| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 11:17 - Feb 21 with 819 views | Butty101 |
Who knows what can happen if we finish the season like we did in 2015/16. 7 wins in the last 9 games and 22points out of 27. Something like that would get us into the top 7. |  |
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| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 11:34 - Feb 21 with 790 views | DorsetIan |
Looking at the table now, all teams from 8th upwards have won at least 12 games.
From 9th down, none of the teams have won more than 8 (in fact, only Villa have won 8).
That suggests a big gulf in class to me, and that our ambition for this season should be to finish 'best of the rest' 9th.
But who knows, we're 10th now and if we keep winning, we should keep moving up. |  |
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| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 13:59 - Feb 21 with 692 views | SonicBoom |
Nice to be talking in such positive terms about the performance.
Although Nick you said that people were upset not long ago calling for the managers head. Well back then we were pretty poor and Ralph was making strange selections, odd team selections and unfathomable substitutions - so whilst I'd never condone asking for his head, he was rightly getting criticism.
He's now stopped tinkering, he's putting largely square pegs in square holes and he's getting results. And guess what, he's getting all the praise he deserves! That's how it works.
And Long - you say he provides something to the squad and he's accused of stealing a living. Well it's a modern day phenomenon where an old player gets what 50-60 grand a week and barely plays. No one would have an issue if he was on a wage that reflects his contributions. Twenty grand a week at his age is enough as he rarely plays more than 10 minutes. He's a victim of the modern wage structure where us fans think paying him milllions a year is unjustified. I say he's a victim - he's not - he's an extremely fortunate beneficiary.
Personally I'd rather see a young player getting those ten minutes, we must have someone that can run around and win free kicks as you put it. Yes he scored this week, but that's a rarity.
That aside everything is looking rosy and there is real positivity returning to the fanbase which is brilliant. |  | | |
| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 14:35 - Feb 21 with 659 views | DorsetIan |
| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 13:59 - Feb 21 by SonicBoom |
Nice to be talking in such positive terms about the performance.
Although Nick you said that people were upset not long ago calling for the managers head. Well back then we were pretty poor and Ralph was making strange selections, odd team selections and unfathomable substitutions - so whilst I'd never condone asking for his head, he was rightly getting criticism.
He's now stopped tinkering, he's putting largely square pegs in square holes and he's getting results. And guess what, he's getting all the praise he deserves! That's how it works.
And Long - you say he provides something to the squad and he's accused of stealing a living. Well it's a modern day phenomenon where an old player gets what 50-60 grand a week and barely plays. No one would have an issue if he was on a wage that reflects his contributions. Twenty grand a week at his age is enough as he rarely plays more than 10 minutes. He's a victim of the modern wage structure where us fans think paying him milllions a year is unjustified. I say he's a victim - he's not - he's an extremely fortunate beneficiary.
Personally I'd rather see a young player getting those ten minutes, we must have someone that can run around and win free kicks as you put it. Yes he scored this week, but that's a rarity.
That aside everything is looking rosy and there is real positivity returning to the fanbase which is brilliant. |
This is spot on about the earlier complaints about Ralph. Much of the criticism was about who he was picking and who he was bringing on as subs. Team on the pitch is just so much better balanced now and there are no passengers.
I can understand, having bought him, why he would persevere with A Armstrong, but Broja and Adams now clearly look like the best combination up front.
And as a footballer Elyounoussi just seems light years ahead of Djenepo, who Ralph persevered with for far too long.
Seven wins now - six of them Elyounoussi starts. | |
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| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 15:23 - Feb 21 with 637 views | SaintNick |
| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 14:35 - Feb 21 by DorsetIan |
This is spot on about the earlier complaints about Ralph. Much of the criticism was about who he was picking and who he was bringing on as subs. Team on the pitch is just so much better balanced now and there are no passengers.
I can understand, having bought him, why he would persevere with A Armstrong, but Broja and Adams now clearly look like the best combination up front.
And as a footballer Elyounoussi just seems light years ahead of Djenepo, who Ralph persevered with for far too long.
Seven wins now - six of them Elyounoussi starts. |
The team on the pitch at the moment is virtually no different from the one earlier in the season when we weren't doing so well, Forster is now in for McCarthy, Stuart Armstrong has come back and Broja is in up front, otherwise it is pretty much the same 8 players that have started most games if fit and not suspended.
Earlier in the season the so called passengers such as Walcott with 5 starts & 3 as sub and Djenepo with 5 & 4 have barely played all season.
