SNSUN

Former Saints young player Alfie Jones just got Player of the Season for Hull. 25 y/o now, 6'3'' centre back and can play in DM. Worth bringing back to the club to add to the CB department? A quick scan on Hull's forum and they seem to think he's constantly improving.

I heard this on TalkSport this morning and couldn't believe my ears. I don't care how promising these managers are, we need experience and we need someone that can unite the fanbase. Or most of it anyway. We need someone with authority that the players we have left after sales respect. Farting about with inexperience is what got us relegated in the first place. I know they're only on a "shortlist" and we don't know how long that is, but it worries me. Whoever we appoint will get my support but we need to go up next season or be close enough that we've built a core of players good enough to go up the season after or we could stagnate in the Championship or worse.

Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. 5 stages of grief. Do they apply here? Anger sure, I'm not sure how we bargain. Depression will come. I just hope we can make some good decisions this summer and then acceptance will come. I'm so numb by this relegation unlike in 2005. The players (mostly) are a bunch of bottlers, the management have been utterly shite to a man and we've been subjected to crap for most of the season. It's hard to list who to blame because the list would be too long. I do believe Ralph should have gone in the summer. Jones though was a shocking decision to replace him and Selles? It just seemed like we were chucking in the towel when we had something still to play for. We need a good clear out in the summer but most importantly, number one, we need a good managerial appointment. Someone the players we have left respect. With the likes of Ankersen in charge I remain apprehensive.

This. 1-1 currently and Leeds had a penalty saved but I'd take Leeds survival if it meant Everton come down with us. I don't hate Everton per se, I just think it would be an interesting summer if they came down what with their 75 year stint in the top flight coming to an end and their financial difficulties. Won't happen though. They'll survive because they're spawny.

The ABK injury is an interesting one. He's been one of the brighter points in a turgid season despite his injury issues and though he had a poor game against Forest until his injury, he does have a bright future and he was one of the players we'd expect would leave this summer. But with the injury for at least a couple of months and repeat other injuries, it does make me wonder whether anyone would take a punt on him for the money we'd want for him. We'll likely have Stephens and Bednarek staying this summer, personally I think DCC and Lyanco might even stay, so if ABK does stay I'd say that's a full complement of CBs we wouldn't need to bring another in. Just a thought.

KWP, Lavia, JWP, ABK, Salisu - all likely to be gone next season, Moi out of contract, Diallo wants out. I'd say that we should only play the players from now on that will still be here next season mixed with youth BUT we'd be left with no fit full backs and no central midfield! Like: Baz, Bree, Lyanco, Bednarek, DCC, Djenepo, SArmstrong, Aribo, Charly, Sulemana, Onuachu, Ballard. 😉 We should certainly be looking to incorporate youth though. Certainly Ballard should be involved from now until the season ends. Sod it I'd rather we played Jake Vokins than see AMN put in another performance like yesterday again.

2005 hurt more because we'd been on a period of ascendancy since Hoddle of sorts (including the FA Cup Final in '03), but also we'd survived so many relegation scares with great escapes that when it did finally happen it really hurt. As the only Saints fan my colleagues and friends know I was also subjected to a lot of ridicule and teasing. This year barely one person has mentioned us or the impending relegation. We've been a sinking ship for years since Pellegrino and onwards getting spanked 9-0 twice that I think people are more taking pity on me being a Saints fan than being ridiculed like last time. It's hard to say exactly what I'll miss about the Premier League this time. It's not like we've even brought in top players since the Koeman days. Money, I guess, but I assume we will still have that with player sales. I've seen this coming all season - back in the summer I thought it was a mistake to keep Ralph when we could have made a fresh start. We signed youth without experience, we signed Aribo as our ONLY attacking experience (which I was excited about at the time), and there were clearly 3 teams that got promoted that strengthened well in the summer so there weren't 3 clear teams that could finish below us. That and whole season of shite decisions means I'm largely numb to it all now. Maybe it IS an age thing.# I look forward to the Championship - I do think the squad, shite as it is in the Premier League, may have enough about it once it has been trimmed and added to at least be competitive. We should be fighting towards the top rather than the bottom BUT we do need to bring in a manager that can organise the shit out of us.

