Saint Albert

I’m impressed that Tony Banks is able to write the same “exclusive” for two different papers.

They’re very good at holding onto grudges, and are taking delight not just in Hughes’ predicament, but in the club’s predicament as well.

I thought that Gao’s skint?

There was some ITK on this at the time. A subsequent article by the club’s mouthpiece Jeremy Wilson confirmed that he lost the players but also mentions that the fans were a factor... “Claude Puel has been sacked as the manager of Southampton after the club concluded that the players and fans were not behind him sufficiently and that he would not lead them to regular European football.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/06/14/claude-puel-sacked-southampton/ I tend to think that if the club actually listened to the fans, Pellegrino would not have stayed for nearly as long as he did.

Both Kat and Krueger were in the stands during the Newcastle game.

...and leading Leganes to a mighty 18th position in the league.

Gulp.

I certainly don’t have faith in Les and co getting this right, but I’d get rid of him now rather than wait until Watford. We had this problem last season- just when it seemed that Pellegrino could go on no longer, Saints eked out a battling draw that amounted to a stay of execution for the manager, and things dragged on past the end of the January transfer window. Saints could well play better against Watford (it’s hard to play worse than today), and Hughes and his coaching staff could earn a stay of execution and stumble on towards another low. Hughes has a terrible record with Saints. It’s worse than the woeful Pellegrino. It’s not getting better. He should go now. He won’t go now.

The owner, obviously, but since he doesn’t seem to have much of a profile or background in football he could bring in a consultant to help him out. Unfortunately the decision-making is rotten from the very top down.

I simply do not trust Reed, Krueger or Ross Wilson to get this decision right. They need to go, and their replacement should pick the next one.

This team needs another rousing changing room talk from Ralph Krueger and everything will be OK on Saturday. Make it happen, Ralph, and single digits will be inevitable.

...3-1

Hughes talks about today’s effort... “Opening period is always important in any game and we didn't really acquit ourselves well. City will always ask questions and have a lot of talent, power and pace. They create two versus ones in good areas. You need to be more aggressive than we were able to show. We found ourselves 3-0 down and to all extents and purposes the game is gone. "I was more pleased second half that we showed some pride. The scoreline is maybe a bit of a harsh state from our point of view. But you have to hold your hands up, City are a very good team. "Going forward we caused them some problems. We could have made the scoreline more palatable."

...and then Morata puts Chelsea back in front.

Reed and co courted disaster last season by leaving it so late, resorting to pretty much the only fairly competent option available at that late juncture.

Palace equalize against the run of play at Stamford Bridge...

We looked like the team of mugs, amateurs and has-beens that they usually put out to get embarrassed against the Harlem Globetrotters. A hopeless, defensively incompetent display by a team of thoroughly demoralized players.

It was embarrassing throughout.

If Les Reed and Co drag this nonsense on into the post-transfer window timeframe like they did last season, my head may well explode.

#MysticBenji

No manager should survive this run of results and performances, but I’ve got a feeling Hughes will be around a little longer.

A training ground match for City, McCarthy perhaps should have done better on Sane’s shot.

6-1

Dangerous free kick coming for City after Hoedt trips Sterling...Sane and Aguero lining it up...Sane puts it over.

Armstrong on for Ings. Long is set up nicely by an Obafemi cross, he’s in close just to the right of the right post, and he misses.