Crouchie's Lawyer

Yeah not good at all if this is the case. He has been one of the stand out performers of preseason and the games we have played so far. Really fits RM's system perfectly. Only saving grace is that this likely puts an end to any rumours he may be off but he will be missed if he is out for months. Hopefully this will force Sports Republic's hand to bring in Grimes now too so we have decent cover.

Tactically Matt on X is reporting Smallbone's injury is more serious than initially expected and he is likely to be out for months rather than weeks. With Lavia and JWP gone, I think we should be looking to bring in Grimes as well as Downes now. I know we have Charles who can play in that position but if we only have Downes and Charles, I don't think we will have enough quality cover.

Bit gutted about the JWP news. Realist in me knew he would want to move on and return to the Premier League but the fantasist in me was hoping he would be a true one club legend and see it out with a sense of wanting to get us back to the Premier League, like a sense of responsibility but I guess money talks in football. Whilst he may not be the outright leader we need, his engine, movement and passing skills fit this new system RM is implementing and, like with his run again SW at the weekend to set up Che, he has the ability to be dangerous in this division. What matters now is how we spend this money. We cannot afford to go for another gamble on youth. We need a tried and tested replacement who has shown they are capable of doing the job in this division. I am praying we get one, or two new midfielders in, a goal scorer, a big physical defender who can pass and a goal keeper before the window closes plus any others to replace anyone else who leaves (and needs replacing). Ideally offloading Lyanco, Bree, Aribo, Mara and McCarthy too would be the cherry on the cake. Yes we have a large squad but I would rather us sign the players we need to get us back into the Prem and have a larger squad, wasting a bit extra on wages for the players we don't want than wait to see if we can sell any of the unsellables before replacing them with what we need. Last night showed that there are a lot of players which aren't fit to wear the shirt. Stick them in the Under 21's for the season and forget about them. If we sell them, great, if we can't then we can deal with that at the end of the season when we know better where we stand. We need a quality first 11 plus subs to mount a serious push for this season. Hoping SR can see this.

Goal disallowed for Gillingham apparently for a push. Another set piece with a header though. We are going to be torn a new one from corners and set pieces this season. The new coach has his work cut out.

First game of the season non winning hoodoo broken. Away from home generally tougher than home games. Taking on a team who got promoted last season who were carrying a generally winning mentality versus us who got relegated with a losing mentality. Playing a first competitive match under a whole new style of play. Showing resilience in coming back from a set back (who else thought “here we go again, same old Saints” when Wednesday scored their equaliser?!) Completely dominated the game playing some excellent football. Top of the league! 😉 A lot of positives to take from the match last night. Not the finished product by some way yet. Still learning and adapting to the new system and invariably some of the components of the team will be moving on but hopefully the recruitment team will bring in players who can slot straight into this team. I’m excited for this season to come and keen to see how we fair after the first 5-6 games. COYS

Tino apparently not in the squad tomorrow night...

And there we go. For all that tidy possession we get hit with a quick attack. I appreciate this team may be a bit more tidy than some teams in the champ but with no ruthless attack we can’t rely on keeping clean sheets

Anyone else get booted out from the feed midways through the game with the message "you need to sign in to watch the game"? Happened to me twice during the Bournemouth game

Is that a *cough cough* slight injury where they don't want to risk a deal on the table which may be progressing in the next few days or a genuine slight injury? Guess there is no way of actually knowing.

https://twitter.com/TacticallyMatt/status/1683798833757659137?s=20 Says JWP wont be involved against Bournemouth tonight. Doesn't say whether it is an injury or anything else...

