david in sweden

I stand corrected, but it would be nice to see them playing regularly AND stay fit.

Most of the summer signings were loans, only Shea Charles cost a fee (15 mill.). Even if we don't get promotion and we lose some players, we would need a repeat scenario to replace them. If we 've done it once ..why not ?

Playing youngsters ( often in home games ) is a way to allow kids to get some minutes, but it's dangerous to put them in and expect they perform as well as the regular / more experienced regulars. To be fair, RM had never seen any U21 's ( in some cases like Dibling were still U18's ) and so doesn't know them as we do. After we went on the unbeaten run it was obvious to continue picking the same starters (allowing for injuries / suspensions / and form loss ). Those who do come in occasionally show up well . Edozie started first 7 games and scored twice, then had a run of sub apps. then started again and scored 3 times in December before getting injured. Mara had a run of sub. games in Dec / Jan and scored three , then twice more in February. Since when both have had numerous sub .apps. without impressing. Sulemana has had his share of game time but is yet to score. YES we have a lower quality in the Academy this season , and few have shown up well and many of those still qualify as U18's (eg. Sam AA and Dibling) . Ballard started well in U21's. (6 goals in 2 games) , was then loaned to Reading but got a serious injury. Doyle went to Brighton and RB Lewis Payne is doing well on loan at Newport (in L2). Various other talents are out on loan and therefore both Youth sides have suffered in consequence. Strikers especially suffer from " the ketchup effect ". Despite getting 20 goals Adam A. has had "dry spells" . Having scored in 4 consecutive matches in March, he has now gone 3 games blank. Ché Adams was even worse - scoring just once in 7 games in February, and missed some real sitters in that time, but has now scored 3... ( or 4 if you count KWP's deflected effort v. Coventry ).. in his last 4 outings. Everyone has their favourite players (and verbally abuse others on line) but regardless of the outcome not everyone plays well in every game.

When decisions go against us everyone talks about " swings and roundabouts " but this was a typical example of us controlling the first half, then letting them get back into the game. If there is any justice / luck then we deserved this win if only for " payback" for the Ipswich game where we lost the match in the 99th minute when we might well have won the game and then cruelly ended up with nothing. The high point was surely seeing two goals scored by midfielders, who both deserved to be on the scoresheet for their efforts throughout the season. Will Smallbone's opening goal was classic stuff and inside the first minute. Flynn Downes' was yet another effort that will go down as a late, late goal that finally got us the win. To : markr 27 ....The Leeds game may decide the outcome, but looking at your stats,. it seems that beating Leicester will be the key game. If we can beat them we may still be in with a shout . I just hope Vardy doesn't play, he has an unenviable record of scoring against us.

Yes really . 10 of those on that list are " out on loans" which surely means they were " surplus to requirement ", and few of the others were regular first teamers. No-one allows their best talents go out - even for a season. Saints had a huge turnover and some of the replacements had no real League experience. Whilst we were overstaffed and had a big deficit looming. we had little choice but to sell and get loans players in. Leeds kept many of their best names.

Considering that they were all brought in as loans suggests that the Board were well aware that we were going to suffer a 70 million trading loss for last year. One could argue that they were good moves, although in his defence Holgate only arrived on the day before the " Sunderland Massacre " and probably knew very few of our players, and had never heard of " Russ ball ". He didn't excel in his loan period, but will likely find a good move elsewhere in the future. Shea Charles is an odd one, as he rarely gets game time, but it might be argued that after we began the marathon unbeaten run, RM was reluctant to make changes / or experiment just for the sake of it. Credit must go to someone for making those great deals ( Lavia, Livramento, Tella and Salisu ) who - to be fair - might not have been automatic selections had they stayed, although I am sad JWP went, his service to the club was unmatched, and it won't be possible to replace him even in one season. I'm surprised only West Ham took interest, but in the long run they might realise what a good deal they had. Recalling the big turnover of players (and managers) we've had in the last 2 years, I think we've landed on our feet, and are very unlucky not to be in the top two on merit, in a season where three very strong clubs are still fighting for the top spot. I'm sure that Wilcox' influence has gone deeper than many may realise, but ..if I am going to quote Shakespeare ..how about : " the evil that men do lives on, but the good is often interred with their bones " IF ..Jason Wilcox does leave ?...he won't be easy to replace, and if RM is "sacrificed " for failure to get promotion he won't be either, and the next manager may ditch " Russball " altogether and come in with " his special formation " instead. That prospect has disaster written all over it.

