didn't get any service though.

[Baggievicar]

AI being quoted on the Beeb as saying we need a bit more of a cutting edge.
Well, Alan, there's such a thing as selection, which makes a difference to that.

[bomberbrown1968]

Good post and I agree for best part.

But Saido did play up top today in a 4-4-2 with Dorrans on the right hand side of the midfield 4.

Didn't get any service though.
[/quote]

Accepted Slick, Berahino was more central today, still seems to drift out to try and get the ball when we're so lacking in width or quality of width.

As for Dorrans, love the bloke and thought he had all the potential to be a great premiership player, he's not a right winger and sadly probably just a versatile decent squad player.

[Baggie_One]

We all see it as supporters, players apparently unhappy, media see the obvious problems, AI on the other hand ....... Hope Brunts boots are still glowing brightly

[javro]

From all the threads I read it seems that the majority of people think that our saviours are waiting to get fit or are on the bench ? Well apart from Pog and Gamboa, Im not really convinced that any of the others are that great a signing. I think we have signed a few duds and a lot of overpaid average players. Baird ? Has anybody seen Brown score sh.. loads of goals anywhere I've watched him in the under 21s and in the first team and he doesn't look a top striker to me. Lescot is miles off top fitness despite his USA fitness stint he's lost a lot of pace.
Davidson is bang average with no pace and was murdered at Swansea and in the under 21s against wolves even their kids ran past him. What about Blanco well average pace and watching him in Europe doesn't go past anyone or take anyone on and that what he did today. Varella where is he and why so long to get fit is he really that great and will he tear apart the left side ? Gardner still looks average to me. Wisdom is a strange loan for me as I would rather see one of our own or spend the money on a very established right back. So far hes been found out defensively( but will get better in a few years but that's no benefit to us just yet) and I don't feel he will offer anything more at centre back ? Samaras well are we going to get someone that's going to work his b.... off ask the Celtic fans they didn't get a full shift consistently.
We have to remember AI is the 'coach' not the manager. The team is picked by Downing that's why he's so essential to every new manager (coach) whos linked with the club and is invaluable to JP. Downing would never take the managers position fulltime because if it all went wrong he would lose a very powerful comfortable position. Next point is who is making all these signings and why so late and is there any craft to ensuring there is a correct balance or mix or are these wild guesses and left overs that no one else wants (apart from the two I pointed out initially ie Pog and Gamboa) My reservation about Pog in the way that he plays he will never last 90 mins ? Maybe Im wrong maybe someone else has a view here ? One thing I am certain of though is that a lot of these duds are blocking the way of younger more exciting talent ?

[Slick_Footwork]

From all the threads I read it seems that the majority of people think that our saviours are waiting to get fit or are on the bench ? Well apart from Pog and Gamboa, Im not really convinced that any of the others are that great a signing. Has anybody seen Brown score sh.. loads of goals or

I think that McAuley and Sess would instantly improve the XI and they have been
on the bench for games.

I'd also favor Yacob over any of the midfield trio that played today. In fact, I'd play
Yacob with Mulumbu if they were both fit, that enables Mulumbu to do what he's
best at, which is to go hunting for the ball.

They are players who are fit, we have at our disposal and just aren't playing because
of Irvine's vision of the best XI.

Signings wise, I think Varela is proven and I also believe Samaras, if he plays in his
best position on the left midfield, will outscore any of our other midfield players.

All in all, I don't think Al is picking the best team. Dorrans isn't even in our best 18, while
Brunt, although capable, isn't playing well enough to be selected on current form.

