Shroppie

But helped to get us relegated. I know which is more important to me! It's disgusting, but he's proved that he no longer gave a toss about Saints, would only ever play at about 50% and was happy to see the club fall apart thanks to his disruptive influence. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Bertrand next? Needs careful handling: we don't want another disrupted summer. I'd tell him now that, if he gives 100% for the rest of the season, he can go for an acceptable offer. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Which is obviously what I have been careful not to do for the last three months. And I know now how to force through a move. Can't wait to do it again. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

The only thing that ultimately worries me about this whole saga is that, after Saints made a very principled stand against tapping-up and grasping agents encouraging transfer requests, tantrums, strikes and go-slows to get what they want, it's happened anyway. Something really has to be done to restore a shred of integrity to the game. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I read they wouldn't meet the valuation. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Why not start with Dembele? Celtic are willing to sell. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Agreed. I just wanted to try to analyze the many ways in which he's crap. [emoji6] Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

It's taken me a while to recognise it (I can be slow like that[emoji6]) but a common thread to his approach to every game is to start cautiously and wait for something to happen. Only then does he react. There's never a proactive attitude, for example, to come out all guns blazing and take the game to the opposition. I suppose that occasionally we set up to park the bus from the word go, and that's tactics of a sort, but hardly positive. And once something happens, how does he react? If we actually score first, his only plan seems to be to hold on to the lead. If the opposition score, we sometimes see a reaction from the players, but tactical changes and subs are always far too slow in coming, if at all. In fact, it usually looks like he's planned the subs before the game. We've been outmanoeuvred by opposition subs more than once. So we keep getting comments about responding well, or responding too slowly. Never any proactive thought, which makes me wonder if he can actually form a game plan for himself. At the moment, we just go out and wait to see what happens. Then react. Or not. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Sadly, things are developing as I feared they would when we started the season so lethargically. We needed to come out of the blocks running hard but MP seemed to want to ease his way in with cautious football - exactly what we're meant to believe got CP the sack. But not really surprising, from his track record. On balance I wanted to give Puel another season, or few months at least. The stupid decision was, if we were going to change, to appoint a weaker version of the man we sacked. Which suggests that Les Reed and/or the black box are programmed to find a very definite style of manager. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Thanks. Helps explain. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Do Mahrez and Coutinho have a different agent to Van Dijk? Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Absolutely. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

This whole episode is nearly enough to make me give up on football, at least at Premier level. Saints have done just about everything possible to keep a player to his contract, but Van Dijk has proved that any selfish player wanting to move on at any cost, including inflicting the maximum damage on the club currently paying him, can do so with impunity I hoped that we had made a stand, but ultimately it's failed, damaged the club and team morale. Agents and the media will be rubbing their hands that dirty business as usual can be resumed. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

And Long put away his one on one. 2-2. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Should have gone to ....... Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

That'll help. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

No. Worse than Puel, by a mile. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

No full backs next week then. [emoji852]️ Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Curse you, sir. Beat me by several nanoseconds. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

JWP to RB? Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Thanks for your response. Probably like most real fans I get depressed and annoyed at the performance of individuals from time to time, and sometimes post in frustration. No, I'm not a fan of Redmond. I'm hoping Forster can regain his confidence. So I'll have my views on what's wrong, and I'll often be wrong myself. But that's part of wanting to think about how the club can be better. What I won't do is instantly jump on a bandwagon of criticism when things are going wrong. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Absolutely right. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Call me stupid but it costs me about £3k a year to follow Saints. But I'm never angry that they're not entertaining me. Frequently depressed after a bad performance, maybe annoyed with a bad team selection or players no giving their all, but also excited by wins and the great moments you never forget. Yes, I'll come on here and criticise and hypothesise about what's wrong when it's wrong or be ridiculously optimistic after a good result. It's called being a supporter, rather than a spectator. It's what I do, and I'm lucky enough to be able to not care what it costs. Which raises the question. If you go to be entertained and don't like paying, or can't afford it, why bother? Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

First monumental wrong prediction, although I half saw it coming. Leicester have picked up massively since this thread started. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I don't know that he's poor, but our results have dipped since his arrival and I can't see anything recent on his CV that would have encouraged us to take him on, just failure. Was there a Puel connection? I found it strange that Pellegrino didn't bring in his own #2. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk