qwertyell

Well, his strength of personality didn't stop QPR from getting relegated with a whimper. We don't need players who say all the right things after the fact. We've got plenty of those. Perhaps our lethargic, unfit squad would've been better served doing less media training and more football training. Just a thought. What we do need are eleven utterly committed bastards who aren't prepared to shruggingly accept relegation on their watch without one hell of a fight. Sadly, I'm not sure we could even come up with more than two or three. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

We've only won once in four months. Our last three "must win" games against relegation rivals have gone 0-0, 0-3, 0-3. We aren't winning another match this season. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

I assume that's either sarcasm or inebriation. We were horrible. And disgracefully unfit. When a 35 year old Zabaleta can give Redmond a two yard head start and still easily outpace him over 15 yards, you know something's badly awry. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

I don't know why anyone expected anything else - we've had about half a dozen must win games in the last few months and been absolutely woeful in all of them. It'd take a better manager than Mark Hughes to get a tune out of this bunch of pea-hearts. Did he not notice our midfield getting overrun by the mighty Wigan in the first half last time out? Beggars belief that he'd line up the same way against a top flight team. Relegation with barely a whimper is a horrible legacy for one of the best kits we've had in years, but few of them have been fit (literally in some cases) to wear the shirt in any case. 0-3, halftime, game and season over. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Nothing wrong with one up top - Man City and Barcelona seem to be doing okay. It's about the support we give the striker, that's where we're failing. The wide players rarely turn up in the box, our midfielders almost to a man want to sit and hold, or don't have the mobility to get up and down all game. With the limitations of our current squad, I'd give the old Christmas tree formation a whirl: 4321, two free roaming number tens up close behind the striker, the full backs bombing on to provide the width (as they have had to anyway, because our inverted wingers cut inside 90% of the time). Gabbiadini up front with, say, Sims and Boufal in close proximity could be a good blend of clever movement, pace and occasional brilliance. Redmond's rare moments of quality in his Saints career have all come from the centre of the park too. I wouldn't have Tadic anywhere near the team. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

It wasn't pretty, but a win's a win and a step in the right direction. Acheived with just nine players, too, as Carrillo and Tadic are total passengers. Hopefully Cedric finally getting his first goal out the way will discourage him from desperately whacking the ball into the stands from 40 yards once per game. Shame Gabbiadini couldn't register, but he put himself in good positions and at least looked like he was trying. That Brighton keeper is one to watch in the future - only 22, an England u21 international. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Yeah, he really got Berahino firing... Hughes isn't a coach anyway - he leaves that to Eddie Niedzweicki and Mark Bowen. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

I too have experienced women not really wanting to speak to me. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

At least we won't be stuck with him next season when we're trying to get promoted. A couple of ex-players on The Debate downplaying the myth of Hughes being a no nonsense, arse kicking manager - Mark Schwarzer just said he sometimes saw him ranting at officials on the sideline and wished he would be more like that in the dressing room. Good luck to him. I don't think he'll make any impact on our decline as it's a) probably too ingrained at this point, and b) he's not very good, but I hope to be proven very wrong. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

A nothing appointment. Neither one thing or the other. They could've thrown money at someone half decent and had a red hot go at staying up, or rolled the dice on a wildcard and crossed their fingers. At the very least they could've planned ahead and brought in an up-and-comer for the inevitable rebuilding job after this season's disaster. But instead we've settled for dire mediocrity, accepted relegation, and will be lumbered with him next season, which will only continue our decline. Won't win another game this season. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Garbage appointment in a garbage situation to end a garbage season. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

First bit of good news this season. Reed and Wilson are still escaping being held to account for their culpability in our demise, though, so what's likely to change? The same bunch of incompetents who hired and backed Pellegrino are being entrusted to replace him. And so the cycle continues. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Was it Les Reed? Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Palace aren't pathetic. They've lost their last two against Man United and Chelsea, but played well enough to deserve much better than to end up empty handed. They'll pick up more points than we will between now and the end of the season. I think it'll ultimately be between us, Stoke and Huddersfield for the final two relegation places. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Seems pointless to rate anyone after that basket of bastards, but regardless: McCarthy: 5 - some miscommunications, flashbacks of Forster in getting down in stages for the third goal. Cedric: 3 - poor defender, dreadful going forward. Bertrand: 4 - captain, apparently. You'd never have guessed in a performance crying out for leadership. Stephens: 5 - came forward with the ball quite well. But his bread and butter is being part of a defensive unit that we're bricking it under pressure all game. Hoedt: 4 - what is his strength? Slow, clumsy, weak, and prone to passing straight out of play. Lemina: 2 - horror show. Was never switched on. Hojbjerg: 3 - gives good interviews, supposedly. His brief flickers of promise around Christmas were a false dawn, as he's reverted back to last season's headless chicken act. Ward-Prowse: 2 - gave nothing out wide. Somehow managed to give even less in his "natural" position in the centre of the park, where he was frankly embarrassing. Redmond: 5 - he tried. Tadic: 0 - he didn't. Disgrace of a footballer. If you had to design the worst possible player to fight for survival, it'd be Tadic. Carrillo: 3 - he's not very good, is he? Quite aside from his lack of goalscoring threat and how easily defenders are dealing with his alleged aerial power, his all round game is shocking. Subs: Sims: 6 - decent, again. Quick, direct, with a bit of fight. Completely out of place in this team. Long: 1 - never been a footballer. Gabbiadini: 1 - "3-0 down, 10 minutes left: come on, Gabbi, this is set up perfectly for you..." There is no hope. The board have given up, so have the supporters, so have the players. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

