Nemi

Away from the semantics of how I worded it, we haven’t slid at all. We’ve been a poor team for years and years now and that hasn’t changed. We’re still in a better position from when he took over. The only place we’ve slid from is a good run off form - our only good run off form for years - that he oversaw. I’m not making any excuses. I’m just amazed fans are so in denial that we’re poorly run by the owners with a poor squad, which has been correctly reflected in this seasons position and the positions under Pellegrino and Hughes. If that doesn’t change, then the next manager will also struggle and we’ll finish near the bottom of the table again.

Ok, I’m really gonna have to explain to you that nowhere did I compare their abilities I just said if even Klopp and Guardiola go through bad spells it’s hardly unexpected that a manager of Hasenhuttl’s level will also go through bad spells. I’m not sure why you found that so difficult to understand.

It’s a lot easier to convince a Pochettino or a Koeman to a team that’s consistently been improving, with solid investment, a decent squad and an academy in healthy shape. We had that back in 2014. We don’t have much going for us now. Who are these Koemans and Pochettinos?

What is daft is comparing a singular employee to the performance of a whole football club comprising of hundreds of people. One of his flaws is that our form has been very on and off under him. But even at his worst point has us in a better position than the last two managers. And our position roughly reflects the ability of our squad. We’re probably not going to turn it round this year. It’s not that simple. Even the very best managers go through pretty low patches. Klopp is struggling right now, Pep did last season. Is crazy to assume that a manger like Hasenhuttl won’t go through a few very low points too.

This is the million dollar question no-one can seem to answer. Everything is so reactionary: when we were winning he’s the greatest coach on earth, when he loses he is the worst. Reality is, given his tenure as a whole, he is a decent coach, who has slightly improved us given the squad and like most managers has many flaws. It is just crazy that people think that a simple manager change will solve everything: there probably are quite a few managers better than Ralph, but who in their right mind would join us?

Well quite frankly just because people thought for a period our team is than it is, doesn’t mean It is better than it is. And just because people blamed Pellegrino and Puel rather than the players doesn’t change the fact that it was the players who let them down. If we based all our decisions on the spontaneous reactions of our fans we’d be in an even worse position we are in. No matter what people think, this squad has stayed largely the same since 2017 and has stayed consistently crap with lots of different managers. I’m not sure why you think I’m trying to proportion or absolve anyone of blame. I’m just pointing out the fact we have a below average PL team, who unsurprisingly have produced below average results.

It is true this team team finished in those positions. It is true that largely these players got our last three coaches sacked because of poor performances so what’s going to change if we sack our fourth? It is true that Walcott, Bertrand and Forster aside no one in our squad has managed to maintain themselves as a first-choice starter in a team that has finished in the top half of the Premier League (and all three of them are far off their previous best levels). Nothing is suddenly going to make players like Redmond, Djenepo, Bednarek, Vestergaard, McCarthy even JWP and very harshly Romeu the required quality to finish anywhere near a European place let alone top-half. Even Ings and Armstrong our best players have never been a regular starter in a top-half PL team. There is a reason for this. It is deluded to think this squad can get anywhere near Europe. Sure we could change manger, but without serious investment is just going to be more and more bottom-half finishes.

The blame has nothing to do with any managers, the club has been poorly run for years and as a result we have a poor squad. The managers whether it’s Hasenhuttl or Puel or even bloody Hughes and Pellegrino are victims of this. We’ve only got more than 50 points once since 15/16 and that’s under Hasenhuttl. Otherwise these players have failed Pellegrino, Hughes and Puel in the second half of the season. We could change manager but they’re only going to produce the same disappointing results with this squad and with our recent form in recruiting players. The only thing that is going to fix this better ownership and better players. It’s been proven with our league finished that you can only get so far with players like Redmond or Bednarek or JWP or McCarthy or Vestergaard and if I’m being very harsh Romeu because they consistently finish bottom half. What is mad is people thinking that we can just chop and change managers whenever and expect things to improve. You clearly can’t comprehend what I’m saying if you think I’m just blaming Puel.

Not really sure where we slipped from, we finished 17th and 16th before his first full season. The rot well and truly set in before Ralph, it’s deluded to think otherwise - we’ve been an awful team with one of the worst squads in the league since 2017.

Desperately lacking that sort of experience in the squad, and he’s a lot better than anyone we have now. Not sure why he’d rejoin though.

