John Boy Saint

I have to say that this season I have seen very little of that from him, if he has it’s been justified.

Fair play though she did get a very sensible answer - that is a typical question a media fed football fan would ask and hope for - what Ralph came back with makes perfect sense. Along with what I said a couple of weeks back about the nippers being a blank canvas and a sponge to soak up the ways of the Ralph, rather than some well worn pro who might play along but always in danger of falling back into their old ways, which is not the way the team plays. Sadly in these days, of order by 6pm and your 3 piece suite will be delivered by 10pm, - a lot of folks want it now regardless of what it will be like in a couple of months. Ralph certainly is a breath of fresh air.

Well he has pretty much said that about Hoedt!!

The bloke is a nutter - he was wandering around his technical area last night either talking to himself or a worm that had popped up out of the ground!!

Think a bit of honesty when posting is required regarding the opinion attributes of a player by "signing" the post with I watched this game from The Itchen Stand/ Back of the Northam - I watched this game on TV - Tablet/Laptop - Phone. If its the latter and always the latter get off your backside and actually go and watch the game with your own eyes rather than a TV lens, then you can see the whole game not just where the ball is......oh and whilst you are buying your ticket get one in the first 4 rows of whatever stand you chose to sit in, just to get a players eye view rather than a TV camera level view. Some of the comments on here about our youngsters make me wonder if my coffee from the concourse was spiked with Rohypnol!!

Ain't that the truth. If we could bag the volume of horse poo being shoveled in some of the posts above - we would be winning every category in the County Flower and Veg Produce Show come the summer.

I must be watching something else or others are watching Barcelona Real Madrid every week, from my seat in the ground thought he looked tidy throughout. Whilst some blaming him and Stephens for the second goal, I would toss into it that Gunn looked like he played with a “what’s the point” demeanour after McCarthy was confirmed as Ralph’s #1, and having seen Gunn play in a much more dynamic way, the pair of them whilst possibly guilty of a bit of “after you Sir......no after you” were expecting the keeper to come and clean it out as he has done previously. Yes we are in a perilous position in the league, I really don’t get this constant knocking of the academy lads when they are making their first steps in the team, yes they are going to be a bit green and wet behind the ears. Pretty sure that if they were pants the manager wouldn’t pick them then leave them on the pitch if they were having a mare. And in Ralph I am much more prepared already to trust his judgement, far more than the last 2 incumbents. Last night both Ramsey and Johnson looked far more capable than Armstrong in the first half, and Elyonoussi the whole damn game, both cost good money and both have far more game time miles on the clock.

Anyone else spot the confused faces around them when Derby made their 4th Sub in extra time?

Have you not spotted the accuracy McCarthy is getting with that goal kick almost out of play to the left side of the pitch, Fraser had that same goal kick nailed a treat.........straight over Whoever had been sent out there to receive it. The amount of times everyone has been motioned to the left and our right back has crept out right with acres to run into ahead of him, zero imagination from the keeper bomb one right into congestion time and time again on the left. Bloody ping one at the corner flag on the right now and again to surprise everyone. Bit concerned that after Saturday both Romeu and JWP looked jiggered tonight in the closing stages. Thought all the nippers did well, didn’t let us down, thought Ramsey was very tidy. Shame we fell ill at this hurdle, I was looking forward to the possibility of a trip t’up north. I had spotted that there was a chance of a double header, Stanley for lunch, then the Shakers v the Imps at teatime at Gigg Lane with my cousins. C’est la vie as a Saints fan.

Too bloody slow in 99% of everything he did tonight. I know these foreign Johnnies have to get to grips with the pace and power of the game in this country, but this is like a player in the mound of the previous 2 managers: keep doing the same thing and it will work eventually. Summed up nicely in the first half when the nipper Johnson played a Nice ball into space behind the defence expecting him to be there, nope he had his back pretty much to the ball wandering towards the D, Johnson just shot him a WTF look with upturned palms. I guess when a bloke states that his move to Saints has made him financially secure for the rest of his life that’s what you are going to get.

That is a surprise - like Batman just said troubled soul too. Shame for him really as getting to play for England and being sold a couple of times for what was then decent money, along with Klopp bringing him in to Liverpool on loan, even after a car crash of an outing against them for us, obviously shows that folks saw footballing ability in him. Then looking at the troubles that have plagued him alongside his age, the Devils of too much too young have had a field day with him.