What can you do but laugh? Lemina trying to run his asking price down today. Pure ineptitude. Is it my imagination or do we almost concede from our own corner every game? What a shambles. Perfect counter attack from Newcastle to their credit. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

And Cedric's meant to be one of our best players. Well, game/season over. Sack them all. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Spurs have got a bit of a Saintsy downgrading problem - albeit at a much higher level, obviously. Last season they had the best two fullbacks in the league, Walker and Rose, whereas this season they've gone with very mid-table footballers in Trippier and Davies. Wanyama was their midfield lynchpin last season, but the incredibly mediocre Eric Dier plays now. Sanchez is a brilliant prospect at centre back, but not at Alderweireld's quality yet. Injuries are partly to blame, of course, but when you add in that Deli Ali has been a passenger in many games (including tonight), I think the media narrative that Spurs are "getting better" and "developing all the time" is on shaky grounds. They've gone backwards from 2nd to 4th, they're going to sell their best defender in the summer, the manager is on Madrid and PSG's wishlist, along with a few players - I think it could all fall apart very quickly. Although as we're about to get relegated with the most inept excuse for a manager and a board who don't give a damn, Spurs' impending minor demise isn't much of cold comfort. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

In the Championship, yeah, might as well. If we stay up, goalkeeper is one of several positions that needs an upgrade. McCarthy has been competent. I wouldn't say any better than that. But his adequacy in basic goalkeeping skills stands out like a sore thumb in comparison to the utter dollop he's replaced (too late). Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

The academy conveyor belt has all but dried up, so the plan is to get relegated so that we can bring more home grown tat into the side at a lower level - a level where even mediocre Championship players are selling for eight figures. So Les gets to do his pieces in the media about how he - and he alone - has overseen this wonderful influx of local lads into the team, and then flogs them for a big profit. Doesn't really help the club, but it makes him look big and important. I mean, it could be that to some degree. More likely, the reason Pellegrino is still here is because the people running the club are completely inept, arrogant, complacent or a combination of the three. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

The luck is already against us: Newcastle captain and best defender Lascelles should've been sent off today and banned for this game, but for the ineptitude of the referee. Bet we don't score and he heads the winner from a set piece. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Yes, that's what's most frustrating about him. When he receives the ball on the turn and drives at the opposition he looks quite decent, even if the end product is often lacking. But the majority of the season he's consistently chickened out of taking such responsibility and merely passed backwards (whilst *****ing to everyone else about it being their fault). An improved performance and attitude these last couple of days. And his "WTF" death stare at Cedric after he again smashed a hopeless shot into the stands, certainly summed up the feeling of all of us. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

The good: Sims was bright again, Redmond looked probably the best he has all season, a rare clean sheet. The bad: we're going down. Not because we're terrible, but because we're just meh: a lifeless shrug, nothing of any consequence. Our new striker is the absolute epitome of that. He's not the worst player in the world, but he's just nothing. Average on the deck, okay in the air, no goal threat whatsoever. Special mention for our full backs, who are supposed to be the few remaining players at the club with "top six" quality: utter bobbins. What's the worst that can happen from changing the manager now? It's already coming anyway. Are we just penny pinching and reluctant to pay the compensation? Well played to the supporters who got out in the snow to endure that. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

If you're just playing a midfield two, Hojbjerg has to come in for Romeu. His shocking lack of mobility will be too exposed. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Never want Saints to lose, and in the final shake up this point might prove to be crucial - but it just feels like dragging out the inevitable. At least if we'd lost, the board MIGHT have finally done something about the feckless imposter of a manager. But not now. And so the failing regime struggles on for another week. Pleased for Gabbiadini. He's a far better player than we've given him a platform to showcase. He must watch Shane Long and now Guido Carrillo starting games over him and wonder what the hell happened to his career. Josh Sims should play every week now he's fit. Redmond, Tadic and Boufal have been our biggest underperformers all season - it's time to give the kid a go. Direct, positive, enthusiastic: he's a breath of fresh air among that bunch of rancid chickens. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk