trousers

Please no! Can't stomach another season of them languishing in Division 3....

Win tomorrow and we'll be 6 points above relegation and 6 points below mid table*. Something there for both the SWF pessimist and optimist camps to pontificate over (*Assuming Bournemouth don't beat Chelsea)

Might it not be an idea to judge these 'experts' at the end of the season rather than in January? Unless, of course, you have a new deck of "glad I was proven wrong" cards on order? #callmeoldfashioned

Which of his predictions do you disagree with?

Nice touch from Arsenal in this evening's programme

Assume this was a hernia op?

Yes, its optimistic. I thoroughly recommend the concept of optimism to my fellow human beings (especially to the Saintsweb forum pessimistic brigade ) (p.s. we're actually 8 points off mid-table, which is what I would define as 'comfortable' in the middle third. Your 10 points catch-up target would put us around 8th place, which is towards the top end of my middle third comfort zone.)

He's lost 2 PL games, v West Ham and Man City. Agree we didn't play particularly well in either game, especially vs West Ham. But, looking back at both games, I think its reasonable to say that the new levels of intensity and fitness than RH was attempting to inject into the team had started to catch up with them. The players looked particularly jaded vs West Ham, a game we had to play without the resurgent Hojbjerg. I didn't think we lost "badly" vs Man City per se. We were done by 2 quickfire goals on the stroke of half time. (Yes, I accept that City had a few more gears to go up if they had wanted to). As I say, I think those two "bad" results can largely be put down to it being early days in Ralph's regime and the players not being able to cope with the levels of intensity that he demanded, especially with the congested fixture schedule in December. Now that the players are much fitter, and more used to RH's approach, I don't think we can use those two results as a benchmark for the future. Indeed, I'm confident that if we played those two matches now, the performance, and possibly the results, would be different. (And, no, I'm not saying that we'll never lose again under RH... of course we will.... I'm just saying that I don't believe we'll lose "badly" again, as per the fixtures you highlighted) I'm confident we'll finish comfortably in the middle third of the table regardless of this month's transfer activity.

This has got 0-0 written all over it

I assumed "swollen ankle" was the latest code for "not going to chance him in this game ahead of impending move"...?

The old cynic in me checked back but you only had two posts between Aug 18 and Jan 19 neither of which referred to Hassenhuttl? Apologies for doubting but this forum tends to make one somewhat sceptical by default, so nothing personal!

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/17385256.gossip-saints-interested-in-leicesters-islam-slimani/

McQueen stikes me as the kind of 'industrious' player that would flourish under Hassenhuttl. He can also play in a few different positions which is another attribute I'm sure RH would appreciate. Fingers crossed indeed that the injury doesn't affect him long term.

Eric did reveal himself on a thread a few years ago. Won't post the link here but it's searchable. A true hero indeed.

...

Tick #internethotelphotoboy

Fair point John Boy [emoji106]

3-2 FT

Agree. Wondering whether to read anything into Sims being involved but Gallagher not. Would have thought they were both in the same boat (i.e. returning loanees with aspirations of first team football but in need of game time )

3-2 to Leeds (80)

Leeds equaliser on 75 mins. 2-2

Really? Any news on whether or not the Pope is Catholic? P.s. any danger of the WUM rules being enforced on here any time soon?

1-2 to Saints Sims (51) and Barnes (58)

Textbook

Slightly surprised not to see Gallagher given a run out. Good to see Sims involved though. Saints 1-0 down after 10 mins