Chelsea 4-0 Saints - Match Thread

[Harry_SFC]

Just now, Katalinic said:

I wouldn't trust them with 75p in a charity shop tbh.

I'm pinning my hopes on Spors being vaguely decent at his job. We'll see...

[saintant]

1 minute ago, Harry_SFC said:

I'm pinning my hopes on Spors being vaguely decent at his job. We'll see...

About time he opened his mouth.

[Katalinic]

Just now, Harry_SFC said:

I'm pinning my hopes on Spors being vaguely decent at his job. We'll see...

If Blackmore was right about his reporting line then I wouldn't hold your breath.

[Vancouver Saint]

Ha! I am so disengaged from this pile of crap I didn't even realise there was a game today until I chanced on the (entirely predictable) result.

I don't believe anyone sets out to fail, let alone fail as spectacularly as we have done - but SR is rotten to the core and needs to be cleaned out from top to bottom. I don't blame Dragan so much - think he's a victim too. He's put the cash in and put his trust in the SR team who sold him a dream. If he's made a mistake it's tolerating gross incompetence too long.

I look straight at Rasmus Wankersun. His over-confidence and belief in himself led to what must be the single most devastatingly bad managerial appointment ever in Nathan Jones - that was the catalyst that put the club in a death-spiral (accelerated by some furthur mind-numbingly bad managerial and recruitment decisions). Anyone still think Hasenhutl isn't the worldclass manager he clearly is/was?

So it's done. 

Juric is not the right guy to lead us next season in the Championship. Not all his fault but he's also not right. We need someone youthful, energetic, who wins football matches and makes individual players better players, but builds a team first and foremost. Someone who realises that this is a game about goals. And that after five years or more - we need goalscorers.

It's going to be a long rebuild my friends. 

Edited Tuesday at 23:05 by Vancouver Saint

[Harry_SFC]

2 minutes ago, saintant said:

About time he opened his mouth.

Maybe he's come in and thought "fuck this" and left already...

Edited Tuesday at 23:06 by Harry_SFC

[Jimmy_D]

Feels like we played better during both 9-0 games than we have the last two.

[Mboto Gorge]

21 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

How shit must Gronbaek be in training if he can't even get on the pitch?

Exactly. Another absolutely fucking pathetic half arsed signing from these chumps who we have the misfortune of calling our owners. If there’s literally one type of player we DIDNT need, it was a powderpuff , physically weak, passing midfielder with a tidy touch and fuck all else. What the fuck is wrong with this lot at the helm? 

Edited Tuesday at 23:18 by Mboto Gorge

[Football Special]

Travelling back now, usual time wasted watching this bunch of cunts masquerading as a football team, they're laughing at us putting in performances like that, Chelsea have some decent players but you'd never know as we gifted them goals anyway .

That defence reminded me of my Sunday league days when short of players and someone's 60 year old Dad would make up the numbers , utter shambles and not an ounce of pride amongst the lot of them. 

[Football Special]

7 minutes ago, Mboto Gorge said:

Exactly. Another absolutely fucking pathetic half arsed signing from these chumps who we have the misfortune of calling our owners. If there’s literally one type of player we DIDNT need, it was a powderpuff , physically weak, passing midfielder with a tidy touch and fuck all else. What the fuck is wrong with this lot at the helm? 

Would be fascinating being a fly on the wall in the meetings when these decisions were made, clearly no strategy whatsoever, yeah he'll do sign him up , it's amazing an industry with such money swilling around and so many chancers bluffing their way along , just save the time, sign a cardboard cutout and give the money to charity to at least do some use instead 

[Football Special]

1 hour ago, goodymatt said:

Levi Colwill saying his mates are all Saints fans so he will give them stick. I thought he was a Saints fan himself?

He's a local lad but 'fan' might be stretching it a bit, if anything he's a Sholing fan 

[Appy]

Just getting home now. 
 

I think the sheer apathy and inevitability about it all is the worst bit isn’t it? 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

6 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Would be fascinating being a fly on the wall in the meetings when these decisions were made, clearly no strategy whatsoever, yeah he'll do sign him up , it's amazing an industry with such money swilling around and so many chancers bluffing their way along , just save the time, sign a cardboard cutout and give the money to charity to at least do some use instead 

The cardboard cut out would be in the running for player of season with Ramsdale and Fernandes. 🙂

[Lighthouse]

21 minutes ago, Jimmy_D said:

Feels like we played better during both 9-0 games than we have the last two.

