SNSUN

Keep chipping away Saints. Definitely need a moment of magic from someone...

It feels like the goals have dried up for us but we're not playing badly, just horrible West Ham are stopping us play. Ings 'goal' definitely needed a proper review, I suspect if the lino hadn't raised his flag we'd have seen a 2 minute VAR stoppage. 3 points and a nice finish to a good year would be great tonight so I hope we can step up and get them. But West Ham have quality on the bench. I hate playing them.

Yeah this, was our worst performance for ages but with us missing our spine, we still had two disallowed goals, a definite penalty for handball not given, and we hit the bar and missed an open goal. We could have won that despite being poor. Subs needed to be earlier. A point was fair, but we are slowly slipping away from the title fight!

After this performance, would be delighted with 0-0. A really good team would nick the 3 points with a cheeky undeserved goal though...

Happy Boxing Day Eve everybody!

Same, captained Sterling and vice captained De Bruyne so some consolation so far. Really hoping Ings’ injury isn’t serious. It’s a bit like his loan season when he was getting knocks. We’re not out of this but a second City goal and I think that will be that.

City do look well up for this. Need to keep heads up and keep fighting.

I'd switch to a back 3 for this one, we should be shit scared of City and put in defensive players accordingly. For me the line up should be (3-5-1-1): Forster (cos he's taller against their big forwards) Bednarek (he plays every game) Vestergaard (for height, see Forster) Salisu (we all want him to play to see how good he is. If he can't handle De Bruyne and Sterling he should be sold immediately) Valery (He can get forward well and KWP needs a rest) Stephens (well people want to try him in DM) Diallo (This is his time to shine. Keep leaving him on the bench and he'll whinge eventually) Romeu (Let him get his booking in time for Christmas) Bertrand (Well he's done bugger all lately so needs to keep playing) JWP (In an advanced role because he's been crap at CM lately) Ings (Rusty as piss so keep playing him until he scores) .......No of course not! Same team please. Much like Arsenal, this is another big team bang out of form that we should be looking to get at least a point against. However I'd much rather beat the likes of Fulham and West Ham than City - for me this game (and really the Arsenal game) are free hits where every point is a bonus. Another point would be a decent result despite winning this fixture in July so I'm going for 2-2.

Come on Saints! One goal wins this now!

I have a more Arsenal supporting friends than any other team (bar Norwich but that's my wife and her family so don't count) and it's a very good chance to spank them today so I'm naturally nervous. I think the last time I really rubbed in a result was when Cuco Martina smashed in his curler a few Christmasses ago when we demolished them. (Not so much the early Hasenhuttl win as we were only taking baby steps forward at the time). One of my closest Arsenal-supporting friends is a notoriously bad loser, he can dish it out if Arsenal win but cannot take it if Arsenal lose. We are the form team and really should be able to beat them at our best, but the United result recently showed that no matter how good we can be, players of quality (which Arsenal do have) can come and haunt us. How tasty would it be to keep pace with the top of the league as Christmas approaches!!??! Still, I have no balls (figuratively speaking) and therefore would take a draw tonight. 1-1. 😲 Fortunately for Saints fans everywhere, I'm not Ralph and he'll be after all 3 points!

We won't win the league but... We can beat anyone on our day, so we should really be looking to win the FA Cup. Seriously.

The LIDL Christmas advert. Not sure why, just grates.

My wife signed up to Prime's free monthly trial a few years ago then forgot to cancel the subscription and she started paying for it. 🙈 It was a happy accident really as we use Prime free delivery a lot and there's always content on Prime (films, tv and even kiddy shows for my daughter) that isn't on Sky, which we also have. I also have the Prime app which I use for work when it's quiet. It's not badly priced if you use it a lot. The free month is good, just remember to cancel your subscription when you're finished with it if you don't want it to continue.

No Xhaka against us. That's a shame! 😀 *No Bellerin too now. Cedric to play against us?

