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Imagine if we had spent £10m on Lankshear rather than £9m on Dobbin (yes I know - plus another £10m if we were promoted - but that is a yeh, whatever against £150m of TV rights).

Not to mention strolling in to try to take your seat 10 minutes after kickoff or getting up to go downstairs 10 minutes before halftime. Is the lure of alcohol that strong?

Lankshear is literally the difference between automatics and not in this squad. I can’t believe we missed out on him.

Like a lot of the posts I’m not sure where Dobbin is supposed to be playing and what was the plan when we signed him. I think there is a decent player there, but he isn’t a striker, and if he isn’t there to take the pressure off Finn Azaz then what was the idea behind the signing ? as for Mubama - couldnt see the point of the signing at all. Obviously can’t be trusted to replace Larin directly and as a raw talent we’re supposed to bring him on with game time (at the risk of losing points because he’s not quite the article yet) just for City to take him back when we’ve put the hard yards in - what’s the point. will need to bite the bullet and pay for a proper Stewart replacement in January.

Just one of those days, every team has them. Positive week. Seven points. Three clean sheets, only six points off top, long way to go. I'm sure we will have some more off days this season but still confident we will be there or thereabouts 😁😁

Same old pass it around shite - far too predictable, slow & boring to watch - trying to walk the ball in the net. Hope I dont see this at WHU next week.

Not sure if this has been picked up in any other areas, but I wanted to highlight this. Having been at the game today the first fifteen minutes our view was obscured by several people all in the wrong seats (row KK). Quite simply two teenage girls (who continuously refused to show their tickets to anyone when questioned), two lads, late teens (kept moving from seat to empty seat while this debacle was going on) and a family of three who’s seats were already taken in their row. The family that was mean to sit in the girls seats were forced to split up, they were European so I’m guessing didn’t want to make a fuss. Eventually, when the stewards did their lap upstairs my wife, myself a few others highlighted this to the steward who after a lot of backchat from the teenagers told them to get out and go to their seats (which turned out to be row J). This went on for over five minutes. After this debacle I also overheard the lads say they were meant to be in the Itchen and had walked around. These two forced two older gentleman to sit elsewhere because they didn’t want to confront them or cause a scene. Twenty-five minutes into the game it had just about settled. There must’ve been around twenty-something people stood around during that time because various people were in the wrong seats. I just want to highlight, firstly the well done to the steward that rightly told them to get out (Block 19), and also to several other people that joined in flagging this with staff so people could actually enjoy the game. I’ve experienced it too in the Northam End a few times where it’s now safe standing and someone wants to go and stand with their mate, and effectively shunt others out. As a fanbase can we just be calling out all these dickheads that hold up families, older people, and hard-paying fans. It’s absolutely not on. It ruined the atmosphere, not to mention my view for the first quarter of the game and it needs highlighting. Also to call out those sitting in the wrong place gobbing off at innocent staff that are simply doing their job. Those teenage girls can’t have been more than sixteen and were vile. Apologies for the rant but worth highlighting, and wondered if anyone else had experienced this in recent times?

We have reverted to a hybrid Russell Martin tactics but without the shooting. I would rather see 10 shots on target saved, hit post than 600 passes on the edge of box then back to halfway line.

My first game visiting the stadium for a little while & unfortunately, I’m straight back into the mindset of why did I bloody bother! 😞 Same old pass it around shite - far too predictable, slow & boring to watch - trying to walk the ball in the net. No fight - No desire to be first to the ball & show the attitude to be up for the game, the team that wants to win. That’s all down to Tonda & he’s not the man - never been the man! He’s just lucky he’s got a squad which will beat 70% of the sides/shite in this league without too much input! We are a very average side & will get battered soon by the big teams. Let’s see how Stephens comes out against the West Ham attack Positives for me today were that finally after many years of calling out the absolute shite in defence - there was a shining light in schlattetback - leap years ahead of any defender we’ve seen for years - absolute quality & pure defending intelligence Wellington is so far ahead of Manning in defending as well although not as good going forward Thought Perez was very good Aziz was amazing - just needs better movement & support in & around him Matsuki, Edozie, Dobbin good additions Fellows - Blimey - seems jinxed - got to be a better performance in him Another very disappointing game

