The Kraken

The biggest hope is that Spurs hold on for a point at Anfield, Villa somehow beat them to kill their title chase, Kloppitty then plays the reserves so he can rest the squad for the CL. I mean, it won’t happen, and we’d lose anyway, but maybe not by a hammering.

You can basically go back to 2016 and highlight a fundamentally terrible summer signing for Saints who cost a lot of money in transfer fee and wages, and who has largely failed. Boufal, Hoedt, Lemina, Carrillo, Elyonoussi, Gunn, Djnepo, Diallo, Adam Armstrong. Thats 9 players who mostly had reported fees somewhere between £12M and £16M, most of those players aren’t at the club any more (and certainly didn’t move upwards when leaving so we didn’t recoup anywhere near the outlay). Those who are still here are not starting XI (barring maybe Moi, and he’s on the fringes). Our squad is dirt because Ralph has continued an existing trend of not buying well when shopping at the top end of our budget.

Blown a gasket and a non-runner. Sounds like it would fit in perfectly.

He hasn’t been given all of those squads though, they are his.

I agree. At the moment I have no faith that our current owners are going to provide us much more than we had under Gao. AFAIK our major loan is still in place which, according to previous reports, is at a very high interest and costs us many millions per years in repayment. In effect it has contributed to something akin to, in part, a leveraged buyout of the club.

I think horrible deal is pushing it. He hasn’t been well backed financially, certainly in terms of transfer fees. But he’s been very well remunerated himself, and he’s wasted a very significant amount of money on transfers and wages on dross. I’ve been a defender of Ralph, I think I overall he’s been good for us, but it seems like his road is run. He has run out of (good) ideas, the form of team is in free fall, and next year looks very worrying indeed. I also don’t share your view that the future looks better financially. So far I feel no difference with this lot at the helm than I did with Gao.

Joe Gomez is very good. I don’t think I’d describe him as an option for Saints, wouldn’t get near him. As for Bednarek to Napoli, can’t see why they would want him in the slightest.

Wtf is that?

Rubbish. JWP has got 9 goals from a deep sitting midfield position.

Not denying that but it’s all relative innit.

What a tie. No disappointment in seeing City miss out. Prolly makes for a better final. Obviously I’ll be supporting Los Blancos.

Like I say, Salisu I can just understand but Bednarek? Napoli are going to qualify for Champions League, I just don’t see the interest at their level.

There’s certainly a good deal of media reporting about it, reports say they’re interested in Bednarek and Salisu. Napoli are third in Serie A so I’m struggling to see why they would be interested in Bednarek if they’d have to pay a fee for him. Salisu I could maybe understand, just.

Anything west of Dorset is now dead. That diagonal line from Liverpool to Southampton is on its knees. What a tragedy. Who would’ve known it was an idiotic idea to begin with?

“Well,luv, they’re cunts, from the top down. Here’s why……” Fuck knows when you’d finish, mind.

I’ve only been watching bits and pieces but it seems like Bournemouth have got on it after a bright Forest start. Admittedly Forest going up is much less boring than the yo yo effect we have lately. Plus, class of PL 1992, Cloughie and all that. The Roy Collymore partnership was also decent. Frank Clark aka Forest Grump, less so.

What is very smart?

Me. I find the cherries fans to be a bit cringe but overall they’re harmless. It’s a south coast derby, it’s not the proper one but it still means a little bit more than other games. Plus I went to uni in Bournemouth and had a great laugh there, went to a few games at Dean court at the time when they were utterly dreadful but it was a good crack. And I don’t like forest, never have. Much like Derby I think a good proportion of their fans seem like cunts.

Exactly this. Our owners are hands off. They want continuity and security.

I’m very much doubting that there will be any significant cash injection from them. The club were keen to state after the takeover that the management team would stay in place, Sport Republic we’re hands off, and we would operate in line with how Semmens laid it out, buy cheap and aim to sell high. The only real benefit I can see is if there are any decent players that might come here from the other SR acquisitions, but it’s probably too early for that. Seems like a case of out with the old, in with the old to me. Hope I’m wrong.

I doubt very much his job is at risk. Despite his limitations he’s got us comfortably safe in the division in all his seasons with us. I also don’t see our new owners being very hands on to the extent that they’d push through a change right now. Plus we can’t really afford to get rid of him mid contract. In fact I think the owners will enjoy having Ralph as he’s on board with getting cheap youngsters as opposed to banging the door down for more transfer money. Nothing about our ownership suggests we’re going to do anything other than make up the numbers in this division, there’s no big pot of gold incoming IMO.

40 points has been enough to stay up for 19 of the past 20 years.

It will be a joke of a decision if Long is here next season, but I fully expect it to happen. I can’t see Adam Armstrong going anywhere. Most Championship clubs won’t be able to afford him, and Ralph has described him as a long term project. Something odd going on with him though, when the manager publicly says that Shane Long is a better option than you are, something is very wrong.

I think all of football thought the same. I get the feeling there was a good deal of player power involved in letting him go, it seemed like a bit of an acrimonious end.

Fair enough if you’re disappointed with wins against Spurs and Arsenal and going unbeaten against Man City, when we’re absolutely skint. Swings and roundabouts innit. Ralph has got his failings, of course he has, but he’s done a decent job with us considering.