Forester

Fascinating viewpoint. Firstly he has never managed Ipswich, secondly you seemed to have omitted his time at Blackburn and Fulham for some reason? So, to paraphrase your own argument: Hughes took Blackburn to Europe before resigning, led Fulham to top half before resigning and led Stoke to three top 9 finishes, so.....”what makes anyone think he will be any different here”? Dont get me wrong, he is on thin ice but let’s make sure facts are accurate and that when someone has managed for twenty years we don’t just pick out the sackings

Yep agree. For all the excitement that Mane, Pelle and others gave us success was built in my opinion on Fonte, Lovren, Toby and VVD with big Vic, Spider or an inform Romeu in front of them. Massive downgrade in that department is costing us dearly

The pre match experience was as enjoyable as always on the banks of the Thames, remains one of my favourite away days out. And for the majority of the game we looked the better side creating more attacking moves, more chances etc. At the end of the day we should have scored more than two, with Gabbi’s right foot clearly not as reliable as his left. However what is obvious is that scoring twice away from home should always be enough to either draw or win a game. We looked very open defensively every time the counter attacked. If you exclude the Man City game, that hasn’t been a problem recently but it seemed we were intent on defending much higher up the pitch than normal which is commendable but you have to then be much more reactive when ply changes and we simply weren’t. Positives for me were Armstrong, Lamina and Hoj both going forward (albeit tactically see above comments) and Redmond. I thought Austin looked woeful again, both fullbacks were defensive liabilities and the centre backs could not work together as a unit. I have wanted to give Hughes until the halfway mark as a minimum but yesterday was the case study for Bug Sam which many people will hate, but he will deliver clean sheets. We would have won that game yesterday with him, or a similarly organised defensive coach. Painful thing for me is that we had one, and sacked him for finishing eighth and a cup final because of “entertainment”. We need eleven points from these six games to be on track for a point per match. That looks unrealistic and I think the point of departure may be if we fail to win at Cardiff. I would be very sad to see Hughes go as despite the stats he did a great job at the back end of last season given the fixture list nd circumstances of stoppage time goals by opponents. I for one did not enjoy the “you are getting sacked in the morning’ chants by a section of our fans yesterday.

Friend has had to drop out for this and he had bought one adult and one concession ticket, along with two coach seats from St Mary’s. Please contact Roy if you re interested on 07872 523781

A few on here including Ings but I can’t imagine he will recover from a hamstring strain in two weeks. We have loads of games coming up in December it would be madness to risk a rupture. Suggest: Alex Cedric, Yoshi, Hoedt, Targett PEH, Romeu, Lamina Gabbi, Austin, Redmond 4-3-3 in possession, 4-5-1 out of possession

You must not point out tiny details like this. It’s way too hard for many on here to think through. Leave them alone

Stats can be very easily manipulated to highlight a particular perspective, but in my opinion the earliest time to make a proper assessment is once we have played everyone in the league, and that means after the Wet Spam game on Dec 27th. Anyone who expected us to go from 17th and less than 40 points last season to be a candidate for top 8 is deluded, given summer recruitment. Between now and then we play Fulham, Cardiff and Udders as well as the Wet Spam game. If he takes ten points from those games, which I accept seems unlikely but not impossible, then things will feel very different and I would expect that would see us around 12th or so which would represent modest but useful progress. If he doesn’t then I think he and we are in real trouble. It is likely he will have to do without Long and Ings during that period which given our squad is not an easy ask.

Thought we deserved the lead at half time, but in truth Watford outplayed us in second half. Felt like we were clinging on for ages, and just invited them on to us. Positives for me were the whole back four plus Alex, Lemina and Gabby. Personally didn’t feel impressed by Armstrong unlike some on here. We need 12 points from these seven games coming up, doesn’t look likely

In football memories and patience spans are all too short. In my opinion he did a very good job until May 2017, and no one can deny four top 8 consecutive finishes is strong evidence. Thereafter it has been a disaster but its possible to be both pleased he has gone but say thanks and well done for the good work in earlier years.

