Red

Brilliant - thanks for sharing!

Fair point. Although I think Saints are pretty good at making sure players we no longer want are cared for - we try and find new clubs etc. Let them train with us for no cost. You could argue that we have given players contracts they did not earn/deserve at the end of their usefulness (Long etc.). Look at how much we have stuck with the absolute abject failures, who we have tried to rebuild their careers elsewhere rather than just pay them off (suspect that would have been cheaper for the club). To be clear I am not saying that players have to stay against their will, just that be fair to a club that has looked after you - in case of Ings, if he wants to go fair enough but be open with the club, give early notice and don't leave us hanging. For example by us offering to make him the best paid player ever at Saints others will now demand an increase. If he wasn't going to sign a new contract then be honest and then there is no need to create unrest in the rest of the camp. Just my opinion - what do I know apart from being really disappointed at how the game is going these days - all commercial and no real grass roots fun. I had the pleasure of meeting Emlyn Hughes at an event and for me he and his era was the magic of the sport - he was paid £100 per week when he won the European cup!

IMHO plenty, it's one thing wanting to leave to improve your self (better wages, chance of honours etc.), but if you want to leave a club that in both instances have built/rescued their careers then fine but show a bit of gratitude and respect. Agree a new contract with a clause that says if a top x club comes in with an offer of y or above than they can go. Fair deal for both parties, but to shaft the club that helped you (adamidly Ings hasn't done that publicibly yet but nevertheless it hampers our preparations for the next season) is a kick in the teeth for the club showing them loyalty, but alas that's modern day football.

No, she went of her own will 🤣

Agree Southgate has done well and Italy have been good, but not sure they were the better team tonight. Yes they won and so technically they are better than us, but I think where we failed was the second half of normal time. Italy were behind and so were going to up their game attacking wise. We retreated and became defensive and invited pressure which eventually came to pass. We should have brought on Grealish and attacked as they were struggling against our forward play. But heyo, it's football and things don't always workout. If you had told me at the start of the Euro's that we would be narrowly (and it was very narrow) knocked out in the finals, I would have asked for some of what you were drinking of! Good effort lads - think we need to improve on our "shit housary" I think they call it. Italy won it through their game management and not footballing skills - nothing wrong with that, just that we are no good at it.

Le Saux was great for us, so much so that we hardly missed Bridge. Also his form made a great case for an England recall. He was a very intelligent player and although he lost some of his pace when he joined us he more than made up for it with his mind. Met him in the Heathrow lounge a few years after he left us and we had a good chat about his time at Saints - said he really enjoyed it and was a great family/friendly atmosphere to the club and I am sure he meant it. Wished us/me luck and said he always looks out for our result after Chelsea 🙂 He was involved in some business venture but did not want to go into details (which is understandable as I might have been competition etc.)

Ok caught the bite, but ever wonder why?

They played 6 mins extra time, but only 5 mins was allocated at the end of the game, which is a joke. The Spinny injury was 6 mins alone (I timed it) and in fairness to him he looked like going off the pitch and immediately called for a substitution but his team mate told him to lie down on the pitch and that's when the drama started - yes he was injured and I feel sorry for him but no need for the histrionics and he was well able to limp off the pitch. What made it worse was the Ref was pointing to his watch as if to say "I know they are time wasting and I will add on extra time". Add to that all the subs and the obvious other time wasting (feigned injuries, keeper taking ages, etc. etc.) extra time should have been more like 10 to 12 mins. As long as the officials allow teams to get away with this they will - just like the diving in the penalty area before the booking for doing so was introduced. The real shame is Italy were so much better and did not need to resort to such tactics. Hope we are in the final against them leading by a goal and do the same, but we won't because don't know how (and that's a good thing in my books unless we lose coz of it)

Is beyond the realms of possibility that they now turn their attention to Ralph?? Please don't tease me !

Glad to read Eriksen seems stable and hopefully on the road to full recovery. The real concern for me is if a professional,fit,healthy young man,who is monitored every day has a serious health issue what happens to Joe Soap. Particularly as in a significant tournament where they would have the best medical facilities which potentially saved his life. What if that happens to the local lad in the Sunday morning junior league?

Fair point. I guess the frustration is we have failed so many times to get the right solution in the recent past that ultimately we cannot afford to f up this time. Really torn between replacing Ralph or not - would like a change but who would be better that we can afford?

Not sure I agree. What we knew was he was out of work (have to question why if he was so great?), had a bit (and only a bit) of reputation of playing attacking football Alpine Klopp etc.), and was cheap. He knew full well our situation, squad and range of ability to change it, but took the job - which meant he was confident he could succeed in those circumstances, unless he was desperate for a job? Agree he has done well in spells but largely he has disappointed in lack of bringing young players through (which he is apparently famed for), bizzare tactics, being stubborn to the point of biting off his nose to spite his face, favourites and non-favourites. Where he has brought in his players they have been average at best, and where has he demonstrated his so called extensive knowledge of the Austrian/German markets to bring in some untapped gems even on loan? If this was Mark H or others record he would already have been rightly vilified, but to some our Alpine Klopp can do no wrong. Hope I'm very wrong but right now I see us adrift at the bottom within 10 to 15 games next season and the board desperately dithering whether to stick or twist - if we twist it will be an even worse manager. Bin him now and pay for for a quality replacement - better value than splashing £8M on Walcott on just basic wages.

