kitch

KWP better not be going if Tino has. Would rather have kept Tino over KWP, tbh. I like them both, but the ceiling is higher with Tino. It's a good deal for us, can't deny that, just sad it happened, and to them.

Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadio

KWP playing in the middle? Almost like he's in a #6.

That's probably half of worldwide football, in fairness. A lot of them in the God Squad.

To be fair, MLT seems to be of the 'easily led' types, if it fits in with what he wants to be true. I don't think he's the sharpest knife in the drawer!

Not neccessarily. Fans who buy kits will buy regardless, but in the instance the home kit is gash (e.g. the season just gone), they might go for one of the other options. Personally I liked the green 3rd kit, so got that instead. Season before, it was the black 3rd kit, so still buying, just not buying the home shirt, which would affect sales of it if enough people thought the same.

The shirt's beautiful, but once again the sponsor is horrdendous. Haven't had a good sponsor logo since Veho.

That even makes the sponer look good not terrible.

If Russell Martin is indeed the man, I can see him trying to bring Matt Grimes along in his backpack tbh.

I can't work out which is greater: The calibre of signing for Sholing, or the fall from grace for Jake.

Middle is decent, bottom is mint!

Same. There are plenty of players who've 'done it' at certain levels, but that doesn't mean they always will. Pretty sure Aribo tore the Championship up for Wigan or something, too? The argument that AA did well there so he will again is silly. He was in a totally different team, and it was two years ago. We are starting again; By keeping some of the problems from last season around, we'll just start the season with existing problems. Get him sold - fresh start for him and us.

I always use smileys, I get into all sorts of scrapes online as my humour is very dry (apparently). But now I've read it back, my comment made no sense anyway!

Not these days it doesn't 😆

Problem is there aren't going to be enough votes for Aribo to make it obvious people are taking the piss. It's just going to look like he's had a 7.5/10 season.

If you want to protest vote, then vote Orsic!

Tru dat

Both of Everton's remaining matches are against teams that are already on the beach. Only one of Leicester's, Leeds' and Forest's are. I wanted Leics and Everton to come down with us as the nuclear option, but had it in my head it'd be Leeds and Forest (the latter of whom, I don't want to go down). As things stand, I think Leicester actually might. They look nearly as bad as us. Think it might be us, Leics and Leeds, but I'd love Big Sam getting revenge on Everton by relegating them on the last day! Plus I have in-laws who support Everton, so the piss-taking of Saints will be much reduced if Everton drop too.

Oh shit, there are still games left? Can't we just call in sick?

We have to take these things seriously 🧐

Attitude and committment, forgoing ability: Baz: 9 - looks like he cares. Mature for someone so young and thrown into the lion's den. McCarthy: 7 - never looks like he's bothered about anything. The kind of guy you'd want in a crisis, just not a relegation battle. KWP: 6 - he had more to offer this year. Bree: 8 - looked like he worked hard, just didn't have much to offer AMN: 4 - looked like he was trying...twice. Looks like the game is an inconvenience to his evening all other times. Lyanco: 8 - no explanation needed ABK: 6.5 - if he's not slightly lazy, he's slightly dumb. Sprints when needed though. Sali: 6 - meh. Don't think he was fully at it all season. DCC: 6 - didn't look totally fired up, but hasn't been treated all that well since he arrived, in fairness. Bednarek: 8 - might be an own goal merchant and turns like Shieldhall on a windy day, but he does care. Perraud: 10 - the guy literally busts a gut until he breaks himself. Ability? Meh, but A for effort. I quite like him. Lavia: 10 - Only reliable player on the pitch all season. World's at his feet. JWP: 9 - we all know. Diallo: 5 - there's a player in there, but god knows how you unlock it. He doesn't look like he knows himself. Moi: 8 - I think he tries, he's just really, really shit at most parts of being a footballer player. Stu: 6 - he had more in the tank, though potentially carrying injuries. He's definitely on the decline now. Orsic: No idea. Only time I saw him play at SMS, I don't think he ever actually touched the ball. Aribo: 3 - I forgot he was on the pitch in all his PL games. Pre-season, he looked class...but when the season started, he carried on a pre-season pace. He hasn't deviated. He can go. Alcaraz: 8 - very inconsistent, but I don't think it's down to effort. Can be unplayable on his day. Djenepo: 7 - I think he tries too hard, if anything. Sulemana: 6 - I've seen what he can do, but we rarely see him try it. Walcott: 6.5 - Maybe he's just getting older, but it doesn't look like he's busting a gut from the stands. Edozie: 7.5 - A bit like Moussa...tries too hard sometimes. Arma: 6 - I think he tries (ran his little socks off against Man City in the cup), it's just he's terrible. Mara: 7 - His runs and movement can make him appear lazy, but I'm not sure he is. Any time we scored, even if it was him, he's the first one in the net to pick up the ball and get it back to the centre spot again. I think there's a hell of a finisher in there, but he's very young. Adams: 9 - He always tries his best, can't deny that. Tall Paul: 7 - Might be the same as Mara where he looks less interested than he is, but hard to judge when we set up to play almost in a way that alienates his abilities. There aren't many I'd be upset if/when they leave, though, tbh. I'd love to keep Adams. Think Mara and Djenepo could be pretty dangerous in the Champ, but equally every chance I'd be proven wrong.