We are down IMO but while I'd like to be put out of my misery sooner rather than later (and while I'd rather Forest survive over Leeds/Leicester), I'm actually hoping we win tonight for a few reasons. 1) Because while I'm at work I have Sky Go so I'm watching it. 2) Because I'd quite like us to at least get to 30 points this season. 3) Because I'm a Saints fan! Reasonable starting line up today, I think we will win. For all the good it will do us in the long run...

I knew those slimy scouse wankers would creep out of trouble. They ride their luck every season and would be financially butt-fucked if they went down but noooooo but here they are again most likely putting themselves on course for survival. Dyche does it again. I would SO love it if Everton came down with us but unless Brighton wake up and smell the European place in front of them, I think they're probably going to be OK. I had Leicester to beat Fulham today - they won't get any points from their next two fixtures so they only have West Ham on the last day to try to pick up points. I think it's very likely that Leicester will join us in the Championship now alongside us and either Leeds or Forest. (Hopefully Leeds).

It would be typical if Leicester and Everton lost today gifting us a massive and completely undeserved chance to win against Forest and have us believing again, only for us to not turn up again and lose 1-0.

We effectively need 12 points from 12 - we've only managed 12 in the last 4 months. If we survive it will rival any miracle Jesus could perform.

19 goals this season, not Haaland levels of prolific but he is playing in an average Swansea side. at 23 though he does seem to be a prospect that could improve further. He's out of contract in 2024 so Swansea may cash in. Apparently Obafemi has been told he's unfit by Burnley staff but I believe he is still set to move there permanently so that leaves Swansea looking for a new striker if Piroe does leave.

From the games I've seen... Forest at home. No shots on target - Forest had one and they scored from it. Forest were as bad as anything I've seen this year - we were somehow worse. Grimsby in the cup was embarrassing but a cup upset can happen (even if it was League 2 vs Prem) - whereas we've stunk out the Premier League all season so I have to go for a league defeat.

Depending on whether we need a CB in the summer (is it beyond the realms of possibility that we'll still have DCC, Lyanco, Stephens, Bednarek and Simeu even if ABK and Salisu go? DCC is the one I want to stay but maybe that's wishful thinking...) but I've been catching up on players in the Championship this season and a lot of people are rating Auston Trusty, a tall 24 year old American CB from Arsenal who has been on loan at Birmingham. Seems to be consistent and reliable and is a good age too. Depends if Arsenal want to keep him I guess. We should be one of the big fish in the Championship next season (over to you Sports Republic) so it would be nice to attract some of the bigger names that the Championship has to offer. Though I think someone like Gyorkeres is headed for the top flight, there must be a few gems we could pilfer.

Pfft I flip flop week on week who I think goes down, it's still almost impossible to say (bar us!). I think West Ham and above are safe enough. So 4 in it (as well as us). Looking at fixtures: Everton - Brighton (A), Man City (H), Wolves (A), Bournemouth (H) - Probably won't get any points from the next two but have two teams at the end who will be on the beach. POINTS - 6. Forest - Us (H), Chelsea (A), Arsenal (H), Palace (A) - 3 points from us, 3 from Palace on the beach, possibly a point at Chelsea. POINTS 7 Leeds - Man City (A), Newcastle (H), West Ham (A), Spurs (H) - Difficult to say - Nil from the next 2, possibly 4 from the last 2 games. POINTS 4. Leicester - Fulham (A), Liverpool (H), Newcastle (A), West Ham (H) - Again difficult. I think West Ham will be safe by the last two games so 3 there, and 3 at Fulham. POINTS 6. So that's Everton on 35, Forest on 37, Leeds on 34 and Leicester on 36. I've probably been overly generous points-wise and there are bound to be some surprises but that sees us go down with LEEDS and EVERTON. I'd take that with bells on. IF Everton can pick up something at Brighton, if Forest somehow don't beat us, if Leeds somehow win their last 2 or if Leicester fail to get their two wins then of course it will all change again so it's too difficult to say right now. It is very likely that, apart from us, the relegation battle will go down to the last day. What's interesting is none of the 4 play each other from now on and only Forest play us. Shit if we get 12 points, we're safe. Even 10 might do it!

