Saint WGC

I do the bet on both teams each week, funnily enough it comes in much more often the other way around!! Also on Brighton to score over 3, 4, 5 and 6 goals which is probably more realistic!! Most sensible bets were on us to get relegated and finish bottom, not great prices unfortunately. Next season is going to be fun if we don’t get rid of at least the majority of this squad. Credit to all the fans who have gone today.

I’ve had £3.50 on us to win from behind at 60/1, now Brighton have scored, that means……I lose £3.50 😪. No chance of this gutless shower even scoring one let alone however many we need to win!

If Burnley want Tella, how about £15m plus Scott Twine coming the other way - barely got a look in this season so you'd have to think his Premier league chances will be even more limited there? Talented player who takes a good free kick/set piece - we get a player plus cash deal, Tella gets his move, all parties happy???? Who knows, a potential replacement for Ward Prowse and who knows, he may even pass the ball forwards every now and then too 😀

First of all, I liked Ralph who I think did a decent job for a good while but he did have to go, probably a bit before he did. There is only one thing that grates slightly and that is the fact he was not given the amount of money that Jones was as I think he would have spent it better. But yes, he had to go! For me, the “realistic” names that stand out for me on there are Jon Dahl Tomasson who has by all accounts done a very good job at Blackburn. Has brought on some talented young players there and despite not having a big budget, would almost certainly have guided them to the play offs if he had been allowed to bring in a striker in January. Played over 100 times for his country and scored nearly one in two so you’d hope he would earn respect from our players, seeing what they have just achieved in getting us relegated!!!! Being a former striker may actually help our forwards at the club too. A name that goes under the radar is Gary Rowett who has done a good job in the past with Birmingham with absolutely no money and should have got Millwall in the play offs this season, again on a small budget. Yes, they fell apart in the last game but to turn round and point to that as a reason not to consider him is almost like saying no to Guardiola as he was tactically outsmarted by Nathan Jones in the cup! Or do we go down the Burnley route and pick a former player who has a winning mentality and would gain instant respect from the dressing room. I would not be averse to Vieira or indeed Roy Keane as I actually think he has unfinished business as a manager. His personality could be an issue with modern day players admittedly but I think our lot, throughout the club, need a kick up the backside as they’ve had it too easy for too long, e.g. not performing and still being given new contracts!! The main issue with Jones was his arrogant personality without really a playing career to back it up. Rowett comes across as pretty balanced in interviews and doesn’t come across as someone who will cause divides in the dressing room. My first choice however would be Tomasson though especially given the Danish connection. Obviously speaks good English, comes across well and balanced with the media and plays a good style of football too. To me, he fits the criteria of what Saints need right now with experience behind him in the Championship.

Thanks for clarifying all - my mistake and obviously the defender and other players who ran in the D when the penalty was about to be taken. Believe it or not, I have watched a lot of football in my time, that just did not occur to me to be honest seeing as the players were not in front of the ball as with a defensive wall being ten yards. I still think the penalty was very dubious too, it is almost like these days, players can almost aim to hit the ball at a player's arm when two yards away and the ref will watch it on the screen in slow motion which always looks more blatant than at normal speed. I think the interpretation of the law is a bit of a guess when one day it will be given and on another with someone else doing VAR , it won't be given.

That was a scandalous penalty in my view and even more of a joke that the penalty was re-taken. Both teams were encroaching, the Chelsea player was further in the box than the Dortmund players and as Whitey says, how often is it enforced. What really annoys me most is the Dortmund player who actually influenced the game by clearing the ball was outside the box when the kick was taken, yes he was inside the D but as far as I’m aware, that is not part of the actual penalty area but apparently he is still encroaching. So if a player is running through and is fouled in the D, is a penalty given as according to the law the player is in the box. Of course it isn’t. The rule is ridiculous, in my opinion Dortmund have been cheated tonight. Let me put it another way, if it was the other way around and Chelsea were on the end of those decisions, their fans, players along with Jake Humphrey and the biased BT pundits would be up in arms about it and we’d never hear the end of it. it would also be interesting to know if any Chelsea players encroached on the second penalty. Wouldn’t be surprised but the ball went in so it is deemed irrelevant as he didn’t influence play. In exactly the same logic that the Dortmund player who cleared the ball was outside the box when Havertz took the first one……just to clarify, yes I may be biased because I wanted Dortmund to win but because it’s an English club that benefit, nobody says anything and it’s just ignored/laughed off.