Larios was the one Ralph was most excited about, by all accounts.

This has been an absolute clusterfuck of a season, no mistake. Wet, limp, lifeless & turgid. It's not a great time for most people at the moment, let alone being a Saints fan. I've actually stopped watching/listening to games now. My mental health doesn't need the metaphorical kicking anymore. In 2005, I remember being angry at the board more than anything. The players, if I remember rightly, poured everything they had into that season. They just didn't have enough of it. That's not what's happening today; The board aren't as clever as they think. They players are better than they're showing. The manager is just hopelessly out of ideas. This is ALL on them. The manager, is an employee. The players, are employees. The majority of the medical team, are employees. Of all the employees at this club, there will only be a small number that go through what it is that we ALL go through when it comes to caring about this club. Aside from one or two exceptions, they didn't grow up supporting this club. They may feel the way we feel about a football club, but it's not this one. There may be other fans you can't stand. There may be other posters on here that you believe to be morons. We may not all see eye-to-eye politically, or morally...but we're ALL in the same boat. We're all being depressed, game in, game out. We're all supporting a bunch of overpaid men (I'm not including the women, they're doing pretty well, and they're not overpaid) half-heartedly kick a ball around, and when they do their job badly, WE'RE the ones go home feeling horrendous. We're the ones who buy the tickets; the shirts; the memberships, all from our hard-earned. We're the ones who feel the embarrassment of being beaten 9-0...TWICE! We're the ones who get a horrible sick feeling when we watch a player blossom into something special, only to know that the club will already be figuring out what his pricetag should say. We're the ones who pay for a media package that SO HEAVILY favours the 'bigger' teams over our 'inferior' club, it's not even funny. We're the ones who feel bad when our children tell us they've been picked on again for supporting a shit team. Yes, their friends are all plastics, but they are greater in number in the playground. Things won't always be this bad, but we will always be in the same boat as each other. However low you feel, remember there are thousands of others feeling the same way, you just don't see it. Don't let the bastards grind you down. You support the club, not any individual, or their actions. One day, things will be good again. Up the Saints!

Just saw it confirmed on twatter. Working a notice period, apparently.

Initially I thought we might have rushed into something here, but on reflection, it's the best we can do. He's liked by the players by all accounts, we saw a totally different display against (an admittedly poor) Chelsea to what we've had recently (bar City in the cup). He's a likeable guy and comes across very well, which although not the most pressing element of a manager, for us Saints fans it's nice to have somebody representing us who doesn't sound like they're three phrases away from a public breakdown, or becoming a meme. The main point, though, is that who else was going to come in and do better? He's here, he knows the club, he knows the personnel, and there's not exactly a plethora of desirable candidates out there right now. And who'd want to come in, in this situation?! Knowing what we know now, I'm much happier about this than I was about Marsch (and NJ, for that matter). So yeah, I think when all is considered this is probably the most sensible thing the club could have done. He's got my backing 100%, nothing left but to go for it!