nta786

I wonder whether we can look into 2020 results more and say Ralph had the benefit of two breaks which is the reason why we had a very good calendar year? I know everyone else did as well but clearly our energetic style benefitted from it more so than others. Also, the large part of 2020 was without a crowd - did that have an effect - was Ralph able to shout on the pitch a bit more? It now appears though tactically many have found us out and Ralph hasn’t quite found the solutions to bring us more points.

Tuchel said apparently they are very much aware of our pressing and might have long balls in the armoury today... they must've seen how Bednarek dealt with the one last week. I'm expecting a very good tactical battle today now, cannot wait for 3pm!

I've heard the weather tomorrow is apparently horrible. Our boys are absolutely terrible in wet conditions (see Newcastle away last season). In fact, I don't remember the last time we won when it was raining. Lukaku will have a field day against Bednarek and Salisu! [I hope I am wrong]

My favourite word is "automatisms", Ralph's early excessive use of it makes everyone sound really intelligent in the pub! Deep down though you just know no one has a fucking clue but it adds bravado to any sentence

https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/topic/126561-vestergaard-signs/page/26/#comments This thread is absolutely hilarious 😂 I just hope we can get some wins and start to overtake them soon but the Leicester fans are not happy

No I completely agree with you and without a salary/transfer cap it's unfortunately the way it'll always go. It does ruin my weekend just as much as anyone on here when we lose but unfortunately I am too vested now into Saints to suddenly stop watching or hating the game though. Some might say football died in 1992 but 29 years later my weekends still revolve around it... and I'll maintain that I would prefer to be in the Premier League than the Championship, it means we're a hell of a lot better than more than 72 other clubs

Sorry could you elaborate more on this please? What should sport be then? To me anyway, football offers a great stress relief to not have to think about work or life for that very moment, see my mates/family get together either at the ground or the pub and watch the football. Again, it's also about seeing my club try and compete at the highest level, and that we all know is the Premier League.

So anyone able to watch Ralph's pressers today? Any news? Apparently the last time we won without Stuart Armstrong in the Prem is December 2019...

I think historically it always has been unfortunately... We'll continue to use soundbites of "breaking into single digits is a great achievement for Southampton" but depressingly deep down I know if we finished 17th every season for the next 10 years the owner will be largely content. It's not sustainable for any team beyond United/Chelsea/Liverpool/Man City to finish in a European position let's say... 5 years in a row. Arsenal and Spurs probably will too but I'd guess they won't be consistently top 4 any time soon. The best we can hope for is what we managed between 2014-2017, and what Leicester are doing from 2016 to present. Leicester probably won't even finish in top 6/7 this year.

I heard he will be back for us in January to become an option off the bench when we're losing at home 1-0 and chasing a goal.

We definitely need someone like Tadic but unfortunately our scouts wouldn't really look out for players in that profile anymore because we are so fixated on Ralph's 4222. I don't see anyone in our squad who can play a central No. 10 role, or anyone who can play there effectively and that in effect hampers our ability to switch to a 4231 or a 41212 diamond or similar

If he gets injured during international duty I'll be fuming, I'd like him back in our starting XI. He shouldn't be needed for the game against Faroe Islands either to be honest. Ideal world though he pulls out.

Martin Atkinson is the referee for this one... and Mike Dean confirmed as VAR official... great.

Or equally, Ings might not have tried and gone through the motions purely to avoid injury for his next move...

Apparently Rudi Garcia is currently a free agent. I think we were linked with him in 2016 (may even have been interviewed!?) until we got Puel in instead. I'd love to get him in but unlike 2016 our stock has fallen so low that it may need a lot to tempt him in. Still, it was always a huge surprise when we got Ralph in at the time given how high his stock was with leading Leipzig to 2nd + 6th in Bundesliga. Otherwise, my opinion is that I'd give Ralph another 10 to 12 PL games...if we're winless any longer we'll have to pull the trigger at some point, but at same time much may depend on how teams below us are faring

I'll give Salisu some credit at the end in the 95th minute for good positioning which forced Jiminez to take the near-post shot to be fair. The goal we conceded today was all on Bednarek, absolutely terrible.

I think that is wrong as the figures include cup games? Hughes managed us for 22 PL games, where his record was 3 wins, 8 draws and 11 defeats

Haha remember these articles? https://www.prostinternational.com/2020/11/04/nice-guys-southampton-have-mastered-footballs-dark-arts/ https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/england-james-ward-prowse-iceland-a4541256.html "It's something which we can all take forward, for sure. Certainly at club level we have developed that ourselves as well and we've learned a lot with that, so it's just something that has added to my game. It's an important factor in the modern game. "There are certain scenarios in a game and you have to take yourself out of the situation and see what is best at that time. Maybe we had the reputation of being a bit too nice, so we had to show a bit more aggression and a bit of that darker side in order to help us win games. It's just something that I have learned along the way." I wonder where it has gone this season then or did Hogwarts want its Professor for the Dark Arts back?

The club have slyly put the ticket prices in the Kinglands Plus (Block 31) at £50 now (i.e. same as Kingsland Premium prices in Blocks 30/32), haven't seen any notifications for it and it still means it is £50 per person with no concessions available Not that it has helped sell the block out though... Block 15 is looking very empty too. I think attendance will be around 25/26k... our website still hasn't confirmed attendance figures for home game against WHU, perhaps too embarrassing.

It's now 6-0... oh dear

Surely Horseman's job is now untenable, when did he come in? Does Ralph's playbook not work at development level football? I'd have liked to think we were looking to go straight up again, to be finish bottom of the 2nd/lowest tier of U23 football would not be a good sign. At least last season Tella was the academy player who could offer us minutes here or there in the PL... This season no one is standing out

Sky Sports: Jones - I’m yet to truly get a handle on both these two teams, which is proving problematic for prediction and betting purposes. Having backed Southampton for relegation in the summer, I've been surprised with their performance levels that should have amounted to more than the four draws they have picked up. Can they get that elusive first win here? Well, the markets can't split these two. And I'm thinking along the same lines. I do think Wolves will finish considerably higher than Saints come the end of the campaign but their current conversion rate in front of goal makes them impossible to fancy. Wolves have struggled for goals with just two in the Premier League this season - an own goal by Watford's Francisco Sierralta and a goal from a yard out by Hee-Chan Hwang in the 2-0 win at Watford. This is despite attempting the third highest amount of shots this season, behind only Manchester City and Liverpool. Wolves also have the highest expected goals figure this season (9.2) to back up their shots data. The difference of -7.2 between goals scored and expected goals is the biggest negative difference in the Premier League. If they start taking these big chances, then an opposition team is in trouble. I don't think it'll start happening here though. A fifth consecutive draw for Southampton has to be the play. SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1 ————————————————————- BBC Sport: Lawro - I was impressed by Southampton in their draw at Manchester City last week. They haven't won yet, but they are not a team that looks like they are in any kind of trouble. That's why I'm backing Saints to get that first victory here. Wolves have lost four of their first five league games and, although I don't see them struggling for long either, they don't look as strong as they did a couple of seasons ago. Lawro's prediction: 2-1 Friction's prediction - I think this game is the hardest out of the 10 to predict. I was tempted to go for a 0-0 but Saints might edge it. They did look good against Manchester City last week. 1-0

Chris Kamara: "Orol Romoo has stepped up to win the tie for Southampton"

WE WIN 4-2! What a relief and roll on next round

Saints 3-2 up after 4 each! If we score this we win!