Chez

He's stupid to discount that game IMO. We were turd, then at half time he has words and we come out and take it to Liverpool. I credit him for that second half performance, but because he didn't get the result he doesn't want it counting against him. Cherry picking stats to argue his case feels tinpot. Jeez. I want to back him. I've wasted hundreds of words of `support' on this thread alone, but he's a tough one to like.

Pretty fair analysis. Moving away from formations that seemed to work certainly frustrated me. First I have heard about JWP team talk, but I am guessing it was in addition to Jones' words, not replacing them. Pretty standard for captain to do that I'd of thought.

In a nutshell. Come to a club, lose a couple of games, which is no different to the results before him, and has his own fans singing "you don't know what you're doing" and "your football is shit". Has any manager faced that before after four games, anywhere, ever? To counter that, we had gone bottom and the Forest game was an absolute shit show. He should acknowledge that (he hasn't really) and try to understand the frustration of fans, who have `suffered' some woeful stiff over the last year or more. Some of those boos were at the side and the situation not just him. I struggle to see how the relationship between the fans and Jones will ever come together now. He is always going to remember how he was treated.

no one is saying fans should not have an opinion or indeed voice it, but a lot of fans had forged their opinion about him before he had even set foot through the door and then used the failure to turn results around immediately, and the terrible display against Forest to reenforce that preconceived opinion. Maybe, rather than sing "your football is shit", which quite frankly helps no one, Saints fans at Palace ought to have just booed at the end of the game to show their displeasure. The fact we played OK in the second half and got the result made those supporters look a bit draft if you ask me. If, in ten games time, the side is still losing and playing shite, then perhaps it would be far enough openly savage Jones. Forest was a shit show, so I totally understand the frustration and displeasure, but where we are in the league is not all down to him. Ralph and the senior management team collectively got us here. I think fans forget that as soon as he became our manger, he became one of `us'. Not a fucking skate or a rival manager, a Saint, that is on our side, doing everything he can to give us what we want - victories. It's shame fans can't come together to give our rivals as much grief as Jones has got to put them off. The Darren Anderton "scummer" chants back in the day ruined his performance . As supporters, how about we go after our opponents a bit more rather than our own.

I wonder how many goals Nunez would have got if he had played for us instead of Adams.

remind me, how did he do at Fulham when he was there?

sounds like one of those people that supplies food to a bedridden obese person.

West Ham now linked to Moffi (in addition to the earlier Everton links). Either he hits everyone's sweet spot in terms of ability, goals and affordability, or his agent is bloody good at getting stories in the paper to drum up interest. Alternatively it could just be the usual bollocks football rumour websites creating another story to fill their pages, based on nothing.

Che's press is pretty lame to be hones. He doesn't really ever sprint to put players under pressure. Obviously sprinting non stop on your own in a woeful press would be pointless, but as Armstrong has shown in the last couple of games, you can make inroads if you burn some energy on a few lost causes. I don't see a switch into midfield working. He's at his best holding the ball up and linking up with fellow striker. It will be interesting if we do get another striker in how often we play two up top.

It will be interesting how this works against lessor sides. Away from home we can continue in the same way, but when we are next at home against a beatable side and the onus is on us, that's when we as fans start to get frustrated as we expect more. We are a lot more forgiving of long balls, hoofs, less possession etc, when playing City. Is Blackpool dominate possession like that, fans would be going spare.

Thought it wasn't a bad atmosphere to be honest - not exactly electric or raucous, but when is it ever like that? I was in Northam/Kingland corner. Where were you sat? I've found sitting anywhere south of the half way line is terrible atmosphere wise.

Yep. anyone that witnessed the absolute fucking shit show at Villa park earlier in the season with Ralph at the helm would be inclined to cut the next guy a little more slack. We were turgid and have been in a lot of games for a long time. Jones was slightly unfortunate in that the worst display in years coincided with us going rock bottom (which wasn't entirely down to him). It was inevitable that fans would be unhappy (at the end of the Forest game) no matter who the manager was. Add in that horrible display and fans bemusement at his appointment and you have perfect storm leading to "you don't no what you are doing" and "your football is shit" chants from incredibly fed up fans. I didn't agree with either being sung at that point, but if you have been going week in and week out, you will have had the fun/optimism etc. completely squeezed out of you long ago - so it was the perfect opportunity to vent. That vent ought to have been pointed at the whole club, not just Jones, but managers are lightening rods, and get pad millions to take the shit from fans. I wonder though, if this situation will have scarred him and if the relationship with fans will ever be there as a result?

Hopefully we are still in the tie and half time. Looking forward to the 640m round trip midweek. How the hell do you guys do it. Kudos to the `drivers'.

Out of interest, how do they far in terms of minutes to goals. Scamacca, Daka and Watkins have been on the bench a fair bit haven't they? I guess that's their problem. You are right. Ings 20 goal season was something else.

Relegation will certainly fuck things up. Bloody tough turning this `oil liner' around though. Almost every signing needs to be spot on, and that's not realistic. Yeah, there have been a lot of posts on here about us needing experience and the Orsic signing suggesting that we have done that and gone a different route, but for me nothing has changed with our transfer policy. We will still be after the best young talent we can afford, but that will be supported by some more experienced players DCC, AMN and Aribo. Alcaraz mirrors the ABK signing in terms of age and experience. I'm hoping he is technically gifted `spikey' ball player with a big engine and an eye for a pass and maybe even a goal.

that's the spirit. Today is the time to refill that optimism balloon, before its inevitably burst at bloody Goodison. Bloody fed up of going up there are seeing us lose. This year lads, this year...

yep and for some reason they seem to all congregate at BBC football website polls.

we deserved to win the FA cup game. Yes we were gifted the goals, but we were the better side and the second half display earned that little bit of luck. Last night was a huge jump forward. As you say completely unrecognisable from the Forest game. Maybe, and it's a big maybe, the Forest game was a blip rather than being the norm in terms of style, effort etc. We were actually half decent at Anfield (second half), obviously struggled and were disjoined against Lincoln after a long lay off, and were totally outplayed/classed against a red hot Brighton, but we played OK at Fulham (deserved at least a point) and earned our victory at Palace. It's a glass half full day today for me.

And City got Chelsea in the FA cup and then drew Arsenal in the next round. It's bloody great when it happens, giving everyone one else just that little bit better chance of winning the competition, but the odds are always against it. That's why its brilliant when a smaller side like us manages to knock one of them out. The League Cup is now wide open.

I agree. Without doubt it's the best part of Bazunu's game. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a long ball, especially one as exquisite as that one. Turing sides like City around and getting us the pitch does work. I think though, as fans we are a lot more forgiving when we clear out lines with a hoof, or hit a more speculative long ball when we are playing word class opposition. Do that against Everton (and without a 2 goal lead) and fans may start to moan again. They key is to score goals, get in front, win games, and the quality of football is far less scrutinised. Still buzzing after last night. Bloody great to feel some level of optimism, even if it is short lived.

Can not wait. The league cup comes alive in the semi final these days. Two legged games are great.

Could not agree more. Love your username by the way. I used to think I was FFs biggest fan.😏 I spent hours on the saints forum arguing his case.

Meh. He ain't going no where in this window.

Great. Pretty ballsy move for SR to spend tens of millions when we are odds on to go down. Hope we bring the right guys in that make a difference in the short and long term.

Spot on. Hate seeing fans wishing we lose for the 'greater good'. One good result can bring another, confidence can grow and before you know you are on a run. It might not happen, but to not want to give it a chance is sad.