Red

OK - what's the bet? I am happy to take one with you via PayPal. As you are so sure, but I am feeling the generous festive spirit - how about 2 to 1 against Benteke not scoring at all, say £50? To be clear that means, if he scores I pay you £50, and if he does not you pay me £100. # Agree?

Good god - some on here need to get a life! This is a forum, where people express their thoughts and opinions and such like. If you want to add a civil comment then do so, if not just ignore it - like 99% of the cr ap on here. Mind you it does seem like it's a forum for a select few "handbags at dawn" *****ing divas more often than not these days. Can understand why more don't post here.

Relegation (as seems likely if board does not act now), as with most disasters (bankruptcy, divorce etc.) results from a combination of events (the perfect storm if you like), and in our case it is also a combination of events. Some unfortunate and unavoidable - ML sadly passing away, NC, 1st MP leaving - granted these were some years ago but that is when our malaise really began. Others were certainly avoidable - did Kate really do best by the club? If so why not state the intention of the new owner? What has Ralph really added to the club - where is the added commercial income? Under Armour - we still get a lot less than than Spurs from them - Virgin was that him, and what is that worth anyway? Les Reed - may have done well in the past but surely well past his sell by date. The assumption that "The Southampton Way" were the new tablets of stone that Les brought down from the mountain is an absolute fallacy, and where we (as in our board) deluded themselves. Yes, we cracked the code for a while, but constantly selling our best players and reinvesting less have told. Get rid of our best talent spotter and developer, and "Black Box" inventor and what do we expect? The other factor in the perfect storm is the increased TV money - most other clubs in PL used that to improve their squad, but we had "The Southampton Way" and not only not use that for team improvement but made net profits from transfers. Ultimately (on average) it is no coincidence, if you do things on the cheap you get cheap results. Sad times but rather have entertaining football than being in the PL and being this miserable about a team I have supported for nearly 40 years! Some of the best games I watched were in the old L2!

Trying to take the emotion out of this situation, the board and owner can have no complaints whatsoever if we get relegated should they fail to sack the manager today. Other changes may also be required down the line (Reed, players etc.), but for now manager needs to go. Second half showed the way we need to try and play to win, yet it takes our manager 20 games to try it (and may not even intentionally?). Sad day to be a Saints fan.

3rd Choice bench warmer would be fitting karma for him, but hope we get more than £60M and trust we invest wisely. Anyone else think footballing world has gone utterly bonkers when you even think of paying such amounts for squad players?

I got a new job about a year ago and had a 6 month probation period, after which my employer could terminate my contract without any reason. Glad to say, they were happy with me and kept me on. Apparently that is very common these days, so just wondering why it's not done in football? Would be a great way to check suitability both ways IMHO.

Jumping on the band wagon a bit I suspect. Yes a bad challenge, borne out of frustration perhaps, or a lapse of concentration, and deserves to be punished, but CA a c**t really?? He has never been a dirty or malicious player before, and plenty of other so called model players have done worse in the past, so lets just put this in the "not his best moment" box and move on shall we? One thing's for sure, we are in the mire with him being out for the foreseeable!

You do know he turned us down in the summer as we were not a big enough club. Some how dear Les thought it was a done deal, and then had to scrabble around to find someone else as he had already got shot of Puel? MP has to go, but don't expect Les to get it right this time either, and certainly can not see Tuchel changing his mind. I would mind Monk.

Rather have a poll on Les out

Sorry, was trying to quote two different comments, and obviously failed :-( Maybe you need full access for that? or someone smarter than me! You are correct, Kat did put money in to the club, but not as a personal loan as it were, rather invested in to the club and to be recovered when it was eventually sold etc. So she has her money back after the Gao buy out. You could argue she may still have 20% of that (and I don't know for sure), but it would be highly unlikely and what purpose would it serve in any case? One thing is for sure - no one invests £200M to p*ss it away, even if it is for non footballing reasons etc. etc. There will be a reaction, maybe silently and behind closed doors - look up Gao's history - he is not a man to be messed with! As for the squad issue - that was not my comment, but I agree - they should all have a pay cut, not increase based on performance so far! Strange that players get performance bonuses for doing well, but not negative ones for being absolute garbage :-)

Personally I am fine with these changes. 3 at the back has been best against the better teams - particularly away. Also what do people expect after his public criticism of lack of effort from players mid week? I applaud him dropping the moody fecks - all apart from Charlie (who is presumably being rested) that are left out were sh1t on Wed and moreover didn't seem to give a monkey's! RB should have been dropped too. If he had done nothing, he would have been accused of digging his head in the sand. Don't get me wrong, I still think he is a poor manager but at least he is trying to change our awful performances. On paper we had our best team on Wed and they were garbage, so pry do tell me what is he to do - play the same team again?

