Ivan Katalinic's 'tache

Either Ralph's gone crazy or the BBC might've messed up how we're going to line up... 😂

Villa are now after Brighton's Bissouma according to Sky. I can see Brighton getting a Southampton-style raiding after Poch left for a number of their better players this summer (if not in January).

Newcastle will probably resist anything until Feb at the earliest so they can get the maximum number of new players as their new found wealth can bring in before any re-arranged matches...

And just had an email confirming the refund now...

Yes, I was asked to do the same with a similar lack of resistance.

I like the fact we're in a better position today than we were yesterday and I didn't ever feel this would make us one of the top players in the transfer market. That said, if we are able to spend a bit more like the Villas of the world when we need to and identify the right player, that would be an improvement. And I really won't mind if Dragan comes in and says "I'm not going to interfere as a rule but your goalies are all shit, now go and buy a proper one..."

If he would like to bring Dusan back as a fellow Serb, that would be good. It won't happen, I'm sure, but I'd love us to have spent even more on improving the squad by the time we play Newcastle to make them wish they'd played on Sunday... 🤣

Let's hope he's not the Danish Les Reed?

Serbian cable-TV tycoon snaps up Southampton FC in £100m deal | Business News | Sky News

Cheating Geordies. Must be some COVID outbreak if they can't get a team out from this squad...

Fine battling draw of the kind we wish Saints would do more often in the face of some questionable refereeing. Shout outs to the keeper & defence, Diallo shielding and Long put in a hard working shift up front. Cracking strike from the skipper too, who looks to be returning to form now.

Nice to see some resilience, recovering from conceding rather than conceding another and losing after being ahead again. Pleasing to see us take points off those cheeky Cockney chappies for once too!! Going to need Bednarek and Salisu to stay fit with Stephens and Lyanco out with COVID but two promising away performances in a row now. Would very much like to see us turn over Spurs on Tuesday now but that will be a much harder test. For now, happy to revel in a Boxing Day win.

Feels more like this at the moment... 😁

This seems pretty positive, no?

Please don't set Ralph new challenges...

Same tepid rubbish. Midfield 2 overrun by their 3. Obvious thing to do would be to drop Smallbone in there but no, let's stick to our rigid 4-2-2-2...

Watching the press conference, did Ralph just say it's not so long ago that our home form was "shit" when asked by Adam Blackmore why our away form has been so poor...?🤣 He looks a bit uncomfortable there today. Feeling the pressure maybe?

A sentence which will be applied to many a player in January, no doubt.

Yep, that's what 4-2-2-2 is! Because it's two numbers 10s and not wingers though, it becomes it's own formation. Innovative! Normally, I'd agree about the 3 CBs. It doesn't always suit us but sometimes we just need to try to be more solid in the middle and just be disruptive. 3 CBs, 3 CMs block the space and get in the way. Not pretty but we're not a side who is playing that well nor stable enough with key players missing to compete with our usual way of playing. It'll be interesting now to see what he does at Palace. More of the same anyone?

It's Ralph's job to figure that out but it's not 4-2-2-2 where we're so open and get picked off time after time. However, if pushed, I'd have done a Brighton and gone 5 at the back, 3 in central midfield and a floating forward to support the front man. Try and be solid, restrict their ability to play freely near our box and look to break quickly with the full backs supporting the front men.

Arsenal are a side that can blow hot and cold in the blink of an eye. Just a shame we pointed out where the hot settings were and helped them switch them on. I didn't expect us to win but I hoped we'd set up and play in a way which made us hard to beat given the players we had missing.

"We want Ralph out, we want Ralph out!!" Too soon? Or time to let the board know how many fans feel? I like the guy, I want him to succeed but I'm sick of seeing a turd of a performance, particularly in the second half, week after week with the same predictable tactics and uninspiring substitutions.

Not just our Govt who struggle to stick to the rules (although this 'mistake' is at least a little more understandable, I guess): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59577371 I can't see how football clubs will be able to check everyone's passes/test results in time for kick-off. Particularly in much larger stadiums than ours. Standby for a communication requesting we arrive at a set time hours beforehand...

Yes, he was. McCarthy, Cedric, Hoedt, Lemina, Austin and Long. How the fuck did we not win?