Nordic Saint

Surely, even a Russell Martin apologist like you must realize this is bullsh!t. Only 3 teams in the Championship conceded more goals than Swansea this season, and they were all relegated. In 2020-21, his only full season at MK Dons, they conceded 62 goals. Even Saints U21 team beat them: 2020–21 Milton Keynes Dons F.C. season - Wikipedia In 2021-22, his Swansea team conceded 68 goals: 2021–22 Swansea City A.F.C. season - Wikipedia And this season, his Swansea team have conceded 64 goals With our goalkeepers and defenders, his passing around at the back isn't going to work any better, is it? In fact it looks like a surefire recipe for disaster.

He's not just garbage: to add insult to injury he's expensive garbage, costing £80,000 per week. Will we ever get rid of him? I dread seeing him appearing in goal for us again next season.

McCarthy is the worst goalkeeper in the league. He'll be the worst in the Championship next season too as we're going to be stuck with him, aren't we? Absolutely no chance of promotion with him in goal.

If you aspire to excellence, don't embrace mediocrity.

If that is downwards, yes. The average league position of Russell Martin's teams in his managerial career in League One and the Championship is 14th and no team of his has ever got past the 3rd round of the FA Cup, although his MK Dons team did win a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw with Eastleigh in the 1st round. His appointment would signal just how low the club's ambitions are now.

Good Manager vs Bad Manager The passing around at the back left Swansea with the 4th worst defensive record in the Championship this season. The other 3 teams were relegated.

Well if it is him and let's hope it isn't, it looks like they may have found someone even worse than Nathan Jones. Martin's managerial career absolutely reeks of mediocrity. He took MK Dons to 19th and 13th in League One. He then took Swansea to 15th and 10th. His teams have a terrible defensive record as they keep getting caught out passing the ball around at the back. His win rate is a mediocre 36%.

Adam Armstrong. If there was any doubt, his sub appearance today clinched it. He made Elyounoussi look good in comparison.

Spot on. We need a proper goalkeeper for next season - an experienced one who can actually save shots - and we need to get rid of McCarthy for good. No other club will take him so it would be better to terminate his contract rather than having the ever present danger of him costing us more points.

At £80,000 per week, McCarthy is just more expensive shit. In fact, when Ward-Prowse leaves, he'll be the most expensive shit at the club. What makes it worse is that some random fan from the crowd, who'd play for nothing, would probably save more shots than he does.

Leicester U23s must be really desperate if they let Vestergaard play 11 minutes for them. Surely they could have got someone better from the crowd, even if it was only 2 men and a dog.

And Bazunu only faced 2 shots when we played Palace. He let them both in. That's the difference. That was Fraser Forster's 206th clean sheet.

Another clean sheet for Fraser Forster today.

Great news.

We've had some managers who were poor at substitutions but Selles takes the biscuit. Almost every one of his substitutions makes you groan, "Oh no! What on earth is he doing now?"

From a player's point of view, we pay high wages to players who aren't very good, like Alex McCarthy, and look after them for years so that they can retire happily with millions in the bank. The downside is that if a player is any good, we sell him as soon as possible. So, the lesson is that if you're a cr@p footballer, Southampton is the club for you.

Kelvin Davis had a pretty abysmal record at Sunderland. They voted him into their All-time Worst Sunderland XI. With him in goal, they finished bottom of the Premier League, with a grand total of 15 points and a goal difference of -43. In comparison, that makes even Saints' current season look good.

He understood the importance of having an experienced goalkeeper too. He brought in the 33-year-old Peter Shilton, who probably was worth an extra 20 points a season.

Little Girona, a club that's spent nearly all of its history in the lower leagues, is currently having the best season in its history. This month, with Gazzaniga in goal and Romeu in midfield, they've drawn away to Barcelona and beaten Real Madrid at home. Why? Well the appointment of Míchel as their manager seems to have had a lot to do with it. He's been something of a promotion specialist, getting 3 teams, Rayo Vallecano, Huesca and last season, Girona, promoted to La Liga. But now he's proving he can compete at the highest level against the likes of Ancelotti and Xavi, with far more limited resources. The biggest fee they spent was £5 mill for Romeu. Most of their players have been brought in on free transfers or loans or for next to nothing, including their striker Castellanos, who just scored 4 goals against Real Madrid. Míchel is still only 47 and is obviously one to consider if we want a manager to get us promoted next season. Girona FC - Transfers 22/23 | Transfermarkt

If Ward-Prowse is sold in the summer, which seems likely, Alex McCarthy will be our top earner unless we can get rid of him but who would want him?

The second highest earner at Southampton is, according to the Echo: McCarthy's Southampton deal reportedly made him second-highest earner | Daily Echo

Yes, according to Transfermarkt, although his market valuation never rose above £1 mill, the fee we paid was £4 mill. Thierry Small - Player profile 22/23 | Transfermarkt:

He's in the Championship Team of the Season: EFL Team of the Season line-ups revealed - News - EFL Official Website

I remember when Grimsby beat Notts County in the playoffs last season. It was a brilliant game and the Grimsby away fans created a tremendous atmosphere. Notts County are a bit of a nothing team with lukewarm support. I wouln't feel too sorry for them.

Today's League One results mean that any mathematical chance Pompey had of making the playoffs has now gone, so next season will be their 24th in the lower leagues.