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Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 15:17, TWar said:

How is it criminal to play arguably our player of the season in his best position? Also Tella is decent but he wasn't exactly undroppable last season, especially in attacking mid

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Im not saying it is pal, was quoting what the other chap said - im agreeing with you...

Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 12:07, Mr X said:

So we have a coach with no tactics? 

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We have a coach that has some very questionable tactics and an inability to change things mid game. Unless standing with your hands in your pockets looking a bit overwhelmed is part of the plan.

  • Like 1
Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 14:52, Minsk said:

Why not the last 76 games? Actually 2 whole seasons.

What we really should be looking at is our performances THIS SEASON and how many points we have THIS SEASON. Nothing else matters!

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Why not since he made a dick of himself and blubbed on the touch line. What must the players have thought, they must have taken the piss behind his back, and results speak for themselves since. 

  • Like 2
Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 14:10, Toussaint said:

Yes they can, but in either direction, that is when the avoidable loss to Wolves and the poor draw with Burnley could really start to hurt. Leeds will get players back and start climbing,  Newcastle will have a January spree, Blackburn look OK and if Cornet gets a few goals that will help, Watford, hell, what a match Saturday, we need to get something.   Norwich are the only dead cert to go down barring a miracle. It's a critical run of three games ahead of us (stating the bleedin' obvious).

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Don't start! They'll all be posting "The season starts now" again and making themselves feel good about the shite we've had so far.

  • Haha 1
Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 17:46, Alan Sugarfree said:

We have a coach that has some very questionable tactics and an inability to change things mid game. Unless standing with your hands in your pockets looking a bit overwhelmed is part of the plan.

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To be fair, what else is he going to do - especially when he knows he's not going to have a job on the 1st of November.  I'm amazed he even bothers to turn up knowing what's coming!

Posted

We do get a lot of draws which obviously doesn't add to the win rate, often against decent teams too.  We're clearly competitive in this league.  

Posted (edited)
  On 25/10/2021 at 18:52, captainchris said:

Hang on, 35 games is ‘arbitrary’ lol 😂 

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Well yeah, why 35, not 36 or 34? It's not over a season, or any period in which a major change has happened like the duration of a new manager. There is no reason to pick that duration except it gives the most favourable statistic. It is the very definition of arbitrary and a good example of cherry picking.

You may be mixing up arbitrary with insignificant.

Edited by TWar
  • Like 1
Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 17:58, Lord Duckhunter said:

Why not since he made a dick of himself and blubbed on the touch line. What must the players have thought, they must have taken the piss behind his back, and results speak for themselves since. 

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Its amazing how much a man crying bothers you. Maybe says more about you than the man.

  • Like 4
Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 18:54, Weston Super Saint said:

To be fair, what else is he going to do - especially when he knows he's not going to have a job on the 1st of November.  I'm amazed he even bothers to turn up knowing what's coming!

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Think I’d keep turning up for as long as it took to get my hugely lucrative settlement 

Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 17:46, Alan Sugarfree said:

We have a coach that has some very questionable tactics and an inability to change things mid game. Unless standing with your hands in your pockets looking a bit overwhelmed is part of the plan.

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Funny you should say that, I was sat behind him on Saturday and his body language and demeanour gave me the impression of a lost and broken man. 

Posted (edited)
  On 25/10/2021 at 19:13, TWar said:

Its amazing how much a man crying bothers you. Maybe says more about you than the man.

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I just look at the results since. 
 

Typical of our noddy element that they think it’s no big deal. If Harry Redknapp had done the same down the road, it would have legendary status amongst Southampton supporters 10 years later. I want our manager to be a man, to go toe to toe with Klopp & Pep, to get in their faces, not suck up to them, doff his cap  and cry when we actually beat them. 

Edited by Lord Duckhunter
  • Confused 1
Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 19:56, Lord Duckhunter said:

I just look at the results since. 
 

Typical of our noddy element that they think it’s no big deal. If Harry Redknapp had done the same down the road, it would have legendary status amongst Southampton supporters 10 years later. I want our manager to be a man, to go toe to toe with Klopp & Pep, to get in their faces, not suck up to them, doff his cap  and cry when we actually beat them. 

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He beat Klopp that day, don't care if he comes out in a frilly dress afterwards and sings a little ditty. Weird you are so bothered tbh.

Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 19:56, Lord Duckhunter said:

I just look at the results since. 
 

Typical of our noddy element that they think it’s no big deal. If Harry Redknapp had done the same down the road, it would have legendary status amongst Southampton supporters 10 years later. I want our manager to be a man, to go toe to toe with Klopp & Pep, to get in their faces, not suck up to them, doff his cap  and cry when we actually beat them. 

