James

Mario Lemina might have something to say about that.

Although my initial reaction was that we should have won, realistically we could have been 3-0 down at half time had it not been for a phenomenal save from Forster and a dodgy call from the ref (that he has since admitted was a pen apparently). We are a team with good players that is performing badly at the moment.

The fact that we can make such an average team look that good for any prolonged period of the game is a bit worrying I think. But, as long as we are playing ok for bits and pieces of games that'll be enough for MP (see previous comment re playing well for 25 mins against Burnley at home) to claim we were unlucky to lose/draw.

Agreed. We've got deficiencies in the team for sure but no way we should be worried about being in the dogfight. MP has to go but the win v Everton and the plucky defeat against City (replicated by an utterly atrocious West Ham) will have bought him some time. IMO there's no way he goes this season. If we finish bottom half he'll be gone in the summer and we'll be back to square one.

Not clear that Hoedt is much better than Yoshida yet although he has been decent enough. Very harsh that Stephens can't even get in the squad as a result of us buying him but I guess it is forward planning for VVD's inevitable sale.

Swansea, Palace and Newcastle I reckon. West Ham will be close. We will be far closer to the drop than some think even despite a couple of improved performances.

If the comments should be taken at face value then why are the FA investigating it?

Bournemouth were “probably better” in the first half. Jesus, we made them look like Barcelona at certain points..!

Bad team selection today (again) - that midfield was always going to cost us. Hoj and Lemina were absolutely outstanding over the last two games but both were excluded in a game where we had a higher chance of some points. Also, an awful West Ham side managed to put 10 men behind the ball and narrowly lose 2-1 to City so let’s not pretend it’s some kind of genius managerial move, it’s not. Fact is, we thrashed an awful team, set up with 10 men behind the ball against the Champions elect (but still lost) and then reverted to type by dropping points against teams we should beat. The only positive thing Pell has done since our bad run of form is playing Austin who actually scores regularly. Other than that we are just the same - underperforming considering the team we’ve got except now we’ve got a player who will put the ball in the bet given half a chance. Shame it’s taken MP half a season to give him a chance. We could do much better than him.

Yep. An excuse that was made for Puel too.

Thank god we didn’t lose. Should have won, still not convinced by Pellegrino. We could/should be doing better than we are.

Austin scores again but some of the Saintsweb experts wouldn’t have him in the team.

Playing absolute crap but because we narrowly lost to City playing 9 behind the ball Pell is good right?

Oh I’m sorry, I thought this was a forum where you could express your thoughts and opinions. Thanks for your patronising counsel.

To me it was total mind games from Pep - just saw a team come to their place and implement a system that largely denied them their usual rampant attacks. A better team than us (Man U, Chelsea, Spurs) could implement the blueprint we laid down and get something against them. Pep doesn’t want that so he rips into an opposition opponent in some massive publicity stunt to try and get teams to come out and attack them like Liverpool did so that they can run riot. It’s a subtle way of digging us for our defensive approach - approaching one of our young players and criticising them for wasting their talent rather than criticising our approach directly. It’s a seriously cheap shot and I’ve lost a lot of respect for Pep. Has made me quite angry to read the general media love in about how Pep so loves the game that he is on some sort of divine mission to improve players even when they play against him. I mean seriously, do me a favour. Pep is as bad as Fergie and Mourinho in the mind game stakes but seems exempt from criticism as he’s a trendy, likeable guy that wears bomber jackets etc. all the hipster journalists etc absolutely love it. Not to mention that getting in an opposition players face when they’ve just conceded a last minute goal is totally unprofessional and ungracious.

**** off Pep, **** off Sterling, **** off ref. Well played Saints.

He’s a complete ****. Liverpool scally.

Must have a clause in his contract that he can’t be substituted. It’s unbelievable. Gabbi surely must come on soon?

We need to get rid of Redmond. Complete trash.

Total waste of space.

Austin = goals.

So we will lose as there’s no chance our idiot manager will change his ways. Even if we come out and nick a second we will then sit back for the inevitable Rooney equaliser in stoppage time.

Totally agree but as soon as we scored we sat back and tapped it around as per Pell’s instructions against Brighton. We won’t get anywhere with this guy in charge.

It’s a carbon copy of the Brighton game except Everton equalised earlier. Poor poor management from a negative, hopeless manager. Much better performance but the momentum was sucked out of us by sitting back and messing about playing keep ball. Was so obvious what was going to happen.

That’s what you get for sitting back against a woeful team. **** off Pell.