Everyone should surely see that RM can only work with the players he was given - and those left after we sold; Prowsey, Tella, Livramento, Lavia and Salisu. we took in half-a-dozen new faces, mostly on loan from clubs who didn't need them, and Charles who cost 15 mill, but rarely plays. That left us left us with two (strikers Che and Adam.A.) and two players in the 30 age range..(Jack and Stu A.). Bazunu was / is the only credible goalkeeper despite those errors. Will Smallbone was away on a season's loan, and KWP was the only class act left after the big "sell-out" and, good as he was / is Bree hardly got game time.. Now someone tell me that sounds like a good prospect for automatic promotion, with players who only came together well after that chaotic September. ? Both Leeds and Leicester retained the majority of their Prem. squads and were unlucky to get relegated , when (for various reasons) Forest and Everton looked to be the prime candidates for the drop last March / April . Ipswich are on a roll - such as we were between 2009-2012 and look good. We can't say that RM hasn't made a few errors in selection /subs. but why are so many people already discounting our 24 game unbeaten run as " a fluke, or just "-being lucky".? We might / ought to have scored a few more goals, but " Russball " has given us an average 66 % possession with the opposition running themselves into the ground trying to keep up /or win the ball themselves. Whether we go up this season or not , I think RM has made a good effort and deserves more than " the threat of the sack" if we fail to get back up in May. The worse case scenario is not RM staying, but the prospect of yet another new manager who will change the formation - yet again.

I also like to read a mix of views, but my post was primarily directed to Strangely Brown, who asked for clarification on some of my comments. Everyone is welcome to comment on other's posts, but perhaps you have views other than mine .....agree or disagree ? .

Tommy Mulgrew.. yes I know I am not the oldest on this site, and there are several older than I am. I wished only to let Strangely Brown understand that my views are often coloured by decades of alternating joy and disappointment, and an occasional reality check is not a bad thing to endure. I'm a tad disappointed that we are not one of the top two, but a third place promotion would still be something to celebrate. If we do eventually go up, it will be a just reward for the good things they have achieved this season, and well-deserved considering that both Leeds and Leicester have more or less the same squads as last year, whereas we had to start from scratch with a group of relatively young lads who are still on a learning curve.

Strangely brown - thanks for your "polite" response, (not something that is always commonplace on this site). I am in my sixth decade as a Saints fan, and despite my overseas address I am just as keen as when I watched my first game when in junior school. Every generation has had its highs-and lows and so I tend to be a little more pragmatic than most in my view of our football. Now onto your questions. Has RM done well? he came at a time that we had a very poor squad, who were clearly the worst Prem. side last season. We then sold off almost every player of value with JWP and Tella having gone by game 4 with no obvious players to replace them, and then we had yet another change of system (Russball) for the players to adapt to which took time, but I think it has worked even if the monotonous possession is overplayed sometimes, but all things considered I still think it has become a successful strategy at this time and the long unbeaten run is to RM's credit. HIs " bizarre " selections maybe a question, but as he says it's how someone impresses him in training THIS WEEK, and not how well they may have played last month. Although unbeaten for the first four games we had a traumatic September with; Holgate, Charles, Fraser and Downes all new to the dressing room, and taking time to settle into a squad that had introduced 6 new names in the space of 4 weeks. Losses against Leicester and Ipswich were a prelude to those two fruitless trips to the North East and were fundamental to our poor start and a 15th place in the league, and only the victory over Leeds showed that there was life in the body. The following 20-plus undefeated games seem to have been unimpressive to those fans who continued to criticise the team (and RM) even after hard fought victories. Clearly there were a few drawn games (against Rotherham and Huddersfield (a) were unforgiveable), despite our superior possession and many goal chances. Here I claim my argument to the lack of firepower. No Ings, or Pelle (or Lambert) to take half-chances upfront and I'm sorry to lay the blame at Che Adams' door, but as lone striker he's missed chances galore, whilst Adam Armstrong came in from his isolation on the left wing and thankfully showed that he is capable of getting goals. Sadly, two seasons in, I am still unimpressed by Mara and Edozie as potential starters up front. I'd place the responsibility for the signing of Ross Stewart on others in the club hierarchy and although he was " fit enough" to play (and scored) for the U21 side in November, but it's another injury that has sidelined RS until the summer, which put us back to square with an over-reliance on just two men. It's impossible to predict the future with the play-offs, it really is football's version of Russian Roulette, but if we fail to get the third spot, there will be a major re-think and some changes, ( primarily in the key role of D.O.F... if the rumours are to be believed).. but I don't believe either that replacing RM will be a priority. We still have a very young squad, but RM seems to have a good rapport with our younger players and that can only be a good omen for their future development. ( IF .. I haven't satisfied all your questions.. comeback and argue them again - if you'd like to ) .