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Change of underpants for Trousers. Arousal levels high. 

Posted (edited)
  On 25/10/2021 at 20:09, TWar said:

He beat Klopp that day, 

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So did a few managers last season and none of them broke down like it was the greatest achievement a little club like ours could hope for, the culmination of their lifetimes work. 
 

I thought it was Noddy on the day, and results since have made it even Noddier since. The fact that some posted it was legendary just about sums up a % of our fan base. 

 

Edited by Lord Duckhunter
Posted

Results wise, he might as well have delivered a half time talk in the centre circle.

A manager to have worked his way up to one of the best leagues in the world; to get the chance to instill his vision on a club and to see all his work beat one of the biggest clubs in it.  No idea why he might show a human emotion there. He should slump expressionless in the dug out so he can get criticised for not showing enough passion.

I pick out 52 games for Ralph Bingo.

Posted (edited)
  On 25/10/2021 at 19:56, Lord Duckhunter said:

Typical of our noddy element that they think it’s no big deal. If Harry Redknapp had done the same down the road, it would have legendary status amongst Southampton supporters 10 years later. I want our manager to be a man, to go toe to toe with Klopp & Pep, to get in their faces, not suck up to them, doff his cap  and cry when we actually beat them. 

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So men aren't allowed to show emotion?

Edited by Matthew Le God
  • Like 2
Posted (edited)
  On 25/10/2021 at 20:51, Matthew Le God said:

So men aren't allowed to show emotion?

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Yeah, if they’ve just seen their child born, or maybe found out their dear old mum has departed etc. 
 

But after beating Liverpool in a run of the mill Premier League game? That would be odd for anyone to be honest. 

Edited by LGTL
  • Like 1
Posted

Personally, I wouldn't care if he cried after every game. It's the performances on the pitch, the team selections and the game management that I care about.

  • Like 2
Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 20:23, Lord Duckhunter said:

So did a few managers last season and none of them broke down like it was the greatest achievement a little club like ours could hope for, the culmination of their lifetimes work. 
 

I thought it was Noddy on the day, and results since have made it even Noddier since. The fact that some posted it was legendary just about sums up a % of our fan base. 

 

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So what, why do you care?

  • Like 1
Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 20:56, LGTL said:

Yeah, if they’ve just seen their child born, or maybe found out their dear old mum has departed etc. 
 

But after beating Liverpool in a run of the mill Premier League game? That would be odd for anyone to be honest. 

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Why does it matter if he cried after a win?

Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 21:00, TWar said:

So what, why do you care?

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Noddy fanbase for us since we came back up from championship ..  even away games now is embarrassing.. no limbs wen we score .. last proper limbs was Shane long at anfield in the cup .. 

Posted

This season is all a gamble on there being 3 worse teams than us over 38 games. 
 

we are being chased by the croc. We just have to outrun 3 others. Like it’s been said above. Question for me is not so much us but who are the other 3 weaker teams.. clearly Norwich look nailed on. There always seems to be a team that falls like a stone. And then a real fight for the 3rd from last spot. 
 

like it or not I think Ralph will stay. I may be wrong but didn’t the real good run under him that everyone quotes happen in those really strange times of no supporters? What we have seen in the recent past is more my expectation  

think this rollercoaster is in for the remainder all the way to the line strap in 

 

  • Like 1
Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 21:46, saint michael said:

This season is all a gamble on there being 3 worse teams than us over 38 games. 
 

we are being chased by the croc. We just have to outrun 3 others. Like it’s been said above. Question for me is not so much us but who are the other 3 weaker teams.. clearly Norwich look nailed on. There always seems to be a team that falls like a stone. And then a real fight for the 3rd from last spot. 
 

like it or not I think Ralph will stay. I may be wrong but didn’t the real good run under him that everyone quotes happen in those really strange times of no supporters? What we have seen in the recent past is more my expectation  

think this rollercoaster is in for the remainder all the way to the line strap in 

 

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So did that equally horrific run.

Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 19:11, TWar said:

Well yeah, why 35, not 36 or 34? It's not over a season, or any period in which a major change has happened like the duration of a new manager. There is no reason to pick that duration except it gives the most favourable statistic. It is the very definition of arbitrary and a good example of cherry picking.

You may be mixing up arbitrary with insignificant.

