How long before you/we start to get really worried

[ALWAYS_SFC]

Except in 2005 we were second from bottom.

 

But, yeah, identical.

 

Have a Wispa.

 

 

[Leicestersaint]

I am worried - wins against Watford and WBA will be very welcome. That does mean managing to score some goals.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

I haven't the faintest clue if methods have changed. Do any of us? Do you? Maybe Sergei Gotsmanov is right - a 4 year deal for RK will make everything fantastic, but equally, without knowing what's behind the scenes he could be wrong. That's all I'm saying. What do you think?

 

I think we are badly out of form but have faith enough to think we will turn it around

[Mr Biscuits]

I worry every season until we are mathematically safe.

[VectisSaint]

Do you think the methods have changed from last season then

Players have openly said they have, so I think its safe to assume they have. Less intensity, much more ball work rather than fitness work pre-season. Maybe not specifically from last season, but since Ron took over.

[sadoldgit]

Personally I am not putting the rubber sheets on the bed until we are in a relegation fight, which we are not at the moment. Having said that things could change in the next couple of weeks if we don't start scoring regularly.

[O_RLY]

Team spirit doctor...

 

[Chalkboy]

Do you think the methods have changed from last season then

 

Players have openly said they have, so I think its safe to assume they have. Less intensity, much more ball work rather than fitness work pre-season. Maybe not specifically from last season, but since Ron took over.

 

Absolutely - the training methods have changed since Ron took over from Poch, as you say, the players have confirmed this, and we can see it too. I was under the impression that Always-SFC was asking if I thought Ron's training methods have changed since last season.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

Absolutely - the training methods have changed since Ron took over from Poch, as you say, the players have confirmed this, and we can see it too. I was under the impression that Always-SFC was asking if I thought Ron's training methods have changed since last season.

 

You are correct I was asking about last season to this

[david in sweden]

How long before I get worried? ...........if we're in the bottom three with one game left to play.

 

We older fans have lived through much worse times than these.......

 

.......and considering the players we've had to replace in the last 2 years,....... there have been times in the distant past when 13th place in the Prem. looked really good .

Edited 3 January, 2016 by david in sweden

[Saint_Tony]

I fully expected a season like this. However, I'm not worried in the slightest about relegation. I am more worried about the lack of ambition. Les has said we are a showcase club, we're just there to provide quality for the bigger clubs whilst attempting to get by through rebuilding a side every season. It's a strategy that might not be sustainable. Either way, it's sacrificing any ambition to go to the next level. Last season will be as good as it gets folks, deal with it.

 

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

[John B]

I fully expected a season like this. However, I'm not worried in the slightest about relegation. I am more worried about the lack of ambition. Les has said we are a showcase club, we're just there to provide quality for the bigger clubs whilst attempting to get by through rebuilding a side every season. It's a strategy that might not be sustainable. Either way, it's sacrificing any ambition to go to the next level. Last season will be as good as it gets folks, deal with it.

 

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

 

Totally agree we are at our level cannot ever see us breaking into the top 6 as those clubs have a bigger fanbase more TV money and more PL money hopefully for the foreseeable future we will be 8 to 12 in the league probably

 

This bad patch will eventually end and I cannot see us in the Relegation Zone

[Super_Uwe]

I feel a bit more concerned after Saturday's game, we do seem to be playing pretty much our strongest team week in week out, and the results just aren't coming. But I am hopeful it will change, especially if we can get one or two new faces in to freshen things up in the January window.

 

I came across the report from Newcastle away last season the other day, and that 2-1 win gave us 42 points after 22 games. So that meant that we only picked up 18 points from our last 16 games. And our overall record since then is 42 points from 36 games, which is proper mid-table territory.

[NickG]

Already worried. Prediction going as planned. I said RK would struggle this season and will leave at the end of the season after narrowly avoiding relegation. Although the way things are I think we'll go down. Teams like Norwich and Bournemouth seem to be able to pick up points when the pressure is on. We just crumble.

 

Pulled 6 points away from Norwich and Bournemouth in last 6 games, (2nd in current form).

 

You maybe right....but think we will be ok

[doddisalegend]

OK I missed this thread first time round .....great stuff guys

[david in sweden]

At the end of the day, it is a results driven business.

we are in/heading in a pretty messy relegation scrap with the manager struggling to change it.

 

Ron must be feeling the pressure and as CB Fry stated, this could well be a Michael Laudrup MK2 here.

 

 

 

Er?......sorry Batman ....but, what is it we're supposed to be worrying about? One week in football can be.... a long time....two weeks like an eternity.

