SNSUN

Oh and JWP injured Almeiron for the season last time out, so that could be spicy. :-)

They are playing with two left backs, no Schar and Lascelles is long term injured. Not to mention Saint-Maximin is playing through the pain barrier with a dodgy ankle (which I'd be knocking about a bit to see if it copes). I'd say, with a couple of confident wins behind us, this is a decent chance to pick up at least a point. (Which I would take.) I really hope though that this is one of those games we just click and unexpectedly walk away with all three points. Go on Djenepo, show us what you can do!

Quite a few strikers were signed up from the Championship by Premier League teams in the summer, Maupay, McBurnie, Ayew, JRod and Adams (excluding the attacking midfielder types of James, Clarke and Jota) and I said at the end of the window that pound or pound, Adams would be the best purchase. I still think long term that would be the case. None of the strikers there have so far been worth what those teams paid for them, except perhaps Ayew at a knockdown £5 million. It's just unfortunate for him that Ings has started the season so well (but fortunate for us), and that he didn't knock a goal in early on. But to be honest a 3-0 thumping on the first day of the season is enough to knock anyone's confidence.

Watford to appoint Nigel Pearson! Interesting choice compared to their last few managers. Moyes back to Everton?

I think this but it depends on how many points they can pick up through December. Until Boxing Day (inclusive) they've got some kind fixtures that they could pick up points in - but they have a horrific January, which could dent their confidence. Losing to Newcastle in a game they probably thought they could get points in may already hurt them. Certainly if we can continue to pick up points, as I believe Everton will eventually do, some teams in the group above us could certainly suffer. Even Palace and their amazing season are only 6 points ahead of us. I still think the likes of Burnley, Bournemouth, Villa and Brighton will be well in the mix come the end of the season, possibly even Newcastle too. A couple of games ago it was hard to see us catch up let alone think about safety - let's hope we continue to pick up points and not be one of those teams that other relegation-threatened teams consider as "certs for a relegation spot".

Although by losing to Everton, we probably bought Silva more time than he ended up with!

Not won 3 in a row in the League since the Koeman days. It’d be nice to rectify that. These are the games we need to win, especially as it breeds confidence.

If this is papering over the cracks, then long may it continue. We have 26 days to try and keep pace with mid-table in order to try and attract some starting first XI talent to St Mary’s.

Yep, crazy league. Hodgson's done well there, of course it helps if you can hold on to your best players. Still, if we can get enough points to keep up with the pack above us and limp to January in the hope we can strengthen the squad, there's little else I can ask for. 'Winnable' games coming up thick and fast.

The craziness of the League - Palace have just had a player sent off. If they lose tonight, and we win tomorrow, we are only 3 points behind them - and they are having a decent season! Ok, a couple of "ifs" there, but still important to get 3 points tomorrow, especially as it would spread confidence for the 3 winnable games following. I've been saying if for a few months, our attack is better than our defence. I was worried when we went behind to Watford, but with a bit of luck, and a bit of skill, we ended up victors. The Djenepo handball miss by VAR could be the turning point of our season.

Teams just above us winning. could it be one of those seasons where 'safety' is never quite within our grasp...

Something I'd like to see one day...Reverse Christmas tree - 4-1-2-2-1 ----------------------McCarthy----------------------- Cedric------Stephens-----Bednarek-------Bertrand ----------------------Romeu------------------------- -------Ward-Prowse------------Armstrong--------- Djenepo--------------------------------------Boufal -----------------------Ings-------------------------- But for this game, I think the line up will be unchanged from the Watford game, even as much as seeing Redmond start over Boufal. (Unless Redmond takes the Obafemi position and Ralph brings Boufal in.)

Our saving grace in previous seasons has been hoping there are 3 other teams worse than us. Annoyingly this season, poor teams like Sheffield United, Burnley, Brighton, Villa, Newcastle and you could even say Palace have all been picking up points when we haven't. Watford have a decent team on paper, and if Flores goes (which sounds crazy but I don't think it will be long) and they appoint a half decent manager, they could still rise up the table. As will Everton if Silva goes. Our best hope is if a couple of those teams I mention go on spells of bad form, coupled with us picking up some points. I look at Norwich and, despite my divided loyalty as they are my wife's team, them not signing anyone of note in the summer will probably be their downfall. That's at least one spot taken up. Then we have to hope that there are two other teams worse than us. I'm not sure there are this season, and that's the worry. Still, there's two thirds of the season still to go, so anything can happen.

Hypothetically, if we beat Norwich we'll be looking at the Arsenal injury time equaliser as a missed chance to win three in a row for the first time since the tail end of the last Koeman season! Unless we spank Newcastle at theirs, of course. Then West Ham. Then Villa. Last time we won 5 Premier League games in a row? Anyone? Early 2001 under Hoddle with a run of clean sheets. Ok maybe I'm getting ahead of myself - but we do have 4 potentially winnable games coming up... if we can get the personnel and performance levels right. I'll take awful 2-1 wins against them all.

Points are what matters this season, not performances, in a season we will almost certainly be in a relegation battle. I’ll take crappy 2-1 wins every day of the week if it means we stay up and can sort the crap defence and midfield out in the summer. Norwich next...

I like a good pee. Always feels so liberating afterwards.

Let's hope Boufal with a bad toe is better than the other dross we've seen so far.

I've stopped watching it here at work because a) my Sky Go stream is crap, b) Saints are crap and c) watching Saints is winding me up which is making me irritable when dealing with my customers. Maybe that's the catalyst we need to win this and go on an unbeaten winning run.

We'll be lucky to beat Norwich at this rate.

Definitely looking that way. It's hard to get excited about us right now. Watford are crap and look like they're going to score with every chance they get.

I like it. I still question whether Stephens and Bednarek are our best two starting centre backs, but that's the situation we find ourselves in. Naturally the central midfield shield in front of them looks week too, but we certainly look to have enough in attack to make Watford crap their pants. IMO first goal will decide the game. They score it, our confidence will shatter. We score it, we can win. Although I still think it'll be a draw today. 2-2.

Budget options then, loans or frees.... Fabio Coentrao as a back up left back/challenger to Bertrand?

Budget options then, loans or frees.... Fabio Coentrao as a back up left back/challenger to Bertrand?

We need a dominant centre back so we can comfortably start only playing two of them. We also need to ship out a couple...somehow. I'm not sure how - weren't Villa interested in Stephens a while back? We need a left back back up, unless McQueen does get fit or Vokins steps up, but as neither seem likely presently, I'd be signing a decent young left back from the lower leagues that could one day step into Bertrand's boots. Who? I don't know, it's been hard following the lower leagues lately on account of having no time! We need a right back first choice, and to ship out Cedric. Valery is fine as a back up/promising talent. We need a defensive midfield brick ****house like Wanyama was to break up play. We lack variety in central midfield IMO. We don't need a GK but Gunn has seemingly regressed this season. Can we afford to stick with McCarthy as first choice? Attack is fine IMO. We have a goalscoring striker fit which is important and reasonable other options (hoping Adams gets his chance and takes it eventually). Attacking midfield options appear to be decent too. If we can sort out the defence (and defensive midfield) we could stay up this season! We literally have one transfer window to get it right - Gao needs to back us or go away.

A must win. I still think Watford are a better team than their position in the table but then the sacking of Gracia was an odd one. I'll take 3 points any which way we can get them, even if the winning goal is scored by Vestergaard who humps the ball in from 2 yards off his crotch. It's not like we're being cut adrift (yet) or are running out of games, but with Villa beating Newcastle tonight, I would like to see us at least catch up to that pack of teams to give us a bit of confidence.