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Are Saints really going to finish the season at home with this sort of lacklustre display? I know it's Liverpool but it's very much a second string. Saints unable to string more than a couple of passes together. Players just going through the motions. Doesn't bode well at all.

Saints trying to hold out for the Ralph half time team talk. Second half we'll be all over them. I can dream.

This really is men v boys stuff. Saints hardly able to get a sniff. Just a matter of time now. Thank goodness we don't need any points.

Any guesses yet how many Liverpool will get? I predicted 5 at the start.

And there it is. McCarthy beaten on the near post for a change.

JWP would be an even better player if his first thought wasn't to pass backwards. Conceded a free kick there and nearly an equaliser.

I take it all back. Redmond.

Saints seem to be set up in order to not lose 0-9. That might be counted as a success.

I would not have selected Redmond. Beyond that I'd ask why so many injuries.

Just seen the teamsheet. Either Ralph is a genius or a muppet. I hope to be persuaded of the former. I suspect the latter.

I think I might wait until after this evening's games before starting to ponder on such matters.

If Saints had managed to hold on and scrape a draw at home to Palace then Leeds would now need 3 wins out of 3 to overtake us. That's unless there's not a crazy GD turnaround of course. As it is Leeds still need 2 wins and a draw - not impossible but imagine the despair if that's what Saints had needed. If Saints are still in any danger by the time Liverpool roll up at St Mary's it'll then be time to cover the mattress with a plastic sheet.

That should wake Arsenal up.

Must have missed that in The Guardian.

Assuming an Arsenal win then, if Leeds don't get anything against Chelsea midweek then Saints superior GD makes them virtually safe even with a 9-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Ayling definitely on the beach this season now then. Leeds might implode here.

"Perhaps Southampton looking over their shoulders", says the commentator. They sure are. 😬

Hopefully other teams will have dropped sufficient points to make Saints mathematically safe by the time the Liverpool game arrives. If not then the atmosphere could be pretty sour for this last home game of the season. Can't bear to look at MotD. Have they mentioned the R-word following the latest Saints surrender?

I'd sack Ralph tonight. The last few months have been unacceptable. Let's hope 40 points is enough.

Brentford looking pretty comfortable. Saints not troubling them at all with all the sideways passing and no penetration. Brentford probably more likely to score another with a breakaway.

Saints really needed to get one back before half time but as an attacking force they're pretty slow and predictable. Nice finish by AA but he'd left a foot dangling offside.

As ever Saints pretty clueless in the attacking third.

Bednarek is a disaster area.

We did ok for about 5 minutes. Too easy for Brentford.

Reading today in the local rag that Ralph is reluctant to pick AA because he's not a tall defender. Or something. Here's an idea. When defending a set piece why not leave a pacey attacker like AA upfield in order to both keep opposition defenders occupied and to maybe open the option of having a quick attacking outlet?