[John B]

Its 2005 all over again, right down to the banal / clueless comments to the press from Claus...erm...Jose.

 

If we are going to change manager for a scrapper, time is rapidly running out.

 

God knows what next season will look like. I guess our better players will pick up the lack of ambition in the board and leave, returning us to perennial fights for 17th.

 

Pretty incisive analysis

[ALWAYS_SFC]

Its 2005 all over again, right down to the banal / clueless comments to the press from Claus...erm...Jose.

 

If we are going to change manager for a scrapper, time is rapidly running out.

 

God knows what next season will look like. I guess our better players will pick up the lack of ambition in the board and leave, returning us to perennial fights for 17th.

 

 

 

Right on the money as usual...

[eurosaint]

it's great to see the Saints recent revival for two reasons :

a) Our team is doing well !

b) The idiots who call for sackings after a few losses are make to look even more stupid !

Surely a bit of calm reasoning is preferable to over-the-top, kneejerk reactions ? We have recovered from a mini slump in results because the board, the manager and the players kept cool heads and worked together ! Had we listened to some of the muppets on here, Koeman would have been sacked, Long, Mane, Pelle, Davis & Wanyama would have been sold and (after selling the club) the new board would be starting all over again !

No doubt we will have another blip but I guess it's too much to ask for a bit of patience and common sense ? Just seems to me to be infantile behaviour which brings only negative vibes and serves no useful purpose !

COYS

[itchen]

This is a golden thread to look back on. Yes, we had a few weeks when it seemed we couldn't buy a win (except against Arsenal) but anybody who watched us could see we were not playing particularly badly. We were just losing by the odd goal (except against Liverpool!). I never worried about relegation, just that we wouldn't match the heights of last season. Now it looks like we might. But we might still go on another run of bad results or get another three wins in a row. That is football.

 

Of course, the board has shown a total lack of ambition by buying Austin for only £4 million. They could have shown real intent by buying Austin for £15 million...

[Whitey Grandad]

This is a golden thread to look back on. Yes, we had a few weeks when it seemed we couldn't buy a win (except against Arsenal) but anybody who watched us could see we were not playing particularly badly. We were just losing by the odd goal (except against Liverpool!). I never worried about relegation, just that we wouldn't match the heights of last season. Now it looks like we might. But we might still go on another run of bad results or get another three wins in a row. That is football.

 

Of course, the board has shown a total lack of ambition by buying Austin for only £4 million. They could have shown real intent by buying Austin for £15 million...

 

Some of us can remember when £4m bought us a record signing, someone like Delap, a record that lasted for 11 years. How times have changed.

[Saint_Ash]

A couple of weeks of bad results (that all teams have) and the panicky hand wringing starts. Can't believe some were talking about genuine contenders for relegation and getting a manager in that can help the scrap. Is it all going to start again if we lose to Arsenal? Good job the management of Southampton have more of a backbone than a section of our fans.

[sadoldgit]

Everton must be cacking themselves now that they are in the relegation dogfight.

[Tom & Gerry]

Everton must be cacking themselves now that they are in the relegation dogfight.

 

Look how good they were at the start of the season.

Apart from Leicester and possibly Spurs has any club not had a dip or underperformed for a spell this season?

[Batman]

Everton must be cacking themselves now that they are in the relegation dogfight.

 

many are very unhappy with martinez at the mo

[ALWAYS_SFC]

many are very unhappy with martinez at the mo

 

Has he "lost it" like Koeman was supposed to have done?

[Redslo]

Some of us can remember when £4m bought us a record signing, someone like Delap, a record that lasted for 11 years. How times have changed.

 

I didn't follow Southampton (or, for that matter, English football) back during the Delap days but I have a question. Did Delap have his great long throw when he played for Southampton?

[Batman]

I didn't follow Southampton (or, for that matter, English football) back during the Delap days but I have a question. Did Delap have his great long throw when he played for Southampton?

 

yep, we scored a couple of goals from it

 

he did score one of the best goals I have ever seen live. The scissor kick in a 1-0 win against spurs.

 

he was also pretty crap, generally

[angelman]

Has he "lost it" like Koeman was supposed to have done?

 

Hard for him to lose something he never had in the first place.

[Pierre]

Look how good they were at the start of the season.

Apart from Leicester and possibly Spurs has any club not had a dip or underperformed for a spell this season?

 

If we had only won the West Ham game, as should have, we would have been cruising in 6th spot, and no-one would have been talking about a "dip" in form.

That was such a crucial game to throw away.

[Saint IQ]

Pulled 6 points away from Norwich and Bournemouth in last 6 games, (2nd in current form).

