LaptopSaint

God that’s dull. Dellhurst is alright, but why couldn’t we have an interesting draw for once?

Is the Premier League back yet?

I think I'd offer him back to Blackburn on loan in January as part of a plan to buy (or loan) Brereton Diaz. Although paper talk is now that ManUre are sniffing around BBD so we probably have no chance.

He's not been in the greatest form for sure, but at least he's played regular football. And he's as close to a guaranteed penalty-taker as you can get. Philips? Gallagher? Nah... Rice and Bellingham start, but after that the cupboard is pretty empty. I'm really disappointed for him.

Good luck Nathan, and welcome aboard. Aggressive and on the front foot sounds good to me. Now time to deliver. COYR

Maybe he got an email with the subject line ‘The Saints want you’ and he’s now got the wrong end of the stick.

I'd play Adams and Mara up front in a 4-2-2-2. Give the kid a go from the off, and see what he's got. We can't really lower our goal threat much, so what do we have to lose. Either that, or gamble on Ballard. If Ralph's main aim is to escape with a 0-0 draw, it'll be AA, Moi and JWP behind Adams, with AMN and Romeo in front of defence. Unless ABK or KWP are fit the back five is unchanged, so in front of that I'd go Romeo-AMN, JWP-Stu, Adams-Mara Don't @ me. COYR

As it says on the tin. Can't make the Sunday kick-off so I've got two tickets in Block 41 of the Northam (standing territory) for sale for the Newcastle game. One adult, one U18. Face value £63 for the pair. Can pick up outside the ground on the day.

Making a substitution after one minute would certainly have been quite a statement of intent. Taking him off at half time, when nothing improved, was the right thing to do. But our main problem is lack of a goalscorer. End of. Having said that I sadly expect us to lose against Newcastle and Liverpool, and have a new manager for the next game v Brighton on Boxing Day.

If either of your buyers falls through for any reason, please let me know - cheers.

Also interested in a single ticket if anyone can’t go. Happy to collect at the ground or wherever. Hoping Lavia makes the bench. COYR

It hasn't changed my perspective at all. It's obvious we haven't been good enough over the course of 2022, and I think a new manager (if it's the right manager) would bring new ideas and give us a boost. But I'll support the players when they're on the pitch and give credit where credit is due. We've given nine new players first team debuts over the last 11 games, six of them aged 20 or under, and no one else in this league has done anything remotely similar with players that young. It will take a little time to settle, and the World Cup break will be brilliant for Saints. We could have an exciting future, and that fact shouldn't be camouflaged either.

Objectively, it's absurd how much we miss an 18 year old that most of us had never heard of before we signed him. But without Lavia's ability to play through the lines (yes, football hipsters, I speak your language) we had no way to relieve the pressure that a piss poor Bournemouth were putting on us. But let's face it, we just needed a win, and we got one. Even when it felt like we were under pressure and defending too deep, Bompey never looked like scoring. We were solid at the back, with ABK and Tino - two of the best young defenders in Europe - both coming back. It wasn't pretty, but there were some things to love. Che, and his all round performance. I only wish he'd taken out the TV camera, as well as their defender, when he ran straight at it. Perraud, and his impression of a Yorkshire terrier. Impressing me more and more now he's fit. Lyanco, for taking one full in the face, and then using a bit of Brazilian magic to get out of a tricky spot. Adam Armstrong, for his ability to spin away from his man and run (but not, sadly, for his ability to figure out what to do next). AMN and DCC for fitting in well, looking up for it, and adding to our league-leading collection of double-barrelled names. Baz - for getting a well deserved first clean sheet in the league. He's the youngest first choice goalie in the Prem by how much? Still going to be a long season, and a bit of a struggle. COYR.

Because it’s football, and we’re emotionally involved, there’s always huge overthinking going on when these things happen. Chelsea are going to be offering to double maybe treble his salary. If a bigger firm offered you a bigger job for three times the money, what would you do?

What’s the big deal? Bloke we’d never heard of six months ago buggers off after raiding the only club he had inside knowledge of and getting us a £10m player we can probably sell for £60m in a year or two. Might even be enough profit to buy a decent striker.

Do do do do do Dexter Blackstock

This is the painful truth. I reckon we'd have beaten Everton and drawn with Wolves at the least. Really bad misses in both that a clinical striker dispatches.

Yeah, we’ve known there are problems for a while. But when ‘sources close to the players’ are openly briefing the media (and I presume The Athletic didn’t nip up to Brum for a word with Jan Bednarek), then it’s only a matter of time. I still think the move will come during the World Cup break. We’ll have a full squad to work with except (maybe) JWP, and (annoyingly) all three first choice CBs.

What was stupid about it? Would you have stuck with Moi AdamArma and Diallo? Who else would you have put in? I'd have had Ballard on the bench

Personally I thought it was miles better than Villa but still nowhere near good enough. Don't forget how mindfuckingly bad Villa was. Given that City away is next and is a free shot, I think he'll still get one more go against West Ham at home. But if they have a replacement ready to roll, do it now.

I think this is the key point. The performance at Villa was absolutely atrocious - right up there with some grim Pellegrino and (for those with longer memories) Branfoot games. It wasn't the starting line-up i'd have chosen, but I could see the argument for concentrating on keeping it tight to begin with and prioritising what we were doing without the ball. But once we were one down, watching Che try to play without another Saints player anywhere near him, and then finally bringing on Mara but taking Che off and sticking with the same failing formation... it just felt like he'd lost the plot. He was let down by the players on the day, but why didn't/don't they respond to him? This is Saints, so I wouldn't be surprised if we lose to Everton, but somehow win at Man City to save his skin. Last Friday was the pits though.

Sadly, this. At least in the first half this evening.

Adams Arma Djeny and Ely aren’t a Prem quality front four. That’s obvious. But Ralph leaves the new guys on the bench. Hoping for better second half.

Obviously I'm doing video analysis. On the pitch. I'm Jack Stephens. Wholehearted centre back, not quite as good as most of the opposition players, but pretty good at winding them up.

0-2 Saints, with Che emphasising his Brum City connection, and an overdue JWP setpiece top bins.