European ambassadors attacked with iron bars by lunatic Israeli settlers. Strong condemnation without qualification from the IDF and Foreign Ministers but no surprise Netanyahu excusing and enabling it, and probably along with Ben Givr somehow behind it https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c962ydpmjm3zo

Questionable tactics today. What was the Scienza/Matsuki/Fellows experiment putting them on opposite wings that they’re used to? We created little to no chances during that period. Matsuki should’ve started and brightened the game when he came on. Fellows has got to be up there as one of the worst signings we’ve made in recent years. Bragg and JWP starting together I do understand after Jander played 75 minutes on Wednesday, but Bragg and JWP are basically the same players, playing too deep and not adding much going forward aside from sideways passing. JWP was really good today, but tactically you do not need two players doing this job.

Well that was frustrating. There's always a game like this in a season, hopefully this is the first and last one. It would be very Saints to now get a win at West Ham. I don't usually comment on refs but this one must have been blind to miss that handball. Shocking decision.

😮 Think this might be better on the other thread....

Whatever happened to players shooting first time outside the area? Or just having a crack from distance? We always have to look to make one extra pass… Today was poor; and we missed Downes and Larin. A lack of a competent striker to support Larin will be the bite in the arse this season.

Been a while since we've had a shocker of a ref like that. He robbed Saints of a win, but only after they did it to themselves over and over again. So many misses from point blank range. Hopefully they'll put that right against WHU. I thought JWP was immense today, involved everywhere. Good to see Bragg back. He's a tidy player but he has to be more disciplined, stop arguing and shirt pulling. Defensive midfielders run a gauntlet of bookings anyway, no need to add to the jeopardy. Another day those chances go in, but Bolton turned over Wolves last week, so probably best not to underestimate them. Been a good week, Saints are right in the mix, with two big games to come.

Clubs who ever they are should understand the basics of football. And that includes at least 2 players in each position, either 2 forwards or play just ind with a backup. Why on earth havd we git 4 goal keepers and the most expensive keeper in Saints history 4th choice. Sell keeper and get goal scorer

Yep, 4 absolutely golden chances missed and a stonewall penalty not given. Take two or three of them and suddenly he’s a genius with 9 points and 3 clean sheets in a week. Today was disappointing but we should have won and 7 points out of 9 is a decent return.

Agree though he did stop them scoring a certain goal and also still managed to do better than Sienza …. Edozie was better than both of them….

I analysed Dobbin's games at PNE. He was always playing second striker behind a massive unit (actually one of three massive units). In theory Larin could be that massive unit - but we know we can't play him 90 mins every match, and Muamba whilst big hasn't really learned how to use his size yet. It would also give us the headache of where to play Azaz who has most likely been our best player this calendar year. He would be less effective as a winger, and we would be excluding Matsuki who is having a good spell. Plus Fellows and Edozie assuming we're starting Scienza. This is the issue - you have to turn the team style upside down to accommodate Dobbin. If I can work that out from an hour on Transfermkt why couldn't the recruitment team when it is literally their job?

Perhaps it would have been better to start him in his natural position on the right though rather than playing all 3 attacking mids out of position from the start? Just a thought.

He’ll come good, he’s got some quality just needs run of games. this time last year everyone was writing off Azaz

I hope it keeps him up at night for months and haunts him for the rest of his career; so that if we ever get him again we might get a fair crack of the whip.

Thats a good point. You would expect Saints analysis team to have targeted Bazunu as a weak link and the players to chuck the kitchen sink at him not just a tap washer

He was signed to be the “Azaz alternate” - we kind of messed up both positions, really.

Only thing to add i: Scienzas miss on 3 minutes. Good f**king lord.