Before replying to this, can I sat that i would give Hughes until Boxing Day match when we will have played everyone once and would not be pulling the trigger just yet. However Saint Billy calls Big Sam a “failure”. You may not like him, but lets examine the facts of his PL career: - took Bolton to Europe in consecutive seasons - was sacked early in Newcastle, who went on to be relegated - took Wet Spam up and kept them in PL for two seasons - took over at doomed Sunderland and kept them up. Took the England job - took over at doomed Palace and kept them up. Resigned in the summer - took over at Everton who looked the worst PL team ever to visit St Marys facing relation and finished 8th This sort of sloppy comment reminds me of people who still say Puel was a failure. We finished 8th and a cup final. Just look at us now?

Sorry meant to say “on Boxing Day”

What a ludicrous comment to make. In WGS’s last season (he resigned at the turn of the new year from memory) we were 4th in the Premier League driving up to play Fulham at QPR’s ground. How on earth is 4th in the Premier League “awful”??? Blimey you must have thought Puel was a disaster finishing 8th and a cup final!

A nine hour round trip to see your team beat 6-1 is pretty tough. Only consolation is a good stadium to visit and a truly outstanding team on view. First the positives ...and bizarrely there were some, and that is in the second half we genuinely created some chances and played at times some good attacking stuff. We stretched them at times with pace and if we had more clinical finishing would have scored three goals which should always be enough to win a game. In that sense 6-1 is cruel. However, the first 15 mins was as unacceptable as Wet Spam or Newcastle away last year. Awful body language, inability to get a challenge in and I feared after 3-0 down it could become an absolute rugby score. Hate to dig individuals out but our international full backs aren’t delivering I am afraid. No competition for places with Credric but I would drop one of my favourite players of recent years and that is Bertrand. His commitment in that awaful opening period was a disgrace. I would not pull the trigger on Hughes just yet, would like to see where we are at halfway stage with eight more games needing us to have 13 more points. That looks a tough ask right now though

The only three games I have missed in league and cup this season have all finished 0-0! Blimey! So am going on MOTD and catching up with family that were there. Looked like we had more than enough chances to win and ridiculous number of shots, albeit too few on target. Only positive, which is a real one rather than a synthetic one I think, is that I said a few weeks back when we were regularly shipping 2 or 3 goals a match that we would get nowhere until we start chalking up clean sheets. We are doing that and am sure if this continues we will pick up points. Fine margins in football, Brighton have just won three games 1-0 on the spin. I maintain that for a team that finished 17th with less than 40 points something like 12th is reasonable progress and I still think Hughes will achieve that this season. One thing that hasn’t been discussed much is that we have decent depth to our squad, in fact one of the problems is that there is not much difference between our first and second choice 11. Be interesting to see how some of the other mid table teams fare as the injuries and suspensions kick in during the winter. Wolves made their first change in any match yesterday for example!

Some folk need to grow a pair and calm down. Hughes did great job in keeping us up against the odds when it looked too late. We should as an absolute minimum wait until we have played everyone once to get some proper perspective. A team finishing 17th that then the next season finishes say 12th is decent progress. We are yet to play any of the relegation candidates. If we don’t win either of our next two home games then that will be concerning but I think we will. The key is to target 20 points at the halfway mark, so 14 more from the next 10 games. Then push on from there. Yesterday is a decent point, can remember us being badly beaten down there under Koeman to a much weaker Bournemouth team.