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If the 35 games were not the last 35 and those games were chosen as a set of games randomly in amongst one or two hundred then agreed. However, it was the last 35 games which is a considerable volume of games and is significant as it signifies the most recent trend and justifies the argument of the most relevant recent form and not just very recent either. 35 is not therefor arbitrary in this case. Yes you could always say why didn’t you chose a different number but as it’s a relatively large number it is neither cherry picking or arbitrary. 
 

Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 20:23, Lord Duckhunter said:

So did a few managers last season and none of them broke down like it was the greatest achievement a little club like ours could hope for, the culmination of their lifetimes work. 
 

I thought it was Noddy on the day, and results since have made it even Noddier since. The fact that some posted it was legendary just about sums up a % of our fan base. 

 

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l3lmh9.thumb.jpg.6b8a9cd49c9b460918286e159e132372.jpg

Posted (edited)
  On 25/10/2021 at 22:28, captainchris said:

If the 35 games were not the last 35 and those games were chosen as a set of games randomly in amongst one or two hundred then agreed. However, it was the last 35 games which is a considerable volume of games and is significant as it signifies the most recent trend and justifies the argument of the most relevant recent form and not just very recent either. 35 is not therefor arbitrary in this case. Yes you could always say why didn’t you chose a different number but as it’s a relatively large number it is neither cherry picking or arbitrary. 
 

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Why not choose a significant number such as this season, or this season and last, or since Ralph took over? 

Do you think the 35 games was picked at random, and therefore is pretty arbitrary, or do you think it is picked to coincide with the beginning of a losing run, which is the very definition of cherry picking, ie the logic of selecting the test set is based on the desired outcome of the test rather than any non-bias methodology? 

If there is no reason for the set to be that then it is arbitrarily selected. If the reason is "well it makes my point best" then that is cherry picking. 

Edited by TWar
Posted

When I look at the current PL table and the teams above us compared to Saints for squad quality and spending power I would conclude:

- The current top 10 (Brighton aside) are on a different level and it would be a huge achievement to finish above one of those clubs over a league season.

- Of the other 5 ahead of us Villa and Wolves have better squads and Palace invested a lot this summer.

- Brentford & Watford have had some good results but will be bottom third of the table most likely.

Conclusion: we are about where we should be given squad quality and spending power. To finish much higher we will need to be finiahing ahead of the likes of Villa, Wolves, Palace over a complete season which we may do, but certainly have no right to based on available playing and financial resources.

Since our string of top half finishes we have become weaker whilst the depth of the PL has become stronger and more teams are able to spend big than has been the case before.

Are fan expectations too high?

  • Like 6
Posted
  On 26/10/2021 at 00:08, SFC Forever said:

Since when is it that playing Liverpool a run of the mill game?

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We're not a league two team having a rare visit to Anfield hoping for a cup shock FFS. We have won there before Ralph arrived you know. And has others have said, twice a season every season is run-of-the-mill.

Posted
  On 25/10/2021 at 14:52, Minsk said:

Why not the last 76 games? Actually 2 whole seasons.

What we really should be looking at is our performances THIS SEASON and how many points we have THIS SEASON. Nothing else matters!

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  On 25/10/2021 at 22:54, TWar said:

Why not choose a significant number such as this season, or this season and last, or since Ralph took over? 

Do you think the 35 games was picked at random, and therefore is pretty arbitrary, or do you think it is picked to coincide with the beginning of a losing run, which is the very definition of cherry picking, ie the logic of selecting the test set is based on the desired outcome of the test rather than any non-bias methodology? 

If there is no reason for the set to be that then it is arbitrarily selected. If the reason is "well it makes my point best" then that is cherry picking. 

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Hang on. Some (like you 2 clowns) on here were defending Ralph last season and had an argument to keep him based on his form in 2020, which spanned across 2 seasons and was about 25 games, given the covid break. 

Yet as soon as someone turns it around, you now want to pull out the cherry picking card. Hypocrite. 

My point was that Ralphs historic win % is completely irrelevant. What should matter is our current form. His record over the past 35 games (or this calendar year, as I know that’s a favourite on here) is relegation (to be generous) form. No other premier league manager would have survived that, not one. 
 

To simply use this seasons form alone is just foolish so early into the season, although even that isn’t great. 1 win in 9. Of course we’re going to take into consideration the back end of last season. 

Posted
  On 26/10/2021 at 06:36, Dusic said:

When I look at the current PL table and the teams above us compared to Saints for squad quality and spending power I would conclude:

- The current top 10 (Brighton aside) are on a different level and it would be a huge achievement to finish above one of those clubs over a league season.

