Patches O Houlihan

If the players know he is leaving in May maybe they won't put in the graft needed for high pressing heavy metal footballTM Knowing that he has 1.5 years with a 2 year option means they can't just phone it in for the rest of the season.

"Juric, for what it’s worth, makes Conte look shy and retiring" "Juric can come across as unreasonably demanding for someone who has never won anything. Yet he’s one of the best coaches in Italy" Appolgies for The Pathetic link* but it does explain a bit more about him as a person: Clearly very passionate (like Ralph?) and gets pissed off when his best players are sold and not replaced.

Self preservation! If you are genuinely expecting us to avoid relegation comfortably then you might need to prepare for disappointment. RM's points per game ratio would be looking a bit healthier if the dice had fallen a little more kindly at crucial points in 3 or 4 games. But then the PL is generally unkind to Saints, and his position was pretty much untenable. It's not like we have a 'comfortably mid table squad' either is it...

Reading comprehension score: C- Won promotion to Serie A for first time in Crotone's history Genoa sound like a basket case, but having re-hired him he saved them from relegation (ie a similar job that he'd need to do here) In 2019 he joined a newly promoted club (Hellas Verona) and kept them in the league for 2 seasons despite having one of the smallest budgets in Serie A. Torino poached him from Hellas Verona. They had finished 17th the previous season. He kept them mid table for 3 seasons (10th, 10th, 9th) and left amicably at the end of his contract. Was appointed to Roma 18th September 2024 after the previous manager (an ex player) made a Horlicks of the first few games. Dismissed on 10th November, whilst still 4 points above the relegation zone. I guess it depends what you mean by failure. If you expected us to hire someone who had won one of the top 5 European leagues then yes he's not that. But he has demonstrated the ability to coach a side to punch above their weight and avoid relegation - which is exactly what we want him to do.

For a start he is still getting up to speed with speaking English. He's going to be a superb player. This summer's recruitment is so frustrating: Kept Flynn, Bednarek and THB Brought in Fernandes Sugawara/KWP do fine Dibling came of age. That's the basis for a good lower/mid table PL team there. But around them is just not really enough to survive and we didn't buy an established striker. If we were able to somehow stay up and build around that core, whilst bringing in a proper striker that Archer could learn from then life as a Saints fan would be so much easier

Not a bad side on paper?!! I put it to you that 7 of those starters aren't PL quality.

Scored the only goal in the playoff final and was top scorer+assister combined in the Championship. He should be able to do it, but he just doesn't seem to ever find that next level

They hit the woodwork 5 or 6 times over the course of the match, could easily have been 10.

So to confirm: you care, I care, Aribo, Archer, Fernandes, Wood and Manning all care - hence you were speaking bollocks

He won the raffle

We're all frustrated - but that is an absolute load of f**king bollocks

He's commentating on Saints' 2nd team vs Chelsea's 2nd team on a rainy mid week night on Amazon Prime. This is surely indicative of someone who's career is already circling the bowl 🤞

That's what's great about Amazon coverage. I haven't had to listen to a single moment of that cunt Darke's commentary - Just stadium sounds. So much better even if we are getting reamed...

Did BBD just say to Lumley: "Just launch everything up to me!" 😁

How did you think it was going to go tonight with Chelsea in form and us missing so many first team players?!!!

https://twitter.com/NoContextSoton/status/1858226135760335115

For anyone in any doubt that THB has cojones; he's only gone and got engaged to Roy Keane's daughter. Can you imagine the eyes over the dinner table at the first 'meet the parents night'!! Father of the Bride speech: glare across the room "DO YOUR JOB" 😁 Cheered me up this morning after hearing that we'll have to manage without Rambo for a bit. * No doubt this is not news to many people

I like KWP as much as the next man... BUT Last season Kyle scored 3 goals and assisted 3 goals in the Championship. This season Yuki has already scored 1 and assisted 2 goals in just 10 PL games. Kyle has 1 assist. I think Kyle is better at taking on his man, but Yuki is a better crosser. Bearing in mind the higher standard of the league I could understand the argument for playing an offensive RB who can pass a ball suitable for any one of our strike force (oxymoron surely!), particularly when Kyle can also play LB. But of course we have seen that KWP loses 10% of his edge playing on the left, and against PL opposition that makes a bigger difference than it did last season. It's a tough call to make as a manager I think. Personally I'm happy to know that we already have a great RB in the building when Kyle gets sold in January. I'll be sad to see him go, but more sad if he had been keen to sign a new contract.

Fucking Jamie Vardy Outrageous challenge on Sugawara sees him off and a left back switch around which wrecks our game plan. Fucking Anthony Taylor too. Is his wife also a tart? 🤔

We need Lallana for Dibling now

I've watched Anthony Taylor ref our games before - he is an A1 bellend

I did watch that one too, and wondered if it was that game. So I googled it and their goal was scored before halftime; and in my head it was an annoying late goal that ruined an absolute beasting to nil. Maybe it was the four beers?! For ten years and particularly in the 9-0 seasons I've been a bit pissed that Sunderland scored in that game 😁 Funny how the mind works sometimes

You can think what you like. Doesn't mean you're right, or that I have to agree.

I could have sworn that game finished 8-1. 😁😁 Must have been another game! I did watch a few at that bar that season.