Alain Perrin

20m is a lot but clearly influenced by several factors: Competition - Palace were clearly after him; Wages - Wellbeck - his wages were s problem; Alcacar - perhaps no option to buy? I'd hope we'd have some condition in the deal that if he fails to appear X times we're not in the hook. That said, all parties must be hoping he does well - and Saints did need a striker. I wish him well but I feel we miss a hold up player - we've never replaced Pele / Lambert in my opinion.

To them obligation to buy has the same meaning as obligation to job seek...

100% this. Pele and Lambert's skills in this area are missed - Pele particularly.

We need someone who can hold the ball up like Pele or Lambert. We've really missed that and it hits our ability to bring others into the play. Everything bounces off Austin in comparison to those two.

To be fair that's a classic forum response. You said 'useless', I paraphrased to ****. My argument was you don't know **** (or useless if you prefer) about the reasons for Forsters form. Personally I think changing Watson without improving the defence will make no difference. That's not to say there aren't better coaches than him, I am sure there are, just that I don't believe pointing the finger with no real world experience of his coaching is naive. He may well be **** / useless / good / great but none of us know.

I don't think either of you (or anyone on this forum) can reasonably say what impact Dave Watson is having or not. Yet in true forum style you declare he's $***. Forster suffered from a huge lack of confidence last season, compounded by a flaky defense (that exposed two of his weaknesses - communication and coming for crosses). Does that make Dave Watson ****? No more so than Forster keeping clean sheets for 700+ minutes under Puel makes him great. Let's just accept that those working with the players/coaches day in day out have a better judgement than people with a keyboard and, at best, a season ticket.

Whilst not forgetting what Hughes has done for us this season, we should also be mindful of what he achieved at Stoke.... Hughes is a safeish pick but represents a mid table ambition from Saints. Like it or not we have tried to roll the dive on managers in the hope of finding another Poch - unsuccessfully as it turns out. If you put what happened at Stoke down to other factors, not just him, the Hughes for me is a safe roll of a 3 - you'll survive but not break into the top six. May be that s what the board will choose to do on the basis of stabilisation. Personally I'd try Marco Silva but suspect he a) might be tarnished goods and b) might be looking for a bigger fish.

Oops. Such a great post I posted twice!

Let's trip advisor the #### out of this place.... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5701161/Southampton-turned-away-Swansea-hotel-virus-clash.html Terrible place, they cancelled my booking without notice..... https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186466-d192327-Reviews-Swansea_Marriott_Hotel-Swansea_Swansea_County_South_Wales_Wales.html

Let's trip advisor the #### out of this place.... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5701161/Southampton-turned-away-Swansea-hotel-virus-clash.html Terrible place, they cancelled my booking without notice..... https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186466-d192327-Reviews-Swansea_Marriott_Hotel-Swansea_Swansea_County_South_Wales_Wales.html

****ing and moaning about the manager will achieve nothing at this point of the season. The time to change was before or immediately after the transfer window. Doing it now (especially with no alternative) will result in certain demise. That’s not to say that I think Pellegrino is the right man long term, just that change at a crucial time isn’t the answer.

One of our biggest problems is confidence or rather an absence of it. Lack of goals (even with a tonne of chances) = sitting back = more pressure on the defence = painful defeats. As the pundits are keen to say, we play some good stuff - we do but with no end product. I am not convinced with the manager but I am not convinced that changing the manager will solve that issue.

I think that’s his point - and, fwiw, I agree with him. Lambert was a pawn, but successfully used to lure others. He left for understandable reasons but he was a catalyst. Not worthy of hate but disappointment.

That’s probably a good thing from the forum that declared, at different times, both Pele and Mane (along with others) to be “the worse player to pull on a Saints shirt”. You should not judge a player after one game, equally I don’t think you should judge a manager until 18 months (even though Pellegrino is doing a good job to challenge me of that opinion!).

You lose. 7.15pm pre-kickoff surprise. The added benefit of such a timing is the knuckle-draggers on here will be foaming at the mouth - whilst busily adding the final touches to their Les Reed effigies with one hand, researching the cost of Megabus tickets to Sheffield for next season with another and probably stroking one out with the other.

If it happens..... Incey Quincy Promes. Let’s give him a shout. Long and Gabbiadini, together they’ve scored nowt Out comes our Quincy to help us up the league. Incey Quincy Promes, Southampton Goal Machine.....

There's no doubt an in-form J-Rod is a great player. However, as with many employees that lose motivation (form), sometimes a fresh start is the only option to recapture that. I am pleased for him but severely doubt he'd have recaptured that form at Saints, no matter who was the manager. He just needed a change. People on here, forget that players are humans with emotions and motivations that are sometimes out of the control of a manager.

It's not often I jump to Alpine's defence because I generally think he's a misguided twonk. However, as he's on Central European time, he's an hour ahead so there's less time to sign players in the day....

I agree with SaintRobbie. I want us to play the long game unless we look like getting cut adrift - the next couple of matches are crucial. I don't think the squad is bad - just look at those around us and see who you'd swap out. My opinion is the problem is two fold, ability to score and motivation - and motivation so deep seated, it is difficult for any manager to shift. I am not sure Silva or anyone is the answer here. The cause of motivation issue? It's clear Saints cannot grant every player their wish to leave but, post cup final particularly, some of our key players have been looking over their shoulders wanting away. It's the unintended consequence of selling people, those left behind think why not me. The cause of the scoring issue? Buy another Pele to hold the ball up. If you score goals (I think Graeme Le Saux made this point yesterday), it relieves pressure on the whole team. The guts of the machine are there, we just need some oil.

As usual Alpine, you throw hyperbole from your distant mountain lair. No one is sleepwalking except you and you glass is three quarters empty brigade. The point of my post that you, Simo and Hypo Miss is that we need new recruits in THIS transfer window. It has a week left. If there are significant protests today then I fear it may influence player decisions negatively. I am not against protests per se - that is people's choice, even if I disagree - just the timing.

... helping to seal relegation in my opinion. There’s no doubt we’re in a pit, confidence and form are shockingly bad and maybe MP isn’t the man to lead us out of it. However, the club need signings to give it a kick up the arse and the window for that is closing. Imagine if you considering a move and you see a poisonous atmosphere / see the manager on the brink - that could sway opinion. Before the forum’s resident decorators (any colour as long as it’s black or white) jump in, this is not the only factor. You’d hope players were mentally strong enough to ride it out - but if you’re on the pull, do you go home with the girl you know has an STI or one that you know hasn’t? A house divided amongst itself etc... COYR!

Plenty of other **** teams in the league. One win and we jump 3 places. Our players are much better than the league position suggests but too many of them can’t be arsed and want a move. I’d be wary of any manager coming in (no obvious capable candidates to me.). Best bet in my opinion is to hold on for the ride and replace in the summer - any change now ****s up th transfer window. And we do need a striker.

This. I remember when our club had a reputation for six managers in 4 years or something like that. I don't want to go back to that and think there are reasons beyond MP for the bad form. Sacking/protesting now will not save the club - it could put off any transfers considering the club. To be honest it feels like some of our fan base are not up for a fight and want throw the towel in now. Note. Yes, results have been **** but we are not in the bottom 3.

Jesus. This place is morbid. If the season ended today we'd not be relegated, So stand up and fight, don't cower in the trenches waiting to be shot.

I am copying this post because it deserves to be read instead of all the keyboard warrior BS.