The Man United game was, for the most part, not that bad. Having a massive injury crisis and an absolute idiot sent off after 80 seconds was always setting us up for a hiding but the ref turned it from a 5/6-0 into a 9-0. You also have to laugh at Bednarek getting the worst ever score in the history of FPL.

[Dragon_man]

1 hour ago, Golac's Cunning Stunts said:

Crazy bad times. Don’t think I have ever known such a bad bunch of players. I have gone past getting angry / pissed off / sad / you name the emotion when we lose. Now it’s just let’s get away with a 3 or 4 nil loss please god.

There was something to cheer about / like about all the other relegation teams. Most showed some fight at least. 
 

worst I can remember in my lifetime of 50 odd years of being a saints fan.

Lots of people blaming Juric, but this obviously isn’t just a manager problem is it

 

It certainly isn't just Juric, but I don't see him having the skills, nous and wherewithall to rebuild this club in the summer to be able to fight for promotion. Not sure who can and it feels like an impossible task.  The painful seasons haven't ended yet I fear. 

[Football Special]

15 minutes ago, Appy said:

Just getting home now. 
 

I think the sheer apathy and inevitability about it all is the worst bit isn’t it? 

[Dragon_man]

I walked past the Chelsea demonstration and listened in for a bit. Had to laugh, they think they have something to complain about. Hold my beer ...

 

 

[Fabrice29]

13 minutes ago, Appy said:

Just getting home now. 
 

I think the sheer apathy and inevitability about it all is the worst bit isn’t it? 

The apathy is definitely the worst bit. We’ve come into this season with a worse attack than last season and okay fine it’s taken a few months to realise that but when it comes to January, season over or not, the club should be going all out for someone to score some goals and it doesn’t appear to have happened. We’re 2 years on from a season in which we realised that the January signings of Sulemana and Onuachu weren’t good enough and yet here we are back with them starting again. It’s piss poor. It also makes me laugh people were convinced that was the right thing to do in January forgetting they would have to sit through another 4 months of football and ‘why has he picked that 11!?!” talk. 

[Saint Shady]

1 hour ago, S-Clarke said:

As good as that day out at Wembley was, that result has created one of the worst ever seasons in my Saints supporting life. What I'd give to have lost that and be enjoying a Leeds style season now (although that wouldn't have happened, as SR own us).

But anyway, this promotion was the worst thing to happen to us. The only positives we can potentially take are finances, but when SR are spending the money I don't even think that is a positive.

The days under Port and Wotte were bad, really bad, those were some low days. This is a high level but it feels worse, it feels lifeless. 

It honestly feels like the entire club has taken a year off of football. Being as uncompetitive as this in any league is shameful and lots and lots of heads should roll in the summer, there cannot be any hiding away from the damage this year has done.

I just think that SR are so utterly clueless that we will just continue to see more of the same.

The first season we had under their ownership was a shambles. They came in to our club without any idea what they were doing and have learnt absolutely nothing since.

Everytime they have had a chance to reset and do something to make a positive change they have failed miserably.

I have zero faith that they will get any decision right.

The promotion and the couple of good players we’ve signed seems like a complete fluke. Players that will likely be gone at the end of the season anyway so even they have been wasted on us.

I had half a hope that our owner would finally step in and maybe sort this shit show out but as he’s apparently backed IJ for next year it seems he knows fuck all as well. 

As someone else has said above for once us lot really do know more than the people in charge.

The best thing about our club is and has always been the fans. We are as good a bunch of football supporters as you can get and whatever happens next we’ll still be here. 

Up the saints 🔴⚪️

[Football Special]

15 minutes ago, Dragon_man said:

I walked past the Chelsea demonstration and listened in for a bit. Had to laugh, they think they have something to complain about. Hold my beer ...

