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Comment | On This Day In History -1982 The Day The Dream Died
at 11:55:03
I have no idea what it cost the club to get Keegan on the books, but it can't have been cheap, and I would guess that there wasn't a lot of cash sloshing around for new signings? Hard to remember those years before transfer windows virtually negated mid season player movement. Those of us fortunate enough to have seen Ball, Keegan and Channon in Saints shirts can still smile at the memories. Happy days. |
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Comment | Premier League In Advanced Talks To Resume Football
at 14:31:39
Thank you for your political broadcast on behalf of the Conservative Party, I had no idea that the country had sufficient PPE for key workers, accessible virus testing facilities, sufficient ventilators to aid all those in need and control over the morons who ignore stay at home advice. This comment comes from a football supporter with a daughter working on the NHS front line. Every day I worry that she is going to contract the virus because she has had so little support. Re-starting the season is a low priority for me. |
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Comment | Saints CEO Comments On Premier League Resumption.
at 11:31:32
To be honest I've now got reservations about playing matches behind closed doors, particularly with a tv audience in isolation. Hopefully Saints would pick up enough points to reach safety but the "entertainment value" for supporters of teams dropping into the relegation places could be emotionally catastrophic if they are still unable to share their despondency. Thinking about those annual end of season images of devastated kids and adults sitting in emptying stadiums is for me a real issue. Relegation or missed promotion aren't such a big deal when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel but that often comes with time and the opportunity to get things in perspective. Not so easy when you can't meet up at the pub and share the doom and gloom.
Although it's not a view that I've seen elsewhere in the media, but I'm equally sure I'm not alone, would it be worth considering starting next season with the current standings in place? Liverpool would have a huge points gap that is their's to lose and the likes of Leeds would have an advantage in their promotion chase. Not ideal maybe but I bet any Leeds supporter would wish they'd grabbed that if they slip down the table after the closed doors re-start. |
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Comment | Premier League Meeting Today
at 10:35:45
Option one is the obvious solution in the short term but relies on clubs putting out full strength teams for all of the remaining matches. If West Ham, for example, end up playing Burnley's u23 team then it makes the decision to complete the fixtures a cosmetic exercise.
On the subject of promotion from the Championship, how are those league positions going to be decided? I suspect that several teams rely hugely on gate receipts to fund their existence and I'd be unhappy if the likes of Leeds were given automatic promotion on the basis of current league table. |
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Comment | Ralph Admits Defensive Problems
at 11:38:23
The irony of the situation is of course that a few years ago we recruited some rough(ish) diamonds and turned them into stunning gems, sadly all long departed to clubs with higher incomes. The more recent gem collection not only contains a few fakes but also several that no amount of polishing will make them shine. A few of the expensive items have been loaned out for show elsewhere but buyers aren't showing much interest.
Our present owner turned out to have invested in the wrong business, thinking it would make him even wealthier without putting in any effort other than purchasing a few tins of paint for the toilets. Sadly it doesn't look as though we'll be able to restock any time soon without auctioning off the poor investments and attracting a businessman/woman who understands the nature of sporting success and failure. Although I'm not a huge fan of Cortese I'm actually hoping that he is contemplating investment because he's not a fool and understands passion without rose tinted emotion.
