AdrianC

On the plus side, we won't hear about the 'nine nil' for a few weeks at least!

The quality of football and the performances at home over the last few years has done absolutely nothing to get the fans excited. The fans go to St Mary's expecting to see a loss because mentally we've all been conditioned to expect it. The commentators yesterday mentioned how edgy and hostile the crowd were towards their team and it's not unreasonable. When Vestergaard is fannying around playing the ball on the ground in and around the penalty area to other defenders who have not instilled an iota of confidence in the team or fans, what does anyone expect? We are all willing the players to clear their lines and hoof it clear because we are all expecting a poor pass to be made and a goal conceded as a result. There is no joy to be had at home. There is no reason for optimism. Everyone is expecting a stupid mistake. It's the way it is. We don't have the players to build confidence in the stands, we do have the players to frustrate and make mistakes. Away from home the fans tend to be the hardcore few who will sing whatever the performance because they are outnumbered and want to be heard. Play well for a sustained period, get results, don't make mistakes, breed confidence and it will be returned. Mess about and concede goals, get tactics and personnel wrong and it won't.

The sight of a player (Son) crawling around on the floor waving an imaginary card to try and influence the referee to book the opposition player is the most embarrassing sight. That in itself should be a bookable offence. It's childish, sad and pathetic. Man up and grow a pair.

As per the title of the thread, he's a dislikable s**t.....

Neymar.

It makes no difference how long there is to go in the season. This has been the same since the season started, absolutely dire. There is nothing that can happen to change things around now. If the players aren't showing fight, passion and an understanding of where they are by now then there is nothing that can make these players and this team avoid relegation. They will still get paid. Those people saying we shouldn't judge until we've played everyone once, not to panic until February or March, when exactly will it sink in that this team is shockingly bad and are incapable of turning things around. I thought Ralph may be able to do something but now, no. It doesn't make a difference if we win this match, the evidence is there before everyone to see. It's as bad as it can get.

Hmm. I have maybe mentioned it twice in the last month? Hardly groundhog day is it and certainly not peddling the same line since Puel left.....

The players on the pitch were dire. Absolutely sodding awful. We got beat by nine goals at home. I have never seen a performance as bad as that by any team, anywhere, ever. They did not give a toss. They do not care. They will drive their luxury cars back to their luxury mansions and still pocket their vast sums of money for turning in a performance like that. As if that isn't bad enough, there are some here who claim to be better than others because they were daft enough to stay and watch that pile of **** until the final whistle, singing and clapping as if everything was absolutely fine with the world and the team they apparently support so much better than those who left early. If the happy clappers has stayed and dished out vocally what they actually thought of the team, the owners, the management and made it a hostile, angry environment that might actually shock a few on the pitch into seeing how ****ing unprofessional and arrogant they are then fair play. But to sing in support and 'lift the lads' in a situation they really don't give a **** about is just bloody madness. How is anything going to change when the support is always there, always politely clapping and singing during a shocker like that? I don't get this 'more worthy', 'I'm more of a fan than you because I stayed to the end' business. Everyone pays their money and has the choice to attend or stay. An emptying stadium or some anger from the fans would be better than getting behind a team of so called professionals, millionaires who can't even pass a ball, make a tackle and stand around while the opposition run rings around them. Fair play if you left, fair play if you stayed but how anyone can judge another fan for leaving during that demolition is beyond me. Staying to the end and supporting a team and club that is increasingly alienating itself from their fans is just bloody madness. There should've been a frigging riot after that, not a good old song song.

To those who are absolving Ralph of any blame or who see him through their rose coloured specs, remember the manager should be getting the best out of his players. He should be exploiting their strengths and coaching them and employing them on the pitch where they will perform to their best. In short, it is his job to improve and manage them. He is failing. Redmond is a shadow of the player last season. Hojberg is a headless chicken, Bednarek is making more cock ups, Valery has made more mistakes, the whole team is making more mistakes. There is no cohesion, no ideas and the players he has have regressed. We are always second to the ball or stand there watching it expecting someone else to get it. We give away possession all the time. We play backwards and sideways and when we get dispossessed we suffer. We hoof it forward, give the opposition back the ball and sit back once more as they attack us. Our defence is absolutely shocking. Bertrand is once again looking like he doesn't give a damn and don't even mention Gunn. The midfield are devoid of inspiration and ideas and we have Danny Ings as the only person who looks likely to score a goal, occasionally and only if he is gifted it. It's the managers job to inspire and improve and it is blindingly obvious that this team of the same players are worse than last year. Who else can be blamed?

Why are there still fans in the stadium and why aren't they making their displeasure known?? Once more the good old Saints fans sit meekly by and watch yet another horror show without so much as a murmur of discontent. I expect some of them will even clap at the end.

