Oisin

Thanks - some good saves low down, as well as the flashier high dives. Also saw him actually catch a couple of saves which is refreshing. The only thing the video showed nothing of which would be good to know is dealing with crosses and corners, I.e. does he clearly people out of the way and command his area. Would be useful to know that.

Lots of strong arguments about whether we want a cf and I’m firmly in the yes please camp. It was my choice as priority. Don’t have to agree but my reasoning is that we currently only have one I’d happily rely on. And he’s not a line-leading cf which I personally prefer. Fair play to ArmA and Eckert, we’re making it work spectacularly as it is, but we’re one injury from having no strikers. I say no strikers … people keep saying we have 4. Downs is dreadful and might improve but he’d need the recovery levels of Lazarus to be useful at any stage this season. Ross is fit 2% of the time. Forget him. Archer is an interesting one, I want him to do well and think he’s not been given enough of a chance, but he’s basically not scored for two years and is clearly low on confidence. I basically can’t trust to rely on him if it’s needed, much as I want to. Stats from 2+ years ago are not helpful or particularly relevant. I also think the ability to change the dynamics of the attack is an important tactical weapon, both for helping see out games when sitting deep, or for helping break down stubborn defences when our plan A fails. Under Eckert we haven’t had that second scenario yet, but I’m pretty sure we will at some point. Not that it mattered but against Leicester Fellows created half a dozen great chances with crosses into the box but we had no one to convert them. A proper number 9 would have done. There are games when this would have cost us. So because we only have one striker we can rely on (what if he gets injured?) and to provide the tactical flexibility of changing things with a line-leading number 9, I’d very much like us to invest here. FWIW I think our other weaknesses are gk (but I don’t think the club do), lack of a defensive rb (what’s happening with those we have?), a leader at the back (but we have 5 cbs so doubt we’ll strengthen here), a lb who can stop a cross, and a sub number 10 (so I don’t have to see Aribo again). Most worrying aside from and ArmA injury would be one to Scienza, but at least we have options to change tactics etc. We clearly can’t find someone of his quality to be a sub just in case. But with a proper number 9 they’d have plenty of game time as well as providing a back up plan should an injury occur, cos IMHO none of Ross, Downs or Archer can fulfill that role reliably.

I probably shouldn’t be surprised but some of the comments on here are remarkably negative and unfair. Words like “horrific” and “shambolic”. Seriously, what are people expecting? Yes, the second half performances need to improve. But there’s such a thing as context. He’s 32, he’s come into a squad of mentally fragile players, low on confidence, with no real leader on the pitch, no strong leader at the back, a (choose your own adjective) keeper, no right back, no number 9 and no transfer window to change the squad … and returned 6 wins out of 7, 21 goals, some hugely entertaining, exciting and attacking football (best I’ve seen in about a decade) and 4 of the last 5 games have essentially been won within 40 minutes. The first half performances are 11 out of 10. And in the context he’s doing an outstanding job. Can he do some things better? Yes. Do I think some of his subs could be better? Yes. Are we overly reliant on Scienza and in need of a formula to play effectively without him? Yes. Do I think a 32 year old has the capacity (and is indeed likely) to learn to get better in these areas? Yes. Are words like “shambolic” and “horrific” reasonable and fair in any way? No. Could any of us reasonably expect any better so far? No. Some of you need to get a grip on reality and a sense of perspective. This is as good as it gets - if you want better, it ain’t ever gonna happen so go find another hobby or die miserable.

I don’t think I’m getting carried away to be fair - we have one of the best squads in this division, finally playing to somewhere near their potential, full of confidence, at home to a well organised and competent side with players at a good but on average lesser standard than ours, who just got smacked 4-0 (at an average Sheffield United) so are presumably not full of confidence. It should be a routine comfortable home win. Of course, with well over 40 years of saints’ very special “scar tissue” I am very aware we are capable of cocking it up. But it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be 3 points comfortably won.

Are they going to have it presented by a giant and midget, include a new “anthem” no one will recall, give a new peace prize to Farage, spend 25 minutes sucking him off, get it drawn by people who are thick and/or can’t pronounce anything and close it out with a performance of the birdie song. cos if not I’m not bothering to watch

Should be a routine comfortable win. No need to change anything in the starting 11, just swap Aribo for Wellington on the bench and I’ll be happy.

That was quite possibly the worst piece of TV ever.

I used to get excited about the draw. Right now I feel lost, confused, let down and quite ill. Not surprised but still … it’s utterly depressing

Pretty fair assessment overall. I’d like us to go to the loan market for a striker rather than spend at this stage - would hope come January there’s one or two good quality forwards itching for some game time. Squad is far too bloated to justify any more, much as I’d like a better GK and a real leader at the back.

If Tonda is so unexpectedly amazing at stuff, could we appoint him as the Chancellor and get an epic budget delivered?