Good god what is the issue here? If you agree with taking the knee great - if you don't it's fine too and your choice. No one is forcing the players, clubs, fans etc. It may or may not change things for the better but at least is causing an awareness and debate. Taking the knee is NOT the same as supporting the Black Life Matters politic organisation - listen to the ads by the PL players. If you think racism doesn't exist in life today, then you are sadly mistaken. I see it everyday, in all forms of life. For example, I have been on business calls where people are asked where they are from (as they have an unusual name) and when they say, "I'm from London", the response is no, where are you really from as your name is not British? OK this is not your physical racial thuggery but why would people think that way? Good friend of mine was turned down for a job because hiring company said "his name would not look right on a business card" - really in this day and age??

Didn't he apparently turn us down in the past? Much as I would like an upgrade on Ralph, not sure Howe is the answer

Agree, but problem is Ralph loves him and thinks he is mustard so we are stuck with him. Unless of course we correct the real issue - which is the subject of a different thread.

Just to bring the topic back on line https://www.goal.com/en/news/liverpool-loan-danny-ings-to-southampton-ahead-of-20m/1c28lra0hq5wd16liv6tpau7i0 key part being: Saints will have an obligation to buy him next summer

Interesting thing for me was, how shite was Lampard with the same players? Food for thought for some on here that think no manager could do better with the players we have over Ralph.

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/02/03/report-liverpool-have-installed-a-beneficial-clause-in-takumi-minaminos-loan-deal/ Maybe and then some people only have one view - theirs, right or wrong. Last I heard this was a forum for sharing opinions - no? Anyway, what is so unusual or wrong with inserting a play clause if you can do so and afford it? Clearly Liverpool can afford it, and the more incentive they can provide us to play him the better - what is conspiratorial about that? Just good sense

Because we pay less for him the more he plays - we are obviously so short of cash that we are trying to save every penny. Possibly also why some of the fringe players are not being tried out. Don't agree with it mind

Seat of the pants, squeaky win just - Pool will miss a host of chances but we will cling on - I hope! Think it might be a big game for Salisu and Jankewitz (if Ralph is not too stubborn to pick him that is) 👍

Still so many apologists for Ralph - it's unbelievable. He was forced into a change of tactic after the sending off (yes it was unmerited but that's a separate issue) and we did very well subsequently. Surprised he made the change as he has not done so previously (MU 9-0, Leicester 0-9 etc.) Without the sending off we would have lost IMO. Has he learnt from this to make us more difficult to score against first and then build from there? We'll see, but I'm not too hopeful, which is why I still think he needs to go.

Also, I don't see why the game had to stop to allow Fofana food and drink? I get he was fasting, but that was his choice and Leicester's to let him play. He could have gone off the field for a few seconds without the rest of play being held up or waited until half time (only 10 minutes away). I am in no way disrespecting his faith or beliefs but it just seems PC gone mad. What next, we have a break when muslin prayers are due at dusk, Good Friday/Easter Monday remembrance, Poppy Day, etc. etc. Might be amusing to have a bar mitzvah break for the "ritual event" and having the player return to play however 🙂 - again no offence meant to anyone

This is exactly the time a sound businessman would buy us - assuming we avoid relegation this season. The opportunity cost is when things are low/bad, you buy a club/business at bottom dollar, make some sound investment in club, management (board and manager), players and infrastructure and grow the business/club. This is exactly what ML did and look at the turn around before he sadly passed away, and others with less interest, motivation and drive let it slide subsequently.

I really fail to understand how much leeway, time and how many chances some people are prepared to give Ralph? Honestly it's not a pop, and I like Ralph and desperately wanted him to do well but there comes a time when enough is enough. His is not the messiah, and now appears to have lost the players trust and belief. Yes a lot of the players are not good enough and others need a boot up the backside but Ralph has a lot to answer for which has been discussed at length. I find it ludicrous to see him associated with Spurs and top German clubs - no top club would go anywhere near him. He is a one trick pony who has been well sussed tactically by other mangers, and is stubborn too boot - with team selection, tactics, favourite players and axing players after one mistake to almost spite himself and the club. People make all the excuses under the sun for him (VAR, Ref, injuries, bad luck, wrong type of grass - ok I made the last one up!), but whatever the reason he has come up short and needs to accept that - life is not always fair. People want to give him until Christmas - by then we will be well down the relegation track if present form continues. He has had nearly 3 years and been given funds to bring in his players but to no avail - for all his German and Austria league knowledge, where are gems he has picked out? Most other managers brought in at least 1 or 2 players previously. Don't procrastinate Saints, make the change now and give the new guy the time to asses the squad and back him to make the changes prior to next season start.