Unfortunately, this is a very tricky appointment as we don’t yet know for certain what division we will be in next year. One option is to throw money at someone like Poch till the end of the season with a big bonus for keeping us up and a get out clause whether we stay up or go down. Let’s face it, if he kept us up, the inevitable batch of big clubs would be wanting his services and he’d want to go but he’d still more than pay off any “bonus” by Saints staying in the league. Is Poch realistic, unfortunately I don’t think so barring a miracle. Then there is an interim appointment pretty much accepting relegation is a distinct possibility but looking to bed someone in to bring the club back up. If they perform a miracle, then they either stay on or it gives us time to find a suitable candidate to take over in the summer, either to try to avoid the current scenario happening again this time next year or to bring us back up. This brings in names like Gerrard, Bielsa and Jesse Marsch who I actually quite like and he comes across as a positive guy. I believe we have to appoint someone that the fans will take to and generally is a good bloke with positive energy who will put confidence into our squad and also the fans can relate to. We do not need an arrogant self obsessed person like we’ve just got rid of. Honestly, I think we’ll go down so I am now talking about managers to bring us back up, know the Championship and and who are realistic. Three names who I know our fan base will probably turn their noses up at because there is a lot of premier league snobbery even on here as well as at other clubs are Gareth Ainsworth, Chris Wilder and probably my number one choice Paul Warne especially if Derby fail to get promoted from league one this season. Mark Robins is another name who has done an amazing job at Cov considering the s*** they’ve had to put up with the last few years.

At least I have a small consolation. Did a couple of quid on Longstaff to score any time at 15/2 and a quid at 100/1 on him to score two or more. Only did it cos Longstaff is usually crap and hardly ever scores, thought he’d have a chance tonight with Saints turning up. Not sure my £4 on Saints to win from behind at 45/1 is going to happen unfortunately.

There is no doubt from the interview last night that Nathan Jones is pretty cheesed off with the fans and certain media outlets and their criticism of him and the personal nature of some of it. However, I think the most stand out comment he made last night was when he said of that performance that the players have set the benchmark for the rest of the season and especially the league games. He is spot on about that, the fact that Saints have beaten Chelsea at home and drawn at home to Arsenal in the league and now beaten Man City suggests to me that there is/has been an issue with the mentality of the players, whether it be only getting up for the bigger games and being complacent in playing the bottom half teams or having less to lose against the better sides. I do think starting the game on the front foot like last night sets the precedent and the players need to be proactive in the first ten minutes to get the crowd on side. Personally, I am all for being more direct, no not hoofing it but mixing things up and playing long when necessary and winning the ball higher up the pitch. If you constantly go sideways and backwards in your own half and you don't necessarily have the best players to do that, you are asking for trouble and many of the goals we concede are our own errors, e.g. the Forest one! The players need to be braver on the ball and look forward more than they do, it is all too easy to just play five yard passes sideways and backwards. However, the fans also need to be more tolerant if players make mistakes trying to be creative and looking for a defence splitting ball that doesn't come off. I think Jones is a pretty divisive character, he seems to get under the skin of opposition managers and fans. He definitely would not have been my number one choice and the jury is very much out for me but I don't mind someone who will get in the opposition's face and not be intimidated or bullied. Right now, do I think we will stay up - No. Do I think we will finish bottom - Yes. Do I think we have a chance of staying up playing like last night - obviously yes. I honestly think if the two new signings come in, make a difference and give the squad a lift, that could be a very important factor too. A change in mentality from both the players and the fans is needed too.