I agree. I have offered a view on here before that there are three categories: - supporters, who get on the road to watch the team (fully accepting some cant afford to) - followers, who don’t but want the best for the team - customers, who believe its the same as any other transaction. They will walk away of the product doesn’t meet their needs and have no more affiliation it seems than one washing powered brand versus another one. The Premier League, which in many ways is fab, has encouraged a growth in the latter. And of course online there is the mixture of trolls and closet Pompey fans on here for a wind up which taker up disproportionate air time

Anyone who expected us to dominate possession today was a fool, and while we starte too deeply to be fair we were in the game and should have taken the lead from Ings. I thought Hughes showed imagination to change formation at halftime and we were much better, still not as good as an excellent Chelsea team and again Bertie should have scored. Unfortunately we are second best in both penalty areas most weeks, not general play but where it matters, and there seems a real concentration problem for some.

McCarthy Stephens, Hoedt, Bednarek Cedric, Lemina, Hoj, Bertrand Ings, Gabri, Redmond

I thought both JWP and Davis played well at Brighton. Feels like an end of an era with Davis, but JWP is paying price of Hughes wanting just two in midfield i think. I think I would have him in ahead of Moi right now, but per my previous comment reckon we will go 3-4-3 Saturday and Moi drop out in favour of extra centre back perhaps

That is my 6th visit to Everton and first win! Or does it count as a second draw? Either way a more enjoyable finish than the last draw back in May! Having scanned the match thread the negativity is bizarre. Other than a 15 mins spell midway through first half and then a late desperate flurry I thought Everton were second best throughout. Positives for me: - Bednarek and Stephens. Both put in numerous good challenges both in air and on ground, and look more agile and comfortable on the ball than either Yoshida or Vest. Yoshida to me looked the most vulnerable of the three (despite me being a fan of his) - we look much more comfortable with three at the back. If we are only wanting to play two not three in the centre of midfield (see below) the third centre back makes us much more secure. Felt more like a 3-4-3 yesterday than 3-5-2 - Hoj and Lemina were outstanding first and second halves respectively. Lemina on form is awesome. I noticed he started in his lethargic looking mode, but as the game continued he got better and better. I wonder if he is one of those confidence animals that struggles when things go against him and us. - we looked a real threat all night long. Gab I huffed and puffed first half without success but looked very good second half before being subbed. - Gunn is a star in the making. So all in all that is two good wins away to PL opposition in this competition. Hopefully puts smiles on faces

Gunn Stephens, Bednarek, Yoshi, Targett Romeu, JWP, Davis, Armstrong Gabbi, Gallagher

We always head to Stanley Park. Not cheap but supervised, safe and not far to walk

You are wasting your breath Lord D. The Puel out brigade will never ever accept your arguments, and most of them never saw away games anyway. They just spat their dummies out because of some boring end of season fixtures including a bizarre three home games in May at the end of a 50 game season. Meanwhile Puel took over at Leicester when they were below us last year, they finished 9th and we nearly went down. And this season? Not exactly imploding up there is it. To many fans, Saints losing Pelle, Mane, Wanyama before Puel took over and VVD for half a season is simply small detail that can be brushed away in the face of a totally unacceptable return of 8th in the Premier League and a cup final reached by failing to concede a single goal to all PL opposition. Shocking under performance

Clearly a tough fixture but when you watch the three goals its symbolic of our decline over last year or so. Under Puel we beat them twice, failed to concede a goal in four games against them and two of them without VVD. Ore broadly if you look at when Saints area top half side its built on a strong defence. Under Strachan, it was Svensson and Claus. Under Potch it was Loren and Fonte, with Wanyama in front. Under Koeman it was Fonte and Toby, then Fonte and VVD again with Wanyama in front. And despite people’s criticisms, we were very well organised defensively under Puel. For teams like us to be in the top half that is the key lesson to draw. We have to get back to being hard to beat and right now we are too easy. 9 goals in 5 league games, including a clean sheet, makes it very difficult to win matches. I would bring back the Yoshi and Stephens pairing that did well when VVD got injured under Puel.

1. Camara v Norwich 2. Austin at Old Trafford 3. Higgingbottom at Palace (we thought that gave us a real chance of staying up, only to listen to WBA get a result while on coach home) 4. Fonte at the Withdean 5. Ruddock pen v Newcastle