Dusic

I don't think we used any so could get two. Was seemingly part of the plan to avoid reliance on them for key players - good idea and now can use them for more specific short term again.

Most of our other signings of decent cost (Azaz, Jander, Scienza, Fellows) have been at worst decent (Azaz) or at best outstanding (Scienza). No club gets all of them right and considering Downs supposedly has multiple Bundesliga clubs interested then he obviously has something - he has just never really got going at Saints.

Yeah certainly seems keen on the 3CBs, but IMO it wasnt really a factor today and actually helped us completely dominate the ball. Far bigger issue was that when we regularly worked the ball wide to the space we had no targets to hit in the box - more personnel than tactical

Will comfortably get top 6 IMO. Why is relying on your attacking talent having moments of brilliance a bad thing?! Its the whole point of having them. Besides, a lot of our goals under Eckert have been good team player rather than some kind of unsustainable worldy.

I waant bothered about keeping the 3 CBs because initially it helped us get total control as their only tactic was the physicality of Wright and then Simms and we dealt with that very well. They did absolutely nothing 2nf half which isn't always the case for teams down to 10. Then later on the set plays were one of our main threats and those guys most likely to score. Not convinced what we needed in latter stages was Fraser, Aribo or Robinson. We had enough of the ball but lacked a presence to cross to which they knew so were happy to defend narrow and leave the space out wide. Don't see that as some kind of big tactical error really.

Far too soon for that concern IMO. He said himself he couldn't really get a good loan move in the summer. If he suddenly becomes a key player then we will have a good chance to extend it again but he isn't getting games ahead of Downes, Charles, Jander or Romeu this season in my opinion so would benefit far more from a January loan (assuming we have players fit by end of Jan) as he still hasnt played much senior football at all.

Why? Its suits both parties perfectly seeing as he is unlikely to play a huge amount this season but gets a bit more security. A loan to L1 in Jan would be great for him, as long as he plays regularly.

Probably time for SR to get Rasmus more involved at Valenciennes after seeing how well Goztepe have done under his leadership.

He has probably struggled in the football goldfish bowl that is Newcastle. They bleed black and white up there and it can be suffocating if you aren't used to such a football mad city. Remember talking to @maggo who said some players would drive an hour outside the city on a day off just to breathe in less pressurised air. Ramsdale wouldn't be the first who just couldn't cope with the intensity of it, he may just suit a city that is less passionate about their club.

Amass' uncertain future - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cx2dpmggl61o Would be all over this.

I think there is probably an element with some that they were adamant that we needed this mysterious, hewhocannotbenamed experienced Championship manager which is just cliched bollocks and now they will pick holes in anything to show that they were a teeny, tiny bit right. #gamemanagement #wankerson

Starting GK and impact sub #10 option for me. If Jelert is seen as being made of glass then might as well return and replace him which would also free up Fellows to play as one of the #10s as needed.

Not good (M.Svensson) or bad (A. Jakobsson) but just most bang average? I will go for Mikael Nilsson. As the name suggests just a nothing player, despite 60+ Sweden caps.

Yes, he talks through it here: Very clear that he is intelligent, has received opportunities on merit and is well connected in football circles, particularly in Germany. Understandably becoming more confident in front of the camera too. His english is excellent - mentioned spending a year in the US.

Seen on Twitter there is a plan to sing "Super Philly Parsons" in the first minute tomorrow to celebrate his role in the Level1 development. Perhaps they heard the same?

https://hayters.com/chelsea-monitoring-young-southampton-defender/ Was one of the recent scholars and been at Saints since U7. Youth recruitment is has been made crazy by brexit so virtually impossible to get top scholars to sign pro deals now. Best options for Saints are late developers or big team cast offs like Sesay.

He might but personally yet to see anything to really judge him yet which is peobably quite telling for a player who has been at Saints for a year. I get that Manning isn't interested at stopping crosses but his on the ball play has benefitted us far more this season than his off the ball work has hindered us. Clear first choice at LWB for me. (Would be after Amass on loan in Jan and moving Welington on myself).

You are just another one of those pesky results based thinkers. Just like presumably Sport Republic who at the same time are being rewarded for their own stupidity having appointed a manager who has won 5 from 6. Desperate times, would have an extra two points with <insert generic experienced manager who must not be named>

A word for Arma. Has really struggled twice at PL level with Saints and after being loaned out in Jan could easily have just binned off his time here but instead has improved and is a massively key player and person in our team. Fair play to him, attitude seems spot on and at this level he is a really effective player. Probably knows if we go up he will be jettisoned but you wouldn't know it from how he plays. Was always mental to hear suggestions we should sell or most likely loan him to a Championship rival this season - at least those clowns don't run the club!

In what way is it rewarding stupidity to have taken time to assess how someone does in a role you might give them, and then when they have clearly shown they are highly capable, giving them that role? Rather than rewarding stupidity its actually rewarding recruiting strong people into the club in the first place and then rewarding not making a knee jerk decision, either to give him the role without seeing how he handled it or to just get in <insert generic manager who has been in the championship lots of times before> because thats what some fans thought they should do.

Not sure its trying to be clever. They have seen him working at close quarters for the last month, largely achieving very good results. Not often a club gets the chance to see how a manager fits before committing. The way in such a short time the players have really taken to him and in some games the performances have been unrecognisable is a very promising sign IMO. And now he has extra authority.

Sensible, low risk appointment IMO as those making the decision have had the rare chance to actually judge the quality of his work in the actual setting he is being placed in. They have not rushed and have taken their time and clearly the players respect and have built a rapport with Eckert which has lead to by far the most cohesive performances for many months where players look motivated and seem to actually enjoy it again. Good to get it sorted and to just focus on the games. Kudos to @OrnelasGladis who called it initially.

In the end it came down to Strobl or Eckert and seems sensible to go with the gyy who is already here and has developed a strong rapport with the squad and wouldn't require compensation.

Any managerial appointment is a gamble. At the very least we have seen us put in our best performance in a hell of a long time vs Charlton (who prior to the game many on here were saying was a proper test vs experienced manager etc). Also the players clearly like, respect and want to play for him. Just get it done and focus on the games, we have better players than most teams at this level so set up in a logical way and with a bit of positivity from the bench and in the stands we still have a good chance of a decent season.

On Still, it was clesr he wasn't doing a good job and we were getting worse. They obviously felt before the QPR game that we had a better chance of picking up points in that game and Sheff Weds without Still in charge - and were proved right. I don't dislike Still as he seemed a nice enough guy but pretty clear looking back now that he got muddled and didn't do a very good job. Initially I kept thinking we would click in the next game but then we started getting worse and he got nothing out of our new signings. Fair play to @benjii who called it early on - he was right.