mrfahaji

Agree. Offloading the one player who we know can score goals (ok, sure, not enough, and has spent too long injured, but he is still our top goalscorer, where would we be without those goals?) without having a proven replacement would be crazy. It's not like we could get much money for him either. He seems like a popular character in the squad, so other than saving on wages what would we really have to gain by offloading him? Even if we sign someone from abroad, should we assume they are going to be a success and get rid of Austin? Bit risky, sticking the ball in the net is the hardest and most sought after thing in football!

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Maybe, but more one-dimensional than Austin and Long? The fact that you've listed two things he does well, as well as at least being "not bad" at finishing suggests to me that he isn't! I suppose the other two also offer some sort of aerial threat. In a way though, this is why as a group our strikers aren't too bad. With perhaps the exception of a "target man", we do have the range of areas covered that you'd want from a strikeforce. Unfortunately we need three players to do so and can't play them all at once.

Yep, this season has been pretty dull, and I don't think that's just because Saints have been bad. The season Leicester won the league was the best, and I don't think it will ever be beaten - mainly because the big clubs and Premier League will make sure that sort of season never happens again.

I think that's because he wouldn't have offered us a change in style. I've alluded to this in the 'strikers' thread, but Gabbiadini is probably the best 'all round' striker we have, but ironically that may mean he gets the least game time, because we either want someone to be a focal point for direct balls and crosses (Austin) or someone to get in behind and stretch the game (Long). If one isn't working, you try the other. Gabbiadini is then only used if "current plan is working but striker is tired" or "throw caution to the wind" type scenarios.

Exactly. Although Everton fans will (currently, until they start losing again) beg to differ, football is first and foremost about results. There are plenty of managers who would play a different style depending on the players at their disposal. Fans and media like to buy into the idea of managers having a "philosophy", but surely some managers are capable of changing their tactics and style depending on who they are in charge of.

Agreed, but... why did Stoke always start the season so badly under Hughes?

Plenty of great strikes in there, and Vardy's was a superb finish. But Salah gets in the top three? Clearly just a popularity contest.

Agree about Yoshida. He plays well when he is alongside a dominant player as he covers the ground quickly and reads the game pretty well. Although he's not brilliant in the air, he's not a total liability like "let the ball bounce" Stephens is!

You're not wrong, appointing Pellegrino was the main issue and why we were embroiled in a relegation fight until the last day of the season. However, I think it's also fair to say that everyone below Burnley were pretty poor this year. A better manager might have us further up the table but probably not far enough to 'escape' the pack, most of whom were looking over their shoulders at the bottom three for a while (Newcastle finished 10th and when we played them it felt like a relegation 6-pointer, for example). Even though we might have a stronger squad than some other clubs, do we have many players that get you on the edge of your seat? In the way that, and I know that he is a bit of a one off for a club in the bottom half, Zaha does at Palace? Or Mane did when he was here? Boufal could have been that player, but now Redmond is the closest thing we have to it. His decision making always leaves a lot to be desired, to the point that he plays well for about half an hour and then you spend the next few weeks thinking "maybe we'll see that Nathan Redmond again today". We definitely need to inject a bit of pace into the side, especially now we are playing a bit more on the break and not the "possession for possession sake" football of Pellegrino.

Maybe so, but it still irks me the way that people say it, it implies they think he is old. I met a fellow Saints fan in the office a while back who said "Charlie Adam is getting on a bit now". Not only did he get his name wrong, but it was a typical misconception about his age. Either he isn't good/mobile enough, or injuries have taken it out of him and he has "lost it", but he's not too old. I'm more flagging it up for anyone who might think he is! Because you can't rely on him being fit, and no-one else is capable of being a target man (even Austin isn't great at it, but he's better than everyone else), I think we need another striker. It's a difficult situation though because if all four are fit there's bound to be some unhappy players about. I'm sure Hughes would have liked to give Gabbiadini a chance yesterday, for example, but because Long was the most different from Austin, he was the better replacement. If you're needing to change things around, ironically you might find the best "all round" striker is the one who gets the least time on the pitch. And that's just with 3 of them!

I still can’t believe we didn’t sign Giroud in January

Charlie Austin is 28. He might be too injury prone for some people’s liking, but please can we stop with the “past it” comments as if we are keeping a 40-year old on the books...!

