Saint Albert

Saints are interested in Gibson and Pontus Jansson as VVD replacements, if VVD is solld. The source for this article is the Sun, so it probably needs to be taken with a large grain of salt... http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/12/24/report-ben-gibson-and-leeds-pontus-jansson-on-southamptons-janua/

Perhaps Poch will do a Pellegrino and bench 3 or 4 of his best players for this game.

It’s not a surprise is it? Does anyone know if the league holds suspensions in abeyance until the player is fit? A 2-3 game suspension would be meaningless if he spends it all on the treatment table.

Both clubs made noises about not caving in to VVD’s exorbitant asking price recently in the press. Liverpool seem to have caved in faster than expected, although when you hear noises about a deal being structured in the case of yesterday’s Liverpool reports, it does make you a little suspicious about how much the club will end up getting. I don’t think we’ll see a bidding war - it will probably be the first club to meet the asking price on the most favourable terms. Hopefully VVD does not stack the deck in favour of the scouses again.

It means that this summer’s goings on were a waste of time, and the club’s resistance to sell in the summer was a pointless charade. We could have used the VVD money in the summer to improve the squad, and perhaps our season may be going a little better than it is right now. Pellegrino’s recent denials make sense now because they were in the context of interest from and contact with City. OK I’m getting a little annoyed now.

Assuming he’s going this window, I tend to think that we have bigger problems than who ends up with VVD.

...and this one claims that the deal is with Liverpool... https://amp.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/liverpool/liverpool-finally-make-a-breakthrough-in-their-pursuit-of-virgil-van-dijk-report-36434315.html?__twitter_impression=true

Kevin Palmer has resurfaced with another article. This one claims what many of us have already guessed, that the club have wrapped VVD up in cotton wool to protect him for the transfer window. He also claims that “the basis of a deal” has been agreed. https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/why-virgil-van-dijk-was-left-out-of-southampton-squadas-our-sources-suggest-a-transfer-is-close-36433662.html

Also there’s a game coming right up on Boxing Day. Not the best time to sack him.

It seems like the best explanation for him being dropped for two games in a row when he’s perfectly fit.

My expectation is that the will fire Pellegrino. My hope is that they have already someone signed up and he is ready to go.

It would help if the manager was capable of identifying and playing our best players. On recent evidence, he is not, and he is not rewarding players who do well (Hoj for example) with a run of starts. In fact, he often drops them for the next game.

Many were saying the same thing about the Huddersfield game. At some point Les and the board need to recognize that this is simply not working, and bring someone else in. He’s had enough chances to prove himself already.

Bringing in a competent manager who is capable of recognizing and playing his best players, would be a start.

FT 1-1. A terribly disappointing result. Next up: Spurs and then Man U.

The crowd talked the assistant ref into calling a foul on Yoshi. The free kick comes to nothing. Come on Saints...

Good effort from Yoshi to be fair.

Huddersfield were so lucky there.

And Yoshi hits the post.

Are the Huddersfield fans singing “Oh When the Saints Go Marching Down?”

No.

JWP forced a save from distance. Probably should have played Boufal in to his right.

Boufal is giving their defenders a torrid time.

Gabbiadini needs to come good now.

Gabbiadini to come on for Austin I assume.