coalman

Name me another player who is as comfortable playing at quarterback? Go on, I dare you.

Never mind the striker free formation. I was particularly impressed by England's tendency to play suicidal football out from the back aided by a keeper flapping around like some kind of demented fish. Very Saints-y. Like a home away from home.

You're saying Stephens isn't going straight back in the team?

For me, I look at the fixture and don't see where our next point comes from. Not just that but we're close to being unwatchable at the moment. Any team playing us knows they simply need to press because we'll cough up 3-4 gilt edged chances a game and that they're safe to press because we play out so slowly from the back and carry nearly zero threat. We're in October and the manager not only doesn't know his best team but insists on playing his favourites. Net result is an endless shuffling of attacking and midfield options and no flow or stability.

I cannot think of one thing in our favour except, perhaps, Arsenal thinking they just need to turn up (spoiler alert: they just need to turn up). So obviously a comeback 2-1 win for Saints.

I want to vote No just because I'm sick of the manager merry go round but we're not getting better. He persists with things we know don't work and players we know aren't up to it at this level. The players don't seem to be playing for him. It's hard to see how he turns this around. We got away with his deficiencies last season because we scored lots. This year not do much. The scary thing is who on earth is Rasmus going to pick next?

A team that doesn't create anything and gives away soft goals in a league where that sort of thing gets punished. However, we have our first point now. Then again, the manager doesn't seem to know his best team. Hard to see anything beyond a 5-0 win to Saints.

Everton are going to be spooked by this. Nobody expects Saints to get a shot on target let alone score a goal.

That has to be a yellow, surely?

Looking at the positives from this. No Stephens for three games AND Ten Hag gets to say Man United have turned a corner to get another 5 games in charge.

Has Garnacho stopped rolling yet?

(Bruno) Fernandes gets his regulation yellow for kicking the ball away

Of the 5 we've conceded this season at least 3 have been self inflicted. We've dropped 2 points so far as a result. There is a time to put your foot through the ball and we need our midfielders to turn into space when it's there rather than passing back into the danger zone. A pre-requisite for any player in midfield has to be finding pockets of space and being able to play on the half turn.

8/10 Ramsdale took it from a 6 to an 8. We're stronger in every department. But still some doubts over who is going to score the goals to keep us up.

The lad has a genuine shout of making himself England number one. Can't believe we've pulled this off.

It would make a nice change not to be desperately phoning around our 5th and 6th choices on the last day of the window.

I'm in danger of wearing out my Ctrl and R keys waiting for news. Please please please please please....

But is he injured enough to for Saints to go for him?

One thing about Saints is we're a good place for a goalkeeper to look good due to our world class ability to give up clear cut chances. Admittedly you're probably also getting more hospital passes here than at any other club.

Why are you asking me? I'm just posting a philosophical point about the contradiction inherent in arguing about intolerance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance

I'd hope we'd have learned our lesson from last season over bringing in too many midfielders. For the the love of all that's holy, Saints, get a striker.

Fucking hell. I'd have been happy to get him on loan. Well done Saints for getting him for reals

Oh my. That's a thing of beauty

You start to wonder if there are payment clauses which kick in when he has attended enough team training sessions.