Fingers crossed that we push on to gather another six points or so asap and that some financial restructuring is in place to enable us to continue to support the club we love, with our own rose tinted emotion, for many years to come. |
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Comment | Saints Need To Follow Anfield Blueprint
at 12:12:52
I understand what you're saying Nick but all is not right with the blueprint if Danso, Adams and KWP are part of the plan yet can't even get off the bench? |
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Comment | Saints At West Ham United The Verdict
at 11:21:36
Yet another wake up call, the problem is that we all too often switch off the alarm and go back to sleep. Whilst the usual suspects peacefully slumber we all endure the nightmares that they ignore. Today my heart goes out to Che Adams whose self esteem must be getting close to rock bottom, when Vestergaard gets onto the pitch and you sit on the bench two goals down it's probably time to phone your agent and chat about your future plans. We're now back into the must win territory against Newcastle because the trips to Norwich and Watford are evidently very uncertain ground if we play like we did yesterday. Wins against Newcastle and Arsenal are probably going to be enough but I'd suggest that RH takes KWP and Che aside this week and tells them that they will be in the starting line up on Saturday before greater damage is done. |
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Comment | Saints At West Ham United The Preview
at 11:22:28
I suppose tomorrow will be the day that Fabianski saves every effort on goal rather than fumble it into the net, but hopefully he'll have another mare. As much as I like the idea of keeping JWP at full back it makes more sense to play KWP or Valery, otherwise what is the point of having them in the squad. Unfortunately that would probably mean Smallbone being left on the bench but he's shown himself to be more than capable if, for example, one of the mid fielders picks up a knock or an early yellow. Long and Ings seem to work well together but equally Adams merits more game time in the coming weeks. Boufal is the likely replacement if Djenepo is unable to play and I guess he is due for one of his spectacular finishes, particularly if Fabianski happens to be having a good day between the posts. For me the key to winning is stopping Noble from having any influence on the game and if he can be tempted into picking up a card early on so much the better. Always happy to get points off this mouthy bunch of poseurs. |
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Comment | Saints Can Start To Sell In The Summer
at 12:01:26
The arguments and counter arguments on the right and wrong strategies in the transfer market only go to show that it's virtually impossible to get it right most of the time. Forster is an example of a player signed on a high earning, long term contract who, for whatever reasons, went into meltdown but appears to have recovered decent form on his loan to Celtic. Would it be sensible to get him back and play him in goal next season or try to cash in on his current form and recoup a few £m? Is the intensity of top flight English matches too much for him to handle every week?
Remember, not too many months ago, when Ings was regarded by some as a waste of £18m or whatever because he was always on the treatment bench? I suspect Adams is being written off too soon by some supporters because he hasn't scored in his short forays from the bench. Hopefully he will get more game time once we get past the 40 point mark and allow us to make a better qualified assessment of his worth. My own view is that he may well be a star in the making based mostly on two top class goal assists, most recently the pass into space for Armstrong against Villa. On the other hand he may be on his way to Leeds or wherever in a few weeks.
Nick's list of potential departures is reasonable given that we need to move players on but whereas I felt last summer that Armstrong wasn't going to be able to raise his game sufficiently at this level he now looks like an almost automatic name on the team sheet. Just as well that I have nothing to do with player recruitment because hindsight isn't one of the factors available to those that make the calls. |
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Comment | Saints V Aston Villa The Verdict
at 11:54:26
A real shame that a few more of those twenty eight shots didn't find the net even though Reina was made to produce some decent saves. Surely we're due for one of those matches where,like Leicester, just about everything beats the keeper? West Ham on the receiving end next week would be sweet but I'd be quite happy to wait a few weeks until the Bournemouth game. Other than that a real pleasure to watch the game yesterday with several notable performances. JWP kept Grealish pretty much out of the game and the defence looked mostly solid and organised with Stephens and Bednarek surely the first choice for the rest of the season. Smallbone and Adams both showed that they are very much the future and Armstrong is going to be a fixture on the team sheet. Very well won three points and, playing like that, we will be well clear of any thoughts of relegation by the end of next month. |
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Comment | Villa Game Heading For A Sell Out
at 17:14:29
