VectisSaint

You haven't heard that from anyone who knows what they are talking about.

You've still got a striker though, just because you are ostensibly playing him as an AM, he is still someone whose skill/instincy is apparently be a striker/score goals.

I know it's only an opinion but you would seriously start with no striker. Picking Davo as DM is also a bit nuts, he is very poor there, his strength is behind the strikers, and anyway we have Romeu. Lastly Barnes cannot play, even on the Bench, he is not in the PL squad.

Anyone got any ideas about who Ralph H will bring in with him, assuming he is not going to rely on our two GK coaches as his team. Did he have a backup team at RBL that left with him? I like the idea of RH, he looks like he may be just waht we need (never heard of him before). My concern really is whether he can get our current crop of poor quality players to perform in anything like his style in the remainder of this season. You cannot suddenly transform a unch of players who give the appearance of being unfit into a high pressing outfit. That sort of fitness requires pre-season preparation, you cannot add that mid season (at least not in a PL mid season when games come thick and fast). There are very few of our players who seem to fit the mould, Long (but he can's score), Lemina, Redmond, maybe Ings and hopefully Armstrong and Hojbjerg. What Ralph will make of Austin, JWP and Vestegaard God only knows. In the end we can only get back to the old ways (I hesitate to use the term Southampton Way) when we have a Board that has a vision and a plan, while we are stuck with Krueger and Kat and what Gao seems to offer (i.e. nothing) it will not happen, whoever the manager and DoF is. We also need to be a bit more ruthless and upgrade on Watson and dare I say Kelv.

Is it Ralf or Rafe?

I might agree there is no one better in the line up but that doesn't mean he is the right man for the job. You're just saying he's the best of a bad bunch. I think he needs to focus on his game rather than worrying about other people, he really doesn't have the experience. Actually Yoshida is a better captain, now he seems to be ba k in the team. Ings is probably the best bet in the team for a future captain, but it would be a bit difficult while he is on loan. I like Hoj, but he needs to work hard at making his game consistently effective and would do better without the burden of being captain.

According to the FA/PL Suspensions web page, Hoj is not suspended. Before the weekend games only Lemina and Cedric were "one caution away", Lemina picked up his 5th, but Hoj was apparently not on 4 (despite what many commentatots, pundits etc were saying). Actually the site has been updated in the last hour since I looked and it confirms Cedric and Hoj now on 4 cautions. That said, hope Hoj has a better game than yesterday, guilty of bad mistake for the 2nd goal and overall had a poor game, not sure he is really the right man to be captain.

at St Mary's, why? Staplewood for that. Sure there wasn't extra training today? Seems odd to have seen only slow, slower and slowest. Maybe getting some extra training in how to run. Probably not picking up their P45s whi h is what they should be doing. Wish these three were bang average, that would be a huge improvement.

Its Yan

Will he ****.

For "unwilling" read "unable". The bloke hasn't got a pot to **** in so how can he. We really were stitched up thanks to Ms Liebherr.

Yet another thing to thank George Burley for. He really was probably the worst manager we ever had (I thought it was great when he was appointed), except possibly Branfoot of course. Can't see him ever getting the manager's gig, but maybe more like a DoF might be a good fit. Trouble is of course he might not get a visa after Brexit (bit like before he joined when Latvia weren't in the EU). Of course our "Board" wouldn't have the sense to go down such a route, Marian who?

What an strange thread, sort of thing a 6 year old would come up with (no offence to 6 year old intended).

The Chinese Way Who knows what they know The Chinese legend Gao Apologies to Level 42

One of the benefits he has picked up from having a team of top goalkeeping coaches to improve his game.

Two hours of Ralph waffle and explaining about soccerball to our Board members. Should be over by about 7 if we're lucky. Then we'll be told that Marieanne Spacey has been appointed janitor manager.

Close but no cigar. Ralph, Nellie and Kat have got together and pooled all of their football knowledge and will be appointing Dave Watson and Marianne Spacey as joint interim managers until a replacement can be found.

We could actually play Marcus Barnes in this one, he doesn't have to be in the PL squad to playin the LC. Front line of Obafemi and Barnes might be cool, at least they know how to score goals, even if it is against PL2 B division opposition.

You don't need one but it would be ****ing stupid to appoint a new manager and then appoint a DOF. Expect Ralph to do exactly this then.

Not worth bench spot. Yoshida with Stephens is the way we should go.

Agree Hughes needs to go, but Ralph will probably appoint Marieanne Spacey, not sure thats the best way for us at the moment, though she probably wouldn't be any worse.

Clearly not good enough to get into the side. Think it's harsh on Cedric and Ings, who certainly haven't been our worst players this season. Hoedt, Vestegaard, Bertrand, Romeu, Long, Austin, Redmond, Moi and JWP all much more deserving of a place.

I think you hit the nail on the head, it is complete bull****. No one would train for 8 hours a day. Maybe they are at the training ground between those hours, but a couple of hours intensive training would be max. Our fitness went down hill after Poch left, even under Koeman it was noticeably lower, Puel and MP compounded the problem and suspect Hughes has maintained the same levels. Poch's regime wasn't all good news, players burned out through the high intensity training and playing.

No we don't. Too slow for the PL and doesn't compensate by using his height advantage. Yoshida with Stephens or Hoedt is the best we have. Hoedt and Yoshida will play.

I said he had improved didn't say he had played very well, still full of errors. Have always maintained he will be good one day, but has been very bad so far. Its not a case of people having to admit they are wrong about him. He has been very poor and seems to be improving in the last couple of weeks, probably due to him having better partners as my h as anything now that the Dane has been dropped.