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Comment | Important Two Weeks For Southampton Now Coming Up
at 17:06:38
After several miserable seasons of struggle against the drop it is now so enjoyable to look forward to the next match. Home and away we are winning again and another plus is the absence of VAR where fans and players can fully celebrate a goal.
As Bowlercow observed, Burnley went on an unbeaten 21 game last season and ended up winning the league by a sizeable margin.
In my post at the end of last season, when relegation was clearly inevitable, I remember writing that perhaps we could ‘do a Burnley’.
Now I’m not so sure seeing that the Burnley team that swept all before them in the Championship are now rock bottom of the Prem.
Of course, we all hope to see success and enjoy a promotion party but this would be with some apprehension of the probable prospect of just surviving relegation each season.
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Comment | Can Saints Get Out Of The Bottom Three On Saturday By Winning At Leeds
at 09:57:24
What a boost it would be to get another away win and move off the bottom of the table. The win at Chelsea wasn’t just 3 points, it is a massive uplift in confidence after an all time low following the Wolves defeat.
The task ahead to escape from relegation is still massive but there are other great escapes to set an example many from the Saints in the Le Tissier era.
Another was by Leicester led by Nigel Pearson and this was followed the next season by the never to be forgotten Premiership title.
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Comment | Jesse Marsch Is Not Nathan Jones Mk 2.
at 19:33:53
We got rid of Ralph and replaced him with a sub standard manager. Now we appear to be looking at another sub standard manager. I really hope this appointment does not happen as Marsch is not a winner and is full of blah. I find it difficult to listen to his voice and rhetoric after every defeat.
Nick has obviously done his homework re his CV but doing well in the MLS and Austria does not qualify him for a job in the Premier League as has been shown in his record with Leeds.
Under his tenure they only have 4 more points than Saints! It makes as much sense as Leeds appointing Nathan Jones.
Assistant to Ralf Rangnick that complete loser at Man Utd says it all.
I would rather we kept going with Ruben Selles until a better candidate was available rather than make this hurried, foolish decision.
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Comment | Southampton V Wolverhampton Wanderers The Verdict
at 10:44:27
In what has been a horrendous season this was, by far, the lowest point. Before the Brentford game last week there was a chance of survival, before this match there was only the slimmest chance. Now there is no chance and we much prepare for life in the Championship.
I never wavered from my opinion that we should have stuck with Ralph but at least, if dismissing him, he should have been replaced with someone with top level experience and competence.
Sports Republic have now accepted their mistake and Jones has been sacked.
Let’s hope that the next appointment will be better thought out. As we are now almost certainly relegated there is no rush to get the next manager whose job will be to manage our very large squad for the rest of this season and plan how to get back into the Prem at the first attempt.
Looking at the way Burnley have rebounded from going down last year there is hope that happier days are in the future.
In some ways I look forward to being in the championship where we may turn up to St Mary’s and witness our team winning matches again.
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Comment | Southampton Fans Have To Turn Toxic Situation Into A Positive For Wolves Game
at 14:38:16
A very good post from a true Saints fan.
Unfortunately I fear that Nick’s plea for unconditional support throughout the game will not happen unless Saints, from the first whistle, replicate the performance seen against Man City.
As pointed out in a previous post from San Marco our position is dire regards the points required to stay up. What makes it worse is looking at the teams in the lower part of the table. Everton (who always stay up and have just beaten Arsenal), West Ham, and Leicester are all likely to get stronger in the 2nd part of the season.
Teams that I would have expected to struggle Brentford, Fulham, and Nottingham Forest are all doing well, especially helped by getting 3 points from us!
Looking for 3 teams to end up below the Saints – Bournemouth (thank goodness we beat them away), Leeds, and Wolves. The latter have won at St Mary’s for the last 2 or 3 seasons, usually against the run of play.
We must beat them on Saturday. NJ did manage to get a win at Goodison so let’s hope!
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Comment | Potentially Great January Transfer Window For Southampton
at 11:28:28
Not only have Saints signed 5 players to add to the 7 signed in the summer but there were only youngster and unproven players going out of the club, mostly on loan.
There was a real worry that Romeo Lavia was off to Chelsea and other possible exports were Djenepo, Adam Armstrong, Che Adams, and Theo Walcott. None of these left leaving us with an incredibly large squad – important in case of injuries / suspensions. We are going to have the strongest bench ever.
If these players are managed well and the new signings live up to their potential we will have a fighting chance of staying up.
The only disappointment, I believe, is that our very promising youngster Jimmy Jay Morgan has been poached by Chelsea.
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Comment | Southampton At Everton The Preview
at 12:33:17
The two recent cup wins have given a little more faith in Nathan Jones’ management ability but, on Saturday, he has the most difficult opponent to overcome.
Many reading this will be bewildered and suggest that away trips to Man U, Man C, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea etc would be far more of a test.
However, if he could mastermind a win on Saturday he would achieve something never done by Ralph, Ronald Koeman, Mauricio Pochettino, Claude Puel, or any other manager since 1997.
That is to win a league game away at Everton.
Goodison Park is a graveyard for the Saints. This is hard to understand as, in some of the years, Everton have been poor and lost many of their home games. Saints have enjoyed some good seasons, with Koeman, Pochettino, and others winning at Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs , even Man City since the league last win at Everton, getting 3 points there has proved to be Mission Impossible.
The last win was in 1997 achieved by another manager called Jones (Dave).
