James

Paid the price for sitting back as we’ve done all season.

What was that from Long?

Surprised to see Long starting again given he's played the last two (oh and given he hasn't scored for almost an entire season's worth of matches).

I don't understand why he thinks that no blame can be attached to a manager who took over a side that had finished 8th last year (although MP mentions the gap between 8th and 17th being small in almost every interview, to basically equate our current position with last year) which is, on paper, better in certain areas than it was last year (Gabbiadini, Hoedt and Lemina although minus VVD). If Puel was sacked for what he achieved last year then it is completely unfathomable that Pellegrino is under no pressure despite leading us into a relegation battle. I guess we just have to hope that we somehow survive by the skin of our teeth this season and then undergo drastic change in the summer.

I just don't see how a member of SFC senior management can credibly say that, after a decision was made to remove the manager, we had a good season last year. Just makes them look a bit silly.

Completely agree - in a bizarre interview the point re 8th and a Cup Final being used as a positive for how we haven't gone downhill was utterly ridiculous. Maybe there was more behind Puel's sacking than we first thought, the comment about "Mauricio fully buying into the way we do things" says to me that he is far happier being dictated to by the management than Puel was (probably adds more credence to the theory that he was asked to change his ways and refused).

Worrying thing for me is that he's decided to give this interview now ahead of what is probably our most important game of the season so far. For me it does three things: a) indicates MP is safe even if we lose tonight b) dampens everyone's expectations for the transfer window so that when a couple of "never heard ofs" come in, they can say that they always anticipated it being a difficult window, never intended to invest all the cash etc. etc. c) started a new "we are a small club" narrative to take the light off RK and LR's mismanagement since finishing sixth and if it looks like we are in real trouble we will get even more "we are a small club and are fighting" style articles. Completely re-writing the messages that used to come out of Saints.

Exactly - VVD didn't force MP into his bizarre team selections or his negative tactics when we could really have gone after teams (Brighton Away). Suggests to me that he is in no immediate danger which is a concern. As well as we did to get a point at Old Trafford we are a defeat tonight away from possibly 17th. Hughes is under huge pressure at Stoke and they've actually won more games than us, unbelievable that it appears MP retains full backing.

Not exactly inspiring reading is it?

Totally agree - needs to follow it up by keeping McCarthy and Hoj in on Tuesday.

He’s dropped Hoj multiple times after he’s been the best on the pitch but yeah sure it’s just prejudice against the manager...

But Long was way better when playing with Mane in the second half of the second Koeman season. Can’t see how you can really refute that!

Unclear what, if anything, qualifies Kelvin to act as an assistant first team coach. Nice guy and I’m sure he will give his all but smacks of doing things on the cheap really.

Not sure Walcott, being a local boy, would lack motivation to be honest.

Yes, without question. Survive and rebuild in the summer.

Walcott and Sturridge are underwhelming?! Who are you expecting? Messi? Some fans have truly unrealistic expectations.

If we lose the next two and he isn't sacked post Palace then I don't think he will be sacked this season. I can't see him surviving a defeat at home to Palace.

Has also been very poor by his standards this season.

As far as I can see all they’ve done is repeat what a few blokes on the Saints Not606 have said. Hardly conclusive.

Totally agree. Can see a mauling here. We will get a conciliation goal in stoppage time and MP will say that for 3 minutes we played exactly how he wants us to play.

If he’s right on the targets bit then that’s worrying. We won’t be able to secure any of the identified targets in the summer if we are in the Championship. Club seem very very complacent/blind to our situation and how bad we’ve been playing recently.

I think, at this point, we are past the whole “we need to play attacking football” idea and are at the point where we simply need to survive. Burnley are an excellent example of how to pick up points (even against decent teams).

Walcott should be the priority. Actually cares about the club, vastly superior to the players we’ve got here at the moment (here’s looking at you Redmond) and will give the fans a big lift. In reality, it’s more likely to be Elia on loan.

Ridiculous that we will let him oversee possibly the most significant month we’ve had since we went down. Cock this up and we are toast. A loss against United is inevitable so we need a big performance against Palace. We won’t get it from Pell.

Exactly - did the VVD situation force him into bizarre midfield selections, implementing no discernible shape or style and us generally being a pretty crap side? He hasn’t been in or around the squad for the last two games and we’ve been woeful. If MP gets a stay of execution because of VVD then Virgil has done us even more damage than we first thought. Makes me sick to think we are not even close to sacking the clown.