Ralph has persevered with Elyounoussi, but he has persevered with him before to little return, it is good to see him coming good.
Sonic said that the fans were giving Long stick because he is on £50k a week, but who knows that he is on that, he might have been under his old contract, but when he signed a new deal 2 years ago it would have been for a significantly less rate than that |  |
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| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 15:39 - Feb 21 with 617 views | PaleRider |
| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 15:23 - Feb 21 by SaintNick |
The team on the pitch at the moment is virtually no different from the one earlier in the season when we weren't doing so well, Forster is now in for McCarthy, Stuart Armstrong has come back and Broja is in up front, otherwise it is pretty much the same 8 players that have started most games if fit and not suspended.
Earlier in the season the so called passengers such as Walcott with 5 starts & 3 as sub and Djenepo with 5 & 4 have barely played all season.
Ralph has persevered with Elyounoussi, but he has persevered with him before to little return, it is good to see him coming good.
Sonic said that the fans were giving Long stick because he is on £50k a week, but who knows that he is on that, he might have been under his old contract, but when he signed a new deal 2 years ago it would have been for a significantly less rate than that |
Nick, 3 out of 11 players is significantly different, not virtually no different! However, I think the first 11 is much better balanced now and the substitutions also seem to be more sensible. The worry is if we pick up a few injuries/suspensions.
On a positive note, I think this season is now about getting to 40 points (although we may well be safe now), having a good cup run and blooding a few youngsters at the tail end of the sason. The summer is about trying to keep Broja and the rest of the first 11, getting in a couple of early good buys (if Burnley go down maybe a cheeky double bid for Pope/Weghorst?) and then hitting next season running.
Maybe also putting Walcott out to pasture (or could he replace Olly Lancashire in the B team?) and getting rid of a couple of others. Loans have clearly worked for Eli and FF, so maybe that would be good for Djenepo or Tella | | | |
| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 16:44 - Feb 21 with 589 views | DorsetIan |
| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 15:23 - Feb 21 by SaintNick |
The team on the pitch at the moment is virtually no different from the one earlier in the season when we weren't doing so well, Forster is now in for McCarthy, Stuart Armstrong has come back and Broja is in up front, otherwise it is pretty much the same 8 players that have started most games if fit and not suspended.
Earlier in the season the so called passengers such as Walcott with 5 starts & 3 as sub and Djenepo with 5 & 4 have barely played all season.
Ralph has persevered with Elyounoussi, but he has persevered with him before to little return, it is good to see him coming good.
Sonic said that the fans were giving Long stick because he is on £50k a week, but who knows that he is on that, he might have been under his old contract, but when he signed a new deal 2 years ago it would have been for a significantly less rate than that |
Of course, we're going to have mainly the same team throughout, but if we're looking at the team carrying passengers, then one or two are going to make a massive difference, as we've seen when we've actually had to play with 9 or 10 in recent seasons.
Likewise, there were consistent calls on here (principally from Dirk) that McCarthy was costing us points.
You say that Djenopo has hardly played this season, but he started the first 4 games and that was after Ralph had seen him play 45 times in the PL in the previous 2 seasons. Likewise, 5 starts for Walcott - what's that about? | |
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| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 19:40 - Feb 21 with 520 views | Butty101 |
| Southampton Now Genuine Top 10 Contenders on 15:23 - Feb 21 by SaintNick |
The team on the pitch at the moment is virtually no different from the one earlier in the season when we weren't doing so well, Forster is now in for McCarthy, Stuart Armstrong has come back and Broja is in up front, otherwise it is pretty much the same 8 players that have started most games if fit and not suspended.
Earlier in the season the so called passengers such as Walcott with 5 starts & 3 as sub and Djenepo with 5 & 4 have barely played all season.
Ralph has persevered with Elyounoussi, but he has persevered with him before to little return, it is good to see him coming good.
Sonic said that the fans were giving Long stick because he is on £50k a week, but who knows that he is on that, he might have been under his old contract, but when he signed a new deal 2 years ago it would have been for a significantly less rate than that |
Team that started the season
1McCarthy
21Livramento
5Stephens
22Salisu
15Perraud
32Walcott
8Ward-Prowse
6Romeu
19Djenepo
10Adams
9A Armstrong
6 of the lineup feature now and it looks a weak team.I suggest Walcott and dnepo are relieved of duties at the end of the season. [Post edited 21 Feb 2022 19:41]
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