Yep, I remember predicting that Derby would “definitely finish bottom because they are terrible” that season. Didn’t forecast them getting a record low points, but their lack of quality was obvious.

The only players I would actively want to sell are Forster, Carrillo and Clasie. Pied & Gardos, what happens happens! Happy enough to see what Hughes can do with Redmond but I remain doubtful about his decision making. I still think Boufal is a talented player, but if Hughes isn't prepared to give him another shot then I'm fine with that. Keep Davis on the basis that fans complain about lack of loyalty and then immediately want to turf players out once they are no longer any good, and he probably is good to have in the camp (cliche I know...) Bertrand is obviously a good player, but he's been with us a while and I feel his performances have been a bit... underwhelming. Not that he isn't trying, but he isn't trying to prove anything. I'd be more than happy to see him in a Saints shirt next year but if he goes and we get a good fee - preferably not to Liverpool - then good luck to him.

Don't think Gabbiadini played in the hole against Wigan. He was the main one running in behind the defence for balls over the top. Admittedly that might be because Carrillo was so bad, because Gabbiadini was also the one going up for headers...

Because they are Manchester "money has nothing to do with their success" City, and they deserved a chance to write the headlines!

Main thing was that we stayed up. But as the game went on it felt like we were starting to edge it. At the very least it would have been nice to stop City getting the 100pts, because now we'll never hear the end of it. I don't know what the big deal is about them, they have unlimited money. It's no bigger surprise than Real Madrid or Barcelona getting to the Champions League final every now and again. Conceding a winner against City with the last kick of the game and past the allotted injury time in BOTH matches is galling, such is my hatred for them, but things are looking a bit brighter for us, the players seemed together and like a half decent side with an idea of how to play football.

Seriously...

In fairness to Stoke fans, most of us hate Liverpool and Tottenham in no small part because they took our players/managers, and in particular we hope to see some of those players doing badly. I know it's slightly different, but in their eyes Hughes messed their team/club up, then joined a relegation rival and saved them. If Pellegrino rocked up at West Brom and hauled them out the bottom three we'd probably be a bit annoyed about it too. Admittedly, I think the vitriol towards Hughes is partly unwarranted as he did do a good job there for a while (how many managers last as long as he did?), and to actively want your team to lose 10-0 is a bit pathetic, but I don't think we should be quite as incredulous towards their attitude as many are.

Swansea have scored. That makes me a little nervous. For people who want streams - if you have Sky Freeview then you might have access to SkySportsMix, we're being shown on there See Mr Gao has turned up to see us play one of the big teams.

As much as there is an argument to appoint someone else if they are ‘better’ on paper, not only do I feel like Hughes has earnt the opportunity, I wonder if not giving him the job and turning to someone new would negatively affect team spirit, and delay pre-season preparation. Especially with the way we tend to drag our feet with these things.

Thanks for the feedback, good to hear from a fellow (but professional) musician, especially one who listens to and/or plays similar stuff. Did you have a preference for any particular track? There definitely doesn't seem to be a consensus amongst people we have asked! Will take onboard your comments about light and shade, particularly as that's an area that in some way we feel, if not (obviously...) a 'signature sound', then something we like to incorporate. I think we have done it more in the bridge/breakdown of the songs - being influenced by bands like AFI, Biffy Clyro and System of a Down, we like those atmospheric bridges followed by big choruses - but you have a good point about the songs coming in full on at the start, and I can see that there isn't (maybe apart from Blood on your hands and Burn) a huge distinction between the verses and choruses. Yeah I think it will be good to have one or two additions to the band. Hard to relinquish control, but probably worth it. Would also mean we could actually have a gig, ha.

Who’s “we”? I wouldn’t. I mean, I’d like my club to be stable and not worry about what the owners are going to next, but in terms of pumping unlimited money in so that my club can buy who they want and focus on being a “global brand”? No thanks.

Considered voting for Yoshida for POTY, but ultimately went for McCarthy. Boufal for goal of the season. Maybe he'll come back next season and be great. Maybe Lemina will prove to be an even bigger d1ck in the long term (didn't Lallana win everything a few weeks before he wanted to go on strike?) If van Dijk had scored it that would be different, but as things stand I felt it was right to judge it purely on the goal itself.