Anyone starting to look nervously at the table?

[JRM]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

what's the record for most consecutive top flight losses? I'm REALLY worried we will take that one too, i cant see us winning another game this season as everyone else is doing so well and we are the only team to drop in form. Then that form will carry on until next season. Has anyone gone 50 games without a win?

Funny enough i looked that up , Sunderland in 2002/03 lost their last 15 matches in a row. 

Going to be hard to beat that record, but Ralph and the boys like a challenge. 

[CB Fry]

43 minutes ago, Turkish said:

When will we hear from the board? A statement or press conference or something to tell us what is going on? Are they sitting on their hands as Rome burns? Radio silence as usual

I'm this close to setting up a Facebook group called "It's time to set up AFC Southampton"

#pheonixclub

[Lighthouse]

If we reset the table now and everyone played the last 15 games from zero, I’d still bet on us staying up.

[aintforever]

10 points clear with 15 games left to play, would be very unlikely we would get sucked in but it's been an odd season. 

If Fulham go on an amazing run and we pick up more injuries it could get nervy. Big if tho.

 

 

[Dark Munster]

5 hours ago, CB Fry said:

To be honest my view is we should drop down to league one as quickly as possible, have a clear out, rebuild and start again. It's clearly the only way we're ever going to get back to European contention. Really, every single defeat will be seen as a blessing in the long run.

I'm afraid that may not be enough. I think we also need an administration and -10 points to completely clear out the rot.

We'll still probably be left with Dave Bloody Watson though. 

[Turkish]

How I wish Danny Rohl was still here 😪

[VectisSaint]

12 hours ago, Saint86 said:

It really is as simple as this. For any fans out there that don't think we can get 7 points from a possible 45, where are your "Hassenhuttle out" posts?

Rubbish. Why does it have to be down to the manager? If there are these mythical people thinking we won't get 7 points they probably realise like most rational people that our problems are not down to a single factor like Ralph. Indeed if they were looking for a scapegoat the more rational approach would be 'Gao out'. 

[Turkish]

4 minutes ago, VectisSaint said:

Rubbish. Why does it have to be down to the manager? If there are these mythical people thinking we won't get 7 points they probably realise like most rational people that our problems are not down to a single factor like Ralph. Indeed if they were looking for a scapegoat the more rational approach would be 'Gao out'. 

Does Goa pick the team, chose the tactics, do the training and sign the players then?

Edited 18 February, 2021 by Turkish

[skintsaint]

On 16/02/2021 at 22:45, VectisSaint said:

Given we can't play golf at the moment it doesn't help anyway, no matter how bad you are. 

Only issue I have is work getting in the way, can play whenever otherwise 😅

[SuperSAINT]

 

[Sunglasses Ron]

I reckon we'll lose our next 3, to make it 9 (nine) on the spin.  You know, just to pi$$ us all off for the sheer irony and facilitate all those 999 jokes.

We'll then rediscover how to play football and become world beaters, enjoy the summer break, then be rank awful at the start of next season (as we always are).

[IFHP]

1 hour ago, SuperSAINT said:

 

Thats not exactly rocket science is it?

Can we still go down?  - yes its possible we could.

How likey is it?  - Not very likley at all.

 

As I have said before, if we went down this season after getting 29 points from 23 games, then rather than Hassenhuttl being one of the many good managers we have had, he would become quite possibly the worst manager in our history. 

[JRM]

Let's see what happens this weekend, but if we lose to Chelsea and Fulham win at home to Sheff Utd to close the gap to 7 points with 14 games to play you'd have to be extremely arrogant/ naive to say we're not part of the relegation battle. 

I can see Burnley and Brighton gaining points on us this weekend as well. 

[Lighthouse]

5 minutes ago, JRM said:

Let's see what happens this weekend, but if we lose to Chelsea and Fulham win at home to Sheff Utd to close the gap to 7 points with 14 games to play you'd have to be extremely arrogant/ naive to say we're not part of the relegation battle. 

I can see Burnley and Brighton gaining points on us this weekend as well. 

All that would prove is that they can beat Sheff Utd and we’re not as good as Chelsea. Big whoop. That leaves us with a 3 win head-start on a team which had score 4 wins all season. Fulham will struggle to 32-35 points whilst we will probably be in the mid-forties somewhere.

