SNSUN

Brighton are a strange team in that they put in good performances but don't get results. They struggle to score goals and have a lightweight, although technically good, midfield. We, on the other hand, have some key players back from injury, and a striker who has scored 2 in 2. On paper and ignoring form, this should be 3 points to us. If KWP, Diallo and Minamino are all fit, then a team of: Forster, KWP, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand, JWP, Diallo, Armstrong, Tella, Minamino, Adams should be enough for the win. I can't see Brighton winning this despite the bookies having them down as favourites, but I can see a draw would be possible. That said I think if we get the first goal, then it's virtually game over. And I think that will happen. 2-0 Saints in a scrappy but determined performance, goals from Che and Armstrong. Confidence for the following few fixtures and the cup game.

I can’t watch the second half so if we miraculously draw 3-3 or even win then it’s my doing. You can’t make mistakes against a City team on this form. Now make subs, put players where they should be, and go for it. Anything less than 5 goals for City tonight would be a respectable result.

Fucks sake Che, I'm a fan of yours and I think you're a great passer of the ball, but that was a brain fart of epic proportions. We go again...

15 minutes in and it is already a damage limitation exercise. I didn’t like that line up. That was the line up of someone who fears the opposing team and has previously had a couple of 9 nil thrashings on his CV. I’m a Ralph supporter but that was an odd line up. Still this is a free hit and Brighton is more important. That said we don’t want another thrashing crushing our confidence levels again.

Minamino will score the second, Sheffield Utd will get one back through Mousset fairly late on, but as they push forwards, Adams will bang one in from distance. It is written. Then we can all sleep easy tonight with our bellies full of vino. Addendum: This is one of many scenarios that could happen...

We should have a sweepstake on which player will get injured each game. Crazy. For a man already in no form, you could probably say his Euros campaign seems a distant dream away now. Adams then? Please not Redmond. Yes Che against his former club. I like Che. The Ormerod of the current day. 😜

Premature EjaculaNun? w00t! UTS - we CAN win this and that is probably our strongest team sans injuries. STOP THE ROT AND WIN!!! FFS

Yeah and without their best players they're sitting ducks. They're the ones looking at Fulham's form nervously, not us. We are better than the dross below us, we are just having the injury crisis from hell over a tricky fixture list period (Possibly Newcastle excepted) and a confidence crisis. Get KWP back and we have our first choice back 4, get Diallo back and we look strong again in midfield. Get Minamino back and we can try and get the attack sorted too. We just need the easier run of fixtures that starts with Sheffield United and also includes Brighton, Burnley, WBA, Palace after the City game to breed confidence. Still since the start of November (since beating Newcastle, that's 4 months!) we've won twice in the League which perhaps means I'm asking too much to hit form suddenly. Maybe just eeking out draws would be ok. Finish mid-table then learn in the summer that bad spells of injuries can happen and we need a decent squad not just a good first XI.

11 years ago I was at St Mary’s as we tore Huddersfield a new hole in a 5 nil win. So for no other reason, I predict we will beat Sheffield United 5-0 as we finally click and banish all talk of relegation.

I'll watch the first half, with Saints as the attacking force with beautiful passing, superb closing down and 2 clear shouts for a Saints penalty not given by a grinning referee with an erection. Then, with the score delicately poised at 0-0 I'll save myself the hurt and switch off just before the second half begins as Rodriguez and Richarlison tear us a new one, as Saints seem to somehow forget how to play basic football and Everton walk away with a 3-0 win. 🙈

I look at our current fit players, and our dire form, and think perhaps trying 3 at the back on a more permanent basis may be a way to go. (Which actually contrasts to my thoughts on the 3-4-3 formation, however we are somewhat pushed with the 4-2-2-2 for available players). We have 4 fit centre backs to accommodate, meaning Bednarek, Vestergaard and Salisu could all play in position (with Stephens as back up), it also means Bertrand could push forward more on the left, and means we can use a more attacking option at right wing back (So Redmond or Djenepo). We can then play Armstrong next to JWP in the centre and three up front in attack (So currently probably Adams, Ings, Tella/Djenepo of the players that are fit). Ergo the formation would look something like: McCarthy/Forster (don't get me started on those two) Bednarek Vestergaard Salisu Redmond JWP Armstrong Bertrand Ings Adams Tella/Djenepo Anyway it's just a thought, I'm sure people will disagree. It seems to me there are less square pegs in round holes using this system. Of course I'm sure Ralph will keep the 4-2-2-2 but it will mean using more youth at some point. As for Everton, I've said it a lot lately, but I would take a point. I think we will get it to in a ground out 0-0. And with City on the horizon, that means we need a win against Sheffield United to build some confidence.

