Nordic Saint

Very good attacking performance. The finishing was excellent. Sam McQueen could be just the goalscoring midfielder we need. Ward-Prowse always looks so much better when playing with his age group. There are however goalkeeping problems runnning right through the club, which reflects badly on either our recruitment or goalkeeper coaching.

True. Puel should have been given a second season but it was Old Les's decsion to sack him, not the fans'. Some of us liked him, some didn't. Most thought that, following the sale of Mane, Pelle and Wanyama and lack of adequate replacements, he was left with a severely weakened squad so the fact that he still got us to 8th and a cup final meant he at least deserved to be here for the start of this season. So, what we think or say on here will make little difference as everything at the Club now seems to be decided by Les Reed. Anyone blaming fans' opinions expressed on here for decsions made by Les Reed must think he is incredibly easily influenced and I doubt that.

Nuno Espírito Santo. But, you know with Old Les making the decisions, it's unlikely we'll get anyone better than Puel. I said at the time people were calling for Puel to be replaced that it would only be a case of out of the fying pan into the fire,as the person making the decision would still be the same. Remember, our best manager Pochettino, was scouted and selected by Paul Mitchell and Cortese, not Ross Wilson and Reed.

I know he's had some shockers recently, including today, but I wouldn't write Forster off yet. I still remember what a good goalkeeper he was before Dave Watson got to work on him. Watson has been coaching all of the goalkeeepers at the club and from what I've seen of them it doesn't look as though any of them are any better. It would probably be cheaper and more effective to replace Watson rather than Forster. Otherwise any new goalkeeper we buy is likely to deteriorate in just the same way Forster has under Watson's guidance.

"bi tch"? You really are a pathetic old man. Obviously, you don't have any friends but if you have any family left, they'd be ashamed of what you write on here. As for doing nothing but moaning and being miserable, these are my posts: https://www.saintsweb.co.uk/search.php?searchid=4320054 And these are yours: https://www.saintsweb.co.uk/search.php?searchid=4320053

The moaners won't be satified until we are in League Two, playing in a nearly empty stadium so they can say, I told you so, and that's never going to happen so they are doomed to remain forever miserable.

It's very obvious to some on here that they are all in fact 'plastics' and 'day trippers' who have travelled half way round the world from Japan to watch Watford and Swansea.

Sunday's game sold out. In spite of lack of goals and poor results, Saints' fans continue to be among the most loyal in the country. https://southamptonfc.com/news/2017-10-14/tickets-sold-out-southampton-newcastle-united-1718

We've had some great home performances against Newcastle in recent years and usuallly beat them by at least 2 clear goals. Newcastle do not and never have travelled well. Our last 4 meetings at St Mary's: Saints 3 Newcastle 1 Saints 4 Newcasle 0 Saints 4 Newcastle 0 Saints 2 Newcastle 0

Fans are still selling out both our home and away games. But, 200 million more in her bank account plus still retaining a 20% share of the club certainly looks like a great deal for Kat.

Weren't there some figures published which showed we'd spent more on players than we'd received in transfer fees for those we've sold over the last few years, which would explain why the club is in debt and borrowing money from a bank again? Ultimately, the revolving door policy does not appear to be paying off, either on or off the pitch. Yes, we are still in the top flight but that's no more than you'd expect for a club which gets the 12th biggest gates in the league.

No, he had to get a bank loan in order to pay 200 million to Kat Liebherr.

The demand for tickets for both our home and away games continues to increase and Newcastle looks like being our 5th consective league sell out at St Mary's. This either suggests an increase in interest from the existing fanbase or an increase in the size of our fanbase. As for atmosphere, as has been pointed out on here, for the brief spell we had a home kop at the Dell, the atmosphere was great. A whole home end at St Mary's is the obvious solution now.

That is a very impressive list. Add to that the fact that the signings made in the months immediately after he left would almost certainly have already been identified by Mitchell as well, then he was clearly one of the men most responsible for our success. He's worked the same magic at Tottenham. He'd be the ideal replacement for both Les Reed and Ross Wilson.

Whilst I would wish no marm on any Saints player, this probably improves our chances of scoring goals against Newcastle.

You obviously didn't read the article you posted a link to. He's still at Tottenham. They are keeping him until the end of the notice period. That's when we should get him. The Black Box is just a room full of videos and data. It's the person who analyses it all who counts, and that was Paul Mitchell.

Yes, at Tottenham. We need to get him back.

Like many, I miss Pelle. But, I'l be the first to admit that he was literally a fair weather player. In the autumn and spring months he looked the ideal striker, won everything in the air and scored goals for fun but on cold, wet winter days, he just looked miserable and flapped his arms around a lot. We really need both Pelle and Austin. Austin doesn't seem to be able to play a full season so just filling in for Pelle from November to February would be ideal for him.

His finishing is grabbing the headlines: https://www.thesportsman.com/articles/long-stuns-dublin-with-amazing-miss

Forster Clyne van Dijk Fonte capt. Bertrand Wanyama Lemina Lallana Sims Mané Pellè (autumn & spring)/ Lambert (winter) Subs: Boruc, Alderweireld, Shaw, Cedric, Romeu, Schneiderlin, Lambert/Pellè.

What people overlook with Long, the same as they do with Ward-Prowse, is the fact that, although he runs about a lot, he usually gives the ball away to the opposition, by running it of play, being offside or just losing control of the ball, and hardly ever helps create a goal (just 1 assist and no goals in his last 17 Premier League games). He is not helping us win games and so should be dropped.

I wish we could but that (lack of) goals scoring record speaks for itself.

I think we can see what the problem is. Old Les has lumbered us with a squad full of 'attacking' players who don't score goals and managers and coaches who can't get them to, and changing managers and buying more players is unlikley to change that if Old Les is choosing them. "Southampton executive director of football Les Reed has claimed that the club boasts the best array of midfield options in the Premier League." https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/southampton/news/reed-southampton-have-best-midfield-in-pl_276561.html

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg 0 goals in 20 Premier League games Sofiane Boufal 1 goal in his last 20 Dusan Tadic 1 goal in his last 18 Shane Long 1 goal in his last 17 Nathan Redmond 1 goal in his last 16 Manolo Gabbiadini 1 goal in his last 15 James Ward-Prowse 1 goal in his last 15 Steven Davis 1 goals in his last 15 Charlie Austin 1 goal in his last 9

For a club which gets the 12th biggest gates in the league, and which could get bigger than that if not for the limitations of the stadium, it is sad how many of our fans will settle for and in some cases even welcome underachievement. I guess we have had so much of it in our history that lethargy has set in and there is a distinct lack of ambition in our fan base.