[woodsaint1]

If we cant get another measly 9 points (cant see Fulham getting to 38) then we deserve to go down because that would be less than 3 wins from our last 21 games 😂😂😂. Thats not going to happen no matter how hopeless we can be at times. Hopefully we can be nearly there by the time the FA Cup quarter final comes around

[aintforever]

17 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

All that would prove is that they can beat Sheff Utd and we’re not as good as Chelsea. Big whoop. That leaves us with a 3 win head-start on a team which had score 4 wins all season. Fulham will struggle to 32-35 points whilst we will probably be in the mid-forties somewhere.

A 7 point gap over 14 games is not a lot. Can’t see it happening but if we pick up a few more injuries it is certainly possible given the lack of depth in our squad and the fact that we have Mr 9-0 in charge.

[whelk]

Well a point at home isn’t going to help us in our relegation battle. Let’s hope Fulham’s mighty surge stops soon.

[Lighthouse]

1 minute ago, whelk said:

Well a point at home isn’t going to help us in our relegation battle. Let’s hope Fulham’s mighty surge stops soon.

Desperately need to find a win and three draws from somewhere in our next 14 games.

[S-Clarke]

10 points clear of top 6, 11 points clear of the bottom 3.

The definition of marooned in midtable nothingness! 

[Teddeer]

1 hour ago, whelk said:

Well a point at home isn’t going to help us in our relegation battle. Let’s hope Fulham’s mighty surge stops soon.

It's a good point against a team who have spent many millions. Also, it ends the run of defeats and gives us something to build on.

[Yorkshire Saint]

100% yes

[S-Clarke]

No. We are as safe as houses in mid-table as you can get.

Fulham have had their best week and will probably not have another week like it. Newcastle have right to be nervous, we don't really.

Edited 20 February, 2021 by S-Clarke

[Saints foreva]

Hello relegation battle. 

[GDog07]

Just the 8pts now and four away games on the trot; Leeds, Everton, Sheff Utd & Man City.

Could easily lose three of those, four would be a catastrophe.

Safe to say I’m worried until we bag another win, not sure where it’s coming from yet.

[S-Clarke]

3 minutes ago, Saints foreva said:

Hello relegation battle. 

Give your head a wobble.

[woodsaint1]

8 points clear and a game in hand on Fulham who have pretty much played all the teams around them twice. They still have City, Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Villa, Arsenal and Wolves in their last 13 games. Yeah we'll be fine once we reach 38 points

[qwertyell]

8 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Newcastle have right to be nervous, we don't really.

The team just five points behind us - and who beat us with nine men the other day - are in a relegation battle, but we're "safe as houses*?

[Teddeer]

Fulham' s next 6 fixtures are Palace away,  Spurs at home, Liverpool away, Man City home, Leeds home and Villa away. Anyone seriously think they'll get much from those games?

They also have to play Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd all away plus they have to play us at St Marys.

If they end up above us at the end of the season then you'd have to take your hat off to them but can't see it happening.

Edited 20 February, 2021 by Teddeer

[S-Clarke]

2 minutes ago, qwertyell said:

The team just five points behind us - and who beat us with nine men the other day - are in a relegation battle, but we're "safe as houses*?

Yep, we're fine. 

We need two wins, maybe 1 win and 2 draws. We have to play Sheffield United, Burnley, West Brom etc. I'm not being complacent, I just don't understand why fans have so much confidence in other teams. We are on a bad run, we haven't won since the start of January - that will change sooner rather than later and this won't even be a debate come March.

If we were in Fulham's position this forum would be full of the same posters saying 'it's game over'.

[austsaint]

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Yep, we're fine. 

We need two wins, maybe 1 win and 2 draws. We have to play Sheffield United, Burnley, West Brom etc. I'm not being complacent, I just don't understand why fans have so much confidence in other teams. We are on a bad run, we haven't won since the start of January - that will change sooner rather than later and this won't even be a debate come March.

If we were in Fulham's position this forum would be full of the same posters saying 'it's game over'.

Except that Fulham are in a good vein of form and playing some attractive Football.    While no one should be worried about relegation, the prospect (real) of finishing 17th after topping the table briefly early season is a demoralising prospect.   I'm hoping that KWP and Diallo returning will lift things, because our two CM's look out on their feet at the moment.  The big plus is the emergence of Salisu - he with the return of injured players gives hope for a comfortable 40 points plus finish.

[S-Clarke]

3 minutes ago, austsaint said:

Except that Fulham are in a good vein of form and playing some attractive Football.    While no one should be worried about relegation, the prospect (real) of finishing 17th after topping the table briefly early season is a demoralising prospect.   I'm hoping that KWP and Diallo returning will lift things, because our two CM's look out on their feet at the moment.  The big plus is the emergence of Salisu - he with the return of injured players gives hope for a comfortable 40 points plus finish.

They've won 7 points out of 9, they are on their best run of the season. That's all. Why are people assuming that this is how Fulham will continue now? And why in the same vein are people assuming we will continue as we are now? It won't even take us to have a ''good run'' to fly away from Fulham, it'll just a win here and there over the next couple of months. I don't want it to be like that though and I don't think it will be.

It's taken them to get 7 out of 9, and us to have our worst spell of defeats in our history, for the 'mighty' Fulham to come to within 8 points of us. I think that puts some context around it.

Edited 20 February, 2021 by S-Clarke

[Teddeer]

3 minutes ago, austsaint said:

Except that Fulham are in a good vein of form and playing some attractive Football.    While no one should be worried about relegation, the prospect (real) of finishing 17th after topping the table briefly early season is a demoralising prospect.   I'm hoping that KWP and Diallo returning will lift things, because our two CM's look out on their feet at the moment.  The big plus is the emergence of Salisu - he with the return of injured players gives hope for a comfortable 40 points plus finish.

Scraped a one nil against one of the worst sides ever to grace the Premier League tonight off the back of a 1-1 draw with Burnley. Real Madrid they aint.

[austsaint]

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

They've won 7 points out of 9, they are on their best run of the season. That's all. Why are people assuming that this is how Fulham will continue now? And why in the same vein are people assuming we will continue as we are now? It won't even take us to have a ''good run'' to fly away from Fulham, it'll just a win here and there over the next couple of months. I don't want it to be like that though and I don't think it will be.

It's taken them to get 7 out of 9, and us to have our worst spell of defeats in our history, for the 'mighty' Fulham to come to within 8 points of us. I think that puts some context around it.

Yes indeed, I'm not meaning to big Fulham up, even though if I was a supporter, I'd give them a good chance of surviving....not at our expense though.    I think it's reasonable to have a nervousness about Saints returning to a better run of results......which leads to the possibility of the unwanted flop over the line into a 16th or 17th place finish.   Hope I'm not sounding a bit like Dalek!!

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Am just annoyed we handed Newcastle three points the other week. Without those points they would be in the bottom three now. Would much rather see them go down than Fulham.

[S-Clarke]

4 minutes ago, austsaint said:

Yes indeed, I'm not meaning to big Fulham up, even though if I was a supporter, I'd give them a good chance of surviving....not at our expense though.    I think it's reasonable to have a nervousness about Saints returning to a better run of results......which leads to the possibility of the unwanted flop over the line into a 16th or 17th place finish.   Hope I'm not sounding a bit like Dalek!!

Don't get me wrong, it's frustrating that this scenario is even creeping into peoples minds. We were set to have a nice tidy season, but it's now just going to be a bit of a mid-table nothingness. So it's a bit frustrating that injuries have killed it really. Mid 40's will be our points return imo.

Still, have faith. We've got good players, albeit a little fragile mentally, but our core when on song is still much stronger than those of Burnley/Newcastle/Palace/Brighton without question. They've proven that IMO.

[austsaint]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

Don't get me wrong, it's frustrating that this scenario is even creeping into peoples minds. We were set to have a nice tidy season, but it's now just going to be a bit of a mid-table nothingness. So it's a bit frustrating that injuries have killed it really. Mid 40's will be our points return imo.

Still, have faith. We've got good players, albeit a little fragile mentally, but our core when on song is still much stronger than those of Burnley/Newcastle/Palace/Brighton without question. They've proven that IMO.

No argument there...onwards and upwards.    And the Cup run dream lives on too!

[tajjuk]

Can we just highlight our fixtures, we still have to play Sheff Utd, Brighton, Burnley, West Brom, Palace, Fulham, West Ham, Leeds twice. 

Man City, Liverpool and Leicester are our only really difficult games. 

 

We've had a bad run but its also important to note those fixtures have included Leicester, Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Wolves in the last 8 so not exactly 'easy' fixtures either. 

[JRM]

8 hours ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Am just annoyed we handed Newcastle three points the other week. Without those points they would be in the bottom three now. Would much rather see them go down than Fulham.

You could still well get your wish, you can see the belief and confidence at Fulham now, so many games left this season with a small points gap to make up. 

Fulham play Crystal Palace next, another strong chance for them to pick up points, big IF but they could win that and get to 25 points. 

Bottom 2 are gone now though. 

 

[InvictaSaint]

[egg]

1 hour ago, JRM said:

You could still well get your wish, you can see the belief and confidence at Fulham now, so many games left this season with a small points gap to make up. 

Fulham play Crystal Palace next, another strong chance for them to pick up points, big IF but they could win that and get to 25 points. 

Bottom 2 are gone now though. 

 

Yep. Fulham have the belief, and look far more likely to pick up points at the moment than us.

If Fulham beat Palace and get to 25 points, everyone up to Palace on 29 points are in a fight. If we're still on 30 points, we're no safer.

The Leeds game is vital, win that and I say close this thread. If we lose it, and Fulham beat Palace, all of a sudden we've got more than the cup to play for this season. 

[The Cat]

16 minutes ago, egg said:

Yep. Fulham have the belief, and look far more likely to pick up points at the moment than us.

If Fulham beat Palace and get to 25 points, everyone up to Palace on 29 points are in a fight. If we're still on 30 points, we're no safer.

The Leeds game is vital, win that and I say close this thread. If we lose it, and Fulham beat Palace, all of a sudden we've got more than the cup to play for this season. 

It's not just Fulham who have to overtake us though. It's also Brighton, Burnley, Palace and Newcastle. We'll finish above at least 2 of them.

[egg]

Just now, The Cat said:

It's not just Fulham who have to overtake us though. It's also Brighton, Burnley, Palace and Newcastle. We'll finish above at least 2 of them.

Of course. If we're on 30, and Fulham are on 25 and Palace on 29 after they've played each other, then any team who haven't moved above us will also be looking nervously at Fulham. Our Leeds game is massive, ditto Fulham vs Palace. 

[Turkish]

6 minutes ago, egg said:

Of course. If we're on 30, and Fulham are on 25 and Palace on 29 after they've played each other, then any team who haven't moved above us will also be looking nervously at Fulham. Our Leeds game is massive, ditto Fulham vs Palace. 

Palace could be the biggest losers or winners this week. Brighton on Monday Fulham’s on Saturday. 4-6 points and they’re safe, lose them both and suddenly That group for the third relegation spot becomes very bunched up. 

[egg]

Just now, Turkish said:

Palace could be the biggest losers or winners this week. Brighton on Monday Fulham’s on Saturday. 4-6 points and they’re safe, lose them both and suddenly That group for the third relegation spot becomes very bunched up. 

Yep, the next couple of games for a few clubs will be interesting but it all depends on what Fulham do. Get beat by Palace and Spurs, and the others above them pick up points, then the fun is over I think. I'd like to see Newcastle dragged into it as i like Fulham, proper little club. Personally, I think we'll beat Leeds, get some belief back and finish mid table, but any version of Saints or Leeds could turn up. 

[CB Fry]

We're on 30 points with 14 games to go.

We're safe. We are not going to be relegated. We barely need to win a match to stay up.

I get it's exciting to engineer a bit of mild peril into the season but really it's not happening.

[OldNick]

13 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

We're on 30 points with 14 games to go.

We're safe. We are not going to be relegated. We barely need to win a match to stay up.

I get it's exciting to engineer a bit of mild peril into the season but really it's not happening.

I think you are correct CB, the point yesterday must have steadied the ship. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

13 hours ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Am just annoyed we handed Newcastle three points the other week. Without those points they would be in the bottom three now. Would much rather see them go down than Fulham.

Don’t worry, we’ll hand Fulham 3 to make up for it. 

[Sunglasses Ron]

Fulham’s fixtures after Palace are Tottenham, Liverpool, Man City and Leeds. Whilst they could get within 5 points of us next week, it would be damn difficult for them to get any closer I’d say.

[Lighthouse]

If Fulham were to win their three most winnable games - Palace, Newcastle and Burnley - That would put them a whole point ahead of where we are now. We would have four games in hand, including Fulham, Brighton, Palace, West Brom, Burnley and two games against Leeds. All their other games would be against 10 of the top 13, Saints being theoretically the worst.

 

We aren’t in a relegation fight.

[tajjuk]

We also just haven't turned into a bad team overnight, we had a bad run of injuries, at the same time as some tough fixtures and some horrible refereeing decisions in there as well (notable Villa and Wolves), which all came together to really knock the team's confidence. Some actual competent refereeing and we'd be level with Spurs in the top 10 right now and 4 points of 6/7th with easier games to come. 

I think minimum we'll get another 5-6 wins out of the last 14.