InvictaSaint

“Exciting and entertaining fan engagement solutions” 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️ How about just buying a striker?

There's a related French word - amortisseurs - for car shock absorbers. Makes sense. Cushions the blow, takes the force out of it. Which, if you've spent £90M odd on an unproven kid, is probably quite useful.... 😉

Yeeeeesssssss!!!!!

Very good post. 👍

To play devil's advocate....could one not also argue - particularly after last night's horror show - that keeping NJ is also a clear and obvious act of self-harm.....?

Worth reading the Echo article in full: 2 January 23More Sport > Southampton boss addresses January transfer plans and Bednarek/Tella By Alfie House @AlfieHouseEcho Digital Sport Reporter Southampton boss addresses January transfer plans and Bednarek/Tella NATHAN Jones admitted the January transfer window will not be “super busy” but insists Saints must improve their squad, whether that is “one, two, three or 10” signings. The Welshman has overseen three defeats from his first three Premier League games since being appointed as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s successor at the beginning of January. Saints are rock-bottom of the division and, although there are only five points between them and Leicester in 13th, only two teams have survived from this position at this time in the last 10 years. Jones was asked about his intentions for the January window, with Sport Republic buying 10 players in the summer alone, as well as select rumours that have emerged in recent weeks. One such was the potential return of Jan Bednarek from his loan spell at Aston Villa, where he is hardly getting a look in, to strengthen in defence. He responded: “There are certain positions we want to strengthen in because we need help and competition in those positions. “That is one position where we would like to strengthen in,” Jones admitted. “But I’m not going to say anything on names now because there is a lot going on. “It’s not going to be a super busy January but we would like to make sure the squad we come out of January with is better.” Another player who could return from a loan spell, but one who has a considerably larger degree of success, is academy graduate Nathan Tella. The 23-year-old has scored eight goals in 22 Championship matches for league-leaders Burnley, who look set for an instant return to the Premier League under Vincent Kompany. Asked about the forward, Jones said: “Every possibility is open but what we have to make sure we do is make sure the squad we go into the January window with is weaker than the one we come out of it with. “Whether that’s one, two, three or 10, we have to ensure we are in a better position by the end of the window to win games and have competition within the squad. We have to make sure we have a positive end to the season.” Jones has previously been honest in suggesting that he has not been able to play the way he and his coaches would desire due to the personnel and availability within his squad. But when asked again if he wants to play a three-at-the-back formation, after returning to it for the first half of the 2-1 defeat at Fulham, his frank response could suggest a more all-encompassing approach to transfer strategy. “I want to win games, I don’t care what shape we play, I really don’t, I just want to win footballmatches,” he insisted. “At the minute, we have played a back three because we’re not the biggest team in the world and when you come up against teams that are big, they’re good from set plays and we need to give ourselves a chance of being dominant in our own box and being a threat in the other. “That’s what we need to do so I don’t mind, throughout my manager career I have played a 4-2-3-1, I’ve played a diamond, throughout the promotions I played a back three and I got to the playoffs with a low-budget side, it’s the principles that are more important. "If we’re the side that can handle absolutely everything then I’d play a certain way.”

So to play devil’s advocate….when NJ went back to Luton, saved them from relegation and got them to 8th in the Championship, for a club of Luton’s size and resources….was your mate unhappy? Presumably he is representative of other Luton fans who, upon getting promoted and rising up the Championship, all shouted their discontent? To be clear I am not saying NJ is right for us or that he will succeed and we’ll enjoy watching his team. However what I find odd is that your friend was unhappy with what NJ achieved at Luton given the club’s size and resources.

In case of interest....taken from one of my fave sites: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/premier-league/. Column with amber shading represents likelihood of relegation at current point.

I was down in row K and when ABK came over to throw his shirt to a fan he got some real abuse from certain people. Edozie got a good reception, Prowsey too. Others didn’t come over, Jones included who clapped us for all of 5 seconds as he walked off.

Good article S-S. The rewards of a man-oriented defensive 3 are clear - if - and it’s a big if! - you have the defenders to do it. Likewise the pitfalls are clear as daylight: lose a defensive duel or get sucked in by an attacker dropping deep and allowing another play to push into vacated space and you can get totally punished. The stat for Atlanta (who use the system) having suffered one of the lowest numbers of shots on their goal but one of the highest number of goals against is because of all the above. Like you, I’m not sure we have the players to carry out such a system anywhere near effectively enough.

If there is any truth in the rumour, it won’t be Football Insider getting the scoop. Awful site. And to be honest, not one Saints player currently has earned the right not to buy into what the manager wants of them.

👏👏👏👏👏

No criticism of you MB and equally no defence of NJ but bloody hell - I could have written that. No substance to it at all. Awful piece. And if Football Insider is the first port of call for disgruntled Saints players then the bar has sunk lower than I had imagined!

Agree 100%.

True - but if Diallo had gone with him and challenged it might have made a difference. The fact he stood there and watched - literally - Lallana score was not a ringing endorsement of his ability. Hence his being hooked at HT.

I think if you rewatch Diallo’s failure to track Lallana for the first goal you might think differently…..😉

Joined 11 hours ago….is that you Ralph? 🤔

I think that’s the point he was making. We’re so shit at recruitment we’ll bring in a crocked striker.

A few thoughts on Jones’s start to his Saints tenure from a Luton forum here for consideration.

You know exactly what I meant you self-righteous prick.

Anyway, after a 120 mile drive I’m walking down to SMS to support my team. Have fun behind your keyboard @niceandfriendly.

Where did I say ‘not allowed to comment’? I’m simply saying not a single second of the game has been played, so why not just see how it goes? If it’s shit it’s shit - but we don’t know yet. Not such a big ask is it.

Other than Stu….which of the bench would you prefer to have in the starting 11?! Everyone moaned at AMN and AA; they’re out. 5 at the back is out. Yet still people moan. How about we give them a chance ffs?!

Think it has to be. There’s no 3rd CB in that line up. If so, that’s lesson learnt from the Lincoln game.