M271

Hurling abuse at our players is really going to help them to perform better isn’t it 😂 I’m not saying that people should clap a poorly performing player but just be neutral and certainly not verbally attack players who are part of our beloved club.

I know that some on here like to slag off all of our players for one reason or another, every goal conceded someone is to blame, every goal chance missed someone is crap, every misplaced pass someone’s not fit to wear the shirt etc. However my view may not be popular. I believe that our squad are plenty good enough to walk this league but for whatever reason the team spirit, morale, getting the best out of the individuals as a team collective, being better or at least as good as the sum of the parts isn’t there. Often players who come here having played well at their previous club don’t play as well for us, I can’t think of many (any) recently who play better when they have come to us. Something is wrong behind the scenes and I can only think that it is poor organisation, tactics, coaching and fitness training making us worse than we should be. I find it very frustrating that other teams are doing well with less resources than we have but get the maximum out of them. I thought that we had ‘turned a corner’ a month ago but we have regressed again. Yes we got through to R4 but not convincingly.

From the bbc: Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert told BBC Radio Solent: "The FA Cup is a very special tournament, and never an easy one, because you have nothing to lose when you go down, so I'm very pleased we're in the next round. "In the end, there were some patterns we have seen all season. We need to make sure we improve our resilience on set plays. "It was a very good first-half. The second-half could have been better, but we're in the next round. "We have a good squad but we have seen that flow in a game before, even at 3-0 up at half-time, we have conceded off a corner and [start] suffering. On Daniel Peretz: "It's not so easy when you come in after a couple of training sessions with new colleagues and have to learn their names and ways of defending but he had an excellent game, a very promising start."

I live close to Crewe after moving up from Southampton in the mid 1980s and have followed their ups and downs. I went to the rearranged fa cup game mid week in 1996, I travelled on a Crewe supporters coach and stood with them for the match (they knew that I was a Saints fan).

I know, these 3 days between matches seem to go so fast. I can’t not watch our matches on the tv but I would rather not, I’m back to dreading watching rather than a month ago looking forward to it.

I think I’ll wait to see if he is asked why Leo is on the bench and what his explanation is.

We were definitely below par today. unfortunately Norwich we’re in our faces with high energy, I thought that they would drop off in the last quarter of the match but credit to them that their fitness level allowed them to keep it up for 90+ minutes. Things that have been going our way lately weren’t today, 50/50 balls, passing accuracy, shots (in first half) off not on target, missed penalty, opposition getting the rub of the green with handball goal. Every team gets games like this but it was concerning how Norwich managed to control the game and hurry us out of possession time and time again.

Better to rest Fellows for another week and hopefully fully recover missing only one match, than risk aggravating his injury and potentially being out for several matches over Christmas and New Year.

1-2 a close game for me. We are seemingly incapable of keeping a clean sheet and will probably go 0-2 up then concede for a nervy end to the game but hopefully like Tuesday hold out for another 3 points. We do seem to have had the ‘rub of the green’ luck recently after a few seasons of things not going our way, last season every shot by the opposition seemed to go in, penalty decisions against but not for us and our rare shots not on target but it always feels like that for your team. Is our luck about to run out?

I would like someone who has been in the squad for the past 5 years to write an Autobiography about the going ons behind the scenes with the great churn of managers and players during that time. Stephen’s could write one called something like ‘Gifting Goals’ or ‘ Losing My Man’.

I agree that his last couple of PC have got more confident and relaxed and he seems to have built a rapport with Adam Blackmore. He looked like a scared cat caught in the headlights for his early PCs. Mind you it is easier when things are mostly going well and he’s not being criticised too much.

The test will be if we concede to make it 2 1 do we crumble and concede more or hopefully remain strong with Tonda organising us a properly and making effective substitutions.

When I asked the question on here earlier this week it was brought to my attention that several of his u21 coaching team were with him in ‘interim’ charge of the 1st team. I think they need as much credit as him for the improvement in our performances and results.

What is the coaching setup/personnel with Tonda? Is it much the same as Will had or have some u21 coaches come with him. They also need credit for the upturn in form.

I just hope that the Charlton match wasn’t a false dawn performance wise and is the sign of better things to come rather than a one off. The next 2 matches in quick succession will indicate have things really changed or not.