Breaking News....Officially in a relegation battle

[Saint Lindford]

We have been in a relegation battle for weeks, losing points time and time again against poor sides the writing has been on the wall for ages. Lack of ambition 14 years ago cost us the services of WGS when Lowe would not release funds to buy his targets and also RL stalled on offering a new contract to WGS who was ready and willing to sign long term. Lack of ambition will now cost us our PL slot.

 

The list of players sold over the last 2/3 years would cripple any side but when that side fails in any way shape or form to replace those players with ones of equal quality there is only one way to go. We got away with it for the last 18 months and despite Claude Puel's lack of charisma he did a decent job and as we achieved 8th and arguably should have won the cup final but for incompetent officiating (now where have we seen that recently?). As has been documented by many this group of players is not bottom half of the league material meaning there is only one area of the club where the blame lies and that is the management, be it the 1st team manager, the board of directors, the chairman or indeed the owner(s).

 

If those at the top deem this manager to be 'the one' then they need to have a check up from the neck up! Why is it that 28,000 fans in the stadium (there probably some who disagree) can see what is wrong, be it team selection, formation, substitutions, lack of adaptability, lack of reaction to changes by the opposition or just plain incompetence but those watching from the comfy seats can't?

 

I have been going to games for nearly 50 years now and have been a season ticket holder since SMS opened, did not have one before as i was in the RN so could not justify it and today is the first time ever i have actually thought about not going to home game because i just can't be bothered to sit through 90 + mins of unexciting, non-ambitious mediocre football. Come tomorrow however, no doubt i will make the near on 90 mile round trip drive to support my club and the team, i cannot however say i will be supporting the manager or the board.

 

These are sad times in the history of Southampton Football Club and to think not all that long ago we were in the top 4 and people were actually talking about us being in the Champions League. Just think what could have happened if we had ambition, told Spuds to do one when they came calling for MP and we backed a young manager with decent signings, told the bin dippers to do one when they came calling for Lallana, Clyne et al because we had told the players the club matched their ambitions. The PL is arguably the richest in the world now (look at the ridiculous money being banded about for the Sanchez deal). So why are we not at the top table? Because people we have a board who are risk averse and as our chairman stated the other day believe we are 'only a small club'. I say get out of that mentality and we could have been one of the top 6 or 7 clubs in the country, now unfortunately we look like we are heading down again and there is not much light at the end of the tunnel!!!!

[Micky]

Damn you sir. He went 40 minutes without a bite. At 30 minutes I put a cheeky fiver on 60 minutes. Thanks a bunch

Awww apologies Lord T. I know I shouldn't have, but I do like to throw him a morsel every now and then.

 

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[Alain Perrin]

Plenty of other **** teams in the league. One win and we jump 3 places.

 

Our players are much better than the league position suggests but too many of them can’t be arsed and want a move. I’d be wary of any manager coming in (no obvious capable candidates to me.). Best bet in my opinion is to hold on for the ride and replace in the summer - any change now ****s up th transfer window. And we do need a striker.

[Dalek2003]

Wonder if anyone has finally woken up at SMS this evening...

 

If they have its because the league table will be like throwing a bucket of ice cold water at them !

[scotty]

Les is blundering around in the dark and cant find the black box , maybe VVD took it with him to LFC?

 

I think you'll find that Paul Mitchell took it to spurs with him.

[ringwood]

Its not breaking news. We have been in a relegation battle for a few weeks now.

 

Big games coming up and we need to support the team not start protesting.

 

we've supported the team wheres that got us? 18th so if the manager wont change tactics maybe the fans should?

[Lord Duckhunter]

we've supported the team wheres that got us? 18th so if the manager wont change tactics maybe the fans should?

 

You are ****ing joking. Our “support” has been pathetic this season, no way anyone can say “we’ve supported the team”. You’re right about one thing, we should change. Staying till the end, getting off the players back, creating a great atmosphere, that would help.

 

 

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[trousers]

Awww apologies Lord T. I know I shouldn't have, but I do like to throw him a morsel every now and then.

 

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I'll let you off this time but please leave the next one un-nibbled for at least an hour and I'll split the winnings

[beatlesaint]

You are ****ing joking. Our “support” has been pathetic this season, no way anyone can say “we’ve supported the team”. You’re right about one thing, we should change. Staying till the end, getting off the players back, creating a great atmosphere, that would help.

 

 

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you really think staying til the end and getting off the players back will help ? I’m sorry but when we were 4-1 down against Leicester I left after 75 mins and I always stay to the end. I don’t remember fans getting at the players, they went 3 down all on their own very quickly.

 

So what you are saying is if we are three down tomorrow with ten minutes left we should all stay until the final whistle while wearing stupid grins on our faces pretending it’s just a blip and everything is ok ?