Done! Good luck

For me, the main striker position (assuming we are playing with one central forward/striker with two supporting wide forwards which seems to be the way a lot of teams play) should be priority this close season, as it has the past 2 windows. Yes, Che and Arma have proven pedigree at this level but they haven't played at this level for a few years and my concern is that our system just does not suit them as proven in the seasons they have been here and not been prolific. Someone who has played in the system Martin wants to adopt and proven to be fairly prolific in doing so should be our aim. If Che isn't going to sign a new contract then I would rather get circa £15m in from him now than pin any hopes on him doing the business this year and losing him for free next year. Mara is still young and an unproven entity. I wouldn't get rid of him but do not want to rely upon him as the first choice this season. Arma I see as being more effective as a wide forward. He is a quick player but he just didn't show enough last season to make me think our system suits him too well and again wouldn't feel confident if he was our first choice striker this season. I wouldn't lose any sleep if we decided to sell him but can't see too many wanting him, especially for the amount we would want for him and the wages he is on. That leaves Tall Paul and Ballard. Ballard I see in the same light as Mara, young with potential but we shouldn't be relying upon him to be the main main. Tall Paul, for all the excitement I had about his previous goal record, just doesn't look like a fit for us. It definitely highlights the gulf in class between Belgium football and English football. I wouldn't be upset if he wanted to leave and we recouped £10m or so from him. However, he didn't feature as much as I would have thought he would have done (mainly because he didn't show a lot when given the chance) given he was meant to be our saviour striker we had been screaming out for, for the best part of 18 months when he signed in January so whether he deserves another crack at it in the Championship will be determined by his desire to stay and whether he has impressed upon Martin enough in the close season plus whether he will actually fit into our system. We don't play with wingers as such, certainly not people who cross the ball in for a tall stricker to use their bonce which I feel would really be his strength given his height. I think for the wide forwards we have those already sorted so long as none of the following leave: Tella, Sulemana, Edozie and Amo-Ameyaw I think will all do well at this level. I have been particularly impressed with the glimpses I have seen of Amo-Ameyaw in the couple of friendlies we have played so far. He seems like quite a threat and wants to (and has done) take players on. He is quick and skill full and given a run in the team could do quite well. His turn to leave Cody Gakpo for dust in the last game of the season against Liverpool was filthy. From what we saw of Edozie early season, he looked to want to take players on too and shows good potential. I know he didn't deliver the finished article last season but I personally was not expecting that from him as a kid coming into the Premier League in his first season. I think a year down the the Championship will do him good. For me, as it stands, any combination of Tella, Sulemana, Edozie and Amo-Ameyaw for those two wide forward slots is an exciting prospect as there is so much pace there which will do teams damage. We just need that cut throat fox in the box striker who can link up with these players well and stick the ball away when given the chance.

I'd rather we play my Gran than Aribo. Aside from the pre-season friendlies he played in and perhaps the first 1-2 games of the season he has done nothing to convince me of his ability as a professional footballer. Lazy player who can't pass, tackle or shoot on target.

The fact remains, neither Jones or Selles should habe been taken on. Jones may have got a few more points than Selles, or not. It doesn't matter. That prick Rasmus gambled our Prem league status by not going for a solid choice. The fans could see the appointment of Jones was a mistake as soon as it was announced. On the whole, most were willing to give him a chance as he had the winter break to work with 99% of the squad and it was thought that he would be able to imprint his style of play on the team in what was tantamount to a pre-season but he let the team go on a holiday for a number of weeks (apparently) and it was abundantly clear his style of play was hoof ball when we returned from the winter break. Those who weren't excited but willing to give him a chance, myself included, quickly worked out this was going to be a shit show. Appointing the player's friend, the nice guy who everyone ay the club loves was also a wrong move. They needed a nasty bastard to come in and scream at the bunch of lazy chunts we have in our squad, throw some tea cups at them and make them scared of being relegated to the youth team if they don't put a shift in every game but Rasmus went with everyone's friend so the players knew it was "continue as normal" and the mediocrity we had endured from the players for the past year was allowed to continue. SR need to fuck off Rasmus for the mistakes his arrogance has cost us this season.

1, 3 and 7 for me. I can't differentiate the shiteness of all three of them. Stealing a living. Recruitment and our overlords take a fair share of the blame for this season though

Dying is a bit harsh but they should fuck off out of the club for sure. Out of everyone at the club, staff and players (excluding youth players and the women's players), I only hope we hold on to Lavia, Sulemana, Alcaraz, Livramento and KWP. I could not give two shits if the rest all left and especially hope Semmens and that prick Rasmus fuck off taking Moi, Aribo, AMN and A Armstrong with them the minute this season finishes.

Wouldn't have conceded a pen if Selles listened to me and took him off when I suggested. Just saying

AMN jogged back for that last attempt Forest had where ABK went off injured. He was too high up and couldn't be arsed to sprint back. Get that prick off too

Just when you thought being a Saints fan could not get any worse...

As much as I don't agree with what he did when he left to go on loan to villa and prior to today's game I don't personally understand why he has walked into the team and is seemingly first choice CB now, I do have to take my hat off to the bloke in the aftermath of Cesar Azpilicueta's horrific injury today. Jan ran through a number of players to get to CA to see if he was ok and appeared to take control of the situation in trying to help him. Fair play to him doing that. Being that bit more experienced (international who has played a lot of games for us in the prem, slightly older than a lot of our team) he obviously thought he could help out a fellow human and football went out the window. People like that in every day life are often highly praised and said to be courageous and that's what he was today. Like him or not, we are all quick to slag off players when they have done something stupid, like his OG last week, but we don't seem to praise much when they do something good, so I just wanted to say I thought highly of him today (as well as the fact that from what I have seen on MoTD, played very well) for doing that. Well done Jan.

