Professor

Had it with this rubbish. Just waiting for the OS to explain we didn’t have the run of the luck. If RH isn’t out of the door by the end of the week, I’ll be giving Saints a rest after more than 50 years. Beginning to have a lot of respect for BHA. Having a fan as the owner instead of an ‘investor’ makes a big difference.

It was great, watching a Saints' team winning a competition. Let's not imagine that it was easy. Southampton Women had to top their league, the Women's National, Southern Premier, which they did that in style. They won 22 of their 26 games, with only 1 defeat and finished 9 points clear of the runners-up. They had a tough final against the winners of the Northern Premier as shown by the close result. The relief and exultation of the players at the end was understandable. But there is an element of sadness about watching players celebrating a promotion because you know that several of them will have to be replaced if the team is to compete at the next level. The Women's Championship is a considerable step up. It was said by the TV commentators that several of the clubs previously promoted have gone backdown again fairly quickly. Sadly, some of the players who were so happy yesterday, might have played their last game for the club. Football can be cruel.

Sell. The squad needs better players than we have now. A player who hasn't been good enough to get a place in a bottom six team is not an improvement.

I have long been surprised at the number of fans who remain confident in Ralph, despite all the contrary evidence. Escaping relegation by a narrow margin is not success in anyone's book. One theory suggested to me after the takeover by Sport Republic is as follows: At the time of the takeover, the team appeared to be safely in mid-table with ambition for top half finish. Although results started to deteriorate, Premier LKeague status still looked secure so there was no immediate need to replace the coaching staff. A decision to replace Ralph could be postponed until the end of the season which would be a better time to appoint a successor with more choice of candidates available. It did mean missing out on Eddie Howe, which was part of the price to pay. If thios theory is correct, we might hear that Ralph has gone within the next few days.

After the latest dismal performance, who was it who said the the team is, "simply not good enough"? Oh, Yes. It was Hasenhuttl. After more than three years in charge of the team, that is his opinion. It's not as if they were against a top-half premier league club, To lose so abysmally to a team on the fringe of the relegation zone is, surely, the final straw. Several people suggested to me that the new owners would replace Hasenhuttl once the season was over. There didn't seem to be any benefit in doing it sooner because relegation appeared not to be a threat. But that has changed. There is every reason to think we shall get no more points, finishing on 40. The three teams immediately beneath us in the table all have games in hand which give them the possibility of overtaking us. Unless we get something against Liverpool or Leicester, staying in this league will only be because one of those three clubs fails to get the points they need. There is no longer anything to be gained by keeping Hasenhuttl in post a moment longer.

Ralph has had his day. I’d accept there was no point sacking him before the end of the season, in fact, keeping him on has confirmed that getting rid will be the right decision. He was given a chance to improve performances and failed miserably. The close season is the time to appoint a new manager when there is maximum availability of candidates. One thing I find highly irritating is the complacency of the match reports on the OS. Today was a case in point. We weren’t just “beaten by a last gasp Zaha strike..” We lost a home game to a team that were below us in the table because we failed to build on an early lead and failed again to keep a clean sheet. Once again we are likely to finish only just above the relegation places. The squad isn’t good enough, the team selections aren’t good enough and the tactics aren’t good enough. All of which says, the manager isn’t good enough.

Can anyone explain why Arsenal’s Saka wasn’t given at least a yellow card for grappling Bednarek at a corner kick in order to obstruct his defending? It was barefaced cheating and was so deliberately done thst if appeared to be a manoeuvre that had been practiced on the training ground. As such it should have been punished with a sending-off.

Perhaps one of our under-rated players but repaid the confidence shown in him by the manager with a solid performance in the cup game against West Ham. Playing as the primary central defender, alongside the inexperienced Yan Valery, Stephens marshalled the defence well nd made some important tackles. TheWest Ham goal was through no fault of his, as it was keeper, Cabellero, who mishandled the cros form a corner kick, allowing the ball to be bundled into the goal. Stephens joioned as a 17-year old right back from Plymouth, where he first appeared as a sub for Argyll's first team at the age of 16. Hard to believe that he's now 28. His early years with Saints saw him out on loan. He was converted to acentre back and eventually established himself as a squad player but rarely first choice. His selection against West Ham was his 10th start this season (6 League games and 4 cup matches). The first choice centre back pairing of Salisu and Bednarek is well-established but having Stephens ready to step up must help keep them on their toes.