JWP left the club after the first game (Sheff.Wed.) and so by whatever measure you use Jack Stephens was the senior player in the club, and with RM newly-arrived in the club, Jack was his most obvious candidate after Prowsey left. Given the situation who would you have chosen? Jack arrived aged 16 and played his way through the Academy and became captin for the U23's (as they were then). With a backline of Fonte and van Dijk (understandably) .. he rarely got many games, but when (Puel) let Fonte leave, and VvD was injured shortly afterwards. Jack had a tough intro. to the side when found himself partnered with Yoshida - who himself was not a first choice CB. He weathered the storm and eventually became a first team regular and played the first 4 (undefeated games) this season, but was badly injured in QPR (h) game. His replacement (Holgate) did nothing to improve the defence which only stabilised after Harwood-Bellis arrived and partnered Bednarek, who was repatriated after his acrimonious lean spell with Villa. Most of us would agree that THB and JB are the best CB pairing, but Jack is too valuable an asset to totally leave out. As a captain, he is a voice to be heard( and not ignored) on the pitch, and to criticise his forays upfield is to ignore that KWP (on the right) spends much of his time in the opponents half. He's not the best CB we've ever had, but his commitment to the club goes without question, or would you prefer Manning at LB ?

For those of you who would refuse any form of advancement or move elsewhere, and are blissfully happy with your job ....Congratulations. The others who have worked most of your lifetime in.. (your particular work area) ..and reached the higher echelons might certainly take time to consider... the last chance of a highly prestigious job with one of the richest and most successful employers in the World market. What ever the outcome ..( if JW goes / stays ) the most valuable person in the club will be the fellow who was most observant and was taking notes every day that he worked alongside Wilcox, who was surely speaking from a long successful history, and with a great deal of experience. I retired some year ago ..(after more than 50 years working in several organisations) ..but the most valuable advice came from someone who advised me; ..." when you meet an expert, don't try and impress them with your knowledge, but shut up and listen to his ... and learn something even more valuable " . Hopefully ...those who have been working alongside JW may realise that they have had a 9 month course on.... how to do the job successfully.

Agree with you Badger. Those " recent performances " include shorter spells without Downes (at first), then Fraser and Walker-Peters and (sadly) Che Adams' inability to convert chances when it was easier to score than miss, and then yesterday without the very influential Stuart Armstrong. We also came up against a " beefy side " , not afraid to put the boot in , and a referee who let too much go unpunished. Once again our " lightweight squad " took a lot of stick, and I'm wondering what the injury tally may be like for the Tuesday game v. Coventry (another side with some " tough individuals" in it. YES - we got a clean sheet for once (the 11th of the season) yet failed to find a winner. Now some will blame Adam Armstrong - who has already clocked up 20 goals this season - ( last person to achieve that was Danny Ings ). With Adams' dip in form, the remainder of the strike force just can't make up the shortfall. No-one that I have read has suggested that RM insisted on buying Ross Stewart, (a player also mentioned last season before RM arrived), and was still "recovering" when Stewart was signed by the club in late August. Most managers wouldn't refuse to have a 6' 2" striker in their line-up , and so I doubt that RM refused the offer. it's down to the scouting staff and D.O. F. to decide on who we can afford. (With hindsight I wonder if he would have approved Shea Charles' signing ? ) I find it impossible to follow the logic of certain people on this site, who still criticised RM and all concerned after we had passed 24 unbeaten games and then put 5 goals past Huddersfield. Already some people are demanding " a house-cleaning" because we haven't achieved an automatic promotion place. Quite frankly ...after last season's finish and the subsequent player sales that followed, I'm pleasantly surprised that we are doing so well in the top half.

Yes Clarkie, it's easy to get enthusiastic about good youngsters, but it takes time that we don't have for them to become first-choice names on the team sheet. Looking back 10 years, Koeman gave us a couple of great seasons (even after the departure of Lambert, Lallana and Co.) as he bought in 9 players (?), many of whom had previously played for him at some stage in the past. A few missed the mark, but the real successes of his teams were; Pelle, Mane and Tadic. Many of the later "Reed signings " were less than adequate for the task they were purchased for, and the manager's office needed a revolving door, to accommodate successive foreign manages who struggled with the Engllsh language, and an inability to adapt the players to " their favourite playing formation ". I'm not sure if this thread has developed into a criticism of Bazunu, or Russell Martin for continuing to select him, but there are other factors to be considered. Bazunu was the first choice keeper when RM arrived, which is more than can be said for half of our present side, who were still only names in a scout's notebook when he walked through the door in the summer. There have been some costly mistakes / decisions, but I think it's wrong to put the blame solely on the shoulders of Bazunu, or Martin. Unfortunately, this has been the most competitive season at the top of the table for many years, in any other season - we might even be top.

.and you're right Turkish. It may take another 5 years before Bazunu is anywhere becoming a top class keeper, but that's the way it is with keepers. Meanwhile one of " the big money clubs " will buy him (whilst paying enough to give us a small profit) and then put him on their bench for few more years, whilst " the world class keeper " he would be understudying, stays put as their number one choice. Then we have to find a suitable substitute who can handle life in the Prem. or (worst case scenario) ..continuing in the Championship for a year or two more. However, we are back to the same situation (presently one of the youngest squads in our league), with a group of young talents who have to make their way - in whatever league we end up in. If Bazunu were to move on - we might have to give Lumley a run, or even the Polish keeper Lis, who is presently on loan in Turkey, the alternative is " back to square one " and buy the most promising keeper... in the Championship, or even L1.