 

You maybe right....but think we will be ok

 

Palace on the otherhand are bottom of the form table like we were 3 weeks ago (second bottom to Villa I think we were)

 

 

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/form-guide.html

Edited 25 January, 2016 by Saint IQ

[ScepticalStan]

Everton must be cacking themselves now that they are in the relegation dogfight.

 

Teams with players who cost £30Mn+ don't get relegated. The likes of Everton and Chelsea are incomparable with Saints no matter how badly they're underachieving.

 

The reality is that we aren't a big enough club to be able to discount the possibility that relegation could be a season or two away. Taking our position for granted and naively thinking that 'it could never happen to us' is precisely what resulted in our seven year exodus.

[Victor]

If we had only won the West Ham game, as should have, we would have been cruising in 6th spot, and no-one would have been talking about a "dip" in form.

That was such a crucial game to throw away.

 

If we had only won the West Ham game,even if we had drawn a few, we would almost certainly have been bottom of the table.

[Saint IQ]

West Ham was a big 3 points to throw away seeing as we are directly competing with them and will be most seasons. Had we had Charlie Austin in and playing then we probably would of finished them off before we bottled it. Norwich game might have been different too.

[Saint IQ]

And yes I know he wouldnt of been fit had we had him in anyway.

[Dalek2003]

Everton must be cacking themselves now that they are in the relegation dogfight.

 

Well you say that, they could be if they don't improve. I can see Palace getting sucked in to the fight.

 

IMO, the turning point for Saints was very wisely exiting the FA Cup. This allowed us to concentrate on the EPL.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

Hard for him to lose something he never had in the first place.

 

RK or RM

[itchen]

Teams with players who cost £30Mn+ don't get relegated. The likes of Everton and Chelsea are incomparable with Saints no matter how badly they're underachieving.

 

The reality is that we aren't a big enough club to be able to discount the possibility that relegation could be a season or two away. Taking our position for granted and naively thinking that 'it could never happen to us' is precisely what resulted in our seven year exodus.

 

Oh, for goodness' sake. I've seen some nonsense on here but this takes the trophy. Nobody, ever, discounts the possibility of relegation. Nobody, even in the Lowe era, allowed it to happen by taking our position for granted. Do you not remember all those years where we finished just above the relegation places, sometimes only surviving on the last day? It finally happened because we did not have the players capable of keeping us up and did not have the means or the will to bring in better ones (and, of course, there was the Redknapp effect). The difference nowadays is that our owners invest in the team when necessary so that we do our best to avoid it and are looking up the table rather than down. Yes, we could still get relegated. But, if it does happen, it won't be because of complacency.

[St Lej]

Well you say that, they could be if they don't improve. I can see Palace getting sucked in to the fight.

 

IMO, the turning point for Saints was very wisely exiting the FA Cup. This allowed us to concentrate on the EPL.

 

You really should be on "Live at the Apollo"

[St Lej]

Its 2005 all over again, right down to the banal / clueless comments to the press from Claus...erm...Jose.

 

If we are going to change manager for a scrapper, time is rapidly running out.

 

God knows what next season will look like. I guess our better players will pick up the lack of ambition in the board and leave, returning us to perennial fights for 17th.

 

Absolutely bang on the money as usual. The similarities are endless aren't they......

[david in sweden]

I didn't follow Southampton (or, for that matter, English football) back during the Delap days but I have a question.

Did Delap have his great long throw when he played for Southampton?

 

As someone else has posted (Redslo)....we did score a few goals from Delap's long throws, but not nearly enough from the number of times it was used.

Eventually Tony Pulis bought several ex-Saints players whilst he was later managing Stoke ..(Higginbotham and Beattie in particular)....and Delap's long throws became a very potent weapon in attack, and Stoke made far better use of the tactic than Saints ever did.

 

There are two schools of thought on Delap's career with Saints, but as with his time at Derby County, he was a versatile type who could play anywhere.

 

In his first season with Saints.... he wore 7 different numbered shirts (when shirts were numbered 1-11) and played almost everywhere from full-back to striker.

He became every manager's "jack of all trades" volunteering to play anywhere when someone was injured, whilst never really nailing down a position of his own.

 

His total of 135 starts (and 5 goals) is fairly reasonable for a four and half year stay, but he was a willing trier who always put in a shift but with too little recognition.

 

His £4 million fee was a club record for a long time, and some fans considered he should have been more of a success - but it wasn't he who decided the transfer fee.(!)