As a proud Francophile it was so good to see two French players in our back four last night. Brilliant performances from Yan and Romain.

Saw Ralph asked at the Press Conference if the team could play in its yellow and blue strip, the colours of the Ukrainian flag. He seemed unsure it would be within League rules. Does anyone know if this has been clarified? Compared to what's happening to the Ukrainian people, being fined for wearing the wrong kit, or even losing points, would be no price at all. The club should do it regardless of any punishment. If the league imposed a punishment the adverse publicity would be well worth it. Hopefully, a sensible decision has been taken.

I find it encouraging to see the criticism of Broja. At his age he shouldn't be expected to be the finished article. If there wasn't room for improvement, that would be more worrying. I'm sure the faults in his play that are discussed on here are also pointed out by the coaches. In my opinion, it needs to be drilled into him that football is a team game. Goals scored by other players are just as valuable as goals he scores. More so rreally because the rest of the team will score more goals collectivly, than he will as an individual.The Norwich match was another example of where chances weren't created because instead of laying off to a team-mate, he took a futile shot at a sea of players blocking the way. But he won't improve by being dropped. He should be in the side as often as possible abut then be sat down to have his performance analysed.

Ings made a big play of 'local boy comes home' when he came to Southampton, initially on loan and then on a contract. We all remember that he was angling for a move well before that contract ended, by refusing generous terms to extend. If Champions' League club had wanted him, that would have been different, but to go to Aston Villa, another mid-table club, made it seem that his only motivation was more money despite the high earnings he already had. Couldn't care less now, if he stays at Villa or moves on. Had he stayed, he could have enhanced his reputation but in retrospect, we had his best years and by his leaving, oportunities were created for others.

Well said, SB. The highlights, first half, show Broja at a tight angle, with two defenders and the keeper between him and goal, choosing to hammer the ball against the closest defender instead making a short lay-off to the unmarked Elyounoussi who had only one defender on the goal line to put a shot past. Mo showed his frustration at being denied such a clear chance. Quite properly, the manager will not be critical in public, and plyers will not speak adversely to camera about each other but it's interesting to speculate at what might have been said at half-time, or in the post-match assessment. Broja's determinationj to score goals is admirabe but there are times when he needs to remember that it is a team game. MotD looked at the success of striker oartnerships, such a s Kane and Son. Partnership requires giving as well as receiving.

Not being a BBC viewer, I only see MotD in other peole's homes, but when I do see it, I've noticed that if Danny Murphy is one of the analysts, he usually gives a very positive assessment of Saints. A positive fan peehaps and if so, nice to have you on board, Danny. But for the 1-1 draw away to Man U the other presenter was Jermaine Jenas. What Janus had to say was negativem ill-judged and hypocritical. He said he didn't like Ralph Hassenhuttl's comment that when Man U lose the ball, the reverse gears are not the best. Jenas said "I don't like it...he's had such a great week he should focus on that and what his tea are doing" Danny Murphy pointed out that Ralph was simply responding to a question he was asked, to which Jenas said Ralph should have refused to answer. If Jenas doesnt like negative observations, he shouldn't make one himself. Maybe as a former Tottenham player, Jhe was still upset at the defeat Saints had handed to his old club a couple of days earlier. If he didn't like a manager talking about the opposing team, he shouldn't be on MotD because how the other team has played is a part of post-match assessment.

Not much new to add, but will back up what others have said. Ralph badly misjudged his selection. Far too many changes from the previous match. You have to wonder how many of the starting line-up had ever played together before. With five substitutions allowed, Ralph mishandled that as well, having used all five by the start of extra time. If a player had needed to go off injured during the final 30 minutes, the team would have been down to 10 men. Unacceptable when you have five substitutions permitted. If Caballeroo hadn't gone to remonstrate with the assistant ref (linesman) when Coventry found the net at the end of extra time, the game would have been decided by the lottery and luck of penalties. There could easily have been a very different tone to today's discussions. My subscription to the Ralph Fan Club, lapsed a little while ago and I'm still not inclined to renew it.

