sandwichsaint

Few teams lose 9 games out of 10; we could get something from the Dugouts/Leic/Hudds/B'mouth but agree it will be relatively slim pickings, we really need 6 points plus from our next three games!

And yet he was one of our better players second half of last season, though that's not saying much admittedly. Just think we need to change shape to get the best out of Lemina and he (JWP) can do a job in a diamond... not sure who else could play there, Davis to a point, (McQueen, perhaps?), but probably not any of Redmond/Tadic/Boufal.

Lemina is built to play at the top of a diamond, maybe play Romeu holding, Hojberg and JWP each side, then Gabiadini + one (perm from Long/Davies/Boufal depending on circumstance/oppo).

first goal or second goal? saw Tadic with his head in his hands after the first!

Not sure where we go from here? We are where we are, constant downgrading and a blind belief in the #Southamptonway has bought us to a pretty pass. We have totally ****ed up the wall one of the easiest set of PL fixtures you could hope to have. Newcastle are hard working and organised and unfortunately that's all you need to be to get a result against us. Watching the first half was like watching two teams who were both playing away. Even in the last 15 minutes once momentum had shifted to us you never got the feeling Newc were hanging on, they still fancied their chances and were able to pin us back for the last few minutes. Clearly our problems are many-faceted and deep seated but, briefly, we are lacking in belief, direction, confidence, fitness, pace and power. Pace and power is the modern game, particularly in the PL and we don't have either. The sort of Mexico '70 / walking football we are serving up just doesn't cut it in the modern PL, it might get you top 6 in the French Ligue but not in the PL. Newcastle won't have an easier game all season; bar a ridiculous challenge from their CH they would have flown back north with 3 easy points today. Tactics way off today, we don't need 2 holding midfielders at home to a Newc team who would have taken 0-0/1-1 before kick off. We essentially played 6 defensive players against a team that were happy to sit 8 players in front of their 18yd line. Even with 6 defensive players we looked all at sea every time they broke, no authority, no leadership, no game plan of what we would do when they had the ball. Buck stops with the manager and he will carry the can but the rot goes a lot deeper. GK/GK coach/reserve keepers, what the actual F is going on that an established top half PL team can't field a half-decent GK? It wouldn't bother me if FF never played for Saints again, stealing a living that bloke, sell if we can (unlikely on the money he's on), if we can't sell then replace in Jan with a half competent Championship/kick-a-ball keeper. VVD - WTaF? Shambolic today and he needn't ever play for us again, Yoshi/Hoedt/Stephens can all DAJFU, bin him to the darkest corners, cash-in in Jan and buy some FDs! Pathetic that we have allowed ourselves to be dictated to by some billy big ones, when their head's gone it's gone, would take someone far more clued in than MoPe to turn that one around; should have got rid in the summer (and learnt the Fonte lesson); he was allowed to fester around and undermine the dressing room and we now have history repeating itself. Far too negative in our approach today, first 20 minutes set the tempo and gave Newc hope, a game that should have produced 3 fairly straightfd points has left us glad to grab one consolation point. Next up: West Brom H, Brighton A, Burnley H (the fixture list that keeps on giving), 6 points from that and we might have turned a corner but there's no easy games in the PL!

Then we just need to swap our front 6 with their front 6, problem solved.

No! Where's the #canofworms pic?

Not every fan gets a Boxing Day game though do they. I haven't looked at the other fixtures but would have to think Spurs/Saints is fairly attractive and will quite possibly be moved later in the week or kick off at silly o'clock early/late.

Far too negative, why on earth would you line up with 11 players facing your own goal?

They looked hard-working and organised last time out (v Liverpool), would think Benitez has enough about him to do a job on MoPe, we'll play pretty well and lose 0-1.

Anyone still got that picture of Mario Licka's missus?

This was screamingly obvious after the Palace game.

Palace team with Gabbi for Redmond. Redmond offered nothing at Palace and needs to be benched and needs to start to show what he can do when given opportunities before being handed unlimited starts with very little return. Tadic was much better last week hopefully he can push on. Tough game and unfortunately comes with Utd on a roll and us still rebuilding. A respectable 0-2 with us forcing De Gea into a couple of meaningful saves would be a step in the right direction. Having been at Palace last week, my first game since WBA away last year, I am happy to say that reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. In Hoedt/Lemina/(+Gabbi) we look to have added some real PL quality, definite green shoots, we just need to find a way to integrate two of Long/Gabbi/Austin into the starting 11 and get a tune out of Tadic and we will be fine.

Think you'll find internet porn, social media,, recreational drugs and Zero Hours Contracts have eaten quite heavily into that demographic. Back in the day these people had Saturday afternoons off, a few quid in their pockets, and not much else to do. Nowadays the yoof are likely to be either working, sleeping or ****ing about on their mobile phones. Believe it or not the things we found attractive in the 70's don't quite hold the same appeal nowadays.

Cunning plan.

If only football was played on paper eh?

Away goals count double ... and you're at home.

Chelsea, with a quite good but relatively unknown/unplayed midfielder coming our way. Really, really, really don't care either way now, we should have sold 2 months ago and bought two starting level players with the money.

Gao, and we still don't sing, It's Gao, and we still don't sing It's Gao. and we still don't sing It's Gao, and we still don't sing. Gao = Chinese for 0-0, who knew?

Did we establish if we have ever won at home on the opening day of a PL season? If not I'm part of a relatively small Venn that saw us win 1-0 away at Coventry (Ostenstadt) in '99 if that's any good. MP's first team; FF Picks itself OR SD REDMOND JWP TADIC GABBI All seems a bit samey but we do have that box to boxer to come in, reckon we will let in too many and not score enough, which will leave us in a relatively underwhelming 10th-12th finish. Tomorrow? 0-0 or 1-1 for me.

Love Barney Ronay, he never takes the game 'too' seriously, he comes over as a dispassionate and somewhat cynical observer but deep down you know he is just as invested as all the rest of us. If you want an easy-reading, fun, holiday book his 'Manager' is a great read.

On current personnel: ............. Forster .......... .... back 3 VVD/Yoshi/Stephens .... Cedric ... Romeu ... PEH (JWP) .... RB ....... Gabbi ....... Redmond ........ .............. Austin ................ Solid back three, our best two holding-mids, two of the best wide options in the league; starting with a combination of goals/mobility/pace/height in the front three. JWP prob should be in there somewhere but he's not really a holding/centre mid type player. Harsh on Tadic and Boufal but neither had particularly good seasons last season and shoving them both into the same line-up never seems to work. Keeper looks the glaring weakness in that line-up.

Not sure why we're not looking at a 3 at the back system in that with Cedric and Bertrand (at the moment!) we have some of the best wide options in the league, also means Stephens can continue to play and develop and he's earned that opportunity. ...........3 at the back............ CEDRIC ROMEU PEH (or JWP) BERTRAND ........... GABBI .... REDMOND ........ ................AUSTIN ................... Rotations and bench available: JWP / TADIC / BOUFAL / DAVIS / (LONG, love him to bits but I can't see him getting a lot of pitch time this year if GABBI + AUSTIN keep fit and we want to keep Tadic and Boufal sweet too). Basically keep all our players and we are a solid mid-table side, we don't have the extra games this year, we should be better prepared for league games and hopefully have fewer injuries. To break into the top 6/7 we would IMO need to add 2 or 3 'starters' and upgrade the keeper too. If the window closed yesterday I reckon we would finish 7-8-9 and get to one of the cup finals, plus ca change? Hopefully we will see a few more goals this season, particularly at home!

Club trolling the fans now, and still they lap it up.