I really hope JWP learns from this omission, he has to start being a lot more positive on the ball. I'm a massive fan of James Maddison, he is one player who has actually been picked on form not to mention talent. He has been picked because of the correct type of stats, most goals and assists in the league - they are the sort of numbers JWP needs to be setting himself. He needs to create and score more goals from open play, his goal at Brighton last season shows he has technical ability. He is not unlucky to be left out, he is only unlucky compared to some of the unfit players who have been picked. There is too much obsession with possession stats and how many completed passes are made, let's face it, most players can pass a ball five or ten yards sideways or backwards. When was the last time JWP opened a team up with a defence splitting pass leading to a goal. I quite like Conor Gallagher and think he should have been picked if it was based on his Palace form rather than this season as he has not been a regular starter. There are a few overrated players picked purely because of who they play for, Mount and Rashford being two - Mount is nowhere near the quality of Jude Bellingham who I would love to see stay at Dortmund as he will no doubt get ruined playing for one of the PL elite. Rashford has had about four decent games recently but because he gets a few kids a free dinner, people gloss over how poor he generally has been for quite some time now. The excuse that he's young wears a bit thin nowadays. I know people all think he's amazing for England because he trips over his own feet or falls over when a player just breathes on him but just because of a couple of decent substitute cameos, why the hell is Grealish been picked too (oh sorry, cos he cost £100m and plays for everyone's darling Pep, yuk). He showed what a c*** he is with his comments re Miguel Almiron, probably when he was p*ssed as usual. Maguire is a joke selection, because someone was supposedly good two years ago does not mean you should be picked automatically two years later when you are dreadful. Walker is another one, just because he can run like Usain Bolt, everyone raves about him, watch him actually defend, the bloke is a liability who is arrogant and switches off thinking his pace will get him out of trouble. It won't against the best players who have great movement and technical ability where their first touch is so good that it is too late no matter how quickly you can run back. As usual, England have got out of jail because they had an easy qualifying group and now have an easy World cup group. Anything less than nine points with the resources compared with the other nations in the group would be very poor, they will probably get found out as soon as they play anyone half decent. They could somehow get lucky with the draw like in the Euros but I would be amazed if they get to the semis as I don't think Southgate will be adventurous enough.

Certainly not a fan of Alexander Arnold but seriously, why the hell is Walker always hyped up by the pundits. He is a total liability and way too arrogant, purely relies on his pace to get him out of trouble because of his poor positioning and complacency. Any proper defender is spot on with his positional play in the first place. The Italy goal summed him up, there are numerous previous occasions when he’s switched off defensively, both for England and his club. I said to a couple of Spurs fans when he was there that “England would never win a thing while Kyle Walker had an England shirt on, he will always let you down when it comes to the latter stages of a tournament when we actually play a half decent team”. Personally, don’t think much of Reece James either, he’s a petulant twat when he plays for Chelsea and most of the time he turns inside and goes backwards or sideways (sounds like a certain midfielder in our team). This is despite James supposedly being this amazing crosser of the ball if you listen to the media. None of our right backs are great defensively to be honest. I also think it’s a joke that James Maddison isn’t in the squad either. Not sure why people on here seem to dislike him, I would take him all day long at Saints over JWP, just think he is pure class and very talented. He speaks well in interviews (understands the game) and to me he comes across as someone who has self belief rather than arrogance and is also self critical too so he’s honest! He has been Leicester’s best player by a mile this season - he and Bellingham should be regular starters in my view.

