Doctoroncall

Just as well it’s not a minutes applause. I’ll be applauding, just out of time with everyone else. Discussed this at work when news broke about Banks. Overwhelming view was It should be a decision the clubs they were affiliated with to want to either celebrate or commemorate.

Didn’t help selling their top goalscorer and not replacing them... that sounds familiar.

7 (seven) - 0 Gallagher with a hat-trick.

Any significant event can be used to galvanise a team to succeed. Now they know they can win, can they repeat it?

A shame he couldn’t do it for us.

Yep, this is now the measure for us. At least the bloated squad has been trimmed, even if it’s temporary until the loanees come back.

May has already played that card in trying to get her deal through. She will not be PM leading the Conservatives into the next GE.

It is May’s mess. When Cameron rightly abdicated being very much for staying in the EU, May insist she was the best for the job and her party agreed. Having seen some reaction as to why many voted leave was immigration, it is perfectly reasonable to question their thought process as the Conservatives have never upheld their manifesto promise to limit immigration to the electorate, either legitimate or illegal immigration. Besides, it’s clear we need an influx to fill the vacancies due to lack of skills here. All that will change is less people from the EU, more from the Asian subcontinent. Let’s see how that is received.

It’ll be an empty glass unless you future proofed your income.

It’s been followed up by some terrible play (mainly bad decision making of what to do with the ball). I know certain players need longer to adapt to the fast pace league and the manager’s tactical system, so I hoping it is that and we start to see some progression towards the end of the season. Otherwise another player bought that has stopped a home grown player having a chance.

To class the £16m signing of a 24-year-old who had only ever played in Norway and Switzerland as a gamble is putting it lightly. Mohamed Elyounoussi had Champions League experience with Basel and plenty of international caps with Norway but it is not particularly surprising that he has struggled to step up. The winger has shown flashes of his ability but no end product in a Saints jersey, without a single goal or assist to his name in 12 league appearances, and he has played just 93 minutes in the league under new manager Ralph Hasenhüttl. Fair assessment from the Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2019/jan/29/transfer-window-summer-signings-flopped-season) . Maybe a preseason under Hasenhüttl will see if he has a future at Saints.

What makes you say that... is it the football intelligence - be able to see situations quicker and work it out, physicality, technique or a bit of each? At least all the current youngsters have enough about them, should they move on, to make it as football league players.

We need to make the most of the ‘easier’ games which are coming along now. String a few wins together and see what happens.

With the caveat of him being a youngster and only his second (?) appearance he was ok. Certainly at fault for losing his man a couple of times, one for the second Derby goal. There wasn’t anything rash, a tidy performance and better than Johnson. I wouldn’t discount any of them and certainly performed better than Elyounoussi who obviously needs a rocket or a hug to improve depending on what he responds to as a person.

I wonder if RH knows Mislintat from his time in the Bundesliga? It would be a helluva coup if Saints can pull off something major like this.

Derby isn’t that far. [emoji12]

Stephens had an injury in training, collided with someone and hurt his knee. Expected to be back in a couple of weeks, perhaps earlier.

Reasonable assessment but missing the detail... https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/dec/03/southampton-surer-footings-loss-of-step-mark-hughes-sacked-third-manager

Maybe if Hughes employed a good defensive coach he would be still here. At Stoke, he was lucky with the players, having been drilled by Pulis. Hughes just adjusted for a bit of attacking flair and got some decent additions to complement what he was given. As soon as the defenders needed changing due to old legs it went to pot.

He’s mates with Pep Guardiola. That’s good enough for me!

So who will replace Ross and Les?

Southampton have the worst differential (+7.37) between their actual goals scored (10) and their xG (17.37) next are Palace (+6.15). In short, it’s the players that need to get the ball in the onion bag!

Sticking with a draw as United need a win and we will play counterattacking football with Obafemi the speedster supported by Redmond and Moi on the flanks. Keep it tighter at the back with the same back four as Leicester game for consistency. Lem-Hoj-Rom midfield for a 4-3-3 which is the Southampton way and played in all our teams. May even nick this one and put pressure on Mourinho to lose his job. . . . It’s good to be free!

‘...finalising their future model around the first team manager’ Oh shìt, we are in trouble.

Have you seen how bad it is at the bottom to pick up points? I wouldn’t be surprised if a 34 points haul would survive.