I thought Sulemana, Onuachu, Lavia, Alcaraz, Ward-Prowse (except the 2 free kicks he should have leathered), Bree, Salisu and Perraud all played well today. Bednarek I simply cannot forgive for being a d!ck when he went on loan to Villa and what he was doing with that OG today was just criminal. Bazunu just can't save a shot which is a bit problematic for a goalkeeper. Not sure there was much he could have done about their second goal today though but his overall shots faced versus goals conceded stats since he has come in speak for themselves... they're not all worldies. AMN is stealing a living as a Premier League footballer too. Aribo is just fu(king useless. No urgency about him and can't bloody pass the ball. Che is turd too. If anyone needs some time in the B team, it is him. Carleta-Car should be in the team ahead of AMN but the tw@ in charge (hopefully no more) seems to have it in for him. We played well for a large part of the game today but Jones killed it bringing off Tall Paul and Perraud bringing on Che Mister Sitter Adams and Lyanco. Then to bring on Aribo too was just crazy. Hopefully Rasmus can finally admit his mistake appointing the egotistical Jones and get rid of him now and we can look to hopefully get the new manager bounce we never had but losing 2-1 at home to 10 men after going 1-0 up after last weeks result and all the other bloody results prior to that is just unforgivable.

I know we have not seen the two new signings in action for us so this is a little preemptive but what would your starting line up for our next game be (obviously excluding those currently injured and assuming new signings ready to hit the ground running). Mine would be: Bazunu KWP ABK Salisu Perruad Lavia Alcaraz JWP Edozie Onuachu Sulemana Tough call between Diallo and Alcaraz for me in the above. Alcaraz looked pretty handy in the first leg against NUFC but didn’t look great this evening. I think Diallo does break the play up well even though he does have his faults at time. Having a bench which includes DCC, Lyanco, Bree, Orsic, A Armstrong, Adams and Diallo isn’t bad.

Is that an inuendo?

Great so today has been a bit of a rollercoaster: Dembele - Looked like a nice cheap, fairly risk free addition but seems like he has knocked us back in favour of waiting until the summer to look at his options (by which point, we most likely won't be one of them) Onuachu - looked promising. Good goal scoring record, big and physical, just what we need if we could agree a fee with Genk but now the bin dippers (I'm really starting to detest them and how they seem to go for EVERY player we are apparently first linked with) are in for him. Bigger club, more known manager, more money for wages etc. I think I know who he would choose. You watch them get that new manager bounce with Dyche too. Vitinha - Looks like another decent player. Not sure how the whole meeting the release clause thing would work as I can't see us forking out 30m Euros in one lump sum but even if we did manage to find the cash down the back of the sofa or structure it in a way his team would accept, between us and Brighton, a team in contention for a place in Europe and definitely won't get relegated this season as well as being in the last 16 of the FA Cup (I know we are too), wouldn't surprise me if they could/would offer more in wages, I'm pretty sure he'd likely opt for them. That leave Andre bloody Ayew. I'd love to know how many of these were genuinely interested in coming to Saints or whether their Agents have just been using us knowing that once a formal offer comes in from us, it is likely to drive all the other cockroaches out from under their rocks! SR just needs to go balls deep with their contract offers on any of the top 3 and include a respectable relegation release clause which may appeal to these people but even then, if it were me, I'd be inclined to go with a Brighton offer of a few grand less a week to know I will still be paying prem football next year and possibly in Europe too and in the case of Onuachu, go with Everton who on paper, look to be a better bet at staying up than we do. Being a Saints fan is tough!

Yeah that press conference was a bit of a wrong one wasn't it? New manager coming in effectively saying "look, chances are I won't be able to get us out of this sheet show we are currently in unless there is a miracle". How can he get away with saying that? You want the manager to come in and say "whilst we are in a bad place right now we will fight tooth and nail to get out of this relegation zone. It is only a few points before we are in safety again and I am confident with the lads I have here that we can do this". Instil confidence in the team, that is what a Manager is meant to do, not take away what little there may have been left and accept out fate so early on. Get the one club pony prick out of this club and appoint Dyche. He will put the fear into this team and make them more solid. SR you need to do something fast