Can't agree with those putting Wilf Zaha in, I really like him and he's so talented - think most of us would have him in our team ahead of Redmond despite his improvement this season!! There are a few obvious ones that have been mentioned but I'd add Maguire and Luke Shaw (that may be unpopular on here but sorry, I just don't like him). Think those two are so overhyped (because they are English I guess), Foden is another who everyone raves about but I think he could be another idiot like his mate! Hope I'm wrong. One I would definitely have in the eleven who has not been mentioned is Azpilicueta - I'm sure he's a very nice guy off the pitch but one of the most annoying on the pitch - he winds me up every time I see him on a live game!! For anyone in any doubt, just watch him especially when Chelsea are a goal up with about 20 minutes to go - he takes an age taking a throw in and does that "pretend pointing" while looking at the ref as if to say "do I take it from here" then proceeds to hold on to the ball for a few more seconds before then walking forward a few yards then walking back to where he was initially standing having still not bothered to actually throw the ball into play!! Oh and for good measure, watch him run around the ref every time someone even breathes on him or one of his team mates with this scowled expression like he's about to cry!! Plus he is just one of those cynical tug the shirt players every game too and seems to get away with it!

Took the 5/1 on Saints to go down a fortnight ago as I knew that price would only go one way and it was pretty obvious Ings was going. I even think 20/1 to finish bottom is a big price but we may just avoid that. Sadly, I don’t have any faith at all that more than half the Ings money will be spent. Knowing Saints, we’ll probably end up signing someone like McBurnie! Honestly think the cheeky couple of quid each way I’ve had on Che Adams to be top scorer at 100/1 needs to come in or we’re doomed. Just don’t see where the goals come from otherwise, maybe this is the season where Redmond has to and needs to step up and deliver but I’ve been thinking that the last two or three seasons. We’re relying on Stuart Armstrong to have another good season with a few more goals too but still think we'll still concede a lot of goals. We definitely need luck with the first eleven staying fit too this season. I also think Watford will go down along with Norwich. Have backed Bournemouth to win the Championship, Charlton to get promoted from league 1 and Bradford to win League 2. Finally, If Kane ends up at Man City, how many penalties are they going to get with him, Sterling and Grealish diving everywhere despite VAR.

Aside from the fact that I don’t think it was a penalty as Vestergard clearly played the ball and his follow through caught Vardy, I could maybe understand (though not agree with) the referee thinking it was a dangerous tackle in the aftermath. However, when it then comes out that it is for denying a goal scoring opportunity, then that is a huge error on more than one count. However, the thing that actually annoyed me more was Vardy receiving treatment from the physio for over three minutes yet when play was restarted with the free kick, he was still on the pitch. If I have missed something hopefully someone can let me know but I was under the impression the rule of a player receiving onfield treatment for an injury and having to go off and then be waved back once play has restarted still applied. Hypothetically if the free kick had rebounded say from a McCarthy save to Vardy and he had scored, would this goal have stood? I also wonder if the PL are backing this ref, then fair enough but I am pretty sure he would not have been considered to referee the Liverpool v Man U game this weekend so why is he able to ref our game. I get that all refs need to be given a chance but it’s almost like the elite refs referee the elite clubs and the new ones are given games involving the smaller or lower clubs in the same league.

Regarding these teams being punished, the thing that irritates me is comments like the one Souness made and plenty of others in the media have made since that these teams should not face sanctions as it would not be fair on the players and fans as they would be the ones being punished despite it not being their fault. That may be true but I think that is irrelevant. There are plenty of teams including Saints who have had points deductions for going into administration through financial mismanagement of owners or certain board members. Therefore, the players of those teams and the fans have been punished through no fault of their own so why is this any different. The principle is pretty much the same thing and these six clubs have dragged the name of football through the mud in a way none of the other clubs have even through their financial issues. I'm sure someone will correct me on here but when Saints were deducted 12 points, I am pretty sure that we were told we would be given minus twelve in the Championship that season if we stayed up but if we went down (as we did), we would then start the following season in league one with minus 12 points (which we did). Personally, I think they have to face some sort of sanctions in line with fairness and to show that it is not one rule for the "elite" clubs and another for the rest of us. Basically, the fair punishment for these clubs would be a 12 point deduction from the start of next season and/or a one or even two year ban from Europe.