I switched off after the fourth. I found myself thinking at the start of the game, even if Southampton scored, I can't really get excited because they will not score two and will always concede. This team and management are devoid of ideas, tactics and talent. Ralph came into the club and somehow managed to keep them up. This season, with some reasonable signings was supposed to be better, more promising but once again, every year since Koeman left, the team, the club and the individuals have deteriorated. They are second to every 50/50, five the ball away with hoofs upfield and then sit back and don't know how to deal with the team running at them. Miss placed passes, poor tackles, dispossessed so easily, clueless in possession. Leicester are having the easiest match of their season. Surely even the most optimistic person here will have to admit the whole set up is poor and there are absolutely no signs anywhere that it will improve. Same players and same manager and same tactics failing week in and week out. I was all for Ralph and giving him time but I'm sorry, he either pulled a blinder at his interview and is a poor manager or there is something seriously amiss throughout the club. This is relegation form even if the happy clappers don't agree. There is not an iota of optimism from anywhere. The commentators said no one in the crowd booed the red card. That's because no one gives a damn. The team are giving the fans absolutely nothing to be passionate about. It is pathetic. Absolutely bloody pathetic and you know what? It will be the same next week.

I switched off after the fourth. I found myself thinking at the start of the game, even if Southampton scored, I can't really get excited because they will not score two and will always concede. This team and management are devoid of ideas, tactics and talent. Ralph came into the club and somehow managed to keep them up. This season, with some reasonable signings was supposed to be better, more promising but once again, every year since Koeman left, the team, the club and the individuals have deteriorated. They are second to every 50/50, five the ball away with hoofs upfield and then sit back and don't know how to deal with the team running at them. Miss placed passes, poor tackles, dispossessed so easily, clueless in possession. Leicester are having the easiest match of their season. Surely even the most optimistic person here will have to admit the whole set up is poor and there are absolutely no signs anywhere that it will improve. Same players and same manager and same tactics failing week in and week out. I was all for Ralph and giving him time but I'm sorry, he either pulled a blinder at his interview and is a poor manager or there is something seriously amiss throughout the club. This is relegation form even if the happy clappers don't agree. There is not an iota of optimism from anywhere. The commentators said no one in the crowd booed the red card. That's because no one gives a damn. The team are giving the fans absolutely nothing to be passionate about. It is pathetic. Absolutely bloody pathetic and you know what? It will be the same next week.

He comes across as a good coach but a good coach should be getting the best out of a team and players and it was painfully obvious today that those on the pitch have not improved, seemed devoid of ideas or tactical nous. A good coach improves, motivates and encourages. Can anyone honestly say things are actually improving after two months of the season?

https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/700753/lionel-messi-reaches-1000-goals-as-a-footballer

It was his 600th goal just at Barcelona. He has scored more than 1000 in his career.

I guess it is entirely possible that Jurgen Klopp would nip down to Southampton, having nothing better to do with a Saturday afternoon off, dressed in his entire branded Liverpool outfit and fancy a KFC in Thornhill because that's exactly what he would do.....

It wasn't a lack of fitness so much as after the hour mark, our players had to wade through the jizz that Carragher was spaffing all over the place, they found it extremely hard going. I've never known such a one sided, biased commentary. Why Sky employ that odious little turd to commentate on Liverpool matches beggars belief. He should be nowhere near their matches and bring in an impartial 'expert'. Ruined the match for me far more than the result.

And there's already a song for them.....

So you are going to be perfectly happy to live with the sycophantic, arse licking media live fest for Liverpool until the end of time? You don't mind that Liverpool have bought their success from Southampton in ways that might be considered exactly sporting? The players that stuck two fingers up to the club that made them and acted in a less than acceptable manner to force their move? I personally hope that Liverpool win nothing forever and they lose their talent to bigger clubs in the same way they treated us. Then they really can put on the crocodile tears and really be victims. But I am genuinely dreading any success because of the bo11ocks that will come from the media and the way Liverpool will be held up as deserved of success, the annoying scouser accents that will be on every soundbite, Mark Lawrenson and his smug face, Van Dijk, Lovren and Lallana being treated as heroes when in fact they are lower than a rattlesnakes belly. I don't want to have to hear teary eyed pundits hailing the team and their magnificence which will be blown out of all proportion, elevating Liverpool as a higher power then God, the sheer bloody annoyance of anything to do with bloody Liverpool, how many times will we hear how this is somehow justice for 'the 96' etc etc. I would rather see Pep looking smug than anyone connected to frigging Liverpool.

Anyone got the Ripple stream? I can't access it from their site without getting a load of dodgy sites wanting me to accept notifications before I can watch.....

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6742721/Emiliano-Salas-pilot-number-basic-errors.html

Interesting article about Terry Hurlock despite the fact it doesn't mention his time at Saints once..... https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6710403/Legendary-Millwall-enforcer-Terry-Hurlock-opens-memorable-career.html

Sat too deep and invited pressure in the last twenty minutes. Asking for trouble. I have no idea why we can't go and close a game out instead of hanging on and trying to defend. All through the game the commentators were banging on about the lack of penalties Burnley have had so it was kind of inevitable. Soft penalty though. It came off his head onto his arm.

I don't think anyone sees us getting anything from this match so it makes sense to rest your 'first team' players for far more winnable games ahead. It will give him an opportunity to see different players and how they conduct themselves on the pitch with a far superior side and maybe those players not getting a look in in the current main team will step up with a point to prove. Resting the first choice players will give them the opportunity to rest after a busy schedule and not run themselves into the ground for no reason.

One game back in the early part of the nineties. We were at home, evening kick off. Branfoot was in charge and we were bottom of the table. Iain Dowie scored and it gave us a 1-0 win to take us off the bottom. We survived and West Ham went down.