Ivan Katalinic's 'tache

I'm going to believe this because it sounds positive...

There's me boys, bang on it as usual. 😂 #SemmensMasterclass

Well, let's hope they get this recruitment right. That's the spine of the team mentioned there and it requires experience and know-how not promise. Still, at least they're seeing what most of us are seeing...

Sadly, I think it's both. An arrogant attitude in the belief they're doing brilliantly when in fact it's ineptitude on a grand scale throughout the club. And a social media effort designed to sucker the fanbase into thinking everything is A-OK. Sickening.

Spineless and gutless with too little quality. Hopefully that first half selection was nothing more than a message to the board about the distinct lack of quality he needs to turn this around. Midfield needs some genuine power and resilience to allow Stuart Armstrong and Aribo back into the side to create from the off. We seem to lose every 50-50 battle at the moment and need some nous/strength to reverse this. It would also take the load off Lavia even when he is fit again. It goes without saying we have to find another source of goals to share the load with Adams. Edozie was a positive but we do also need another spark to make sure he doesn't get burned out and for when he has a quiet spell as young players do from time to time. We also need to find our shape for the next few games and stick with it. No point trying out many new systems over the coming weeks as it will be so disjointed and we will doubtless lose even more confidence. Most of Brighton's play was intuitive because they had defined patterns of play and they know what they needed to do and who would be there to do it. Much to do and not much time to do it...

Not based on any statistical evidence but I reckon you get about 1 in 15 stepping up from the Championship and really making it. For every Lambert, Vardy, Toney or J Rod there's a whole raft of players like Armstrong, Sharp, Maupay, Solanke, McBurnie or Deeney who have the odd moment or spell where they might look like they could step but never really accomplish it. I guess you have to either be lucky and/or clever about who you get...

Whilst I don't think we'll have endless money to spend, particularly based on Ankersen and Kraft's recent comments, I guess whatever we'd planned to spend in the summer on a striker still remains? In which case, if Forest can attract expensive players to play for Steve Cooper, I'm sure we can do enough to bring someone in to play for Nathan Jones. Of greater concern I think is someone looking at our league position as relegation fodder. If we can get somewhere between 6 and 9 points from Brighton, Fulham and Forest, that would help our recruitment most.

Maybe Nathan prefers Lucozade and we've switched energy drink brand?

Don't spoil the magic... 😂

I was there for Matt's goal of the season winner at Blackburn, which is an obvious pick but Pelle's goal against QPR was brilliant too. Matt's free kick against Wimbledon was special as well.

(double post)

Bazunu has won FAI Young Player of the Year apparently...

I put unsure. I think I'm willing to give SR the benefit of the doubt and let them pick the man they think is the best for the job given the level of investment they put in, in the summer. I'm not saying they got that right but it's more than we've ever spent before. This is their first appointment with us and so they have no history of being terrible at it (yet!). If the guy they choose is Nathan Jones because they think he's the best fit for where we are now, I'm happy to go with it even if it appears a risk.

Nathan Jones, you didn't take too long...

Always thought he was too skinny and could do with putting some weight on.

Couldn't find the original post - to be fair I didn't look very hard 😂 - but Goztepe are still saying they're bigger than Saints... https://www.hampshirelive.news/sport/football/football-news/bigger-than-southampton-goztepe-director-7775307 It will be interesting to see where we eventually end up in SR's portfolio of clubs...

Can't recall starting one of these before so hoping it brings us some (good) luck... Joelinton is suspended for Newcastle and with Lavia potentially back and AMN looking decent against Palace maybe we might win a midfield battle for once? Which won't mean anything unless we can find a striker who can finish but at least we might be able to push forward more often in the hope our strikers have an off-day and bang a few in.

Back to Ralph out now. That was utterly dreadful today and he disappeared straight off down the tunnel at the end of the game. Not sure if it's a lack of quality, poor set up and management or both? Probably both really...

Very much 'Ralph in" now. He stopped and had a photo with my boy after the game and seemed a nice fella. Kind of circumvents any need to be a good man manager or tactically competent now, I reckon.

I wonder if it's been the change of management at Chelsea which has changed his mind. Maybe working with Graham Potter's management team is more to his liking and/or he had the sense Tuchel would be on his way eventually?

I thought "former waiter" Frankie Bennett was going to be sensational with his lightning pace and that goal against Chelsea. That turned out not to be the case.

Maybe it's time to start with the Ralph out chants? Make it clear to the board, we want him gone. I know some will say that will impact negatively on the players during the game but to that I say, would we notice???

Looks like you're right. Still a few weeks away apparently... https://www.hampshirelive.news/sport/football/football-news/southampton-hasenhuttl-injury-everton-lavia-7648847

Any chance of Lavia being fit for this one? We look so much better with him in the side.

I liked Redders. I don't feel, for whatever reason, it truly happened for him at Saints but there definitely some decent moments and wasn't he even voted player of the season once? Whether it was down to him or the managers - probably a bit of both - I guess we won't ever know. And there's always the fourth goal at Fratton too. Also, on a personal level, I won't forget, when my son was mascot for the away League Cup game at Brighton, and Charlie Austin and a couple of others ran past him without high fiving him as all the others did, Redders sent them back and gave my son an extra high five for his trouble. A simple thing but we always remembered it because it said a lot about Redders the person. [As an aside, Vestergaard's high five nearly broke my son's arm... but he survived! 🤣]