OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint

I don't see it as a conundrum. If we win, it's because Martin has changed his tactics and yes, we could then turn a corner. We haven't got a premier league winning squad but used properly, we have got a squad that can beat Leicester. The betting pot is looking empty this season though there's another few quid 'invested' on Saints winning 3-1.

Thanks Pamplemousse. Like you say, the club probably can't be bothered to do much about it if the away section is full. At Cardiff there were lots of empty seats but if it happens in premier league games, they might feel compelled to do something about it. I guess Saints Membership is still worth it for the priority you get for homes games.

Yep, I'm pretty sure that's what happens but I'm not itk as to where they sell them. All I see is the occasional sale on this site.

Two years ago, it was easy to get away tickets as Saints Plus members, now they're like hen's teeth. Can't believe so many season ticket holders keep putting themselves through this. Share the suffering around the fanbase, I say.

Saint Jonny, I thought you were being serious until you mentioned Walcott, Adams and a past it Bertrand as three of the best seven. We could all pick a team at random. Against Everton in that season we started with Baz in goal, Caleta-Car, Larios, Maitland- Niles, Mara as well as those superstars Adams and Aribo. I really think our squad today is better than that, has a better attitude and frankly better than at least three other teams in this premier league.

I'm hearing the commentator say, they want to put the ball in the middle to the centre forward but the problem is we haven't got one - now, where have I seen that before? All this False 9 crap!

Sadly, he's not learning. He can't seem to see that in the premier league everything is played at a faster pace, the players are fitter, the opposition's press is tighter and our players aren't skilled enough to play the type of possession football he seems to desire. He talks a good talk but he's really struggling. How long does he have? Leicester we draw, Man City we lose, Everton we draw...then it's practically all over. We need someone soon. Saints manager recruitment seems to have been totally crap or inspired. Let's hope they can find a Poch, Koeman or Ralph. Potter/Moyes - would they accept a challenge?

I thought Kompany was on a vanity project and look where it got him...and look where it got Burnley. My concern is that Russ has this scheme/plan/master philosophy or whatever you want to call it and fuck Saints, he's going to stick with it. And I don't buy in to this 'we've got the worst squad in the league, that's why we're at the bottom' way of thinking. Football at this level is fine margins. There really isn't much between lots of clubs. Forest were just better organised than us; Ipswich seemed to have more determination; Bournemouth seemed to be quicker, even Brentford just seemed to have that press which we didn't know how to deal with. But their players aren't miles better. The only team we've played so far where we looked the more inferior team because their players look better players has been Arsenal - and their complacency could have cost them.

I don't know what it is, but the last time we were relegated I couldn't give a toss about a lot of the players. This time, I genuinely believe they're a good bunch of players, eager to work as a unit and do well in this league but they're being hampered by their manager. Players are regularly being asked to play out of their natural positions and I'm concerned that any creativity they may have is being coached out of them with this indirect football. If Russ is still here for the Leicester game (which seems like a certainty), he's got 2 weeks to come up with a Plan B that shows he's more attacking minded than we're currently giving him credit for. We have to win that game which setting the team up to have numerous shots on goal.

Leicester, Man City, Everton are the next three league games and 4 points is a minimum requirement. Ross Stewart has managed to show in his few games this season that his touch is only worsened by Brereton Diaz which is not want we need from a hold up player who's also laying off the ball. Tall Paul, on the other hand, showed in his cameo yesterday that he can control the ball. So even if Ross Stewart is fit in a couple of weeks, I'd still be playing Tall Paul against Leicester. I think M271 has summed up RM's view of TP up to now and this needs to change.

Must admit, never thought he is the answer to our goalscoring woes, but given our options, him and Archer at least offer something. A couple of years ago I remember TP had a great game at Stamford Bridge. Unlike AA, he's not totally out of his depth in the premier league and I think we'll be seeing more of him in upcoming games.

Can't remember the last time it felt like we were dead certain to lose. Even the last time in the premier league, there was always the hope we'd sneak a point at Man City/Liverpool or whatever. I've still put a few quid on us sneaking a win at 20/1. 😏 Never bet against your interests.

Totally agree. Some of my happiest memories this century have been Hasenhuttl's early high press years, and even when we were not so good, I can still remember the Hasenhuttl White Christmas song at Villa Park. This drawing players on by passing around at the back and looking for a break is a fad and a busted flush. It also slows the game down to a crawl and the problem our team has is that they can't get out of this low tempo mentality. That's why dropping KWP has contributed to our failings in the last two games. He might not be the best defender and he's not in the form of his life either but at least he injects pace in to the team. But does RM see the problem and if he does, does he know what to do about it?

Suppose one piece of good news is Stephens can't play against Arsenal and Leicester. Still couldn't quite believe having five strikers on the bench yesterday...and none on the pitch to start. What was RM thinking?

I truly did enjoy last season but I went to Huddersfield and Blackburn and saw how crap our tactics were against honestly average teams. My son wouldn't have any of my criticism of RM citing how he'd pulled the team spirit together and how we got promoted, but for me that was the bare minimum requirement and we got lucky. SR have given RM new players (albeit not a respected striker) and I thought we were starting to improve but boy have we taken two steps back. I genuinely thought Cornet was going to be tried up front in the middle, but those tactics yesterday were again piss poor. Five strikers on the bench. I really don't understand why senior pros can't stop him and say, this won't work. We need some avenue to score goals. And this slowing it down with nothing passes at the back slows down players' mentality. Bournemouth just looked faster and I don't believe that physically they are. They just reacted quicker to everything; their first goal being a prime example.

They're quite good now at covering up pitch invasions by individuals. Hardly noticed it happened. Christ, if some idiot did it at St Mary's, he'd get Man of the Match!

Although we never were in this game, it was disappointing how, after getting a goal back, we then hardly created another chance. It's noticeable that when we get a throw-in, it takes 20+ seconds of fannying around and then it's some crap pass backwards; when we get a free kick 10 yards inside their half, it's a 2 foot tap sideways. Get the ball in the middle. All sorts of things can come of it.

Final train back to Southampton cancelled getting the biggest cheer of the game. Hopefully, we can leave Russell in Bournemouth.

His touch is awful, isn't it? Probably only worsened by BBD.

I thought Cornet was meant to be in the middle but he's been playing right wing like BBD. That was never going to work. With Ralph's 9-0s, I always felt we could win the next game. But I really can't see who's going to score our goals. This really is quite desperate and I still maintain our players aren't this shit. They're just being made to look slow, uninspired and shit. By whom?

It'll be interesting if Tall Paul comes on...though there seems to be a queue of strikers on the bench and I can't see him jumping that queue. Would like to have seen KWP in the line up but otherwise that seems a fair starting team. Let's see if Cornet does anything in the middle.

Think he (Potter) is too, and anyway, we're winning tonight. I've just secured my 23/1 2-1 win though strangely enough, my betting pool is looking thin on the ground nowadays!

Don't think so but I see Graham Potter is the Sky Pundit tonight.....makes you think....perhaps he has held off the England job for the bigger fish 😉

Yes, I was specifically watching this. What they did do was chase out quickly, though still think it's best to also have someone on the edge of the area. Villa took their foot off the gas and paid the price of two points. And if Jack Stephens did that clearance that let to Villa's first goal, this site would have imploded!

Statistics have changed football. All I know is that goal went in and that was down to poor defending. Whether that's the coaching staff or RM's fault, they need to sort out their defence of set pieces and position players to be able to release the pressure. But I really don't get that we have an inherently worse squad than other teams in the bottom half of the league. it's how you use the players and I'm seeing us getting better each game, especially now RM has ditched his obsession with passing around the back.