Charlie Wayman

Ralph has had ample opportunity to watch and coach Sims, if he had a future here he would still be here. The facts that he is on loan at 24 and we no longer see any value in loaning out players to other clubs simply because they do not play the way Ralph likes to play means in effect he is finished here and we will be looking to offload him as quickly as possible. The gulf between L1 and the PL is huge, impressing in the former means nothing to us.

I agree with you. If it doesn't work just switch Theo and Redmond.

What a load of garbage. Glad you don't post very often.

Not a fanboy then.

Not sure anybody is seriously suggesting that Theo should be dropped for the trip to Craven Cottage. He is undroppable at the moment, the only spark of real quality in our attacking options.

Not on this website it isn't.

We were even runners up to the effing bindippers in 1983/84, our best season ever!

Don't be such a pedant, anything is worth trying when all else is obviously failing. We're not talking about lumping it in the first ten minutes just in the last five when "searching for openings" isn't working and wasting what little time is left. Not everything about lumping is bad!

A simple question. With ten minutes to go why can't we just lump it route 1 into their box and see how the pieces fall rather than tippy tappy square and back "looking for openings'' in a dam that never showed any signs of cracking? Just asking.

A poor first sub was one of the keys to this result. Had we moved Walcott to the No 9 position and brought on Redmond or Armstrong instead of Tella things might have turned out differently. As it was an outstanding performance by Theo achieved little more perhaps than show up the inadequacies of our attacking options. He is the one piece of real attacking quality that we have in the side other than Ings and his off the ball chasing and recovery puts many others to shame. Had we won he would have been MotM but we lost so it had to be a defender. That's taking nothing away from the Big V who once again played a blinder. I get the impression that RH is in awe of the top six clubs and is half beaten before we start. Hard to change that mindset. To win everyone has to be 100% positive.

The limitations of our attacking creativity were cruelly exposed on Wednesday, what had looked so easy against Sheff U just did not work against Arsenal's better organised and better quality defence. While much of our defensive work against the ball kept their talented players quiet as we tired gaps began to appear and bingo they scored a superb equaliser. Had they not gone down ten men the outcome might have been very different. The pattern could be much the same tomorrow coupled with which we have had less recovery time than them so we could struggle after the break. I have a bad feeling about this and fear we will not compete as well as recently. Nor can we rely on reproducing a defensive display par excellence similar to last season's. Factor in also that Guardiola is very familiar with Ralph's methods of play from Bundesliga days as well as in the PL last season so it is unlikely we can surprise them We should start with an unchanged team but even so for me this will end up in a 1-4 defeat.

Would have been more convincing with a Saints tie but fine effort anyway. Not this year alas, we are not consistent enough and some promising young players need developing and first team experience before we can have the quality in depth that Champions need. Next year will be our year, no doubt about that!

Can't agree with you at all. Armstrong is the only player we have who can get between the lines consistently. Theo of course is now developing into that role well. As for resting Romeu, yes but not against ManC we need all the experience we can get. Daillo would flounder and that would not be good for us or him.

Certainly disappointing. We looked a bit flat and our lack of creativity let us down. At times we were too laid back and that lack of urgency comes from tiredness. Superb goal from Theo but few other highlights and their equaliser seemed to be inevitable. Danny well off form at the moment and it's costing us dearly especially as Adams is winning his aerial battles and laying the ball off well. We shouldn't be satisfied with this performance or 1 point, Arsenal were there for the taking and we should have put them to the sword. Ralph will not be pleased at our failure to break their lines. Up to third though and a chance to cement our position at the weekend. Bloody Amazon commentators spent 90% of the pre-match talking Arsenal and it wasn't much better during the match. The whole media thing stinks of bias and nepotism.

This will be a very tough match. Arsenal have quality all over the pitch but have not started well and look disorganised and certainly lacking the sort of automatism that we have developed this season. They do not seem to be playing with a clear plan. That cannot change overnight and they may need to rely on their more creative individuals to work out how to nullify us and develop little patterns of play that can hurt us. The pattern of the game may be that we start fast with our high press and off-the-ball possession recovery that might stun Arsenal even though they might be expecting it. As time goes by they will learn how to deal with our tactics and the second half might see us under pressure as their more creative players start to get a grip in midfield and push us back. Our defence wasn't tested much last time out but they have far more super talented players up top who can not only hurt us but destroy us. With Vestergaard pinned back in defence then of course our attacking threat will be reduced. We must start fast and we must start well and take our chances before the break. If we can go in at HT 2-0 up then we have a chance of winning but only if our defence plays at the top of their game. 2-2 seems to me to be the most likely result even if we can go 2-0 early on. If we don't take our chances first half we will lose.

Which has come as a surprise to nobody frankly. His limitations have been evident for a long time even in the 'stiffs' He's had many chances to make a mark in the first team but just doesn't seem to have been able to raise his game or work-rate to the levels demanded by Ralph.

Superbly dominant display of controlled patient total football, a pleasure to watch (even on Sky at £10). Adams was outstanding and clearly MotM. Everyone performed well and our possession football was a joy to watch. We can't expect the freedom of the park every match but quite a few teams are going to find us hard to deal with and dispossess. It is hard not to look forward with optimism to the next game. No matter who the opposition we look like we will give them a few puzzles that they might not be able to solve. Well done lads and well done Ralph

Makes you wonder and fear what will happen to us when Ralph tires of England and seeks a new challenge. We will never see his like again here, he is by far and away the most intelligent, systematic and informed football manager we have had ever at Saints and quite possibly in the Premier League. Long may he reign. Please send his family lots of bunches of red roses this Christmas to make them feel this is their home!

As you say Armstrong has not played particularly well since contracting Covid and seems badly in need of a rest and recuperation but Sheff U are a strong physical side and strong runners and Armstrong offers more physicality than Djenepo and will get stuck in in the midfield to help outs well a his attacking duties. For that reason I think he will get the nod over Redmond as well.

If you believe that you will believe anything. A preposterous notion.

We have no reason to fear the Blades, we are a much better side than they with better players in most positions. We have not performed well since the international break so our match performance can only get better and surely our automatism will click again soon. We should have too much pace for their defence based on how they have performed so far and we can score goals. I'm guessing we will win and win well, 4-0 if it all comes together with a home crowd urging us on for the first time in ages. No doubt Ings will start so chances are Hasenhüttl will start Walcott on the left and Armstrong on the right. Redmond looked a lot more comfortable on Monday evening when he came on but not sure he can displace Theo just yet. Cannot see a starting place for Djenepo sadly. Armstrong is undroppable at the moment because he brings some steel to our attack and we will need to graft a bit against their physical style. Rest of the defence as per normal.

Yeah but we're a top six side now so we get the refs calls, always was like this, always will be.

That'll do very nicely thank you. Good defensive work but attack lacked any real threat. Overall a lacklustre display. Romeu MotM for me.

It's not necessary to exclude either of our defensive dynamic duo, bring in Diallo for Armstrong. Seems a smart idea to me, Armstrong needs a rest to rediscover his mojo and Brighton are there for the taking.

One would have thought that this pre-match gesture had more or less run its course. What is needed now is action in the form of legislation to force the PL and FA to act.