nta786

The perfect conclusion to this game now would be a 90th minute winner for Burnley… A red card for Everton might be asking for too much too, but would be hilarious for a side to get 4 red cards in as many games!!!

Chelsea 0-2 Real Madrid Two crosses converted beautifully by Benzema’s head - the first one really was a peach of a header too. I’m sure Ralph is watching… might give him ideas to just get crosses into Shane Long

Another penalty… and converted by Richarlison Burnley 1-2 Everton

Personally I wouldn’t give that a pen but in this day and age when your arms are around like that it can get given. Just naive defending. I do think if Dean didn’t give it then VAR wouldn’t have intervened to make him check the monitor.

Is he still worthy of being on the banner? 😬

Wow look at the comments and all the upvotes! The second most upvoted comment is a Pompey fan who has found a whole new level of respect for Matt

It is embarrassing really and the greatest shame from all this would be if his opinions detract from what he achieved on the pitch with us. I mean really his views are always gonna be tied to us, any article or anything you read will forever have him known as a Southampton legend but it puts us in the paper for largely the wrong reasons. It's never too late, best thing he can do in my opinion is get off social media and go play some golf. In a few years time it might just pass over and I can start to remember him again for his talent on the pitch.

For a cup run you need some luck though, if only we played Everton at home and they played City...Similarly last season we got lucky drawing Bournemouth at the QF and not Chelsea/Utd/City In fact looking at their route to the semis - Millwall, Hartlepool, Stoke then Everton...

Manager: Pochettino Formation - a 433 with 2 CMs + 1 CAM GK = Forster (2014-2016 form) RB = KWP (Clyne/Chambers/Cedric the alternatives - KWP the best in my opinion) CB = Fonte (Alderweireld was the better footballer but Fonte has the leadership so sentimentally, goes into mine) CB = VVD (sold for £75m, enough said) LB = Bertrand (a servant for 7 years, made team of the season too at one point) CM = JWP - obvious choice as our captain/academy boy/free kicks CM = Davis - the underrated underrated player, was crucial to our link-up CAM = Tadic - managed 47 goal contributions in 4 seasons RW = Mane - I've put him in more for what he has done with Pool to be honest but two 10+ PL goals is huge, no one else since has come close from our wingers LW= Jay-Rod - 15 PL goals in 33 appearances, no one else other than Ings topped that, and from left wing too! He was so good in 2013-14. ST = Ings - 22 PL goals in one season means he will always be in it even if I prefer Lambert Having said that, I do think this team is lacking the balance a Schneiderlin/Wanyama/Romeu would bring

Saints would be blown out of the water by many of the other midtable teams like Villa/Everton/WHU should Bale ever become available. I'd love to take him too but let's be real it just isn't happening, I think he still has some quality to make a difference but yeah at the wages we'd offer there would be many other clubs sniffing around and even offering a greater sign-on fee probably. In addition, we were 19th on the list of 20 clubs for agent fees, I can imagine that being incredibly high.

He has already had his big club chance at Chelsea. Unless any takeover sees them become a midtable club, can't see him back there. I don't think any of the other top 6 would have ever looked at him other than City due to his Chelsea connections. City would most certainly pick someone with more pedigree and he'd be down the pecking order - just don't ever see it. I think managing the likes of Everton, Villa, Leicester etc etc is now the best he can manage, which is no shame if he can forge a career doing that. However, to me it seems like Lamps manages with emotions rather than any tactical nous, he doesn't shy away in the post-match interviews.

Forster; Tino-Bednarek-Salisu-KWP; Stu-JWP-Romeu-Elyounoussi; Adams-Long The above is what I think Ralph will play. My preference is similar except for Tella over Long and to play a 4141 (with Elyounoussi dropping to CM as he does for Norway) Also would like a combination of Redmond/Djenepo/Adam Armstrong to get some minutes, pace would be useful to stretch them and also we should use the remaining 8 games to decide who of the 2023 expirees we want to give a new contract to etc etc I can see a Chelsea 1-0 smash and grab for some reason, think we will play some good football but Lukaku to score as he often does against us. He has 9 goals in 13 PL games against us, joint 2nd for the opponent he has scored most against in PL matches only.

1-1 definitely the fair result. KWP was my MOTM, only player I’d give a 8. JWP a 7 because of his free kick. I think Meslier will be upset he didn’t save it as he got a hand but it was still a top effort and take nothing away from it. I think everyone else was pretty much a 6 though, Forster/Livramento a 5 but picked it up a bit in the 2nd half. As for the ref, I think a 6 too. Broja was fouled once or twice and gave nothing, but correctly didn’t give Leeds a penalty twice. We can discuss the handball too, personally I didn’t think it should be a penalty too but when you see some of the others we have conceded over the years then I have seen those given. Overall though, we march on, annoyingly though it will be against a Chelsea side looking for redemption for today.

“We used to call it Fergie time, but now maybe we should call it Jesse time” No need to guess who said this

First time I’ve seen us with a bit of shithousery, really taking our time with players laying on the ground. Wolves are still the masters at it, but at this level even a 1% advantage can make a difference. Let’s take the sting out a little and see if we can win it

This must be time for our gel breaks then.

Romeu off, Stu on. Again, interesting but understandable

James Ward-Prowse my lord…

This has been an issue for such a while, we just don’t deal with crosses effectively. It’s a combination of GK and both CBs, we don’t have physically imposing centrebacks that other teams have, such as the likes of Dan Burn/Louis Dunk/Ben Mee/Coady etc etc etc I could go on A lot of the time we say “Saints couldn’t score if the game went on all night”, except I don’t think I could ever say that for the opposition in a game against Saints. We’re okay at blocking shots in central positions but keep on crossing and we will concede eventually.

As long as it’s 0-0 for now I won’t be too angry at these first 20 minutes regardless of the performance. What I want and wouldn’t even mind is a smash and grab 1-0 win similar to that Championship match

Interesting - is a 433? Or a 41212 diamond? Or a 4312? Whatever it is, on paper seems narrower so I wonder where our width will come from other than the fullbacks. Idea could be to control and pack the midfield

Yep, and then if it goes to according to paper (and we top the group) R16 = Senegal QF = France SF = Belgium or Portugal F = Argentina/Spain/Germany/Brazil Let’s hope for some luck in the path to the final again!

Group B is the best group to be in, given that Group A is likely to be the weakest. However, as I type the Netherlands in Group A The USA to play England again!

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11096/12576746/world-cup-2022-our-writers-pick-their-23-man-england-squad-for-qatar I’ve basically skim read this but it seems like only 2 reporters in this would take JWP to the WC, the majority wouldn’t. I think in a 30man squad he would get in, in a 23 man squad I’d have to say he would fall short for me too unfortunately, as much as it pains me to say that. However, there are plenty of minutes to play for - if he leads us to a top 10 finish and a few more contributions there is no reason why he wouldn’t make the next few squads and cement a spot over Kalvin/Connor Gallagher I think Rice, Mount, Henderson, Bellingham will be nailed for who they play for.

Damn James Ward-Prowse really has changed at the England camp