Holmes_and_Watson

Sink

... you get 38 dreadful goalless draws and get relegated on the last day of the season. Just thinking of our attacking options there... 🙂

That's disappointing. Any chance you could predict a summer clear out and lots of surprising, talented signings? You don't have to believe it. I can just read it and pretend. 🙂

I'd be happy just getting one of their away kits for Christmas. 🙂

+1 for Danny Baker's show. He was well suited to it and it was a lot more interesting than a lot of his successor s have managed. Decent for on the way somewhere, which, other than cups of tea are the only times I'll be listening.

Play

Miss

>dewey eyed nostalgia< And an extension for Walcott too, just so we can play all three... Wanyama and Schneiderlin will be out there somewhere, and... oh, wait this is the plot to ... 🙂

Backwards

I was going to say that this was known as the Phil Babb years. But actually, he wasn't that terrible, and it turns out they finished 7th on the year I was thinking of. I did notice that the 8th place team of 15/16 had Clyne, Lovren, Llalana, Caulker (can we count him), and Ings in it. On the plus side, it does confirm the existence of parallel universes and that you can phone them. A great day for physics as well as phone ins. 🙂 I've not caught many of Adrain Durham's phone ins, and there are plenty of funny ones. There have been a couple of calls where there are clearly vulnerable people calling in, and it's taken a bit longer than you'd like for the penny to drop and the wind up to shift gears. It's to their credit that they do notice and do stop though. You rang, Sir? 🙂 I've caught a number of World Football Phone ins. There are a lot of regular callers on it. I find it a bit cringy sometimes. But it's clearly a community, it's good for the regulars, and that any cringeness is me being a bit of a git, and that I should get over it. 🙂

This is exactly what it is. The automatisms involved in RalphBall have to be completely in synch because they are analysed to such an degree to maximis effectiveness. Super, when it works. But the players will become automatons in order to fit within that structure. Showing flair within it should only be done at certain trigger points, as the perceived risk of losing the ball, and being exposed, is so high. Flair as a robot isn't really a good fit, so over time, and as the mental and physical fatigue of the system sets in, you see less and less of it. As you say it's Broja, Djenepo, Tella, Tino and defintiely Redmond who has received instructions to run at people/ not run at people/ stop and pass / go up front/ be a 10 depending on how found out Ralphs' tactics are at any particular time. Flair that gives the ball away is not what the system looks for. Before them, Bertrand and Ings. Both examples of players who have been at top clubs and know the value of things beyond the playbook. That's not necessarily a critisicm. For RalphBall to work, everyone has to buy into it. That's the way it is. Conversely, when it goes pear shaped, you end up with players with all the individuality coached out of them.

Not so much Everything Must Go as Everything Can Go. We may accept decent bids for nearly anyone in our squad, especially if it helps fund a restructure. We’ve a number of players who are entering their last year. Along with them is Salisu who I think we’d have been looking to extend or “show the merits of the Southampton Pathway” by getting a fee for. We also have a number of back ups who either not been convincing enough to nail down a first team place or with the likes of Bednarek and A Armstrong who we & they might be looking to move on for the benefits of both parties. Then we have the fringe players, like any squad. Players who don't really look likely to get a lot of first team football with us. Those returning from loan would have a big step up to make, and may see themselves back out next year too, unless we get a fee. Players who we could get decent funds for: James Ward-Prowse (2026. who may jump to a team who can get him playing in Europe) Kyle Walker-Peters (2025) And on a level down, Stuart Armstrong (2024) Ché Adams (2024) Tino Livramento (2026 injured so will be staying.) Romain Perraud (2025) Contracts where we need to capitalise on or make the decision to extend. Mohammed Salisu (2024) Oriol Romeu (2023) Mohamed Elyounoussi (2023) Moussa Djénépo (2023) Nathan Redmond (2023) Theo Walcott (2023) Players who are seen more as back up/ time to move on Jack Stephens (?) Alex McCarthy* (2024) Jan Bednarek (2025, especially if ducking Saints duty due to upcoming international games.) Adam Armstrong (2025. May be looking for a fresh start, after being dropped for Long and apparently not taking it well) Lynaco Vojnovic (2025) Nathan Tella (2025) Players who’ve not found their best position: Ibrahima Diallo (2024, He’s possibly getting a first team place if JWP goes.) Fringe Players/ Returning from loan Kayne Ramsay (2023) Yan Valery (2023) Will Smallbone (2024) Dan Nlundulu (2024) Jake Vokins (2024) Thierry Small (2024) Dynel Simeu (2024) Will Ferry (2024) Kazeem Olaigbe (2024) Players Who have Gone/ 2022 Contract Expiry Fraser Forster Harry Lewis Armando Broja Willy Caballero Kgaogelo Chauke Shane Long

If we sell Bednarek , then we need a first team replacement.If Salisu also goes, then we need two. Stephens and Lyanco are back ups. If a decent offer came in for Lyanco, I'd not be too upset, and we could upgrade there. One bought because that's all we could afford. He can improve, but he shouldn't be first choice.

Joe Hart is contracted there until 2024, I think, and would be first choice. Unless someone buys him, he'll be back up here next season... at least.

I guess our resources didn't stretch to going to some of our usual teams, so Ajar joined Brentford and Eduard joined Palace. So yeah, this. But hope it improves into expensive before we get caught out... which we are.

Just popped back to see what a team capable of winning looks like...I'm doing that a lot recently...

Tactic 1: High risk, high press that geives us a spell of lovely football, before it's found out and we're lucky to escape with only a few thumpings. Tactic 2: A deeper option, looking to catch teams, not on any planned break (because we can't do taht well), but off of scraps. Two outcomes 1) we aren't good enough to keep teams out, concede and are toothless at getting back into the game, when they defend 2) We do nick a goal. But then fall back and option 1 kicks in. Both outcomes lead to abject performances. Today, dreadful double personal error for the first, zero concentration and marking for the third and fourth. That's a team with their confidence shot.

Crumbs....

Whew! For a split second Long had the otion of driving at goal. Thankfully, he checked himself and went wide, resulting in another decent Leicester attack. Redmond had a similar option from deeper in the first half, and checked himself to go wide. RalphBall at work.

bah...didn;t score anyway...

JWP not going to score. Commentator said that he put the ball down in a tent...oh wait, with intent... 🙂

Long earns a free kick in JWP territory!

Yes! Long's on and that means goals! COYR!

bloomin' 'eck. Totally unmarked. So slow and lazy to the danger.

Yay! We get one of those... goal things, I've been hearing about!