Not sure where I said they played well, just said that the scoreline just reflects how much of a better quality team they are. There were a lot of performances that were worse.

Man City game we didn’t even play that bad considering our level, just the difference quality between the teams is that large.

We’ll batter them for 30 mins, maybe go 1-0 up before a 4-1 defeat at full-time

I would quite honestly, if I was a Brighton fan there wouldn’t be many Saints players I’d want in their team.

I don’t disagree with this, but it would be a huge risk. I’d happily do it though, squads need a good refresh after a few years and it’s time we had one. Would there be any takers though?

They’re not saying that at all

The only place I’d diverge from what you’ve said is that we’re really lacking a Tadic style player - doesn’t even have to be as good, just someone who tries something different to what we offer now. For all Armstrong’s qualities a defence splitting pass just isn’t one of them. Usually our one last chance in a game comes from him banging one against the crossbar from range but I can’t really ever remember a time he’s opened up an opposition’s defence. I’ve not seen enough from Minamino to judge but again I feel his strengths lie in dribbling and shooting over passing. We are really lacking someone who can do what Tadic did even if the quality is worse - at least we’d have the chance to try something different. For that reason I think we’re forced to rely on with shots from range or getting crosses in the box, but we don’t really have someone dominant enough to win a header. This season especially, even in our good period of form, the sort of goals we scored are quite similar. Redmond is the only player I can remember who has really opened up a defence with a pass recently - but he still rarely attempts it. Apart from the obvious quality over our current players, Tadic, Pelle, Long, Mane, Davis even JWP all did something a little different to one another so under Koeman he could change it up a bit more. Unfortunately Hasenhuttl’s hands are tied. Hopefully he can have the chance to at least diversify the squad a bit, in terms of what sort of player we have.

In terms of attacking depth I wouldn’t say it’s even that bad. We have Walcott, Tella, Redmond, Djenepo but they all offer the same thing. We have Minamino and Armstrong too, but again they’re pretty similar players. Even in 14/15 or depth wasn’t that great. Difference is the quality of course, but we had also players who could offer something different to the one they were replacing. We can’t blame Ralph for not making changes the tactics mid-game to affect something, because we just don’t have the players to do it. They’re all too similar - we just have to hope one can come up with a moment of individual quality (which is of course rare in itself).

Even when we were winning games earlier we played basically the same way as we did v Spurs yesterday. Difference is when we were doing well we took our early chances and usually it was enough to see the game out. But even in that purple patch we rarely came back and scored a late goal to grab a draw or a win, with or without players like Romeu in the team.

No matter how bad the other teams are though, each of them (maybe except Fulham, which probably explains their struggles) has an experienced/leadership figure on the pitch who can help turn it around on the pitch. We don’t have that. There’s been some failings from Hasenhuttl too but there is no-one on the pitch who can help in out in that regard. You can always hear him barking orders and encouraging from the sidelines, but where’s that coming from on the pitch?

Hasenhuttl’s getting tonnes of criticism at the moment for not having a plan b. Problem I see though is the types of player we have in the squad are so one-dimensional is it even possible for us to have a plan b - especially when we’re chasing a lead? Our attackers are so similar (pacey, a few tricks, no end product) how do we get back in a game when we have no players who offer something different? Without a truly creative passer (something like Tadic) what possibly can we change mid-game when chasing a lead? Because when I look at the bench I don’t see anyone making an impact at the moment.

That message was from 2019...

Wouldn’t mind seeing us go 433 push the wingers higher up and get an extra man in the midfield, but realistically a formation change isn’t going to change the fact we struggle to create and struggle to defend.

Personally I prefer Diallo to JWP but not too sure many would agree with that. If Ward-Prowse and Diallo play together, I think we’re better off having Ward-Prowse on the right where he can have a bit more time on the ball and we can make better use of his deliveries and Armstrong and Diallo in the middle - Diallo breaking up play and Armstrong linking up with the attack. Bit of a sticking plaster solution but our attack and defence are so disconnected otherwise.

It’s got to be one or the other, can’t be both at the same time. Neither of them are good enough on the ball to link up with the attack, so it just fell apart when Ings went off - there was no-one who could drive us forward. At least Romeu is a good passer who can pass the ball between the lines and Armstrong can carry the ball, so it needs to be either Armstrong or Romeu when fit partnering either Ward-Prowse or Diallo.