- Of the other 5 ahead of us Villa and Wolves have better squads and Palace invested a lot this summer.

- Brentford & Watford have had some good results but will be bottom third of the table most likely.

Conclusion: we are about where we should be given squad quality and spending power. To finish much higher we will need to be finiahing ahead of the likes of Villa, Wolves, Palace over a complete season which we may do, but certainly have no right to based on available playing and financial resources.

Since our string of top half finishes we have become weaker whilst the depth of the PL has become stronger and more teams are able to spend big than has been the case before.

Are fan expectations too high?

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Agree with this as I think most saints fan do but the point is minor details can be difference between 0,1 and 3 pts and at the moment Ralph seems to be getting these minor details wrong 

  • Like 1
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Posted
  On 26/10/2021 at 07:14, Dman said:

 

Hang on. Some (like you 2 clowns) on here were defending Ralph last season and had an argument to keep him based on his form in 2020, which spanned across 2 seasons and was about 25 games, given the covid break. 

Yet as soon as someone turns it around, you now want to pull out the cherry picking card. Hypocrite. 

My point was that Ralphs historic win % is completely irrelevant. What should matter is our current form. His record over the past 35 games (or this calendar year, as I know that’s a favourite on here) is relegation (to be generous) form. No other premier league manager would have survived that, not one. 
 

To simply use this seasons form alone is just foolish so early into the season, although even that isn’t great. 1 win in 9. Of course we’re going to take into consideration the back end of last season. 

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But why just the back end of last season rather than all of last season? Do you have a reason to select that as the day you start paying attention outside it makes your point the best?

Posted (edited)
  On 26/10/2021 at 06:36, Dusic said:

When I look at the current PL table and the teams above us compared to Saints for squad quality and spending power I would conclude:

- The current top 10 (Brighton aside) are on a different level and it would be a huge achievement to finish above one of those clubs over a league season.

- Of the other 5 ahead of us Villa and Wolves have better squads and Palace invested a lot this summer.

- Brentford & Watford have had some good results but will be bottom third of the table most likely.

Conclusion: we are about where we should be given squad quality and spending power. To finish much higher we will need to be finiahing ahead of the likes of Villa, Wolves, Palace over a complete season which we may do, but certainly have no right to based on available playing and financial resources.

Since our string of top half finishes we have become weaker whilst the depth of the PL has become stronger and more teams are able to spend big than has been the case before.

Are fan expectations too high?

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Some are. Not mine. I said we'd finish bottom four pre-season and I've not seen anything to convince me otherwise.

We're cast iron undeniably one of the worst four clubs in the league. So the battle is to stay out of the bottom three.

When we were relegated before we had plenty of

"well, on another day we'd have won that"

"we've got some good players"

"now that we've won that one game we've got some momentum"

"[before match] I think this is a win today, I can't believe people are so negative [after match] we haven't got a divine right to beat anyone, I can't believe people are so impatient".

All that shit I've seen before.

We're relegation candidates all day, all season. Nothing else is on offer. We need probably eight more wins to stay up. Starting Saturday would be a massive help.

Edited by CB Fry
  • Haha 1
Posted
  On 26/10/2021 at 06:36, Dusic said:

When I look at the current PL table and the teams above us compared to Saints for squad quality and spending power I would conclude:

- The current top 10 (Brighton aside) are on a different level and it would be a huge achievement to finish above one of those clubs over a league season.

- Of the other 5 ahead of us Villa and Wolves have better squads and Palace invested a lot this summer.

- Brentford & Watford have had some good results but will be bottom third of the table most likely.

Conclusion: we are about where we should be given squad quality and spending power. To finish much higher we will need to be finiahing ahead of the likes of Villa, Wolves, Palace over a complete season which we may do, but certainly have no right to based on available playing and financial resources.

Since our string of top half finishes we have become weaker whilst the depth of the PL has become stronger and more teams are able to spend big than has been the case before.

Are fan expectations too high?

Expand  

Yes, it seems expectations are too high among certain fans. Many have such a simplistic view of the current situation that they are incapable of thinking anything other than "it must all be the manager's fault, sack him". It's idiotic to not take other considerations into account.

We are a cash-strapped club with a relatively poor squad, and Ralph currently has one task and one task only - to keep us in the PL until such time we can secure the investment we need to start competing again. He's on course to achieve that as we're currently 4 points above the relegation spots having had the toughest set of opening fixtures of any team in the league. And he's doing that while getting us playing attractive, entertaining football, and having drastically improved our defensive setup.