[javro]

From all the threads I read it seems that the majority of people think that our saviours are waiting to get fit or are on the bench ? Well apart from Pog and Gamboa, Im not really convinced that any of the others are that great a signing. I think we have signed a few duds and a lot of overpaid average players. Baird ? Has anybody seen Brown score sh.. loads of goals anywhere I've watched him in the under 21s and in the first team and he doesn't look a top striker to me. Lescot is miles off top fitness despite his USA fitness stint he's lost a lot of pace.
Davidson is bang average with no pace and was murdered at Swansea and in the under 21s against wolves even their kids ran past him. What about Blanco well average pace and watching him in Europe doesn't go past anyone or take anyone on and that what he did today. Varella where is he and why so long to get fit is he really that great and will he tear apart the left side ? Gardner still looks average to me. Wisdom is a strange loan for me as I would rather see one of our own or spend the money on a very established right back. So far hes been found out defensively( but will get better in a few years but that's no benefit to us just yet) and I don't feel he will offer anything more at centre back ? Samaras well are we going to get someone that's going to work his b.... off ask the Celtic fans they didn't get a full shift consistently.
We have to remember AI is the 'coach' not the manager. The team is picked by Downing that's why he's so essential to every new manager (coach) whos linked with the club and is invaluable to JP. Downing would never take the managers position fulltime because if it all went wrong he would lose a very powerful comfortable position. Next point is who is making all these signings and why so late and is there any craft to ensuring there is a correct balance or mix or are these wild guesses and left overs that no one else wants (apart from the two I pointed out initially ie Pog and Gamboa) My reservation about Pog in the way that he plays he will never last 90 mins ? Maybe Im wrong maybe someone else has a view here ? One thing I am certain of though is that a lot of these duds are blocking the way of younger more exciting talent ?

[WBA-Josh]

I have seen Ideye score plenty of goals with Dynamo Kyiv and Sochaux. He needs the right service and personnel around him. He excelled at Kyiv with quick wingers like Yarmolenko and Husyev supplying him.

Varela is the pacey winger that we have been calling out for and what Sinclair should have been last season. He has given top full backs around Europe trouble during his career. Varela didn't have pre-season training with Porto in the summer so that is what he has been doing during the International break.

Blanco is a player that I have always rated very highly ever since he came through at Lanus. He isn't a quick direct winger so don't expect him to take on and run past players like Varela will. He is a creative attacking midfielder that excels when playing either in a central attacking position or in a wide role with the freedom to come inside. He wasn't given that freedom today and was just simply thrown into the deep end.

Gardner has surprised me with how he has done. He has been one of our better players so far this season.

Wisdom is a natural centre back who can play at right back. He is always going to struggle against teams that have quick wingers. Gamboa would have been the better choice today.

Pocognoli is easily able to play 90 mins. He played 90 minutes against Sunderland and started 18 matches last season with 90 minutes played in all but 3 of those matches. He is also recovering from an injury picked up towards the end of last season which ruined his chances of going to the World Cup with Belgium.

Davidson is a player with plenty of potential and was one of Heracles' best players last season. He coped well against Robben and Sanchez at the World Cup and is still missing some match sharpness after possibly no training or not much training and no pre-season matches after the World Cup because of his contractual issues with Heracles.

[wba_1996]

Out of our "best XI", I would say a max of 4 of them played today - Foster, Pocognoli, Ideye and possibly Berahino.

I have said it before but until we get something resembling our best XI (Foster, Gamboa, McAuley, Lescott, Pocognoli, Yacob, Mulumbu, Berahino/Blanco, Sessegnon, Varela, Ideye) then we will lose matches and the knives will be out for AI.

[Thequietwatersby]

Out of our "best XI", I would say a max of 4 of them played today - Foster, Pocognoli, Ideye and possibly Berahino.

I have said it before but until we get something resembling our best XI (Foster, Gamboa, McAuley, Lescott, Pocognoli, Yacob, Mulumbu, Berahino/Blanco, Sessegnon, Varela, Ideye) then we will lose matches and the knives will be out for AI.

I'd defo agree with that best XI 96.

Just a case of when some of these new signings are going to get picked, and that's probably why a lot of us are frustrated at Irvine right now as we can see the deadwood in the squad aren't taking us anywhere but down.