The Kraken

Well,I don’t believe that’s true in the slightest. Bednarek played for all Poland youth levels 16-21 before making his debut full international appearance shortly after joining us. We paid £5m for a young prospect. Like Salisu, he wasnt expected to go straight into the first team. And, surely any saints fan who watched Hoedt play would have preferred Bednarek there instead, no matter how young he was! I don’t think we can look at the selection policies of our two previous managers as a benchmark of anything good at all! Bednarek’s career growth has happened under Ralph because he is now 25, and has grown into his role. Ralph has played a part, of course, but it would have been a significant failure if Bednarek had not have improved from where he was when Ralph took him under his wing. It’s not black and white, its not either or, but it’s very much a bit of both.

Bednarek was what, 20 or 21 when he came to Saints? Seems like he broke through with us in a similar time and way that Salisu did.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc.

I don’t think it’s unfair to commend Eddie Howe on the job he’s done so far. We all know that Newcastle are now playing with a loaded deck, but he has done a good job in turning them around. In fact, he’s done exactly the job that he was brought in to do, keep them up, he’s already pretty much done that. I don’t think many people can see him being in position there any longer than another season (I personally think there’s a chance he could even be gone in the summer) but to say he hasn’t done a good job is churlish. Yes, he’s had a massive leg up with the money available to spend, and what he has done is not incredible. It doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be commended for it though, he’s done a good solid job.

Yep, I agree, I think KWP is the better defender, Livramento better going forward.

Not that I disagree, but I think Ralph massively rates Livramento. There’s quotes given to Ralph when Livra arrived saying that he thought he could be our best player within six months. I think it explains why Ralph persists, he’s clearly got huge faith in the lad.

Correct, it’s a bit daft to say Ralph had much to do with improving Moi when he hasn’t been here.

Have to say that’s a fair question. Apart from maybe A Armstrong. He’s a rabbit in the headlights but i think it’s too soon to write him off, he deserves a bit of development time like Adams got.

Arse, switched to the golf at HT and forgot to check the clock 🤦‍♂️

Walker is very solid defensively and about the quickest player you’ll find. However, much as TAA is an attacking full back who can’t defend, Walker is a defensive full back who can’t attack.

TAA is having a torrid few minutes here, all of City’s best work is being done around him (or rather the spaces in behind him).

We aren’t 😉

Bridgwater have confirmed 1-0 result.

Burnley have looked hideously poor.

At the moment (according to Twitter) Ipswich are still losing 1-0 to Chichester, and Oxford are 1-0 down away to Bridgwater.

Tighter game than one would expect surely, Hounslow ship goals for fun.

You just don’t get it Ffs. We are not safe, we need 40 points.

Simple question but no obvious answer. Is it even realistic to ask for more given relative resources vs PL rivals? The simple question is, how much money have we got? Everton, Villa, Brighton, Palace, Leeds, basically every team around us who will stay in the Premier League this season (except Brentford tbf) will have a (much) higher net spend than us this season. Saints staying up relies on two things: a decent manager, and three teams (often promoted teams) who are even worse off than us and who equally don’t have a pot to piss in. We start each season financially fucked, we are millions and millions behind our peers who will finish the season around us. Sort that out, then we can talk about progress. Until then we are treading water at best.

Thanks 🙏

Agreed. To be clear, I was asking @TWar my original question not to take the mickey at all, I actually enjoy statistical analysis alongside genuine game analysis. I’m a minor stats geek myself, I did an A Level many years ago in Mathematics with Statistics, loved it, and I guess lots of that stuck through my life. Plus I have a couple of friends who have done scouting and analytical analysis for premier league clubs before, and I found the reports were output from that (which they showed me) to be utterly fascinating. I just find it difficult to assign todays defeat alongside a genuine 0-4 result, so I question the analysis involved in that. Stats are very helpful a lot of the time, I’m just struggling square the circle of that xG number today.

Personally I’m amazed we kept it to six. It was a phenomenal battering.

With The Masters on? No thanks. Although bloody Scheffler crushing the field is making todays tv viewing even less pleasurable.

Ok ta. I think I disagree, given their misses / Forster’s saves. I’d have been very happy to get away with a 4-0 after that. But there we go.

England beat San Marino by that margin not very long ago, didn’t they?

Just out of interest, do you think the xG matched your opinion from what you watched from the game today? I guess I’m asking if you thought 4-0 (rounded down) was a more accurate reflection of the actual,gameplay that the 6-0 result. Genuine question.