 

 

Just read about that,  got to laugh you really do , I remember going.there twice 1991/92 season, think 7k at ZDS cup game and 9k crowd at league game 

Edited Wednesday at 00:06 by Football Special

[warsash saint]

Just got back ... my random thoughts

• Fans were immense tonight!  Despite the shite being served up again, the fans were loud & in good humour!
• Chelsea fans the worst i have witnessed this season - if you cant sing during a 4 nil win, when can you?
• Never seen so many tourists at a football game in my life - i thought Citeh was bad earlier in the season, but tonight was next level
• The volume of Chelsea fans wearing half & half scarves
• Why did the away end stink of fried chicken the whole game?

[Jack]

On the replacement bus between Winchester and Southampton Central, and it’s far more entertaining than what those pricks served up at Stamford Bridge. There’s never been a PL side easier to walk through than us. We don’t need 3 at the back when we haven’t got any CBs fit. I don’t want Juric anywhere near it next season, we’ll be more likely to do a Luton than anything else 

[Saint Keef]

2 hours ago, Football Special said:

Travelling back now, usual time wasted watching this bunch of cunts masquerading as a football team, they're laughing at us putting in performances like that, Chelsea have some decent players but you'd never know as we gifted them goals anyway .

That defence reminded me of my Sunday league days when short of players and someone's 60 year old Dad would make up the numbers , utter shambles and not an ounce of pride amongst the lot of them. 

Who is this 60 year old Dad and is he any good? Perhaps HCDAJFU

[disconnect]

8 hours ago, Saint NL said:

How shit must Gronbaek be in training if he can't even get on the pitch?

I’d completely forgotten about him! Another great loan signing…

[Gloucester Saint]

8 hours ago, Katalinic said:

I wouldn't trust them with 75p in a charity shop tbh.

That wouldn’t get you much in any decent charity shop these days - but in itself that does illustrate their transfer strategy from last summer perfectly.

[Gloucester Saint]

8 hours ago, Football Special said:

He's a local lad but 'fan' might be stretching it a bit, if anything he's a Sholing fan 

Sholing was always full of Man U, Liverpool, Leeds etc. Woolston, Weston, Thornhill, Merry Oak and Bitterne were more Saints-focused East of the Itchen. 

[obelisk]

19 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Sholing was always full of Man U, Liverpool, Leeds etc. Woolston, Weston, Thornhill, Merry Oak and Bitterne were more Saints-focused East of the Itchen. 

When I were a Woolston lad there was no other team to think about following except Saints. Quite a long time ago mind. These days there's plastics everywhere.

[saintant]

9 hours ago, Jimmy_D said:

Feels like we played better during both 9-0 games than we have the last two.

I think the 9-0 record could go against Liverpool if they decide they want to beat it.

[Nordic Saint]

8 hours ago, Saint Shady said:

The best thing about our club is and has always been the fans. We are as good a bunch of football supporters as you can get and whatever happens next we’ll still be here. 

Up the saints 🔴⚪️

Ramsdale gets it. Did you see him telling the other players to come and applaud the fans at the end? If only we had 10 other players like him.

(Yes, I know someone's going to say it: if we had 11 goalkeepers, it might help keep the score down).

Edited Wednesday at 08:50 by Nordic Saint

[SW11_Saint]

9 hours ago, Football Special said:

He's a local lad but 'fan' might be stretching it a bit, if anything he's a Sholing fan 

And regularly turns up to watch them…

[Nordic Saint]

3 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

And regularly turns up to watch them…

“This is a very exciting time for Sholing Football Club being supported by Levi Colwill.  We are really proud to be working alongside Levi.  His family values echo the history of Sholing FC and, taking these values forward, Levi wants to give something back."

Sholing Football Club announce next stages in Levi Colwill partnership! – Sholing FC

[ChristopheVAFC]

Quote

The best thing about our club is and has always been the fans. We are as good a bunch of football supporters as you can get and whatever happens next we’ll still be here. 

Up the saints 🔴⚪

You can be proud of yourselves, friends, having experienced it last year with Valenciennes, it's not easy every day, I'm sad to see that your season is complicated and I think you have to continue to support your team and not give up.

Unfortunately, it's time to think about next year and wish your club a direct promotion, which is possible because you did it last year.

I admire your passion for your club and I'm convinced that better days will come soon.

Like you, I would also like to see SR do better for our 3 clubs and I think it's a shame that we don't always make the right choices.

I think that this year the steps were too high for you but I'm not worried, you'll do much better next year my friends.

