Dan Johnson

Will take anything but a loss on Saturday which will see us out of the Bottom 3. Huddersfield have Man Utd away so wont get anything, Newcastle don't play until Sunday so we'd leap frog them both out the bottom three regardless of Swanseas result at Leicester. Best we can hope for. West Brom look lively though so can see us beaten 2/3-0

I personally feel that up until 2 years ago Les and the board had gotten little wrong and deserved our trust, unfortunately since then it has been bad decision after bad decision and most of that good work and trust has been completely eroded. Good leaders admit mistakes and make changes required. If Les and the board don't sack Pellegrino and replace him with Silva then I'd agree that they'd both need to go, if he's sacked tomorrow and silvas in by the weekend I'd be willing to give Les another chance off the back of our progress before the decline started.

Yep, he didnt look half the player he was when he came back from injury. He needed the move to re-vitalise him. Yesterday he looked like the player of old, looks like he's fit again and has gained a yard or two of pace back, very happy for him, was a model pro while here!

100% never been matched

I'd approach Newcastle for Rafa

Can't blame this on FF, Yosh has been terrible. When yosh plays we've a gap between our CBs that is consistently being exposed. When an Op goalkeeper can get an assist by kicking the ball straight through the middle of the pitch, then there's bigger issues than our GO!!

It's utterly embarrasing it's that bad. It's inexcusable when the mistakes are those that you'd try and cut out of a 12 year olds game! Not defending goalside against Kane, I mean ffs!! Overplaying under pressure Not putting enough on the ball when clearing Trying to get something on the ball when they should just shield and see it out of play. Terrible terrible defending. It's micky mouse stuff.

Should have gone in the summer. The board we're in an impossible position. Damned if they did, damned if they didn't. Our season is an example of forcing players who don't want to be here to stay.

'Austin charged after Lossl clash' http://www.skysports.com/share/11183787

These players but with Gabbi up top and long out wide. Think we'd win with that team

Forster Cedric VvD Hoedt Bertrand Romeu Lemina Davis Tadic Long Gabbiadini Bench: McCarthy, Yosh, Targett, JWP, Boufal, Redmond, Austin

Madness! You can only assume that in addition to the results, there were other reasons as to why they sacked him (man management, training methods, etc)

Forster Cedric VVD Hoedt Bertrand Lemina Romeu Davies Tadic Gabbi Long

Extremely disappointing display. The manager stated that Watford were “fresher” it’s hard to argue with that assumption because of how lethargic we looked, Watford were everything we weren’t! In possession, Watford moved the ball fast and broke quickly, in stark contrast to our dawdling stride. JWP, Davies & Romeu all guilty of taking multiple touches to move the ball forward (when on the rare occasions we actually played through the middle) Too often defenders looked long, such was Watford dominance in midfield. Last season we complained that the team was built in Puels mould “uninspiring, apathetic” just like his interviews, I think now we are seeing that it is deeper rooted. For me, Saturday highlighted why it was so important that we kept Van Dijk. We’re lacking leaders on the pitch, we’re missing a player to push us forward, take the game by the scruff of the neck, give players who aren’t performing a bollocking. We’re too nice, weak, we need an edge which I think Van Dijk will give us. Ratings: Forster 5: Probably could have done better with the goals but you could say the same about the defenders\midfielders not running the Watford players down. Cedric 6 – Didn’t do allot wrong, was pinned back by Watfords pressing most of the game, so didnt offer as much going forward as normal. Bertrand 6 – Same as Cedric Stephens 7 – Our best Player, defended well, guilty of over playing once or twice though. Hoedt 6 – Average performance, not bad, not good. Romeu 4 – Completely out played in the middle, diving in too often. Davis 3 – looked knackered from the outset, was dominated in midfield. JWP 3 – looks half the player that he did last season, so pedestrian in possession, takes excessive touches, needs to move the ball quicker. Boufal 3 – On one or two occasions faced up to defenders got to the by line and looked dangerous, work rate is terrible though, looks to draw fouls and throw himself on the floor too often. Redmond 3 – Played one or two good balls but lost the ball more times than I can count, trys to beat his man EVERYTIME, nearly every time he gets disposed! Like a rabbit in the headlights with possession and just runs aimlessly, needs to be dropped Gabi 2 – Two maybe harsh, but he was in the game as much as I was!!! Not his fault, didn’t play to his strengths. He was made to run in behind after long balls, was not in the game AT ALL. Never ever looked dangerous. Tadic 5 – Looked ok, then started to draw fouls and throw himself on the floor. Austin 2 – Same as Gabi, chasing long balls, not in the game, not playing to his strengths. Long 6 – Looked lively when he came on, with Watfords high pushing and our insistence on playing balls over the top because we couldn’t play through the middle, the game suited him with the space to run into. Would start him against Palace.

I agree to an extent but Stephens is a professional and should accept the decision he's been dropped for a better player, you play your best players in football, I'd say we'd be close to having the best back 4 in the league as a unit if we have Cedric, Bertrand, VVD & Hoedt

Matt Target a loan target for Newcastle according to SSN, bid in waiting for response from saints.

Totally agree, I don't care whether he's "ITK" or not, i'd much rather read unsubstantiated\made up rumors over the incessant bickering\*****ing and moaning from the same old posters pushing the same old bull****! I'll choose whether I believe Tom28 or not and on balance he seems to have offered good insight thus far, I'll take everything i read on the internet with a pinch of salt anyway!

That team could do things!

From the first minute I saw him, I always thought he wasn't physically cut out for the premier league. In his first appearance for Saints (cant remember if it was a friendly or a Euro qualifier) he looked miles off the pace and too lightweight. He's a tidy footballer, would suit the Italian league. His replacement, Lemina, looks allot more physically suited to the premier league so no surprise. All the best to him.

I said probably, not definitely :-) For me, the following applies Romeu was the stand out player of last season, in front of JWP by miles! Van Dijk, Yosh, Gabbiadini only really had half a season each, which is why i stated over the course of the season JWP would shade it for me. I Thought Bertrand had his worse half a season under us in the second half (Although I think he's our second best player behind VVD) Redmond never lacking in effort but at times he was very poor, especially his finishing (due to the number of games if anything) Cedric is certainly a good debate, his improvement last season was almost as noticeable as JWP.

B_E_A_U_T_I_F_U_L_!!!!!!!!!! Those smug Liverpool fans who came on this boarding goading us about VVD have received a karma smack around the chops..

JWP was probably our 2nd best performer over the course of last season, he's really starting to improve at a faster and faster rate. Can see him being a very promient figure in the next season or two, keep in mind he's the same age as the "young, inexperienced" stephens, yet JWP has over 100 Premier League apps to his name. He'd be in my starting 11 every week, very underated.

I remember when Oakley became a world beater during his injury in the strachen era

Agree, I'd say with Lemina coming in Clasie will be the 3rd to leave. I'd say the 3 CB options are Sakho, Wilmer, Gibson The attacking player Roberts

Completely agree, its become a side show, a distraction, an unwanted circus. Cut ties, Ferguson did it with Beckham when he became a side show and squad disrupter, despite him being one of the biggest players in the world at the time. We are past the point of return, it serves the club and the squad no benefit having him around. Take the money, move on, lets have players who want to be here playimg for us.