What would be the point? Just because his name has a public recognition factor from once being on television more often, doesn't make him any better than what the club already has. IF you look at his current standing with his club, rather than what he did in the past, and consider if he plays in a position the club needs to strengthen, this doesn't feeel a likely move.

Agree. The game could easily have been a draw, or even gone our way. No excuse for the Forster error, dithering while then play passed him by, but no cause overall for complaints about the performance. The penalty was given incorrectly, giving Wolves only 2 legitimate goals. Our shot that hit the post could easily have given us 2 goals but luck also played a great part in keeping Saints from scoring more goals. Luck often decides a game, so the better team doesn't always win. In my opinion, this was one such.

Good line up, and given the players not available, it shows the strength in depth we have this year compared to last. Depends, of course, on any changes in availability by Tuesday.

Interesting, because Americans can make the mistake of thinking that because they use a version of our language,they understand us. They don't. We are as foreign to them, as are the French, Germans and Italians. We are Europeans and it takes Americans a long time to understand us. In England, if the team we support is doing badly we moan about them, because they should be doing better. If they are doing well, we moan about them because they aren't doing well enough. If he wanted a team with fans who do what they are told, he needed to stick with an American team.. Perhaps he did, and is now watching their versionof rounders and trying to pretend it's exciting. ,

Encouraging sign compared to last season is that even with Stuart Armstrong out. presumably injured, the subs bench looks genuinely strong. It does look like an unbalanced selection, but none of us are Premier League coaches. Our role is to praise Ralph if we win but if we don't, we must use our A1 hindsight to tell him he got it wrong. I will just venture, that there should be goals scored by that line-up, and possibly another by a sub. COYR.

Historic player sales in the pre-Leibherr era are irrelevant to the policies of the club today. Surman was sold in the 2009 close season when the club were on the road to administration. With a few exceptions, players of top quality have left this club of their own accord, attracted by money, potential trophies, or greater fame in the champions' league. If a payer refuses to renew his contract we can see the club trying to protect its financial interest as best it can, before the player can leave for free. Ings was a perfect example although many would say he misjudged where his best interest lay. Van Dijk, widely said to have been illegally approached by Liverpool, left for money and fame despite the club's resistance. Some fans thought he engineered the move simply by underperforming on the field, In my opinion, the club were not motivated by the fee but they did negotiate a respectable £75m.

Seems worth revisiting this tiopic after the appalling decision by referee Andrew Madley not to send off Villa's El Ghazi for one of the blatent pull-back on Livramento. (Saints v Villa 5 November). There was no question that wrestling and pulling from behind to stop Tino from attacking down the wing was far beyond what is permitted. El Ghazi shoukld have been given a second yellow card. It was a serious misjudgement by the referee. Just because this wasn't a 'red card offence' was no excuse. The whole point of the red for two yellows is that two Level 1 wrongs make a Level 2 wrong. Madley failed to understand that and made adecisi0on that could have changed theresult of the match. It would be very interesting to know what disciplinary action will be taken for such an impoortant mistake but, hang on, we do know. Absolutely Sweet FA. Because covering up mistakes by referees is such high priority.

If that's true, why does the best man for the job get sacked down the road? Maybe he wasn't after all.....

Struggled to a 1-0 win against a weak Leeds team. Draw against winless Burnley. Not looking good for Ralph. Can a change of manager improve things? Perhaps it can. Take the example of Notts Forest. Under the experienced Chris Huyton they were losing every game. As soon as Huyton was sacked they started winning, even before a new man was in place. Sacking the manager is the only tool in the box outside transfer windows. It must be a strong temptation to open the box.

Still only October and plenty of time to turn things around but, BUT; I’m worried. If we don’t win on Saturday, even if that doesn’t mean the Championship next year, it makes a relegation struggle look very likely.