Chez

some of that is down to the fact we don't have top class attacking players. Players with genuine ability on the ball, and effortless and amazing first touches that allow them to exploit weaknesses in opponents. We have far too many players that are OK, like Ely and Redmond, who can keep the ball, but they don't have the combination of pace, skills and touch to do more. It's all about player quality. Ours are OK. But the slight mis control, the slightly underweighted pass, the lack of electric pace, the slow thought process... those fractions add up. We have to acquire more quality, on the pitch and then, whoever is the manager, must do more with it.

Napoli need to bring in funds this summer, either by selling striker Osimhen or finally cashing in on Koulibaly, or maybe both. Assuming Tuanzebe returns to United, they may need two CBs this summer.

was never gonna happen. Even if we finished 7th or 8th this season, they weren't gonna go for him. Not a chance.

same players, same tactics, but different results. Weird. You can't even say that a few of those results could have gone our way. So what are the reasons? He changed a wining formula after one defeat. He dropped Broja after two poor games and he never got `it' back. Romeu form/fitness seemed to drop off a cliff, which left our defence very exposed. The fluidity and link up play between midfield and forwards seemed to go. Was that due to selection or simply down to a loss of confidence?

You can read too much into quotes and interviews, but from earlier in the month https://www.hampshirelive.news/sport/football/football-news/ralph-hasenhuttl-southampton-transfer-hint-6911133 (so this may have been discussed already) it sounds like our transfer targets won't be restricted to the `Chelsea youth team'. Perhaps someone like Johnstone fits that narrative. Hard to say from those few quotes, but feels like there will be `some' funds available or at least the intention to bring a few new players in.

Ralph is going nowhere. A manager that repeatedly keeps a lower mid table side in the league is all an owner wants. Stay in the league, get the Prem money and the wheels keep turning.

which is exactly what the owners said from day 1. Any Saints fan that thought otherwise just wasn't listening. The timing of his departure is not horrendous. I am pretty sure clubs don't wait until May before they contact agents about signing in the summer, and this scouting reports will have been presented to management already.

Sure, I'm certainly not talking about corners and possession. But if someone like City run us ragged for 90 minutes, creates a shed load of chances, we barely get out of our own half, create absolutely nothing, yet somehow come out of the game with a 0-0 draw, part by poor finishing, part by good defending, part by luck, I come away from that game thinking we got a bit lucky and got a bit more than we deserved.

is that our average or the league average?

so basically, we are not really worse, creativity wise, than the other mid table (and worse) sides. We certainly were Saturday, and have been in recent weeks, but not over the course of the season. When I look at Brighton, failing to score in 9 home games and scoring only 34 goals all season, maybe our problems are not that bad. Wolves have only scored 33 goals all season. Only conceded 32 mind.

I understand the argument, but I don't agree that teams and performances get what they deserve 99% of the time.

I thought the Wolves defeat at home was harsh and Norwich away too. How we didn't win against Brighton at home I will never know. Not sure we deserved to lose to Newcastle at home either. The flip side to that coin is games like Arsenal, City and Brighton that could easily have gone the other way. Creativity is the issue for more. I think the one game that really should have scored a hat full was Watford away, which somehow ended 0-1 to us, but having not taken our chances we might have let that win slip. We deserved the win for sure. Oh and Spurs and United away. Created a lot in both those games. Maybe both Norwich games too. All over them and quite a few decent chances. Leeds at home is another, but they were on their knees. Not too many games where we created decent chances.

Agreed. There wont be money, we have some holes to fill and our low-cost transfers will need to be very smart.

we certainly didn't on Saturday. Zero creativity. Has that been the case all season? Trying to think back.

Younger and cheaper doesn't mean shitter. Besides, if McCarthy is as bad as you make out, then the new keeper, whoever he is, will most likely be better than him.

I think SG was referring to Armstrong not settling, rather than Broja.

He is, but he's about to join Leicester.

He deserved to be dropped when he was. It has been up to him to show (in training and in the substitute cameos) that he is worthy of another shot (run of starts). In a couple of those cameos he had the same problem that led to him being dropped - getting the ball stuck under his feet, not having the confidence to shoot on sight. In the Newcastle game he looked busy, and maybe he ought to get more cameos off the bench. I certainly am not happy with us starting Shane Long.

I don't doubt that report. McCarthy was given a new contract when he was our number 1, to be our number 1. We'll sign a younger and cheaper keeper. Let's hope that he does a better job of replacing McCarthy than Gunn did.

If, as someone posted on the Broja thread, we are offering Long a contract, that says a lot about our finances. If we don't have money available to upgrade on a striker that offers nothing, then you know things are going to be a little tight. If we have to pay £12-14m to Ralph if we sack him, that is going to seriously effect incomings this summer. Not necessarily a reason to keep him, but it is a factor. Survival this and next season, is the number one priority of our owner I suspect. Ralph has kept us up and I guess they will trust him to do the same next season too.

What do you mean by destroyed?

I thought the first goal was saveable and actually one of those saves that Forster usually makes (close to him) extremely well (he made one in the first half at the near post), but on this occasion didn't. A little disappointing, but not a complete fuck up. Not seen the second from a decent angle. Low and hit the post. Not sure he could be blamed for that one, although it seemed to take an age to get there. Agree with other posts that his kicking was woeful.

Doesn't surprise me to hear the contract has been offered. That's a sign of how little money there is to spend this summer. I think its a poor decision. I don't think he offers anything. Armstrong has struggled, but I'd still prefer to see him start. I thought Long did nothing yesterday. Won nothing in the air, caused zero problems, created nothing, didn't think he worked all that hard, and he ran out of steam.

I've said this several times, I can see him getting another year. Funds will be short, there is no guarantee that we can get Broja back, and Ralph's words and actions suggest he thinks he can do a job for us. Depressing.

I certainly wont complain about a set piece goal. Thank god we get so many of those, as we are creating absolutely nothing. Players and tactics need to change in the summer. If the 4-2-2-2 has been hiding our deficiencies, we need to do something about those deficiencies and find a new plan as this one does not see t be working. Not sure Ralph is willing to adapt though. He seems tied to it.