I agree, and I was thinking about "How do we reset next season" before I read these posts. Everything is rotten about this club right now - yes on paper it was great that Sports Republic wanted to pump some money in to a transfer fund that had been basically sell-to-buy for years, but without any idea of what was needed. First and foremost we need to bring in a manager of experience, someone that has proven ability to get teams promoted from the Championship or has proved that they are a good Championship manager over a long period of time. Cooper would be an obvious candidate for this but I don't think he'd come here. Get the manager in place early doors and then you can think about the playing personnel. Quite frankly I'd have a team meeting, get anyone that doesn't want to be here next season to put their hands in the air and transfer list the lot. Keep the 100% committed lads then top them up with the best transfers we can feasibly afford. Get a few decent Prem loans in and bosh. That's the reset - but I can't see it happening because, as you said, we have the same people in charge that have made the shitty decisions this season. We need to be introducing the likes of Ballard, Edwards and Dibling next season though or what is even the point of the academy? The sad thing is that relegation has been coming for a few seasons and we've (probably almost) all seen it coming. - we've just bided our luck based on a couple of purple patches. The squad has been getting weaker and weaker and it has finally bitten us in the butt.

It's ok lads we've still got 5 games left, easy. Bunch of shite. We could be truly bollocksed next season.

Some good things some bad things. Draw not good enough but I enjoyed watching that.

Cheering out loud in a pub full of silence is a wondrous thing. Get in. Please don't throw it away.

Dafuq going on? CHARLY IS IMMENSE. Watching this in the pub surrounded by Arsenal fans and it is surreal.

Everton have been top flight for 70 odd years. It would be immensely sweet to bring them down with us. Leicester of course have been recent trophy winners over the last ten years too so that would tickle my fancy too. Both would take the limelight of of us in the media. Forest and Leeds are "big names" but have more recently come up. I still think it's us, Forest + 1 other. I still think Leicester will get out of it. I am surprised about Bournemouth's recent resurgence but my colleague who is a fan says that O Neill has started playing more attacking football which is working. He also thanks us for loaning Stephens to them.

I've always thought Callum Davidson was a ringer for a young Neil Shipperley. https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/trainer/verfuegbaretrainer/statistik/0/wettbewerb_id/alle/land_id/0/seit/0/spielklasse/alle/punkteschnitt/0-3 Available coaches listed. Zidane for me, maybe Nagelsmann at a pinch. Very worst case scenario I'd take Conte, Bielsa or Villas-Boas. Well why not aim high!

I didn't realise Moi was out of contract when I did my predictions on the squad on page 1 of this thread - we would do brilliantly well NOT to offer him a new contract in the summer, but as we have recently been known to make shite decisions, I wouldn't be surprised if we went and gave him a new 3 year contract. Positions that I think we won't upgrade in the summer will be GK (Bazunu, McCarthy, Lis), RB (Tino, Bree) and LB (Perraud, Larios et al). The entire rest of the spine will need major surgery. As fringe players go, I'd quite like to keep Djenepo. Still only 24 and quite versatile. I'd be interested to see if he could regularly deliver on that stage.

1) Aribo. Our main attacking signing in the summer and one I was looking forward to. Shite. I’d go Bazunu but it’s not his fault he’s been repeatedly shite yet keeps being picked. 2) Jones. Worst manager we’ve ever had. Sacking Ralph was right (even though it should have happened in the summer), picking Jones as his replacement was shite. 3) Too many to chose, but to out-shite a shite Forest live on TV was impressively shite. 4) The season as a whole. Shite. 5) Aribo. Genuinely was expecting good things. Shite. 6) Everyone. Bunch of shites. Overall, shite.

Sure I think we'd all agree... the sad fact is those are the players we won't have and our team will be made up of the rest of the chaff, and signings will likely be a CB whose knees have gone, a midfielder journeyman and a few youngsters from Man City's academy. We're in a state. Our next managerial appointment is a whopper.