You couldn't make it up. Do we actually have fitness coaches at this club? 🤕

Gutted about Romeu. Terrible timing with Diallo still out. So it's JWP, Jankewitz and.... Kegs Chauke until Diallo returns? I'm assuming we don't have a recall clause on Callum Slattery...! 🤤

Argued with the missus all day about watching Saints live or Norwich live. I've just given up the TV to her. So if we suddenly improve and score like 5 goals, you can thank her for being a Norwich fan and me for being a pussy. 😃

Everything seems to be conspiring against us lately it seems. Bad luck is with us at the moment. But we are playing ok and need just one bit of luck for it to change. The penalty decision was right but still... bad luck as in other games it could be given. Wow Romeu... who knew he had that pace! Sheer determination and a fantastic tackle. Raphina looks dangerous but if we are to win this game, we need to break Leeds's defence, which looks fairly well organised currently. Tella looks ok so far. Definitely look weak in attack on our right without KWP. At least our bench looks OK if we need to change things up. I'd take a point here again, that result would be no disgrace. UTS

More assists from Tella Like the one he set up Armstrong with against Wolves and we will be laughing. Happy Adams is back. I think Leeds will be too strong for us but it depends on how our defence holds up. This could be a 1-0 Saints or a 4-0 Leeds. So hard to predict.

Walcott is a weird one because I personally wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole in the summer and yet I reckon he’s almost definitely going to join us on a permanent. Just a feeling. Depends on the wages I guess. But I just reckon the club as a whole would want him back permanently as squad filler. Brexit and having no money are the main issues we face this summer, combined with keeping the stars as usual. Ings will go I think, and we can at least use the money elsewhere. The Crown Jewels I hope we can keep (the future of this club if we want to progress) are KWP, JWP, Diallo, Salisu, Vestergaard, Bednarek and Armstrong. Build the team around those and we could definitely make a sustained challenge to the top 6. Here are my positional reviews, trying to stay as realistic as possible. GK: Yes long term we need an improvement in this position, but both Fraser and Alex have another year left on their contracts. Even if we let one leave, we still have Gunn on the books. Ergo I see no movement here, unless we manager to offload two goalkeepers. RB: KWP is our number one right back which makes bringing in another right back tricky, as they’d be cover. Still it needs to be done - personally I’d try and sign a highly rated youngster and tell him to push KWP for the first team spot, but I think we will just see a loan. LB: Our trickiest slot to predict as we don’t even know if Bertrand will be here. Personally even if he is, I’d be looking to bring in a long term first choice left back. A left footed KWP if you will. Maybe Jeremi Rodriguez can be longer term back up if we don’t trust Vokins. CB: Barring anyone leaving or being sold (looking at you Jannick), I think we are set here. Bednarek, Vestergaard, Salisu and Stephens. Can a team like Southampton do much better than that? CM: JWP, Diallo, Romeu. Keep them and we don’t really need anyone. It can be improved upon but I don’t think we have the cashola so it’s make do time. Will Jankewitz be here to back them up? I hope so, I hope he gets another chance. AM: An area I think we have quantity over quality. Armstrong and Djenepo are two keepers, and probably Redmond and Smallbone won’t be going anywhere. Tella? Not sure. AM is definitely upgradable but it depends if we have the money to do so when other areas are more important to strengthen. We may even see Moi back to strengthen. Str: An area that would need sorting even if Ings stays. I like Adams for work rate and technique but he doesn’t score enough, and the fact Ralph has dropped him of late speaks volumes. I’d keep Adams but he is saleable. He’ll stay if we sell Ings though. Long needs to go, which leaves us with N’Lundulu and Obafemi as back ups. We definitely need a first choice striker, possibly even an extra squad striker, even if one is a loan or promising youngster. To conclude, I’d be bringing in a cover right back, first choice left back, first choice striker and, if money allowed, a first choice AM. Let’s hope we can find £70 odd million down the back of the sofa then! Or, more likely, make some astute decisions along the lines of Diallo and Salisu last summer. That seems to have been good scouting.

