nta786

Having now seen the squad slightly gutted JWP hasn't made it over Conor Gallagher to be honest

Sad for JWP but almost justifiable. Even with Saints-tinted spectacles he wouldn't make my first XI. Ultimately Southgate is largely a defensive-minded manager, and if we are say 2-0 up who would you prefer to come on to see the game out - Kalvin, Hendo or JWP? Majority of people would say the first two options. I'm not sure set pieces are enough to get you into this team when we have Trippier, Trent, Mount and possibly Maddison should he get called up. Let's not forget our current form won't have helped his chances either, I wonder had he been injured for all of this season would he have been a shoe-in as then one could blame our woes on his absence, but it just hasn't happened for him.

I'm going to this but my tickets are severely restricted in row 34, anyone have a clue what that'll look like? Regardless, can't wait for this new era and it's a free hit in Liverpool away. Just as an aside, I will vent my frustrations again that we only took an allocation of 1,829 for this when I know we could have definitely sold 3,000. I wonder if he will try to implement a 442 diamond straight away, or if he plays it cautious and sticks with a 4222? I'd personally play anyone who won't be going to the world cup, so drop Salisu as I think he will be playing for Ghana

Tomorrow I think, not sure if before or after Utd vs Villa though. I really hope we get Charlton away

WE WIN 6-5!!!

6-5 now, no one has missed

Saints currently 5-4 up Now 5-5...

I'm using bet365, true desperation haha

I've just placed £50 on Sheffield Wednesday - although I now realise as I type I have incurred the wrath off Jesus Jones as soon as I placed the bet

To be honest though I wouldn't expect any celebration until we take the lead. I think he should be rightly pissed off that we went 1-0 down in the first place.

Probably because he saw how Lavia/ABK got injured so didn't want to give him too many minutes.

Valerien Ismael got Barnsley to the play-off once too not too long ago in 2021. Now recently got sacked at Besiktas in a team with a certain Nathan Redmond in it.

My initial thoughts on Jones are that it’s disappointing if we get him in. Normally, English managers get their Prem opportunities off the back of promotion from the Championship or some sustained success abroad (rarer but thinking Potter here), or if they were a big name they’ll find opportunities easier e.g. Gerrard or Lampard Jones doesn’t really fit any of those above categories. I’m not saying it needs to however you would think the next step in Jone’s career would be a WBA, Burnley, Norwich, Sheffield United etc etc However for a club 18th in the PL to take on that sort of risk, having managed 10 years in the Premier League is just worrying. By our actions and words we are firmly placing ourselves as a lower bottom half Prem team and not one to compete with the likes of Villa, Leicester, WHU etc etc It’s a high risk approach, but at best I see a medium reward (we’re not getting Europe). I can understand buying young players because player trading is a clear strategy we make money from, but with managers at best we’ll only get some compensation?! Anyways, should he come in I’ll support him but I fear the worst.

I was sat in the Itchen South today, also saw two blokes in Newcastle shirt. How the f**k do these guys get through the turnstiles so openly? What are they exactly training these stewards on? That it’s 2022 so we can’t discriminate opposition fans to sit in the home end? It beggars belief. As for the game I won’t say much as I echo many of the thoughts above, the result was shite and we weren’t clinical enough and I think Ralph’s time is up. What did rile me up slightly though was the number of fans clapping Trippier when he was walking around towards the end of that first half when he had a potential injury scare… He didn’t give two shits to even acknowledge it and why should he. Now I’m not saying we need to be like the Toon Army in the away end and all go topless but my word it feels like we have the softest fan base in the division. A shame that St Mary’s is a bit corporate and soulless, not intimidating at all. I think you see other fans from the likes of Newcastle and WHU previously there is no doubt why the likes of Semmens and Steele can just exploit our fanbase so easily.

Our manager will tell our players that a club like us will lose 10-15 games a season so nothing to worry about.

I said this too last year but as we edge closer I know I will end up watching the majority of it as background filler during work or something. A lot of bars/pubs where I live are fully sold out for England screenings, so I’m sure demand is there across the UK, and many colleagues I know have taken half days around when England play and the morning after. I just hope the break works in Saints’ favour and we come back re-energised to turn our form around. Also if England do go deep into the tournament it might just brighten the mood in these darker, colder nights.

Agreed, let’s not forget the Edouard chance which had Zaha underhit a bit more would have been 1-0, and also if Edouard not stood in an offiside position etc etc… Then without going all MLG you have the butterly/chaos theory… if we were 2-0 down it may even have been 4 or 5, we know how mentally feeble we are and how our heads drop easily.

You really think if Ralph had Eze and Olise we’d have better results? Ralph is debilitating our attack, or at least I see no attacking impetus to our game. No tactics, no movement off the ball when we have the ball, our final third play is some of the worst in the league.

Honestly think a caretaker manager is our best bet of getting anything from Newcastle next week and Liverpool the week after. Otherwise I see two limp defeats...

Full time. Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 0

If the roles were reversed and we were 1-0 up, we would be entirely under the cosh and unable to get out of our own half. These last 10 minutes you wouldn't think we were losing there is just no urgency, not committing bodies forward enough when we get it back in our own half.

Have a feeling this will be another 1-0 defeat now and Ralph will discuss the "fine margins" again... Except that it isn't about the margins all the time... our performances in a lot of our losses warranted a defeat and that is why it is worrying.

AMN, Larios, Edozie on please Lyanco, Diallo and Aribo off If still not working after 60/70 minutes get Adam Armstrong and Djenepo/Mara on for more pace. We have no pace compared to Crystal Palace, our fullbacks are slow, our centremids are slow, our wide attackers are slow and our strikers are average. Palace deservedly 1-0 up, should probably even be more.

Imagine saying that at halftime in the Leeds game! I think with the injuries we have though 3/5 at the back is the way forward. Would love to see Lavia have some involvement towards the end, though suspect it may be too soon.