[kitch]

9 hours ago, Football Special said:

Just read about that,  got to laugh you really do , I remember going.there twice 1991/92 season, think 7k at ZDS cup game and 9k crowd at league game 

They're 4th, aren't they? What are they expecting?!

Deluded twats.

[SW11_Saint]

Hard to argue with anything here… 

 

[Gingeletiss]

1 hour ago, Nordic Saint said:

Ramsdale gets it. Did you see him telling the other players to come and applaud the fans at the end? If only we had 10 other players like him.

(Yes, I know someone's going to say it: if we had 11 goalkeepers, it might help keep the score down).

11 very tall, very fat goalkeepers!

[Patrick Bateman]

Did anyone watch Sky Sports afterwards? Paul Merson was the most scathing I've ever heard a pundit about how utterly terrible the Saints team are as footballers. He was saying something like "I've seen Saints results and heard about the performances, but I hadn't seen it first hand this season but god they are terrible, really terrible, probably the worst Premier League team I have ever watched" and this went on for quite some rant. 

Some might not like Merson, but regardless, that is an ex-pro sat there destroying fellow pros, a damning indication of just how bad this team is, how bad the recruitment has been, how bad the management are, how half-arsed the players are and generally just how shoddily run this club has been.

The owners were lucky to see promotion and get the extra income, but manager after manager has been utter trash and player hire after player hire has been beyond trash and frankly it's like they're letting a 9 year old pick players from Football Manager. 

Is it any wonder Jesse Marsch turned the job down after meeting them? (I'm sure he wouldn't have kept Saints up, but would've been better the following season). No wonder Moyes, Potter and co were nowhere near the job either. 

Absolute shit fest all round.  I was calm last night as it was inevitable, but the more I read, the more I watch from people saying how bad it was, the more angry I get.

I was going to get my son and I season tickets in the Championship next season, but I think that unless drastic changes are made NOW, we won't bother. 

The club are down. Strip out the management right now, top to bottom, recruit well now, well ahead of the summer break to allow a fast start to a championship season with players that give a fk with a competent management team. 

Edited Wednesday at 10:48 by Patrick Bateman

[Gloucester Saint]

Pleased at least our supporters are getting the credit they deserve last night. The club certainly doesn’t deserve them.

[Oldandtired]

30 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

…..recruit well now, well ahead of the summer break to allow a fast start to a championship season with players that give a fk with a competent management team. 

Who with these credentials would want to come here atm, and, possibly more importantly, who have we got that is capable of identifying them?

[sadoldgit]

Not got much more to say that hasn’t been said already other than way back in time I remember posting that if Southampton FC was a racehorse it would have been shot by now. I can’t remember which season that was but even that season was better than this.

[bobby_charles]

Sat in the home stands with the BIL. First game for a few years actually (2 1 win against Leicester away) 

The positives:

The fans, fucking hats off to you guys, top class, great voice all game. Sang louder than the whole bridge all night, gallows humour but still.

 

The negatives:

Everything else, the contrast between the last away game I went to (season we went down) and this was just hard to put in words. It's like an exhibition match for everyone apart from ramsdale and matty, abk aside from that hairdo was what you expect from a player sidelined for 2 years, aribo in defence well enough said. 

Chelsea where awful, but could have easily scored 5 or 6 although you wouldn't know it from the noise the homefans make. Most seemed tourists wearing half and half(!?!) scarves. 

Pints were sub 8 quid so I suppose that's a thing.

 

It's been said before but I genuinely cant see anything but straight losses till the end of the season. Still Sheffield utd next season might make people forgot about this team.

[OldNick]

9 minutes ago, sadoldgit said:

 if Southampton FC was a racehorse it would have been shot by now. 

Our players would miss

[Sarnia Cherie]

3 hours ago, Nordic Saint said:

Ramsdale gets it. Did you see him telling the other players to come and applaud the fans at the end? If only we had 10 other players like him.

(Yes, I know someone's going to say it: if we had 11 goalkeepers, it might help keep the score down).

That shows the total apathy and so what attitude of the rest of the team. Loyal fans traipsing up to London on a mid-week February night to watch the same dire rubbish dished up on the pitch and they can't even go and acknowledge them of their own accord. The only interest they have is for their undeserved, bloated wages. Time to start paying salaries by results? 

