trousers

Wouldn't expect them to really given its a relatively unappealing rescheduled game.

Comfortable first half but nothing special. Yet to get out of second gear really. Good to see the youngsters looking confident on the ball though. Would be tempted to bring on Adams and Armstrong to inject a bit more tenacity and experience into proceedings but there's also an argument for sticking with the youngsters to protect the first teamers. 3-0 final score I reckon.

To protect JWP from being the latest player to pick up a muscle injury perhaps?

Given our current injury 'crisis', why would we bust a gut when we don't need to? Excellent game management so far IMO

One suspects we're under orders from Ralph not to get out of second gear if we don't have to

Very impressed with Watts so far

DT strikes again

Some nice individual play so far, but not geling as a team yet (somewhat understandably)

Good to see you starting work early. Keep it up

Nice play from Watts

Not a million miles away Trousers me ol' mucka

'unable to rectify the problem' appears to be a somewhat contorted interpretation of what Ralph said at yesterday's press conference. He said that Salisu's (and others) injury situation has been hampered by being denied access to the injury recovery facilities at Staplewood. So, a player such as Salisu seems to find himself in a vicious circle whereby his lack of game time means he's unable to build up the appropriate muscle strength which results in recurring muscle strains which the club are unable to treat effectively due to the covid restrictions. So, that said, I guess 'unable to rectify the problem' could be considered a valid interpretation of where Salisu is at the moment but one would hope that the situation will be rectifiable once the prohibitive covid restrictions have been lifted. Yours thinking-out-loudly

** MLG Klaxon ** We don't play 4-3-3

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2021-01-19/southampton-fc-team-up-with-asante-kotoko

Bit of a lottery but here's my punt... Forster Valery - Stephens - Bednarek - Vokins Diallo - JWP Armstrong - Chaulk Long - N'Lundulu Subs: Lewis, KWP, Tchaptchet, Jankewitz, Ferry, Watts, Walcott, Adams, Ings

Ralph reiterated it was a "muscle injury" in today's press conference. He said that the lack of access to certain recovery / treatment facilities due to lockdown is elongating injury recovery times (not just for Salisu). One would have thought injury treatment/recovery was an essential activity, but it would appear not...

This. I was shouting at the TV at the time not to let him back on and questioned the wisdom of doing so on here yesterday. We did the same with Ings (vs Aston Villa) and Adams (vs West Ham). Bizarre

Calling @LeG to the Jankewitz thread Any idea what's occuring with Jankewitz at the moment? Hailed as the next big thing to come out of the academy by Ralph at the end of last season but this season he doesn't make the bench when the number of subs has been increased to 9 and we're down to our bare bones. Injured? Or has his development/emergence taken a step backwards for some reason?

Anyone know the odds on Vestergaard having a couple of poor games when he returns and thus reverting to being called a donkey on here? Evens maybe?

Indeed. 9 times out of 10, a shot from that angle hits either the side netting, post or the keeper, regardless of how good the striker is. Had that happened on this occasion, it wouldn't surprise me if those slating Stephens would be praising him for forcing Maddison to shoot from such a narrow angle.

Oh yes it was

Why did we send Smallbone back onto the field after sustaining the injury, and thus risk making things worse? Might be my mind playing tricks on me but we have a tendency to do that, don't we?

With all due respect I disagree with you (well done with the number of bites though)