I understand that they have plans to move to a new stadium in the near future.
It can’t come soon enough, I hate Goodison Park.
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Comment | Southampton V Nottingham Forest The Verdict
at 11:17:41
Looking at the table we are not in an impossible position mathematically but I can’t see us picking up many points under the present management. Also it’s hard to pinpoint 3 teams in the bottom half of the table that are worse.
Prospects look grim and a long hard winter seems likely.
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Comment | Southampton At Fulham The Verdict
at 11:01:17
I said in a previous post that we should stick with Ralph. However, if he had to go then he should have been replaced with someone better. Jones seems to be a nice guy and hard working but is out of his depth at PL level. Why he was chosen is beyond me. At least, if we go down, which seems inevitable, we have a manager who is more comfortable in the Championship with quite a few championship standard players. With luck we might do a Burnley although they did appoint a manager with top level experience. |
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Comment | Southampton To Give Ralph Hasenhuttl More Time
at 14:56:06
I have to take issue with some of the posting from Pale Rider. Some of his points are valid but not all of those comparing Ralph with Ted Bates and Lawrie McMenemy.
I clearly remember, standing at the Milton End, masses of fans (not me) shouting ‘Bates Must Go’.
After we got relegated under Lawrie Mac some fans were predicting a second relegation into what was then Division 3.
Fans are always impulsive and quick to suggest sacking the manager after some poor results.
Of course if you have a poor manager such as Branfoot, Jan Poortlviet, Mark Wotte, Mauricio Pellegrino, Mark Hughes and others it is soon apparent that they are out of their depth or incompetent.
I don’t believe this is the case with Ralph who has had to work with limited resources and done an OK job.
The immediate reply to those shouting for him to go is who should replace him.
You could easily get someone no better or even worse.
Given the size of our club and the budget we have, you could appoint Pep or Jurgen and not guarantee a significant higher position in the table.
I say don’t be hasty and stick with Ralph until the end of the season and then see how this exciting young squad has progressed.
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Comment | Che Adams Linked To Leeds United
at 12:01:56
Che is hard working and therefore popular with the fans but there are dozens of hard working players in the Premier league. I hope he stays as a useful squad player but if he moves to Leeds or another P L club don't expect him to suddenly become a prolific goalscorer. My main criticism is that he is so one footed. There have been quite a few times when he has been in the right place to slot in an easy chance with his left foot only to stop to hit with his right. By this time a defender has closed him down and the chance has gone. |
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Comment | Southampton V Tottenham Hotspur The Verdict
at 12:57:54
A very good Xmas – 4 points from games that could have been predicted to yield nil points.
It would be nice to play Newcastle on Sunday who are likely be without their 2 top scorers but I fear they will play the COVID card and get the match postponed. By the time it is rearranged they will have had time to use the January window to invest the Saudi funds.
Yesterday’s game was most encouraging with Saints really up for it and challenging strongly for every ball. Some of the challenges were robust but the antics of the Spurs players coupled with weak refereeing resulted in us getting penalised time and time again when a similar challenge by the opposition went unpunished.
It has been stated that Kane was unlucky to have his goal disallowed for a marginal offside decision but it can be argued that he shouldn’t have even been playing. Against Liverpool he made a bad tackle that was a clear red card and yet VAR failed to upgrade from the yellow card decision. Had they done so he would have had a 3 game ban with the last on being served yesterday. Ward-Prowse had an identical incident v Chelsea when the yellow was upgraded to a red. Had he been the England captain he would have been OK!
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Comment | England Lacked Three Things In Scotland Stalemate ! James - Ward - Prowse
at 10:24:17
By failing to win last night it may (unplanned) improve England's chances of further progression in the tournament. Another draw v the Czech Republic will result in England being runners up and the Czechs being group winners on goal difference. Their 'reward' will be to play the winners of Group F possibly France, Fermany or Portugal.
England would play the runners up in Group E Sweden, Slovakia, Spain, or Poland. |
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Comment | Southampton At Bournemouth The FA Cup Verdict
at 13:29:35
Surridge should have been sent off for the challenge (no not a challenge), the attack on Salisu. It was GBH and not what should be seen on a football field. |
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Comment | Southampton At Sheffield United The Verdict
at 12:01:49
Although Ings has not been in good form recently I feel that he would have scored a few in this game. Obviously he would have taken the penalty and could have got more in the 2nd half when we cut through their defence in the numerous breakaways. Minamino missed a sitter and misplaced some passes – He isn’t as good as I thought in his first appearances and it is clearer now why Klopp allowed him to go on loan. Sheff Utd are poor when at full strength and yesterday they were had plenty of first teamers missing (we know the feeling).
The positive was that we didn’t just struggle to edge the 3 points but won convincingly.
With our injury record this season I hope that many of players are rested for the Man C game on Wednesday. I know that it could result in another sizeable defeat but with a full team playing we are most unlikely to avoid losing. This is not negative just pragmatic – just look at the previous 21 teams they have beaten. Concentrate on the following fixture v Brighton and then the cup match v Bournemouth.
Neither will be easy.
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Comment | Southampton V Wolverhampton Wanderers The Preview
at 12:06:55
I can't understand the constant criticism of Redmond. I like the his direct approach (like Armstrong) rather than going for any easy safety first pass backwards or sideways. Looking at our away wins last season Redmond was outstanding in most of them.
As regards our opponents on Sunday, let's hope that it's a repeat of lambs in wolves clothing. |
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