Ex Lion Tamer

We don't actually disagree that much. We're on a terrible run and I was expecting results to pick up when we had our fullbacks back. I do still feel that with some squad additions in the summer he could turn it around and make his system work again, but he's got to show something in the remainder of this season. It's just too risky to get rid before we have to, given how brilliant 2020 was

I literally already explained that to you, do you have memory problems or something? He was trying to play 3 at the back and needed to go back to 4222. Yes he is tactically one dimensional, but that one dimension is really good when it works

If Mark Hughes had a specific system and style of play, which had been shown to work wonders both for us and for other clubs in the past, but which didn't seem to work in a compressed season when we suffered from a terrible injury crisis and lack of squad depth, and we were safe from relegation, then I'd absolutely be giving him as long as possible to turn it around. Don't get me wrong, if we fail to get any more points this season then it will probably be time for Ralph to move on. But if he does I think there's a big chance he will transform another club and we'll be left rueing that we didn't give him more time. Hughes ground out enough points to save us from relegation but there was never really anything to suggest that he had a vision or a plan that would do anything except have us clogging away at the bottom of the table

Exactly. The supposed fanboys are actually the ones who are seeing both sides of things, the good and bad. The real ones wearing blinkers are those who can't acknowledge that he got us playing well for a long period and that this justifies giving him as much time as possible to turn around the current terrible run

It was because he was trying to play 3 at the back, and couldn't make it work

He might well be like Bielsa, who has a history of getting teams playing amazing for much of a season and then falling apart at the end. Leeds might not have got promoted if the season hadn't been paused for Covid. Oddly Leeds seem to have managed to buck the trend this year

Others may have better memories but I swear there was a period where we were grinding out wins. I remember thinking how we seemed to have got rid of the old fragility when defending leads.

I agree all the clubs are in a similar boat but I don't think it's as bad as people are making out. There's still plenty of money to be made in football, all that needs to happen is serious deflation in transfer fees and new contract terms for a few years

Norwich spent £8m in total last time they came up

Only Everton and the big 6 have been in the Premier League longer than us right now. I do think we belong in this league but we have to be realistic that clubs of our size get relegated sometimes

The game has moved on and he hasn't adapted. I wouldn't take him here

Spurs, Fulham and Leeds are all coming off a short turnaround so being honest I doubt we'll get much from them. Maybe a point from Fulham. But Liverpool are struggling at Anfield so let's say 3 there, and 3 from Palace, so 7 total, taking us to 43

Another snarky post from Turkish. Just what this forum was needing.

The point is that you don't get rid of someone who is capable of the good results that Ralph has had unless you are absolutely sure that the situation is now terminal. If this form continues into next season then yes, he'll absolutely have to go

Indeed there are plenty of managers who have been sacked after winning their last game and even after winning trophies. Because (good) club boards take a long term view

Let's summarise: 16 wins in 8 draws in 34 games in 2020 = really excellent 11 defeats in last 14 games = really bad but there's always the hope that Ralph can turn it around Two 9-0s = embarrassing but it's more important to look at the longer term trend rather than individual results. There's definitely cause for concern but I still think it would be premature to lose Ralph now

"A few good performances". We were brilliant for a whole year

Come on you're smarter than that. The point is it's easy to take your off the ball before a big cup game, and then put in a much improved performance. I'll admit it's said more in hope than expectation though

In 2003 we lost 6-1 to arsenal in the game before the cup final, before losing 1-0 in the actual final. We can only hope that a similar effect was at play today

Imagine having an addiction problem that is destroying your life and you are trying give up gambling, but every time you turn on the TV you are bombarded with gambling advertising. It's not going to help is it. Yet banning it will have no impact on the rest of us, so why not just do it to help other people.

I think people are underrating Bertrand. He may not be able to get up and down enough for our system but against Liverpool, KWP got all the plaudits for scrapping with Mane when on the other side, Bertrand didn't give Salah an inch

If we can improve the squad and push him down to third choice striker then that's all good but I don't see the point in getting rid

MLG is making a very narrow point about what is best for Saints' chances of moving up the league and being "best of the rest", when actually as football fans more broadly many of us would just like a bit more variation at the top rather than the same old monopoly of the top six

The two fullbacks had to go out on loan to release funds to bring in a new full back. Then we didn't manage to get one so we got Minamino instead. I'm not sure about this, but regardless, I wonder if the plan was for JWP/Diallo to cover at fullback, only for that option to be kiboshed by Romeu getting injured

Interesting method. Transfermarkt seems to store historic values and had Pelle's at just £5.8m at the time, though I guess you're right that it would be higher now