 

are you Ralph or Les or just on a bloody wind up ?

[kwsaint]

Kevin Kilbane on Football Focus hit the nail on the head. Having watched Saints several times this season, he said that the team were very flat and that he worried for us. Unless something changes I think that we are going down. Other sides with less skilled players will battle- just like we did all through the nineties. Can't see this lot fighting for us and the manager simply doesn't know how to get the best out of the team. MOTD a couple of weeks ago said that the players werent playing for him.

 

Think we will be back in the Championship next season and it will be tough to get out

[ringwood]

LD you say support the team , perhaps some effort , a change in tactics would stir the crowd , fans react as much to crap football by booing or protesting , they cheer to great play or a show of effort

 

great fans are not necessarily noisy fans ffs,

 

bad fans are not necessarily quiet fans nor are they noisy protesting fans

 

great fans imo take action to support the club they love and when they don't like what they see they take action, the game after Branfoot left was great for fan reaction and I feel the same now , only one difference now I have a season ticket, then I bought a ticket on the day , I've used my season ticket each game , I did not follow Branfoot I stopped going to games as my protest this time if I see my team getting a hammering I'll be making my voice heard and I'll be protesting , if you want to blindly support the team then out shout me , then at least the atmosphere will be buzzing but I fear all we'll hear in the tv commentary after the game is Oh when the spurs

[davefoggy]

Us that lived through the nineties look at that first post with disdain. This was everyday stuff for us. Generation Snowflake,

 

Hey, I l also witnessed many a 6 pointer at The Dell, difference back then was we had a team full of passion for the shirt. So don't start quoting generation snowflake to me you ****

[davefoggy]

Wonder if anyone has finally woken up at SMS this evening...

 

I very much doubt it

[geoffnut]

I said some time ago that the manager wouldn't be sacked until we were in the bottom 3. Lets see what happens after tomorrows game but it may be too late.

[Lord Duckhunter]

you really think staying til the end and getting off the players back will help ? I’m sorry but when we were 4-1 down against Leicester I left after 75 mins and I always stay to the end. I don’t remember fans getting at the players, they went 3 down all on their own very quickly.

 

So what you are saying is if we are three down tomorrow with ten minutes left we should all stay until the final whistle while wearing stupid grins on our faces pretending it’s just a blip and everything is ok ?

 

are you Ralph or Les or just on a bloody wind up ?

 

If you really believe we’ve got decent support, you’re the one on a bloody wind up. We’ve even had people posting on here that they hope we lose. There has been absolutely zero passion on or off the pitch this season. Our home support is far and away the worse in the league.

 

 

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[Jonnyboy]

Puel improving on his position last year I see...

[colehillsaint]

Us that lived through the nineties look at that first post with disdain. This was everyday stuff for us. Generation Snowflake,

 

Actually, your post has made me very annoyed. No, very very annoyed. Reminiscent of all these clowns claiming to have sacrificed for Britain in the war, and it turns out they were born in 1952!! The 90’s were a giant killing roller coaster of a party in the Dell, that was tailor made to unsettle the enemy. And you got to enjoy a whole decade of it. You ungrateful swine.

[Dellman]

A lot of talk about sacking the manager, I understand the feeling, but very little talk about who there is to take his place. who should it be? Saying 'anyone is better then him' is not an answer.

[sotonjoe]

Oh look. An anti-Pellegrino thread. That’s novel.

 

 

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[LGTL]

Oh look. An anti-Pellegrino thread. That’s novel.

 

 

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He's doing a cracking job, don't you agree?

[Mr X]

It's clear we are sticking with him till the bitter end, it seems whatever the results the trigger won't be pulled!

 

Crazy stuff you couldn't make it up

 

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[stknowle]

Oh look. An anti-Pellegrino thread. That’s novel.

 

 

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Yeah, I think we should have more pro Pellegrino threads, what with the great job he's doing and all that.

[beatlesaint]

If you really believe we’ve got decent support, you’re the one on a bloody wind up. We’ve even had people posting on here that they hope we lose. There has been absolutely zero passion on or off the pitch this season. Our home support is far and away the worse in the league.

 

 

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nowhere in my reply did I say we had decent support. But you carry on dodging the real issues to continue with your own agenda.

[Badger]

Wonder what Les Reed's response to this is. Will he take his head out of his anus and act, or will it be more of the same f^ckwitttery that has brought us into this position.

[SaintRobbie]

The dangerous trend of complacency and arrogance started some years ago...it wasn't obvious but then 'gradual declines' are often missed in the early stages.

 

Oh god I’m agreeing with Dalek.

Well said.

 

 

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[tobes8]

Manager out of his depth and so very obvious therefore I don’t blame him completely but what reed and Krueger are doing is basically using him As a smokescreen for their complete complacency and inability to manage the club properly. Everyone could see that pellegrino had lost it after the Leicester debacle bar the two muppets I’ve already mentioned who basically have not to want to be proved wrong by hiring a manager who’d had absolutely no proven history at this level bar playing a very defensive style in Spain. Everything that is wrong stems from the board level. I can only think the new owner hasn’t a bloody clue what he’s got himself in to and is being led a merry dance by reed and Krueger who are mostly likely to be gone at the end of the season with a nice wad of cash. It’s a fricking disaster all round.

[Strangely Brown]

If you really believe we’ve got decent support, you’re the one on a bloody wind up. We’ve even had people posting on here that they hope we lose. There has been absolutely zero passion on or off the pitch this season. Our home support is far and away the worse in the

 

You sir are a Baffoon.

[notnowcato]

I keep reading that this is a good squad.... where are the goals coming from in this good squad? Our strength was our defence, so we cash in on VVD, that was a smart move.

[scotty]

A lot of talk about sacking the manager, I understand the feeling, but very little talk about who there is to take his place. who should it be? Saying 'anyone is better then him' is not an answer.

 

Quite. We didn't exactly muscle our way to the front of the queue, who is actually left that could improve us quickly enough to avert the seemingly inevitable? And would be up for coming here?

[Lord Duckhunter]

We won’t go down

 

 

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[Lord Duckhunter]

Which side has worse home support then?

 

 

 

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[Kingsbridge Saint]

Caution is overrated. Sack Pellegrino and tear a strip off the ball recyclers.

[Plumstead_Saint]

We have been sleepwalking for at least the last two years as other posted have said. Some of us have been ringing alarm bells for years !!!

So you were ringing alarm bells about relegation the years we finished 7th, 6th and 8th out of 20?

Nuff said!

[Bad Wolf]

We won’t go down

 

 

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Source?

[larry12]

Which side has worse home support then?

 

 

 

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tosser!

[Saint Fan CaM]

Seems those who think the games remaining will be enough to get us out of trouble. The problem with that is two fold - teams above us are actually on better form and so will likely win or draw...so they stay above us, and, then when you consider how we’ve been over the last 10-20 games it doesn’t take a genius to predict we haven’t got a win in us.

 

Pretty bleak picture really. Now add to that the fact we don’t have a squad of sufficient quality to put up a convincing fight and a Board not able to bring in new heads that are an improvement and even if they do, it’s probably too late. Add into the mix a poorly appointed manager...a panic appointment of a man who had previously not proven himself in any substantive way. A man who surprise, surprise has had connections with Liverpool - yep, funny how that clubs name is woven into aspects of the demise of what was an excellent club setup with so much potential.

 

The prognosis is not good...more chance of going down than staying up unless significant action is taken. That means change of football strategy AND 2-3 decent new attacking heads. Personally I don’t think either of those things are going to happen.

[mrfahaji]

We've only won 4 matches all season, everyone above us has won at least 5. It pains me to say it but based on our results we're in the position we deserve to be in.

 

Would it be possible to be undeserving of your position based on results? Seeing as it's exactly your results which determine your position...

[Ultimatt]

It's almost like they don't want to sack MoPe because he's taking blame off them (the idea that if we get relegated its his fault). Les and Ralph have 10 days to fix this mess or they have to go.

 

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[OttawaSaint]

Saw this coming years ago.

 

Did you?

 

You’ve never mentioned it.

[austsaint]

It's almost like they don't want to sack MoPe because he's taking blame off them (the idea that if we get relegated its his fault). Les and Ralph have 10 days to fix this mess or they have to go.

 

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But who is going to make that call on Reed and Ralph? Gao?? Who would Gao have to advise him about how to get rid of them and who to replace them with.

[Shanghai Saint]

What a crock of ****.

 

We were rubbish then and should have been fighting relegation. We embraced it and liked punching above our weight by beating good sides now and then. This is a far bigger club now.

 

That's before we get to it being an embarrassing cliche to moan about younger generations than you.

 

No need for any cliches when you start your response with an expletive. Pure class ...

[shurlock]

Which side has worse home support then?

 

 

 

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Watford, Arsenal, United, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Brighton to name a few - even Stoke and Everton are massively overrated and are not much better than SMS. In fact, I would be surprised if every club mongboard doesn't have a thread bemoaning the lack of home support. Its basically much of a muchness.

 

A word of advice pal: being a contrarian only works if you pick your battles and know what you're talking about rather than it being some kind of teenage gag reflex.

Edited 21 January, 2018 by shurlock

[Ultimatt]

But who is going to make that call on Reed and Ralph? Gao?? Who would Gao have to advise him about how to get rid of them and who to replace them with.

I think he can treat it like any business. Boards get sacked when profits or reputation drop. We're on track for a big drop in both and the buck stops at the top.

From there he can appoint a caretaker while interviewing for replacements.

 

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[Strangely Brown]

Watford, Arsenal, United, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Brighton to name a few - even Stoke and Everton are massively overrated and are not much better than SMS. In fact, I would be surprised if every club mongboard doesn't have a thread bemoaning the lack of home support. Its basically much of a muchness.

 

A word of advice pal: being a contrarian only works if you pick your battles and know what you're talking about rather than it being some kind of teenage gag reflex.

 

Well said and all those teams you’ve quoted I suspect have fans who have left a game before the end for a variety of reasons. In fact, I work with a few Bournemouth fans who are regular early leavers!!

[scotty]

Well said and all those teams you’ve quoted I suspect have fans who have left a game before the end for a variety of reasons. In fact, I work with a few Bournemouth fans who are regular early leavers!!

 

Time for their afternoon nap.

[lordswoodsaints]

This is what I was talking about on another thread....

There is a tipping point where people at the club have no control over our fate, we have no attraction to anybody because of our precarious position, players will be reluctant to join us, managers will be mercenary in wanting to join us and the players we have are planning for the future away from us, relegation to them means a fresh start at another club on a better contract so they are happy for that to happen.

The manager is crap and no doubt cheap so he is just happy to have a job, he is also here and as the club obviously has no replacement then he won’t be going anywhere soon.

Forget about the VVD money, we could have £500 million but because it looks likely that we will get relegated nobody is going to want to come here and the board are certainly not going to buy players or managers on stupid money who will likely be playing in the championship next season.

If you are expecting some miracle signing or a great white hope of a manager coming in then close your eyes and carry on dreaming, the best you can hope for are loans or cheap option players, as for the manager, he’s either going to be here till the end or you’ll have kelvin Davis standing in.

I hope I am wrong and I hope we get a knowledgeable manager able to get us out of trouble but I really can’t see it .

[InvictaSaint]

Which side has worse home support then?

 

 

 

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Everton fans were fecking atrocious yesterday by all accounts, booing their own players after about 25 minutes. Don’t be so blinkered; plenty of fans at other clubs at least as bad as some of ours if not worse.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Everton fans were fecking atrocious yesterday by all accounts, booing their own players after about 25 minutes. Don’t be so blinkered; plenty of fans at other clubs at least as bad as some of ours if not worse.

 

If Everton were playing Spurs today and a win would take them out of the relegation zone and up the table 4 or 5 places, they’d be a cracking atmosphere, let’s see if there is today. Somebody mentioned Brighton, they clearly didn’t watch the game yesterday. 2 down after 6 minutes and the commentator & pundits full of praise for the crowds response. Let’s see what happens if we’re 2 down after 6 minutes today.

 

Everyone thinks they’ve got the prettiest wife. Ours have been pretty ****ing ugly the past 8 months and she’s getting uglier

 

 

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[alpine_saint]

This is what I was talking about on another thread....

There is a tipping point where people at the club have no control over our fate, we have no attraction to anybody because of our precarious position, players will be reluctant to join us, managers will be mercenary in wanting to join us and the players we have are planning for the future away from us, relegation to them means a fresh start at another club on a better contract so they are happy for that to happen.

The manager is crap and no doubt cheap so he is just happy to have a job, he is also here and as the club obviously has no replacement then he won’t be going anywhere soon.

Forget about the VVD money, we could have £500 million but because it looks likely that we will get relegated nobody is going to want to come here and the board are certainly not going to buy players or managers on stupid money who will likely be playing in the championship next season.

If you are expecting some miracle signing or a great white hope of a manager coming in then close your eyes and carry on dreaming, the best you can hope for are loans or cheap option players, as for the manager, he’s either going to be here till the end or you’ll have kelvin Davis standing in.

I hope I am wrong and I hope we get a knowledgeable manager able to get us out of trouble but I really can’t see it .

 

Yep, we have no control over our fate.

 

At least Lowe had to answer to the shareholders and was vulnerable to take over bids.

[davefoggy]

If Everton were playing Spurs today and a win would take them out of the relegation zone and up the table 4 or 5 places, they’d be a cracking atmosphere, let’s see if there is today. Somebody mentioned Brighton, they clearly didn’t watch the game yesterday. 2 down after 6 minutes and the commentator & pundits full of praise for the crowds response. Let’s see what happens if we’re 2 down after 6 minutes today.

 

Everyone thinks they’ve got the prettiest wife. Ours have been pretty ****ing ugly the past 8 months and she’s getting uglier

 

 

 

 

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Brighton are still in the honeymoon period of being in the Premier league, they will cheer anything. Whereas we have seen our club going backwards at an alarming rate. 3 years ago, 3rd in the table. Now we are the worst football team in ALL 4 divisions of English football on current form. And we are still not allowed to moan???