Was a decent and calm win. Very professional from the lads. Just as I was getting antsy for the first goal, we scored. Just as I was getting antsy for the second, we scored. Then I went and had a shower before work, took my iPad in the bathroom to watch SkyGo, and very nearly went arse over tit in the shower when Redmond added the cherry on top. We were rarely put under pressure, except perhaps early in the second half, and we didn't panic. We just kept on playing our game knowing goals would come in the end. This Southampton is a different beast to any I've seen in 30 odd years of supporting Saints. Our passing is crisper than I ever remember it and our players rarely seem to make mistakes - even when they do their teammates are there to help out. We may lack the superstars we had a few seasons ago but we are a much better team. You have to feel for Sheffield United but it is classic second season syndrome. They haven't strengthened enough in the short summer - I think they were after two or three players Villa got that they were outbid for. Watkins for sure. Rhian Brewster was an enormous risk for the money - especially when for similar dosh you get an already proven Premier League striker (Ings) or a striker with good, prolonged Championship pedigree (Adams). Brewster's signing reminds me of Solanke's for Bournemouth. I suppose in hindsight he'll be a good signing for next season in their potential Championship campaign. I also saw nothing that shows Berge is worth the money, and I hold reservations of Ramdale, certainly after Adam's goal. Back to today and I think my MOTM is Adams. One of his passes in the first half was sublime. He has a great work ethic, and an eye for a pass. I don't see him as much of a poacher but he was certainly quick to react for his goal. It was one of those games where almost everybody played well, even Ings who was rusty and McCarthy who had little to do but concentrate. I didn't think Walcott was at his best today but he does try hard. I'm already a big fan of KWP and that grew again today. What a player Spurs have let go. Arsenal next - I think they'll win today which means they could narrow the gap to us next week to 4 points! That's how close the league is currently, but let's all just enjoy the table as it stands! We're effectively a third of the way through the season and if we match the first 3rd, we will finish around the 70 point mark which would be Champions League football!

Need to patient and keep playing our game but a goal before half time would settle some nerves, especially with the crowd there..... Was what I was typing when Che scored! Goaaaaaaaaaal!

Theo is a squad player, IMO that is what he was brought in to be - with everyone fit he shouldn't get a look in, but we've so far lost Ings, Armstrong and Redmond at various parts of this season so he has played - but for me he's not done enough to keep his place with everyone fit. He's been OK, I'm not knocking him, and for the money we spent loaning him (wages I mean) you could even say he's been a success covering when other players are out. I suppose a lot depends on whether you favour Djenepo or Redmond on the left, but Armstong, Ings and Adams are first choices for their positions, which answers the Theo debate. It's a long season however and he's definitely a decent versatile addition to the squad. Better than Long anyway.

I hope having some semblance of a fan base back at St Mary’s doesn’t resort us back to pre-first-lockdown results. Sheffield United will be right up for this game. But we have the quality to win. Which means we probably won’t! However with two tough fixtures coming up, and the chance to keep pace with the top of the table, Hasenhuttl will want a result. I agree with mixing the team up a bit, but only minorly. Diallo, Redmond and Ings in for Armstrong, Walcott and Djenepo. Then I’d push JWP forwards to the Armstrong slot, even though that means breaking up the successful JWP/Romeu partnership. 3-1 Saints is my predo but I’m not that confident.

Win ugly. Sign of a good team. Did we deserve it? No we were laboured and sloppy. But our bench was superior to theirs and I felt Ralph made the right subs tonight. Sometimes 3 points taste sweeter when you don't think you should have had them.

Outplayed so far. On the plus side, the bench is strong so there's that.

Him and Grealish would be a great combination for England, Grealish 'getting fouled' a lot in dangerous areas and JWP banging in the free kicks. The Euro trophy would be as good as ours! Incidentally he is apparently the most in form player in the Premier League according to this: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/12146927/james-ward-prowse-riyad-mahrez-jack-grealish-top-premier-league-power-rankings

Great news! If he keeps improving, and there is still room for improvement, he'll be a permanent fixture for years. Ingsy next please.

Cavani has looked decent. Worrying feeling we could be Ibrahimovic’d like in the cup final. Last post so I use it to say UTS! This would be an historic win so please let it be so.

Yeah think I saw it come off his elbow after the second save which knocked it safe. Fantastic even if it were his fault. Niemi-esque like Antti’s against Arsenal. United have another gear, insurance bet going on as it would otherwise be a fantastic win for us.

If there was any justice, the team with the best manager would win this, unfortunately they do have the quality up top that makes me think it’s going to be a United win. Definitely need to get the first goal to rattle them. Come on Che!