Just saw the highlights, that WAS an impressive comeback from 0-2 down cracking couple of goals especially their first, but the 3rd looked like Stoke had just given up like they were 8-0 down. Bizarre!

That Lenihan doesn’t take prisoners - imagine him and Romeu playing together: if one doesn’t get you the other one will!!! ......reckon the ref Lee Probert will have a ponytail by May: looks like his hairdresser has died

Err he’ll be a damp squib like most of the players we buy off the ”Macaronis”*?????????!! *thank the film Das Boot for that political incorrectness

If you read the comment from the owner he had no intention of pulling the trigger either, having been on a ride that not even he expected. Wouldn’t be surprised if the penalty that was awarded then overruled on Saturday at Cardiff (which given, by comparison, the super soft ones the top 6 get awarded) turned out to be the last straw for Wagner in himself.

It’s no surprise when we have been subjected to the wishy washy dross we have been dished up pretty much since the EFL Final. Beat an unbeaten Arsenal, go to Huddersfield and get a result that wasn’t scraping a win. No one got too down v WH or City, get a battling 0-0 (!) draw v Chelsea. Then Saturday Long wins a penalty, which is a shock in itself, for 1-0, the nipper gets sent off, minutes later Shane Long has made it 2-0!! I was watching on the iPad, Mrs JBS had stuck on Soccer Saturday so the 40 second spoiler was on in earshot. Wait what’s that Charlie Nicholas just said, 2-0 Saints and Shane Long has scored!! I can’t have been alone in uttering WTF!! Or similar wherever folks were listening or watching. Hang on we’re Southampton we don’t do such mind bending nonsense like this!

First game that popped into my head was v Newcastle last game of the season 2002 - Tahar El Khalej wiped out that odious weasel Kieron Dyer and got sent off. The game was at 2-1 and had been pretty tame, we only had to hang on for about 30 minutes against a Newcastle team that was pretty tasty under Bobby Robson. Fired up after Dyer had gone off they set about us, last few minutes of the game we got the ball and the fittest Saints player on the pitch Paul Telfer was Off up the pitch no one could catch him and he chipped a delightful ball over Shay Given for 3-1. I only remember it because the sun was shining, I had a free ticket, and the pitch had been rollered in such a way that from the upper rows of the Chapel, through sunglasses the roller pattern created an optical illusion that made it look like there was a bloody great big dip right across the middle of the pitch! .........sad, I know!

Blimey the first language on the pitch will be Danish!! Lip read that you buggers!!

All those poor souls who emptied their piggy banks on Puel Saturday teatime!

Surely it has to be Fonte falling over Brighton players leg 6 feet outside the penalty box in front of the Lino, Ref pointed straight to the spot, and sent off a Brighton player for disputing the penalty too vigorously.

Wasn't that Franny getting first dibs on the hot water, absolutely cleaning out Sturridge.......... Mike Riley, the ref, backing up to the Derby fans calling Franny to him before producing the Red to huge cheers from under the East Stand.

Funnily enough I was listening to to the Total Saints Podcast thingamy (not something I listen to often)- Adam Leitch off the Echo said, when he spoke to him post match, Ralph was going to sub Valery at half time as he could see what Leicester were upto. Chilwell was getting very little change out of Valery, very much like Hazard wasn't v Chelsea. He suffered the impetuousness of youth sprinkled with a little inexperience, I wouldn't be overly concerned unless it becomes a frequent thing. I certainly wouldn't be pointing the finger at the frequency of yellows, especially as you can't bet on Romeu getting a yellow anymore without adding in another match event, and Bednarek was racking them up for a few games too recently. As for the penalty shout, there was contact foot to foot, Valery didn't get at all excited about it (like Alonso at Chelsea), he just got up and took a bit of chirp from Chilwell......... we have all seen them given for less and with Michael Oliver you have one of the better refs, who would have no qualms about awarding a second penalty of the afternoon if he felt there was an offence.

Friday night out in Blackburn might end up as one drink before last orders - seeing as the M6 on a Friday with the roadworks can be a right mess!

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True what they say “garbage in garbage out”.......... Give it a rest - we won.