Dusic

Why do people keep saying its in our own hands?

We won't finish bottom IMO, but wouldn't be suprised at all if we finish below Stoke. Everyone seems to have forgotten about them.

Sorry. I am not a Long fan, but anyone suggesting he should be dropped needs to have look at themselves. He was brilliant yesterday and good at Chelsea. He is probably the most nailed on starter for me, alongside McCarthy, Bertrand and Tadic.

In the end, it will probably be what causes us to go down rather than narrowly escape. None of our CBs are PL starting quality and its costs us every game.

Anyone blaming Mike Dean for us losing is in denial. We lost because we are **** at defending in our own penalty area.

Yoshida and Hoedt are both mentally so, so weak. That CB pairing would be relegatee from the PL every season. We are down, and rightfully so. We cannot defend, four games in a row we have conceded three times. Reed sold our good defenders and didn't replace them. Simple as that.

And again...

Interesting account and probably explains why he was more Jake Thomson than Theo Walcott https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/984385260971425798/vid/1280x720/Xa-pHnkM7nXuAvaX.mp4

Solid looking lineup expected: Adams Amla Vince © Northeast Roussouw Dawson McManus Berg Abbott Wheal Edwards Got to have a decent chance of challenging, although slight lack of depth in the seam department, if picky.

I think Long is largely an absolutely terrible striker but he was good on Sunday and a large part of our improved display. Vital to have some movement and an out ball against the better teams who dominate possession. Hughes said he hasnt trained til today after a knock at Arsenal but I think if available he should definitely start. Austin a great option from the bench but would end up isolated if starting on his own, because he can't really run and we won't have much of the ball.

Apologies for disregarding your opinion but until about 2 weeks ago you thought we would comfortably stay up.

What is being brave? He always takes the ball, always tries to create, doesn't always take the easy option even when fans are on his back. In a successful team you need a mix. A team of Shane Long's would run the most miles but lose every week. Tadic is our best attacking player and if we stay up will be key. He plays every game for us, will play every game for Serbia at the WC and when he leaves us, he will go to a better team.

Played very well at Arsenal IMO. Had a hand in both goals and linked well with Long. Should start every game and usually does, under four Managers since being here. If he moves on in the summer then he has been a great signing and our most consistent creative player since being back in the PL.

Its pretty obvious to anyone who watches us regularly that he is a good player, playing in a **** team. Likewise Tadic.

If Fulham go up and we go down and Targett submits a transfer request then that would sum up the cluster**** that this club is at the moment! Laughable. *Why did Davis get made a coach again?

The best team we have beaten this season is probably Fulham so its hard to see a win here but one is badly needed. Would have liked to see the 3 CBs again at the start to add some vague solidity in numbers, but Stephens red has probably put paid to that. For me Lemina should come back in with Hojbjerg and Romeu in the middle and then Tadic (whonwas good at Arsenal) and JWP either side of Long. But far from hopeful.

As I read it, Hudds only need to win one more game and it will be bloody difficult to get near them again. Chances of them winning one of Watford or Everton at home are fairly decent I would suggest. If we lose to Chelsea then we could be 10 pts from Hudds by the start of our next league game.

This decision (or rather the lack of it) geta more and more bizarre as the games go by. It wasn't even that anything seemingly fell through, the club decided we had good enough options. Quite ridiculous. Yoshida has always been and will always be a third choice PL CB (at least in a decent enough team) and he is the best CB we currently have. Quite possibly the weakest options in the league, when it wasnt long ago we arguably had the best, or certainly top 4 or 5.

If we get at Chelsea they will exploit the space and get at us to the tune of four or five goals because individually all of our centre backs are ****e.

A game that at various points summed up our season. At times played well, and ultimately deserved a draw but we cannot do the basics to get one. Their first goal was a tidy move but poor tracking and I think Cedric can do more to get to ball ahead of Aubameyang. Second goal a stupod aimless pass from Yoshida that Cedric couldnt do anything with and then a spineless 'block' from Yoshida, turning is back. Let the ball hit you and its not a goal. Third goal for me was Cedric again. Too weak at the back post. Clyne is small as well but was stronger and used his body much better. Overall - too many weak links and Stephens at the end showed we don't have the temperament. He has now made it very hard to use 3 CBs in the next 3 games. We are going down, deservedly so. Reed should be ashamed at how he turned a dynamic squad into a bunch of one paced wallies.

JWP an absolute passenger so far. Yoshida pathetic for their 2nd goal. Stand up, let the ball hit you and its not a goal. They are gettable in defence but will score 4 against us so its irrelevant.

If it even got that far, having Swansea vs Stoke on the final day is less than ideal. Even less so given our fixture!

If Hudds and Palace (or even just Hudds) win today then we are virtually down IMO.

Glad you are aligned, saintlee.

The minute the Club started believing the hype and that there was a "Southampton Way", was our decline. IMO we got a little lucky that Koeman worked out so well and that we were given a stack of cash in the summer of 2014 and largely spent it well. That luck became labelled as a strategy when really it was a specific circumstance.