Rory Peepa

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/football-notebook-virgil-van-dijk-fee-will-not-lead-southampton-to-spend-big-ph85g7bln Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Anyone else see the article in the Times today? Essentially because payment is staged, agent fees and Celtic’s cut we essentially get four-fifths of **** all this year. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes the squad is bang average. We’ve stood still since we lost Wanyana, Pelle and Mane others have strengthened. You can’t afford to do that in this league and we’re seeing the effect. Hell, it was obvious last season yet the genius board thought otherwise. [emoji849] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes the parallels are everywhere including the pitch, atmosphere, being mugged at home games late on by average teams and the lack of resilience from the defence. Swansea plus two more... can’t see Palace, WHU going and am doubtful about Stoke despite recent form. A few weeks ago we were 25/1. Now must be more like 7/2 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Spot on. Fairly gutless, defensively naive and 13 years later we can’t score either. Doesn’t look good at all Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Plus one for me. I’m sick of the ‘who are ‘ya?’ Culture from mindless away Neanderthals whose success is pretty much directly proportional to the owner’s whim eg United sending us down in 05 when their striker cost as much as our entire squad pretty much or Liverpool sense of entitlement when nicking an away win yet Suarez and Carroll costing more than our ****ing stadium. PL is a disgrace and the fair play rules can tuck themselves up Abramovich’s tight A hole, dip the parchment in kerosene and light the ****ing lot. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All driven by the Chinese. Want the money but only once they benefit. I’ll be amazed if we see more than a third of the headline figure reinvested in the next two windows. We needed to do this in the summer but realistically o can’t see Les getting too much quality in to arrest our slide in Jan. But on the flip side Van **** has backed the wrong horse. [emoji23]If city were in any way interested he would have been getting a free hit on the prem, at least one domestic cup and possibly the CL. Liverpool? No ducking chance at all in the near future. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh **** it Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Whoa! Getting ahead of ourselves there fella. Still half a season in the prem left yet! [emoji23] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think we got weaker (obviously) at end of 2015/16 season and the stood still in the last window. Most other squads have improved and now we’ve got a bang average squad, bang average manager, bang average stadium and bang average fans. There has been a massive arrogance in “the Southampton way” by some smug, complacent fat cats and as ever, the fans suffer while they walk away loaded. You’ve gotta love the premier league. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Harsh. I think Yoshida has improved immeasurably in last couple of seasons. He sometimes gets rolled too easily but he’s a solid pro who always gives 100 per cent and chips in with more than his fair share of goals. If we had more players with his can do attitude I don’t think we’d be in this mess. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Would’ve been a better use of my time to have had a **** than read this. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mismanagement indeed from top to bottom: They ran out of hot food the other week by half time on a lunchtime game on the coldest match of the season. But joking aside I don’t see us getting anywhere near 40 points atm. There’s a lot of dross in the league this year. But the fact Palace have caught up after losing something like first 7 games is absolutely ****potical. If they beat us (and I think they may well) then I think we’re in serious bother. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We looked leaden-legged and they were better all over the pitch. Their attackers are better than ours but that was as big a hiding as I can remember for along time - men vs boys. I thought the Gk Was our best player on the night. Cedric clearly not fit. Davis Romeu Tadic off the pace completely. They gave us a masterclass in quick and incisive counter attacking. Tbh I think 5-6 teams won’t get 40 points this year and it’s going to be very tight for a number of clubs, us included. This has been coming since last year and a slow decline for a while is looking quite alarming to me now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That silly sausage Adrian off talk sport is saying he did nothing wrong and that we should take Guardiola at face value that he was praising him. Just seen the video for first time: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah possibly. I think there’s a lot of dross in this league, us included. Basically anyone below Burnley could end up down there and I don’t think it’s the manager, I think the front 4 in any combo isn’t up to it. So changing the manager might be the answer it might not. Glad I’m not the one making that call tbh. [emoji51] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Losing at Anfield is hardly a reason to start flapping.we need 9 points from Everton, Bournemouth, Leicester and Huddersfield, assuming we get nothing from the big boys. If we’re around bottom 3 after Palace then they’ll have a big decision to make. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We *could* easily be relegated this year. I see a lot of similarities with 05, in that our squad is unbalanced. This time the problem is the attack whereas before it was the defence. The fans are twitchy again and that filters into the pitch. We’ve missed Mane’s goals but most of all a target man to feed off. Every single team I’ve seen at home (missed WHU) have set up in the same basic way with men behind the ball and hoping not to lose rather than go out and attack. The fear of being relegated is making the football turgid. We are not equipped to break down the bus often and are going to struggle. Likewise I don’t think we can play like Burnley or West Brom and try to grind our way to 40 points. Let’s face it, apart from City, Spurs,Scousers, Arsenal (sometimes) the prem has become turgid and uninspiring as a spectacle I’d rather watch my son’s U9s as far as excitement goes. As for champions league it’s ironic that we are insisting players stay at the time of decline. We’ve had some GREAT players in last 5 year’s that could definitely be in the top 4 if it were possible to get them all at once and keep them. The recruitment over last 18 months has been off the pace and now we’re seeing the result. Agree that lack of addressing the attack is insane. Anyone can see that so why can’t the board?! [emoji35][emoji100] But in terms of relegation West Brom, Huddersfield, Brighton, Palace, Stoke, Bournemouth , Swansea... mostly ****e. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gents, we’re almost exactly the same as last year. Same style, sane problem scoring, same first xi. It’s not the manager. The squad is bang average....I could take over and have no discernible difference for better or worse. If we survive this year we need a monumental rethink about the squad. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We are no better. We are in the **** and make no mistake. This has been coming for a year at least. No attempt to address our shortcomings from Last season. We’ll be lucky to have20 points by Xmas. That’s relegation form. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We need a change of shape imo. Since Pelle left there is no presence up front and the ball doesn’t stick. Maybe try 3 at the back and try to get 2up. Totally agree with the lack of bodies in the opposition box. Been like that since Puel first game. That said I think the defence won’t look nearly as clever if we don’t have Romeu and Lemina shielding. Burnley will park the bus. It’s going to be another painful watch. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That was total *hite. He clearly has no idea what the next XI is just like Puel. Mind you, mediocrity runs throughout the squad. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Really poor this. No control, no sustained possession and look like we are just waiting to concede the second. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We get outmuscled by the bigger teams and let's be honest: that's most of them these days. Palace are a big side. Will we cope there? Then the better technical sides will cut through us. 14-16 we've had a decent blend of pace (Mane Long) power (Virgil Wanyama Pelle etc) and skill (Tadic lallana etc.) We have no plan B. Yes the football can be tidy but do we score thumping headers from free kicks or corners? Do we power through the middle with big runners? Do we score from outside the box? Rarely to all of those. We don't even shoot quickly enough FFS. We have become the most predictable side in the league and need more variation and options. And quick. I think Pelle as the target man and Ricky before him is the difference. Gabbi can't play that way. He's a fox in the box. He needs help and and Austin or Long aren't going to hold the ball up either. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Plus 1. Booing your own team is an utter disgrace and is embarrassing. It's partly a lack of confidence (e.g. Romeu's air shot) and booing ain't going to help one bit. Morons. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk