SaintLondon

You're losing 1-0 to the second shittest side in the league, it's clearly not working so you'd make changes, right? RIGHT?

Nathan Jones is either thick or stubborn or both - anyone with an ounce of footballing knowledge can see this 5 at the back debacle isn't working. Fucking change it. Nobody seemingly has a clue with what they're doing so revert to 4 at the back. This is a team Nathan that has only scored once (now twice) away from home since August. If I'm S Armstrong & Co I'd have originally been annoyed to have been on the bench but I'd rather be there than on the pitch putting out that shower of shit performance. A miserable evening for a currently miserable football club.

I am just so angry at how it has come to this. The signs have been there for so long and the board have just been happy for us to exist in the PL and not compete. Cheap fixes and poor decisions - we're exactly where we deserve to be. This is on Semmens and co - SR have seemingly added nothing - might as well have kept Gao. Miserable.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/01/03/southampton-target-argentinian-talent-carlos-charly-alcaraz/ So much in here which basically is preempting the - we tried but couldn't make it work. This kid sounds good BUT he's another kid with no experience and he's a hot prospect such as Gakpo and Ramos - why try and compete with Benfica and Inter Milan when we're rock bottom of the league. The club needs a sense check on who we are and where we are in the pecking order.

I will take. How to do this?

Is this still the case? I couldn’t find the page?

That was staggeringly bad. We look like the league 1 side, got lucky with an offside goal. Ali Dia's cameo was better than AMN's performance this evening - three times he kicked it out of play? No shape, lacking in ideas, misplaced passes and shot confidence. I don't think it matters a jot what happens in January, this side is depleted of energy and will. See ya later PL. Good luck Nathan Jones, you're going to need it. (Would love to be proven wrong)

I don't want to be doom and gloom but I think it's in my DNA... No head of recruitment, now Matt Crocker leaving only after 2 years in the job.. It's as if they can't wait to get out. Add in we're in a proper relegation dog fight and things don't look too rosy at the moment. It's a nervy time. (when isn't it?)

Ditto - x2 any leads much appreciated. Thanks as always.

Just going to bring this up again.. Just in case. Thanks all.

I was going to do that but the old neutral end has gone and at the moment I can't face sitting in the Fulham end... I'll keep my fingers crossed that a couple come up in the away end. Thanks all.

Alright lads and ladies, I just missed out on Fulham away tickets - I know it’s just sold out so I’m probably a bit premature but if anyone can’t go, please could I put my hat in the ring for a couple of tickets. Many thanks!

This is extremely underwhelming. When you consider the fact that if we'd pushed the button earlier on Ralph there could have been a conversation with Emery or Lopetegui to be had. Not saying they would have come here but we could have tried to sell them 'the project.' Not only is this a massive gamble in the management stakes but also on the January recruitment drive. You look at those aforementioned managers with 5 Europa titles to their names and they are a pull to players with European experience / desires. No disrespect to Nathan Jones but a playoff semi final loss isn't quite the same draw. Some will berate me for negativity but the board have massively misread the room if they think this will placate the fanbase after months of dismal on-field performances. I can already hear the middle management bullsh*t speech from Semmens, "Nathan really epitomises all that The Southampton Way is, he is young and hungry with a real desire for success on and off the pitch"

I saw some opta style mathematical forecasting site has us at 44% for relegation - so that's fun and reassuring. I want a win tonight of course but SURELY anything other is curtains? How many times have we said that? Daily since 2020.

They’re gonna keep Ralph all season aren’t they…

I don't know much but I know for a fact that this did happen. Weird to come out now to deny.

Not ITK at all - know a few people who know have decent sources etc. Anyway, they're getting nothing back at all, not even cursory messages to their enquiries. Which I'm told is unusual. I would imagine it's one of two things, something is happening behind the scenes re a new appointment and they're trying to be as water tight as possible to stem the flow of any leaks. OR he isn't going anywhere and they can't be arsed with the wrath of the fans. He (RH) seemed really rather chirpy post 4-0 thrashing to suggest he wasn't going anywhere and the fact that him and Semmens are thick as thieves you'd think he might know something if he was due an imminent sacking. Semmens would say we owe it to Ralph to keep him in the loop. My feeling is I could see a scenario where we lose to West Ham on Sunday, Ralph goes on Monday and new manager is in on Tuesday.

A few people on Twitter saying it’s done and it’ll be announced in next 24-48 hours. Sounds speculative at best but we shall see. I often wonder whether fan discontent plays any part of the upper echelons decision making. Over the years there have always been RalphOut people but equally at least (seemingly) half the fan base were still staunchly RalphIN. This has now changed so much (that I can see) to 80:20 Ralph Out - I wonder if this contributes to speeding up any decisions. I like the bloke but I think his time is up and you don’t, well shouldn’t get paid a reported £6m a year for being a nice bloke. If that were the case I’d be in line for a salary reduction 😏

He’s staying at PSV - confirmed

I have a feeling that PSV are going to pull the plug on this one... Just feel it's so late in the day (for them) and if we've just agreed a fee it doesn't really leave them much chance to spend the wedge. Luckily, we don't have too long to wait to find out!

Sky reporting that we bid £21m for Gakpo and they're holding out for £25m - surely (if we really want to make it happen) we can stretch to that...

Che won't be going anywhere.

Some guy on Twitter saying we’re being linked with Nmecha from Wolfsburg. He only signed last year for them and had a decent season - he’s ex Man City and they’re suggesting Joe Shields is pushing for it. Twitter = bollocks I know but this is a transfer rumour thread!

Maybe let me rephrase then, we need to sell to buy. Simple as that. Funds from players sold will go towards new players coming in. Bednarek is our most saleable asset (that we're looking to sell) so funds from this sale (and others) would go towards the striker but also towards any other sales we have incoming. Reality is that the other signings will most likely be in and around the €6-10m mark so it's not as crucial. Striker as Ralph has said is the most expensive hence the need to free up funds. I maintain my point though that I believe we now need to sell first team players such as Bednarek before we can finish our window.