[derry]

With due respect to the different opinions regarding the continuous debacle we are witnessing on a weekly basis. This manager is an idiot. Anybody who thinks sticking square pegs in round holes every week is competent is deluded. The mere fact that Juric like Martin is wedded to a one trick pony system and is shoehorning unsuitable players into vital positions says it all. 

We have a decent enough goalkeeper but the vital back line is totally disorganised. The recent three with only one centre back is a disaster. We need to go to a back four with two centre backs. We have two reasonable full backs that should be made to primarily defend instead of playing like kamikaze wingers.  We lack discipline and organisation in defence and that needs to be sorted.

Personally after watching all the different formation I can't see anything better or more natural for our players than a simple 4-4-2. The set up recently has been a total clusterfuck. Bree and Aribo with one centreback in a back three and Smallbone in midfield. Smallbone has no conception of workrate, won't tackle and doesn't know how to defend, example last night abysmally wrongsided for the headed goal. In the circumstances Fernandes with Downes in the middle would be better with Dibling and Sulemana wide and Onuachu and Archer up front. 

The players are unable to play naturally as both Juric and Martin insist on playing their way. Watching ABK following Neto and leaving a bloody great hole at the back was stupidity beyond belief. Man marking at set pieces certainly but not the way we are doing it.

 

[bobby_charles]

it seems kwp is just going through the motions, being out of contract why would he risk himself, he saw what happened to stu. He's on a tightrope, so he won't commit to any risky tackles and it was clear from last night. He has faded into the background just waiting to take off the shirt one last time, depressingly he is still the best option 

[bugenhagen]

10 minutes ago, OldNick said:

Our players would miss

Or owners...

[Gloucester Saint]

I like Aaron Ramsdale even more if he dragged the others over to applaud the fans. At least he recognises the efforts the fans make and the continued turnout. Great shame he will be going in the summer but who can honestly blame him?

[Harry_SFC]

24 minutes ago, bobby_charles said:

it seems kwp is just going through the motions, being out of contract why would he risk himself, he saw what happened to stu. He's on a tightrope, so he won't commit to any risky tackles and it was clear from last night. He has faded into the background just waiting to take off the shirt one last time, depressingly he is still the best option 

Tbh I don't blame KWP. He's been a standout player for the last 4 years (up until this season). He's seen some absolute shite players and managers in that time and hasn't pushed to move. Just like the fans I'm not surprised he's had enough. 

[Chez]

18 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Tbh I don't blame KWP. He's been a standout player for the last 4 years (up until this season). He's seen some absolute shite players and managers in that time and hasn't pushed to move. Just like the fans I'm not surprised he's had enough. 

He was poor in the 2022/23 relgation season, excellent last season against lessor oponents and OK this. He's still very good on the ball, but he's not quick enough to cope with some of fastest wingers' acceleration. He's still a lot better than all the other options we have, on both sides...which explains why we are struggling. I don't think he is going through the motions, he's just less impactful going forward at this level and has more to do defensively, so we see less of his attacking stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I am not happy with the performances of the team and individuals, but playing badly isn't always down to poor attitutude, not trying etc. Often it's just that they aint very good, lacking confidence and unsure what they ought to be doing. The collective shitness prevents them excelling.

The days of being able to smash into someone to show you care are gone, which often makes them look like they are not committed. A good example of that was Les on Saturday. He got an early booking and from then on he hardly made a tackle. If you had missed the card, then you'd of thought he just didnt give a fuck, but he had to be really cautious - which aint what you want from you holding defensive midfielder. His game was fucked from minute 2 on.   

 

[bangkoksaint]

Serious question..............The Player of the Season awards.................assume they arent having one?

[goodymatt]

27 minutes ago, bangkoksaint said:

Serious question..............The Player of the Season awards.................assume they arent having one?

Mateus Fernandes is the obvious choice for me. Special mention to Ramsdale who’s been decent enough when fit. There are no other options to consider.

[Sarnia Cherie]

25 minutes ago, bangkoksaint said:

Serious question..............The Player of the Season awards.................assume they arent having one?

If they do I hope Ramsdale wins it. That poor sod stuck behind what is laughingly described as a defence week in, week out, must wonder what the hell is going on. Without him we would have shipped even more goals so with the absence of anyone who can score, I hope the ball stopper wins Player of the Season.