James

Having finished sixth last season I would expect to be more than 3-4 points off 15th place in the table. For all the cries of "but we are tenth" people seem to forget just how tight the league is. If/when we are 14th/15th in a couple of weeks will you find that acceptable? If we were playing a style of football that looked promising or which made you think the results would come sooner rather than later that would be fine but, at the moment, the football is very very poor.

I, of course, hope I'm wrong. I just find it ridiculous that this seasons shortcomings are justified by being compared to last season where we went on a Leicester style run to finish sixth. We were **** this time last season and we are **** now. The difference is that this season we don't have the players to go on a run like we did last year.

Ah the old compare it to last season chestnut. Wonder what the excuse will be when we get knocked out of the league cup and slide down the league table.

Yet another game where Long does nothing. How much longer do we have to put up with him? Get rid I say.

I fear that Liverpool will be a bloodbath. Hope I'm wrong.

Another disappointing game. Could even beat a Championship side with a decent side out so what hope against Liverpool? Absolutely no desire to attend the replay.

We really are a side with a soft underbelly.

Garbage.

Sounds like another Puel special. Loads of possession but zero chances.

Les is, IMO, warming us up to no significant signings in January so don't expect much movement personally. If we aren't getting a striker in then we need to recall Gallagher. We surely can't go through the rest of the season relying on just Long and JRod.

Well said.

Ok, so what do you propose? Flog the senior players even if the manager is sub par? If it can happen to Jose at Chelsea it can and will happen at Saints if this turns out to be true.

Surely a win is more valuable than keeping players fresh for Wednesday? I mean, it's a game against a Championship team. A fourth defeat on the spin (regardless of selection) in a week where the captain has handed in a transfer request won't do much for club morale ahead of a semi final.

Got to wonder what the club promise the players privately to get them to join/stay for a while. Can't help but wonder whether the internal rhetoric of the club is at odds with what's actually being done in practice and is happening on the pitch.

Agreed but probably best not to have it out on the pitch in front of the Sky cameras. I remember the commentators remarking on it at the time.

Public argument with Puel on the pitch pre-Bournemouth, coming out in the press to voice his displeasure at being left out....etc..

Got to wonder what the club promise the players privately to get them to join/stay for a while. Can't help but wonder whether the internal rhetoric of the club is at odds with what's actually being done in practice and is happening on the pitch.

In your opinion...I can't see why the club would risk the negative publicity of releasing this story in order to get a bit more cash (especially at a time where we've lost three on the spin). He's going and we have put it out to control the story and put our own positive PR spin on it. Nothing to do with drumming up interest IMO.

We haven't had to do it mid season at January prices before. It depends whether the club truly saw this coming in the January window. If they did then we will have a replacement but if they thought Fonte would stay until the summer then they've got a job on their hands to get a deal done for the right player in the next three weeks. It's a very tough ask IMO. If he isn't replaced we are one injury to VVD away from a nightmare scenario.

I disagree with the sentiment of hating Fonte but he really hasn't handled this well at all. He will lose a lot of goodwill for behaving as he has, the same as Lallana did. Rightly or wrongly he will be abused by some sections of the crowd.

The captain should be one of the first names on the team sheet. JWP hasn't earned the captaincy yet.

The point is, he isn't liked by some of our best/most senior players. It's far easier to replace a manager than it is to replace three decent players.

What a terrible decision. Shocking really.

Replaceable for £6m in today's market? I highly doubt it. Even Gardos cost £6m two summers ago. We will need to shell out £10-15m at least on an upgrade over Yoshida. I can't see us doing it in January.

Massive loss, our defensive solidity (in the main) is the only positive thing about our play at the moment. As it stands (assuming Fonte doesn't play again), we are an injury to Van Dijk away from playing Yoshida and Stephens in a Prem game. Still, at least Jose will be nice and fresh for his new club having hardly played.