Further to recent discussion concerning the level of support from the home crowd surely the ticket sales indicate that the vast majority of us desperately want to get behind the team? I can't imagine that all those missing the Burnley game, most because of the awful weather I suspect, have now invested their money in a ticket just to shout abuse at the team in red and white. The support is there Nick and if the team is set up to have a real go at Villa then the noise level from the punters will be evident. Play like we did against Palace, get stuck in. The analogy that springs to mind is the difference in volume at a boxing match where the fighters are slugging it out compared to the combatants trying to win on points and avoiding contact. Give us something to cheer lads, because we all want three points without the anxiety of Villa still being in the game after eighty minutes. |
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Comment | Saints Need To Rediscover Home Form Against Aston Villa
at 14:08:31
Whilst not going so far as to say that the defence couldn't do with improvement, a lot teams have issues in that department, it's also clear that without Ings we would not be causing many problems at the other end of the pitch. It could be, and has been, argued that our substitutes don't get enough playing time to contribute many goals but surely Obafemi, Adams, Boufal and Djenepo between them ought to be finding the net with some regularity? Ironically it was a Burnley player with hardly any game time who scored the winner. Perhaps against Villa if we have, or haven't, taken control of the game by half time then Adams should be given forty minutes rather than five minutes to make his mark. Surely game time against a Birmingham rival team would lift his head? I'd even go so far as to play him from the start and RH show a little faith in his undoubted ability. |
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Comment | Burnley Game Pivotal To The Season
at 16:51:02
Thankfully Barnes and Gudmundsson, who both scored against us in that horrible performance at Burnley, are both injured so it's a good time for revenge. I'm hoping for at least a 2-0 win but will happily accept three points be it good, bad or ugly. |
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Comment | Lallana Mooted For St Mary's Return
at 14:12:36
I'm not sure whether this nasty rumour should come under the category of an offensive or inappropriate post Nick. As far as I'm concerned he well and truly burned his bridges many years ago and I'd resent any of my ticket money going into his bulging wallet. |
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Comment | Hasenhuttl Suggests Kevin Danso Has Moved Up The Pecking Order
at 17:20:06
It would make better sense to me if he was initially given some game time in the Romeu role where he can play as a holding defender and get in the mix. The concern is of course that he loses concentration or ends up ball watching as he has done playing at full back. It's a tough league with switched on quality players who will find you out very quickly, hence the defensive struggles we've had long term. Stephens and Bednarek are getting somewhere close to what's required but neither dominate their penalty area like top quality defenders. All in all Danso has given very little evidence that he is capable of stepping up and if he can't get on the pitch ahead of Vestergaard he has a lot to prove. |
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Comment | Saints Indicate Intentions For Next Season
at 11:28:57
As is usual on TUI there are, thankfully, lots of reasoned posts that generate sensible discussion. Certainly any complacency setting in now could see us back in the relegation places far too quickly and three points against Burnley will be a much needed buffer. As much as Peterx suggests that "all the games to the end of the season look winnable" we also know just how easily they can be lost as well. The fact that, since November, RH got the team to perform beyond any of our expectations and won matches we expected to lose or at best draw has given a bit of breathing space. Hopefully Matt Crocker can do the job that his predecessors messed up, clear out the dead wood and bring in some young talented players with development potential. With the benefit of hindsight the recruitment of the expensive buys now out on loan, plus others who haven't developed at all, was a gamble that went horribly wrong and failed. Extend RHs contract and give him some input over player recruitment and I think the future is bright. |
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Comment | Danso Set To End Loan Deal
at 07:37:26
In the absence of any evidence to back up the suggestion I can only presume that Danso's training ground performance made it clear to the coaching staff that he wouldn't cut it in a central defensive role. Just possibly his short appearances as a right back were an attempt to get him to play in a different position but he wasn't able to make the change? Anyhow, as you say Nick, good luck to him elsewhere and the same to Slattery who also appears to be on his way out on loan. Over the years I recall many managers saying that certain players had a "good character" and the ability to adapt and work hard is often more important than outright skill and talent. |
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Comment | Everton After Hojbjerg ! Cash Or Swap Deal to Bring Ex Saint Home ?
at 10:51:29
Sorry Nick, I don't think that's a good deal at all. As much as we all loved Spiderman, and Wanyama, they both chose to leave for the lure of bigger clubs but never achieved anything, apart from a healthier bank balance of course. As for £35m for PEH then we'd be daft not to take the cash and use it wisely. The truth is of course, like you keep pointing out, this is the silly season where the truth of stories should be taken with a large pinch of salt. |
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