Saint86

Yes, the smallbone sub was just all wrong sadly. Armstrong up front would have carried the threat of pace and hastled at least. Similar Archer. Even lallana sitting behind the other 2 would have kept the ball and has the guile to find those through balls.

I'm merely highlighting that people are buzzing over something that fundamentally isn't good enough. He has to do better - multiple times last night (the whole team does). There is no point trying to dress up 3 missed points as anything but a failure sadly. He's on that pitch to score and make goals. I agree with you, great approach play fantastic pace and running at the defender. But sulemana and fernandes in particular wasted a plethora of very good chances / attacking positions. As well as they played, it just isn't good enough 😢. "We" scored one goal... A scrappy own goal. What is so frustrating is that we blatantly need a bit of quality in the form of natural goalscorer and a proper cdm - give it to juric and I think he could start to pick up wins. But we're now over halfway through January and there seems to be no intent from the board to even fight this relegation. The squad just isn't good enough.

I've read some revisionism in my time... but Martin undoubtedly left the club in a better place than he found it. Think people just need to let the big chin go with Martin. He was married to his style of football and totally inflexible - making him an incredibly flawed manager for Saints. What has screwed the club over and essentially wasted the season is the board's decision making (in keeping him too long), and poor recruitment. Had we had Juric from earlier in the season i don't think we'd even be in the relegation zone, and the players' confidence and morale would have been far higher. We've also had winnable games in January, and because of the timing of the board's decisions (and lack of commitment), we've made no first team transfers (and shown no signs of making any). The board have essentially surrendered this season with every decision they've made - or at least they've demonstrated no ambition or belief that we could stay up.

Yeah, and he also doesn't cross. So he's demonstrated some fantastic pace, close control, and good running... but sadly no end product when we need it most. As much of a bright spark as his performance was yesterday (in a very grim season), it still isn't good enough 😕 And the really frustrating part is that had he found a couple of crosses last night we'd have been out of sight - there was at least one occasion where Fernandes when absolutely mental at him as well 😂. In another world we would have got a 2nd or 3rd goal last night and be 7points from safety, a bit of life breathed into the faint hope that we have, and possibly able to attract a decent CDM or striker in the transfer /loan market. Sad times

One of the reasons we didn't win because of sulemana tbh, incredibly wasteful and selfish on 3 occasions that ultimately cost us. Very frustrating! Playing for his move I guess. Yes it looks good having the defender on toast at will... But it's worth Jack all if you do nothing of merit with it.

No. Was obvious as soon as the goal went in that the players heads dropped. No belief or confidence. United were shit and still beat us fairly easily.

Relegation and PSR will do that to any squad. Let alone when you're playing one of the richest clubs in world football. Its not like united have had rich owners investing in them.

Game was lost when smallbone came on. No presses made, no useful passes or tackles. just an absolute waste of space. Was a terrible sub. If the striker was tired, we should be using someone like Onuachu or Archer, with Smallbone playing in midfield if he absolutely has to come on... and to bring him on before downes was just mental.

What is the point of smallbone. Awful substitute thats cost us this game frankly.

I approve of this set of subs.

I don't want to be harsh on smallbone. But i think this is a bad sub. Will diminish our attacking threat and force us deeper. Would have gone archer/armstrong/lallana here.

Sulemana had to pass. He's playing for himself for his move.

He absolutely was to blame. Suicidal football gifting chances.

Whisper it. Only 7 points from safety.

Token stupid yellow for Dibling for a shirt pull after fluffing an attacking move 😄

Ref has already decided the winner here.

Most obvious one I can think of (because of the ralph connection) is ralf rangnick 🤷. Also, Klopp is essentially DoF for the redbull group, "global head of football" to be exact... I would guess that prominant top level managers (who are by inspection near the top of their game) tend to stay as managers as it's what makes them successful and is their bread and butter livelihood etc. Whilst less known managers probably slip under the radar (as do most DoF in fairness). Edit... An obvious one who I refuse to give any credit to. Les Reed.

Rumours circulating now that we've "recalled him", because Sheffield United want him 😂

Filling in the blanks. I can see that that would piss off the Wednesday Chairman... 😂 Recall him at the last minute, ending their playoff hopes, and then giving him to their bitter rivals. Not sure why we'd want to put ourselves into the middle of that particular rivalry though - even if we are pissed off with their chairman!

Yeah, he had a pretty serious case of Nostrikeritis during his last 18months with us.

Yeah, i have nothing but time for Souness tbh, even if he can be a cantankerous old bar steward with the best of them when he wants to. Sadly i don't think he would be well suited to the game these days, and in particular some of the "modern footballers".

https://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/topic/336175-chansiri-declares-war-on-southampton/#comments Pretty f'kn hard to damage us more than SR have this season 😄. I wonder if this is somehow related to future moves for Rohl? Also, what a thing to say about Shea Charles... (if indeed he did say it).

What kind of argument are you trying to make. The reason he did nothing for us is because we farmed him out on loan and then got rid of him... In the meantime we spent £160M on shit (that we're repeatedly struggling to shift or use) whilst tella remains a very promising and effective young player. The star of the championship in Burnley's title winning season, and now a Bundesliga winner...

This has just popped up or me... Seems topical given certain posters' concerns over talksport interviews. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DT2NZRnRx/ Quite liked semmens tbh. Performed well with Ralph given the limited funds. Highlighted really by the total mess we've seen since despite all the money spent.

Was a dumb decision to let him go. Just another youngster we've pissed away so we could sign the likes of Mara and Edozie 🤣