We *might* have got a few extra points by now if Redmond or Moi or Theo were better finishers, or if Bednarek didn't keep having brain farts and making costly errors, or if JWP hadn't have been sent off at Chelsea. These are all things that are out of the manager's control, so to blame him for them and want him replaced is just plain stupid. If we change managers now, our squad will still have the same limitations and it won't suddenly make us the world-beaters that some people expect us to be.

People are saying we should consider form stretching back to last season as well, but the difference in our performances now compared to the painfully bad ones being served up last winter/spring when there were so many other factors in play is so obvious that I can't agree with that. It's how we're performing in the here and now that matters. We're so much more organised and have become much harder to beat, and have only really lost one game that we shouldn't have (Wolves). We were on course to get a creditable draw with Chelsea until the red card, and we lost at Goodison where we always lose anyway. Aside from that we have been competitive in every game and our defensive record is better than Man Utd, Spurs, Arsenal, Leicester and Everton. I'm not seeing any evidence that we are as bad as some of the doomsayers are making out. They must be watching different games from me.

Of course we need to start translating some of our good performances into wins. But we've already played 5 of the current top 8, and with much more favourable fixtures in the 2nd qtr of the season, and with Stu & JWP returning, I absolutely believe we will.  If we don't, and we're still where we are having played everyone, THEN I'll start to get concerned. Until then, I prefer to remain confident.

  • Like 4
Posted
  On 26/10/2021 at 07:14, Dman said:

 

Hang on. Some (like you 2 clowns) on here were defending Ralph last season and had an argument to keep him based on his form in 2020, which spanned across 2 seasons and was about 25 games, given the covid break. 

Yet as soon as someone turns it around, you now want to pull out the cherry picking card. Hypocrite. 

My point was that Ralphs historic win % is completely irrelevant. What should matter is our current form. His record over the past 35 games (or this calendar year, as I know that’s a favourite on here) is relegation (to be generous) form. No other premier league manager would have survived that, not one. 
 

To simply use this seasons form alone is just foolish so early into the season, although even that isn’t great. 1 win in 9. Of course we’re going to take into consideration the back end of last season. 

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There we go, little SKDMan reverting back to name calling because others have a different opinion. It is you, and your ilk, who are the hypocrites. A year ago calendar year results meant nothing. Now they are the be all and end all. We have merely pointed out that if they didn't matter then they don't matter now. Please tell me how many points we have dropped this season due to our form in February or March. Please post links that indicate any premier league manager was sacked this early into a season based on his team's performances the previous ones. To not understand the reasons for many of those results last season, and to deny that we have improved upon those performances, says far more about you than it does us.

Of course it is what is happening this season that matters. If we were: getting played off the park; getting ripped apart defensively over and over again; completely failing to make any goal scoring chances ourselves - then you might have a point. However, we have put in many good performances; are much tighter defensively; have created more chances than our opposition in more matches than not. Is Ralph perfect? No. Does he make mistakes/do things I disagree with? Absolutely. However, some of us are able to see the bigger picture; some you are either not or simply refuse to do so (because you couldn't possibly admit to anything that goes against your long held agenda).

 

  • Like 2
Posted
  On 26/10/2021 at 08:09, Sheaf Saint said:

Yes, it seems expectations are too high among certain fans. Many have such a simplistic view of the current situation that they are incapable of thinking anything other than "it must all be the manager's fault, sack him". It's idiotic to not take other considerations into account.

 

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My only expectation is Ralph picks the best available players in their best positions, makes changes promptly when they are not working out and gets the team up to have a really good go at the teams in our mini league. Those are the things he continually gets wrong, which is why I am starting to get really fed up with him..  

  • Like 2
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Posted
  On 26/10/2021 at 07:33, CB Fry said:

Some are. Not mine. I said we'd finish bottom four pre-season and I've not seen anything to convince me otherwise.

We're cast iron undeniably one of the worst four clubs in the league. So the battle is to stay out of the bottom three.

When we were relegated before we had plenty of

"well, on another day we'd have won that"

"we've got some good players"

"now that we've won that one game we've got some momentum"

"[before match] I think this is a win today, I can't believe people are so negative [after match] we haven't got a divine right to beat anyone, I can't believe people are so impatient".

All that shit I've seen before.

We're relegation candidates all day, all season. Nothing else is on offer. We need probably eight more wins to stay up. Starting Saturday would be a massive help.

Expand  

I've been feeling parallels with that season since this one started. All the draws and all the nearlys, that's why it's so critical to get a decent return from the next 3 games, if not a malaise can set in. 

  • Like 1
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