Edited 25 January, 2016 by david in sweden

[Dalek2003]

Oh, for goodness' sake. I've seen some nonsense on here but this takes the trophy. Nobody, ever, discounts the possibility of relegation. Nobody, even in the Lowe era, allowed it to happen by taking our position for granted. Do you not remember all those years where we finished just above the relegation places, sometimes only surviving on the last day? It finally happened because we did not have the players capable of keeping us up and did not have the means or the will to bring in better ones (and, of course, there was the Redknapp effect). The difference nowadays is that our owners invest in the team when necessary so that we do our best to avoid it and are looking up the table rather than down. Yes, we could still get relegated. But, if it does happen, it won't be because of complacency.

 

IMO our slide to relegation started when we appointed Sturrock instead of Hoddle in the Spring of 2004. This decision was ridiculous and the reasons for it are intriguing to say the least.

[Whitey Grandad]

Well you say that, they could be if they don't improve. I can see Palace getting sucked in to the fight.

If only they had appointed Hoddle whilst they had the chance.

[Dark Munster]

Oh, for goodness' sake. I've seen some nonsense on here but this takes the trophy. Nobody, ever, discounts the possibility of relegation. Nobody, even in the Lowe era, allowed it to happen by taking our position for granted. Do you not remember all those years where we finished just above the relegation places, sometimes only surviving on the last day? It finally happened because we did not have the players capable of keeping us up and did not have the means or the will to bring in better ones (and, of course, there was the Redknapp effect). The difference nowadays is that our owners invest in the team when necessary so that we do our best to avoid it and are looking up the table rather than down. Yes, we could still get relegated. But, if it does happen, it won't be because of complacency.

Don't you mean 2nd place trophy? I refer you to post 87.

[SaintTex]

Well you say that, they could be if they don't improve. I can see Palace getting sucked in to the fight.

 

IMO, the turning point for Saints was very wisely exiting the FA Cup. This allowed us to concentrate on the EPL.

ummm, win or lose with Palace, There would have been no FA Cup games to break our concentration on during our 3 match League win streak.

[Dark Munster]

ummm, win or lose with Palace, There would have been no FA Cup games to break our concentration on during our 3 match League win streak.

Not to mention that there were no FA cup matches prior to the Palace match, before or during our streak of eight losses in 10.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

At the end of the day, it is a results driven business.

we are in/heading in a pretty messy relegation scrap with the manager struggling to change it.

 

Ron must be feeling the pressure and as CB Fry stated, this could well be a Michael Laudrup MK2 here.

 

Two home league games on the bounce now. WBA and Watford which straddle and home FA Cup tie against a very good Palace side.

 

but those two home games are vital.

 

we have the tools to be much better but the manager has to get the team to show it.

 

 

 

 

*dons tin hat*

 

[The9]

As someone else has posted (Redslo)....we did score a few goals from Delap's long throws, but not nearly enough from the number of times it was used.

Eventually Tony Pulis bought several ex-Saints players whilst he was later managing Stoke ..(Higginbotham and Beattie in particular)....and Delap's long throws became a very potent weapon in attack, and Stoke made far better use of the tactic than Saints ever did.

 

In his first season with Saints.... he wore 7 different numbered shirts (when shirts were numbered 1-11) and played almost everywhere from full-back to striker.

He became every manager's "jack of all trades" volunteering to play anywhere when someone was injured, whilst never really nailing down a position of his own.

 

To my recall, we scored one goal directly from a Delap throw - to Crouch at home in the relegation season, with Jamie Redknapp stood on the edge of the box - which made it all the more amusing when he subsequently said on tv that Saints "didn't know he had a long throw" and that "we never used it". I'm happy to accept there may have been others I've forgotten about, but the main difference was that there was no conscious "hoof-throw" set up or any specific tactic to exploit it endlessly like Pulis created at Stoke.

 

As for your randomness about his shirt numbers, I dunno where that came from or who you were actually thinking of, as Delap signed for Saints in 2001, and squad numbers had been in use since 1993/4. Delap only ever wore number 18 for Saints.

[Lets B Avenue]

To my recall, we scored one goal directly from a Delap throw - to Crouch at home in the relegation season, with Jamie Redknapp stood on the edge of the box - which made it all the more amusing when he subsequently said on tv that Saints "didn't know he had a long throw" and that "we never used it". I'm happy to accept there may have been others I've forgotten about, but the main difference was that there was no conscious "hoof-throw" set up or any specific tactic to exploit it endlessly like Pulis created at Stoke.

 

As for your randomness about his shirt numbers, I dunno where that came from or who you were actually thinking of, as Delap signed for Saints in 2001, and squad numbers had been in use since 1993/4. Delap only ever wore number 18 for Saints.

 

2002/03 season at home to Sunderland. Threw one onto Jo Tessem's head for a last minute winner.