Against Arsenal in the cup and Liverpool in the league, we got the first goal and defended it resolutely for a 1-0 win. That would be the key to winning this game IMO, get the first goal and defend it. Chelsea are much better under Tuchel than Lampard (unsurprisingly as they have one of the best squads on paper and were underachieving) but they are still not the finished article. Yes I'd take a draw. I've been saying that a lot lately! I know Ralph favours McCarthy but I would start Forster against Chelsea, to see if it can solid things up a bit at the back. Forster, Stephens, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand, JWP, Romeu, Armstrong, Minamino, Ings, Adams would be my starting XI but who knows what Ralph will choose, especially with another match 3 days later. He seems to favour Redmond of late.

A tad, but only as far down as 17th and not at all seriously. Fulham have picked up results since their poor start to the season but I still can't see them overhauling us over the next 14 games. Even if we get a point a game average over the rest of the season (i.e. relegation form) we'd still end up on 44 points, which would easily be enough to stay up, probably in lower mid-table. Fulham would need 25 points in that same time we get 15 (and they have 14 games to do it in not 15), so I can't see them bettering us. Still, in true Dalek style: As long as we stay up, that's all that matters first and foremost. It's moot anyway. I know we were virtually back to full strength against Wolves and muffed it up, but we still lost KWP, and we have been so badly injury troubled lately that the drop off in results was always going to happen. I maintain that we have a very good first XI and can beat anyone on our day. KWP will be a miss as he gives us balance and attacking prowess on the right flank and we have nobody to naturally replace him, but even so we can easily pick up the points we need without him, Diallo, Walcott and anyone else that decides they're made of glass. We scored a cracking goal last week and were much the better team in the first half. Keep playing like that and we will be dutifully rewarded by the end of the season. Europe is probably out now (bar a cup win) but I still think we can hit top 10 if we find our form.

If we were ever going to play 3 at the back, then surely we would have kept Valery for the wing back position, a position he is ultimately more suited to than right back? That is why I don’t think 3 at the back is the option Ralph will go for. Not to mention it being the formation that resulted in the first 9 nil against Leicester before we reset and went 4222. Ramsey is a possibility but I think Ralph has been burned a bit by having to use the youngsters recently and is probably worried about continuing the losing streak. JWP or Diallo at right back is probably the most natural option, probably Diallo as Ralph has mentioned before possibly being able to play full back. However, Diallo isn’t available and using JWP would weaken CM considerably. So what I think will happen is I think Ralph will play Stephens or Bednarek there as we now have 4 fit centre backs.

Bloody ref is a joke. VAR is a joke. The build up of bookings is a worry. We've not even started this half. All Wolves. Need something to change... Djenepo on. Traore with no goals or assists this season must be rubbing his hands together. Defensively we look iffy. We're good enough to win this. A second goal for us would change things mentally imo. Edit...scratch that. Would take a hell of a performance to come back now.

Great goal. Armstrong has been one of our best players lately and that was a great assist topped with a great volley. Mesmerising. Something to protect now. Kudos to the Minamino header in the attack a bit earlier that Redmond had saved. We look fluid in attack. Need to keep it tight defensively. I know he doesn't get sent off much but Romeu on a booking is a worry when Traore is on the pitch. (Although it's Moutinho he's fouled twice...)

Decent team, I'd prefer Adams over Redmond for work rate alone but I'm not a Redmond hater, I just think he plays too safe sometimes when he should be more adventurous. I rate him slightly higher than Walcott which is probably controversial on here and I prefer him in a more attacking role too. I can see him and Minamino being more flexible behind Ings which should add to our unpredictability. If fit, Diallo is the only one that would be first choice... but God knows for who. We can win here. Win this and our Leeds game in hand for example and we're still very close to the Champions League places! It would be nice to get into the top half again or at least hit the 30+ points mark. UTS

So if we consider Salisu to be a longer term success, then that means we have had four transfer windows of signing good players, bar Danso who was a panic loan. Minamino - probable hit, even after one game. Walcott - as a cheap squad player, hit. Salisu - hit. Diallo - hit. KWP - hit. Adams - hit. Ings - hit. (Although pre-arranged the season before...) Djenepo - hit despite injuries. Danso - well yeah, he's the let down. But it goes to show our recruitment is on form and paying off. Diallo, Salisu, Adams and KWP are all excellent additions for the future, as will Djenepo be if he can stay fit long enough. Our first XI when everyone is fit looks strong, if anything there are only issues in strength in depth. I caught some of the game last night and what I noticed about Salisu, mistakes aside, is that he looked calm on the ball, not lackadaisical but not panicked. Diallo did too when I first saw him, and I think that is a good trait for a Premier League footballer.

What a great draw for us. Everton vs City and Leicester vs United should knock one of the big guns out at least. Away to Bmuff. Will take that!