goodymatt

Lesley is the only other player that makes sense there and he looks to be going back to Chelsea. Charles will be recalled or we will recruit another you’d think. Lallana and Aribo have been deep at times but it’s not really their game.

5 points from 16 games, no PL manager survives that. I enjoyed getting an identity back under him during last season, we were so far away from having one at the end of that relegation season. As others have mentioned the playoffs gave me lifelong memories, best atmosphere at St Mary’s and a win at Wembley (in a game with more meaning than the JPT). Ultimately as likeable as I personally found him, his football became toothless at the top level with a continued theme of defensive weaknesses. 10 mistakes leading to goals in 15 games matched a full seasons record, evidencing the style was flawed, with our squad at least. I watched that first half tonight and saw no identity, we weren’t even playing our possession style tonight. First time I asked myself the question, has he lost the players? I feel sad that it hasn’t worked out, I really wanted it to. The ownership certainly gave him more time than most clubs would have to turn it around, which according to history has made survival impossible. I cannot argue with the decision, it had become inevitable. He will get another Championship job easily IMO and I wish him well, with thanks for giving me one of the most memorable seasons as a Saints fan.

Like many I’m not sure I believe he’s going to turn it around and it feels a matter of when, not if we will part company. Damage is done. I would partially agree with Martin on the luck side of things. VAR, injuries to key players, last min deflections - you make your own luck but we have not had the rub of the green often this season. Would a full strength team have got more points? Would we have potentially up to 10 more without VAR? I think I’ve landed on he’s not good enough, neither are the players and relegation seems just as likely now as it has all season as a result. Making a change now will cost us (£12m?) and not change the outcome. Either Martin manages to get us performing better and we can take that into the promotion push or he will have to be replaced. Players do appear to still be playing for him at the moment, which is surprising given the results to date.

Game going ahead!

I’ve just arrived in the West Midlands. Hopefully not a wasted journey!

Not sure a current champions league team hammering bottom of the league at home would be a surprise?

Bednarek is ‘touch and go’. Onuachu is ‘unlikely’.

I’m going to this one, can’t say I’m looking forward to it either!

17 games in to the season and he will have been suspended for 9 of them. 6 of those for a combination of using the ‘C’ word and pulling an opponents hair. Very unprofessional for a ‘captain’. Tonight he was the one to lead us through this difficult fixture with the squad crisis, instead he just added to it. He is letting us down this season and I would question if he should be the player representing our football club as captain, especially when he doesn’t even make my best 11.

I’m hoping Bednarek will be back for this game now that Stephens is suspended. Although Wood didn’t do badly tonight for a first start in the PL. Shame what little momentum we had is lost but the Chelsea game was always going to be a slog with the unavailable players. Hoping those players returning are well rested and can give us more of a fighting chance. Villa hadn’t won since October but looked back on form vs Brentford tonight. Very tough away game and even with some players returning we will do well to get anything from this game. 5 points from 15 games would continue the embarrassment.

So much for Bednarek or Onuachu making the squad, nowhere to be seen.

We managed to loan the only one who wouldn’t! Typical.

Russ is hopeful Onuachu will be involved and that Bednarek should be in the squad for this game.

Probably since the Championship relegation to league one, so 16?

I feel like we have given the current top 2 a good go the last two games. This is going to be a big ask given the players unavailable: Ramsdale - injured McCarthy - doubt Bednarek - injured THB - suspended Downes - suspended Lallana - injured Dibling - suspended Lesley - can’t play parent club Onuachu - doubt Smallbone - injured Do we need to bring ABK and C.Taylor back from the cold? No idea who plays this one at CB and CDM/CM. Going to be a tough watch I’d imagine.

Saints FC Cop on Twitter recommends Prince Albert by the station. Opens at 11am and apparently will take saints fans pre-game only.

Any recommendations for away pubs? I recall being turned away trying to get into any city centre pubs last time.

In general he’s not made any howlers. Got his hand to a couple such as the Ayew winner that would have been nice if he could have kept out but he sees it so late. His error that was cleared of the line last night was the first big mistake, fortunately Suguwara bailed him out. He is still well clear of our other keepers, big upgrade. Understat reckons we have conceded 3.53 goals less than expected. Baz conceded 14.7 goals more than expected over a full season.

It does frustrate me how patient we are when we are losing the game. I would like to see us take the handbrake off and at least try and steal some undeserved points. Look at how Bournemouth didn’t even have a shot on target against Everton until the 88th minute but ended up winning the game from 2 behind. It’s all good and well having a style/principle and sticking to it, but you can’t get anything from a game passing it around your own half when losing. It’s crazy! I echo the sentiments of other posters that tonight shows how far we have fallen. Bournemouth far superior to us tonight after a decent enough start from us and once again that first goal kills our mentality. So many goals conceded from set plays now, a few from passing it out the back. We are so fragile and predictable. It’s frustrating as I do feel this squad can perform better but our lack of goal threat and intensity in our play mean few chances and not taking them. Starting to consider if Martin can turn this around or not, really wanted it work.

Wasn’t that the offside Szmodics chance?

They had pressure on us, especially first half but how many of their chances can you look back and say how haven’t they scored? The one that sticks in my mind was the Szmodics offside one. Hutchinson good effort from distance was a decent effort but well saved. They huffed and puffed (mostly in the first half) and didn’t score. Meanwhile we are rounding the keeper and hitting the post or shooting straight at the keeper from 8 yards out. Chances you look back and say, we ‘should’ score. Based on the chances created today, we have to win this game, incredibly unlucky to not do so.

Absolutely, KWP has earned the right to leave with our blessing but it will be a shame to not receive any compensation for one of our highest valued players. Doesn’t really help our financial model when we lose starters in this way but it is becoming more common in the game atm.

He tried to leave for several windows in a row, he was never signing an extension. KWP appears to be doing the same, running his contract to get maximum financial benefit when he leaves.

Ipswich caused us problems first half but we dealt with it. We created enough chances to win this game and second half limited them to very little until Ross gives away a pointless free kick and after a fine save we end up conceding a very unfortunate deflection right into the top corner. i know it doesn’t suit the Martin out agenda but come on, his tactics nullified Ipswich to no big chances and we created a few big chances to score, Archer should have scored at least 2. Our xG was double theirs (1.5 vs 0.75). It’s nothing more than an incredibly lucky point for Ipswich from what I watched. Their best chance first half was even offside and wouldn’t have counted had Szmodics not shouldered the ball to Ramsdale and actually scored. So my question is how was that Martin’s fault? I thought tactically he got it spot on.