Chez

Not sure about keeper and centre backs, but suspect team of the year won't be far off this: O'Leary KWP Rodon Faes Leif Dewsbury-Hall Winks O'Hare Summerville Armstrong Mavadidi

This isn't down to poor coaching by RM in my opinion, it's due to the players we have at the club. The likes of Charles, Smallbone, Sulemana, Edozie, Brooks, Amstrong, Manning...the list goes on...are all fine with the ball (and need to be to play a possession based game), but without it, they are just not very good. They don't work hard enough, run hard enough, tackle hard enough, fight hard enough.

yeah, I meant all goals this season, not just the Ipswich game. Lack of pressure on the ball is a recurring theme for me. We don't have midfielders on top of opponents nearly enough. They have time to get their heads up and that allows them to create chances and goals. We need players to be busier, work harder and do the unseen dirty stuff far more. Players like Brooks, who is fantastic with the ball just don't do enough without it.

He's started 11 of 12 games for Argentinos against sides like River Plate.

Perraud can't get a game and has played just one full 90 minutes all season for Nice. Contract ends in 2025. He doesn't want to be at Saints but we will be lucky to loan him out unless we pay a large percentage of his wage. ABK has played in five games all season and for 1 minute since October. He's done nothing to attract a buyer. he doesn't want to be here, but we will be paying him in some form or another until 2026. His agent is going to have to work overtime. Charlie has played for 1, 1, 24, 61 and 90 minutes (a game in which he scored) and then missed the last three games through a hamstring injury. Juventus ain't spending €40m on him. Not a chance. We have him until 2028 and need to find a way/position to get the most out of him. Onuachu scored 9 in 17 games, but due to the ACN and a broken arm, he's only played 29 minutes in last 12 games. There is talk of Trabzonspor buying him, but he'll be back in the summer and then loaned out again, with us paying a chunk of his wages. His contract ends in 2026 - no one is going to match what we have to pay him. We'd need to sweeten the deal a lot so that the buying club could match his current wage. Lyanco missed 7 games due to injury, but has started the last 6 games at Qatar Stars. He may have found his level. One more year left on his Saints contract. He won't want to come back to Saints and we are probably happy for him to join the Stars, but we'll obviously have to do what is best to support our FFP requirements. Caleta-Car was dropped for eight games in autumn, but has started 16 of last 18 games (suspended for other two) at Lyon. They have won 13, drawn 2 and lost 1 during that time. He won't want to come back to Saints to complete his contact in 2026, but seeing as we signed him for buttons, I doubt Lyon are going to offer much. Another situation where we may need to sweeten a deal so that they can pay him what we have to. Lis has started every game for Goztepe bar one due to illness. You would think he would replace McCarthy as our third choice next season. Lis apart, none of them will want to be back at Saints, but you can bet we will be paying them all in July and August at the very least.

dunno, but he's just got himself another contract at Saints, so I think it pretty safe to say it will be Baz, Lumley and probably Lis as our three keepers next season.

Interesting point. Not sure we needed more attacking prowess from fullback as we created enough opportunities simply by playing through their midfield. We played two `more defensive' (and taller) fullbacks, which for an away game with a big centre forward kinda makes sense, but we still conceded three. It would be very interesting to do a route-cause analysis of all our goals conceded. How many from losing the ball from overplaying, how many from set pieces, how many from being caught on the break, how many from from fullbacks out of position or outnumbered as they have no cover, how many when we have numbers back but don't press the man on the ball...

Exactly. When you have a football staff that no one at a higher level is interested in, that is not a good sign.

We saw it at Swansea. Flynn left and they struggled badly afterwards - they were in relegation trouble at one point. To play a passing game like his you need the best players. Without them and you have get murdered - very much like we did to Swansea this year.

That would mean we won our semi, which would be great...and despite them beating us twice, I would too. The way Hull took us apart worries me. Leicester get it right, and they can murder you on the break, as we found to our cost. The are best team in the league.

We certainly do, but to be fair, so did Ipswich. We kept up our 2 goals a game scoring record, but yet again it felt like we should have exploited our opportunities (the number of times we got beyond their midfield was ridiculous) and scored a couple more.

it's football. It happens. Doesn't mean the players don't believe in what they are doing.

Lots of frustrated Saints fans on here, so you have to expect some venting. I also thought we played pretty well (very well is spells). On another day we win that game. We went for it. Attacked with purpose. That's what fans have been calling for.

felt worse on Friday to be honest. Losing to Ipswich, despite being the better side, is not shame. Failing to beat teams like Millwall at home have been much lower points.

when we were passing the ball from inside our own 6 yard box through them and scoring a tremendous goal, I think there might have been one or two that bought into what RM has been selling.

ah, fair point. I don't know the rules on subs, but can we make a fourth `round' of subs as we had made three `rounds' (4 actual subs) already.

going for the win perhaps? A draw didn't really help us.

Ipswich just keep going right to the end. They have won so many games late. Fair play to them. Overall it was a great game. Thought we played pretty well. Could easily have gone our way. Very tough result to swallow, but we just don't quite have that killer instinct. Automatic has gone, but we can win play off games.

shite hold up play by AA. He just can't play that role. ...and shortly after they score.

Great foul Bednarek.

good play Rothwell.

Great foul.

you are blaming Stephen for us conceding? You would have preferred Manning at left back then?

both teams leaving massive gaps.

Armstrong is with him, but switches off a fraction, isn't tight enough ad the rest is history.