He’s rubbish at second halves. Give it to Tonda for each 1st half and find someone else for the half-time team talks and all the substitutions. It’s so tedious watching 0-0 football for 45 minutes, knowing the game is won. We pay for entertainment, should be getting half our money back if they stick with Tonda for all 90 minutes

We win 5-1 away and some people on the forum spend their Sunday having an argument? Love this place

Top 5 things I wanted out of SR: A premier league club a goalkeeper (upgrade on Forster) a strong leader at the back (the replacement for Fonte we never got) a striker (the replacement for Ings we never got) a manager to take over the visibly tiring Ralph, playing similar style football, just a bit fresher Absolute unmitigated failure on all of these. They are a f*cking disaster zone and have wasted hundreds of millions in the process. I fail to see how it could conceivably have gone any worse

I hear she’s humble and brave, which is at least as important as any other attributes, so I’m sure she’ll be fine

You could realise all your posts are annoying and pointless and never post anything. Think I learnt more of use from MBs one liners than I have from 15+ years of your keyboard diarrhoea

To me he’s currently playing like a poor man’s Jack Stephens. Lacks concentration, has a huge ego and can’t pass - two of his miss-placed passes on Wednesday were as bad as I’ve seen in professional football. And this is an England international!!! Jack Stephens gets the nod in terms of seniority and leadership (aka shouting at the ref a lot until he gets himself booked). At least Quarshie, Edwards and Wood have some potential and a likeable character IMHO. Granted, they have their weaknesses too and it’s not a great set to choose from. Finding our best 2 centre backs is as comfortable a choice as deciding between Bazunu and McCarthy for the keepers jersey. Or picking a centre forward from either Downs (who’s terrible) or someone who isn’t ever a number 9. Love our options right now …

I’m surprised so many of you are selecting THB - he’d be my 5th choice centre back.

Or keep it up for years and become the most tedious tw4t you could ever imagine in a football forum

On the other hand he was our top scorer last season he was here and we aren’t exactly full of them right now! 😉 In all seriousness he’s not brilliant but if the commercials aren’t silly then he would absolutely improve our squad options. Not good enough to break the bank over but good enough to consider otherwise imho.

Not picking on you/this comment especially but I have to say I don’t share quite the level of optimism going on round here. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of good work has gone on - we had a terrible squad and look to have made numerous improvements and shifted a lot of sub-standard personnel. We have, however, lost our 3 best players from last season IMHO (KWP, Fernandes and Ramsdale), plus our hottest prospect (again IMHO, Dibling). More concerning for me, however, is that we haven’t addressed any of the spine, precisely the areas that have cost us in the last 5 years. We don’t have a midfielder who can tackle, we don’t have a strong vocal leader at the back (haven’t since Fonte), we don’t have a cf worth the name (haven’t since Ings), and have a keeper who … let’s just say divides opinion. Mostly in that the staff think he’s good, while 95% of the fans disagree. We are better off than we were a week ago and look to have added some real quality. But I can’t see a spine to build around and form our identity around … let alone tackle, score, defend or save. I’m not in need of any Kleenex, whether for tears or transfers induced ‘excitement’. It’s good, but it really ain’t that good.

Forgetting the various tactical combinations playing to so-and-sos strengths for one Second , what is stark to my mind is how utterly bereft of confidence they all look. Some of them may have historically impressive records at this level, but if you look up from the spreadsheet and database and watch the actual human beings, not one of them looks capable to me of spearheading a promotion campaign. Used more sensibly you might get a few goals out of Archer or ArmA but even a blind pig finds the odd acorn … they both look mentally done in to me. We never properly replaced Ings or Fonte for that matter, and both have cost us dearly. 5 years on and we still haven’t and so it continues to cost us. Our transfer policy over the last few years has been shambolic

As far as I can work out, a lot hinges on who we shift. Obviously there’s Tyler and Fernandes, but you’d imagine Edozie, Aribo, Taylor, one of Suga or Bree, probably BBD and Smallbone, possibly Wood (maybe on loan), Nico Lawrence at least on loan, maybe loans for a Bragg or (less likely) Sesay. And you’d think we’d consider bids for THB, ArmA, Archer, Downes, McCarthy and Manning if someone wanted any of them and were prepared to pay the right fee. Almost anything could still happen so I’m pretty relaxed about the state of the incomings. You can’t buy 10 players and risk having a squad of 35-40 without knowing what you’ve sold. Should we somehow keep Tyler and Fernandes, I reckon we need 1 winger and a 3rd choice keeper and that’s pretty much it. Of course I’d like a better keeper and a proper number 9, plus a proper number 10 if I was being super greedy. But we’d have a good enough squad to mount a proper title challenge if that was it IMHO.

Excellent stuff today - save at 0-1 ultimately earned us 3 points. Plus it was low to his left!!! Maybe there’s hope for him (and us) yet!

Think the 4 in the 343 look really strong. Happy with the back 3 (as happy as you ever can be with Stephens but without THB …) Delighted for Robinson to get the start - what a moment and opportunity for him. Id rather see ArmA wide right and Downes cf but otherwise pretty happy. Only disgruntled with Bazunu (resigned to it) and Fraser if I’m honest. Shame Sessay didn’t make the bench, thought he’d earned it. Not sure on the need for 4 strikers on the bench either. Not quite Bompey last year but a waste of at least one spot. Have some balls and leave at least one of them out. Sun is shining, feeling positive. C’mon lads!!!

I actually think it’s a fairly big decision for us as it’s quite a gamble. In 12 months time: If he stays and plays well, there will be a bidding war and we’d still get a decent chunk (though considerably less due to contract length). Loss of money for not much gain. If he stays and plays well AND helps us to promotion it’s either ditto or he may sign a new contract. Possible Loss of money for very significant gain. If he stays and does poorly, we could struggle to get much at all for him, whether we’re promoted or not, and might not want to keep him ourselves. Loss of a lot of money for no gain. Being a 100% profit generator for PSR it’s quite a conundrum. I like him and think if he stayed he’d be a star this season and help us get promoted so it’d be worth keeping him, but the potential loss if I’m wrong on that is considerable.