Lone ranger

That Leicester no 5 looks reasonably competent. Pity we don’t have anyone of his calibre.

Out thought and out played. Better manager won the day

JWP. Our good player

Tony Mowbray is a wise old head and he’s worked out how to destroy us.

Just reading speculation that Tella may go for £20m…..are we not simply seeing asset stripping in progress? Where is all the money from the sales going? Where are the purchases of top flight players to balance some of the departures?

Pretty good analysis from Gillingham fan forum follows. Interesting last line putting us into perspective!! …..There were so many good performances tonight. Alright, this was hardly Southampton’s first pick 11 but when you’re playing against the likes of Che Adams, Carlos Alcatraz and Joe Aribo to name just 3, it’s still no mean feat to put them away like we did. Some of the midfield play was a joy and something I’ve been crying out for ages. All of the midfield put in a real shift. Short, neat passing and interplay, matching Southampton a lot of the time. Jayden Clarke was a revelation and I thought was rightly named the sponsor’s MoM. Ashley Nadesan never gave their back line a moments peace and what a delight to see a forward instinctively get in the right place at the right time to get on the end of a cross.We were also helped by Southampton’s almost complete inability to defend set plays. Ogie put one over when he should have scored. McKenzie had one mysteriously ruled out and the two he scored both came from Southampton’s inability to handle standard corner situations. The subs when they came on all did their bit. Southampton showed their class in the goal they scored but it was about the only time they put something together incisive all evening. To be truthful, for the whole match we wanted it a whole lot more than they did.Overall very encouraging, not just for the result but the patterns of play, the strength and skill that we displayed and the team togetherness that we showed. Only downside was the yellow cards, some of which were mysterious to say the least. Perhaps we need a system whereby the crowd are told what they’re for !My last word is that I expect Saturday against Accrington to be a lot tougher…… so that’s where we stand!

Can we sign some/all of the Gillingham team?

I want to be optimistic but on the basis of last season and the friendliest I’m not sure there’s any evidence to suggest we can score more than one goal and plenty of evidence we could concede two or three. Please let me be wrong!

Much better now. Good to watch and less of that infuriating walking pace short passing that gets nowhere.

I think there’s something wrong with me. I’m pleased the team are getting a lot of praise and hopefully they will get a result today but I find this style of play very boring. Keeping possession is all very well but how does it translate into goals. Just long to see someone charge forward, beat a few defenders and shoot.

Just a thought. If you were managing a hypothetical new PL team next season and you could only choose from the two teams playing tonight how many of your chosen 11 were wearing those strange blue tops tonight? That I think says a lot. I would have KWP but then I’m struggling. Maybe even Bednatek. But most of the others were inferior to their Notts counterparts in energy determination and ability. Or if it just they have a better manager?

Please don’t blame Jesus. Even a miracle can’t save us.

Selling Ings was indeed stupid. He’s not the greatest as his subsequent moves have shown but he was the best we had and always gave a flicker of hope. I also think Che’s contribution has been underrated. He always tried hard and was strong and could hold and use the ball well. On a wider point, if you subtract all the Prowse free kick goals of the last couple of years we Seoul’s probably be playing Pompey by now.

Given I don’t like any of the suggested options or they will never take on the bottom team how about the manager of the Lionesses. She would soon sort out any lazy team members!….

Just watching Bomo holding Newcastle. They’ve got a pretty good no 3 playing centre back. Face looks familiar 😊

How did we beat Manchester City. Was that in a parallel universe?

So in a parallel universe how did we beat ‘the best team in Europe’ ie Man City just over three weeks ago? Had the team been doped?

So as there seems no likelihood of buying a striker with a really strong shot that hits the target suggest Perraud is made our striker and can go back to strengthen the defence for game management late in second half. Just logical.

I thought we were much improved after half time showing some appetite and fight. Sad to say (as I like the lad) we showed even more urgency after Che went off. They are not a great team but there are some good players there and drive enthusiasm and a clear plan can often compensate for inadequacies. That’s why underdogs win Cup ties. I saw a couple of impressive strikers in the Cup highlights. The likes of Windass Sheffield W) and Dobra (Chesterfield) seemed to have the thing we miss-accurate strongly struck shots aimed to avoid the goalie and on target. Surely that’s what we need up front? Must be possible to find a reasonably priced striker. Sadly whatever their talents, Che or AA lack the killer shot capacity which is what we need. Remove JMP’s free kicks and we hardly ever score from a tradition ‘shot on target’ over the last two seasons having lost our one decent striker to AV.

The last match I attended was August 22 v Manchester United and I thought it was a great effort by a team not so very different from the Brighton game. But in five months everything seems to have gone downhill. When you see a lower division team defeat or draw with illustrious team in a Cup match it’s usually about having some reasonable skill level but above all its attitude, laying down your life for your team mates, having a game plan and a never say die attitude. Have we seen any of that from our team in the last few months. Interesting to read the account of that Man U match on the Saints app. “…… This was a day when the result did not match the performance for Southampton, as they were edged out 1-0 by Manchester United despite producing an intense and committed display at St Mary’s. A second-half strike from Bruno Fernandes ultimately separated the teams, but there was little else between them, as Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men gave as good as they got against Erik ten Hag’s resurgent side.…..” I know it’s a PR based report but can you imagine anything like that being written currently. I believe we have several good players eg Walker Peters, Salisu, Che, BellaK each of whom are fringe international standard but sadly the captain looks a shadow of his former self and certainly doesn’t seem to drive those around him into action and we have also been hit by ongoing injuries that have weakened the team. I think we needed a manager who could take a demoralised set of fairly average players and with a charismatic manner win them over and the fans too. We don’t need to be up with Newcastle and we don’t have their money (or sadly their manager) but I would settle for the Brentford awash buckling approach. Any hope??

We say that we don’t have enough quality players and that is true. But watching that other team of red and white stripes suggests you don’t need outstanding players you just need unlimited energy determination and enthusiasm and above all a coach who knows what he is doing. Bee inspired! John

I find myself wondering why it all went so wrong Since match day 25 we are bottom of the Prem. Romeu is certainly a big miss and likewise Ings. But we currently have no teeth in attack. I like Che Adam’s as a hard working honest striver but he’s not a Premier League striker. Sadly Theo Walcott’s obvious joy (and consequent contribution) at returning to the Saints soon fizzled out and he now looks as ineffectual as at his previous clubs. I’m generally impressed by Kyle W-P, and Wedtergard amazes me with his passing moving forward so it’s a pity he’s not very good at defending on the ground. We have some other good players but something is seriously wrong looking at this table. https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/formtabelle/wettbewerb/GB1?saison_id=2020&min=20&max=35

I like this quote from Wilder: "I think at times I'm quite angry and I want to fight my way out of corners. I'm sure I'll never change. We don't have the players that other teams have got but we have boys who want to track back, put a tackle in and stop a cross.

Wonder if Mr Wilder would like to help out with a different set of red and white stripes. At least players would play as if their lives depended on it...

Anyone know any South based out of work managers to give Ralf a hand?