FYI - live on Sky for Irish viewers, so should be a decent stream around somewhere

here you go! http://premierleague-lives.com/live/man-city-live-stream-5/channel-1/

Yep! As I said elsewhere, Charlie Austin is the new Ted MacDougall

Are you honestly saying you wanted us to lose today??

For those as old as me - Austin = Ted MacDougall Enough said!!! Give him the service and he will score. Well pleased (obviously) but why on earth just the one forward yet again at home?? Against a hopeless Everton attack at that? (fluck aside)

Simple - sell him for any offers £70M or more in Jan, and to anyone, yes including Liverpool. Invest the money in two top class replacements for Redmond and Tadic at around £35M each. Job done.

Just thinking, if we had Mane and Salah instead of Redmond and Tadic we would arguably be a better team than Liverpool. Before the usual crowd start saying there is no way they would come here / we could afford them etc. etc. it's not as though that is not possible - if we sold VVD for £70M, then both could be financed. Mane was with us already (and only sold for cira £34M) and may have staid if we offered him what Liverpool do in wages (Liverpool are not the highest payers, so maybe twice what he was on with us?) and offered some ambition. Salah was sold as his previous club was made an offer they could not refuse (again around £34M) and had we offered the same before Liverpool we could have got him. As for wages, you would think we could have shifted Redmond and Tadic for £10M each in today's market, and add to that wages of these two and VVD, and easily enough for 2 to 3 years. Anyway, this is just an example - my main point being that it's whoever is doing the player recruitment that is responsible for our current dilemma, we are investing in dross and yet spending the same amount - they need be axed now!! Yes the manager has a part to play, but minor compared to player recruiter, and he is possibly the same person who hires the manager as well - Les said the better! New owners better act soon, unless they can afford to p*ss away £200M.

FYI - for any Saints fans with Sky in Ireland it is a live game on Sky 402. For rest it will at least ensure there will lots of good streams available.

Bit hard to say and don't want the usual crew to go off on one here - but don't think they are too happy with the negativity attached to the club at present. Was a bold move to push through with the sale under the new restrictions (and specially as it was done with private / personal money so to speak - and please spare me the "it's not his money" etc. etc.) and for it to back fire would be a serious loss of face, which the Chinese take extremely seriously. Think things will progress in Jan. http://www.china-mike.com/chinese-culture/understanding-chinese-mind/cult-of-face/

Reckon Les fired the gun too early - thought he had a very good replacement in the bag but he backed out at the last minute (Tuchel??) and was left with MoPe as the last option (think more than one turned us down due to them not having greater control and budget) - can't be 100% but have heard a few bits and pieces. Lack of any word from new owner is significant.

Not being funny but really? We start with one upfront at home, and when they go two up as they sense we were for the taking, we continue with one until the last 10 minutes, and even than take off our leading scorer. Problem is not with Gabbi - problem is giving him some service - needed Gabbi and Austin from the off. Burnley came for a draw and wouldn't have scored in month of Sundays if we hadn't shown we would not score, and our keeper will let you score the only shot on target. What was our game plan?? Commentators got it spot on - we are slow, rudderless and without a plan for the game. Did you see MoPe's face/expressions during the game - says it all - not a glue how to change things. Wasn't a fan of Puel but would much rather have him back right now. Problem isn't the manager or players in my view - it's the board, or maybe owners, as we are under new management but nothing from them. What is our ambitions / strategy / direction / connection with players and fans now? Be bold, energise players, staff and fans to get behind ..... what ????? Inspire people or they do just enough to get through. I have supported Saints for almost 40 years and been though a lot, and god willing will support them for a lot longer, but this has to be most uninspiring of all (yes including Branfoot days) of that time. Would just love for us to go at teams as in yesteryears even if we lose.

Largely depends on the ambitions of the new owners in my view. They have either bought us to invest in and make us a bigger / better / more powerful team to compete with top 6 - hope so but no signs so far of that. Or they have bought us as a EPL trophy club to give them some publicity and respectability etc. In the latter case they will not want to risk getting us relegated and will slowly recoup their investment over time via TV money etc. We will be ultra cautious and play not to lose (ala Arsenal in George Graham days), and hence very average and dull to watch. TV money has certainly not helped this situation, which is why clubs are so trigger happy to get rid of managers, as clubs (and arguably even top 6) cannot afford to get relegated. We are not the only side with this approach - most outside the top 6 play dull, boring risk free football. I long for the flowing football and enjoyment of the old Dell days when a group of us would literally build up to the Sat match from Thursday and meet up early Sat for breakfast, before a few beers and have a blast all day and night, but sadly I fear that will not return anytime soon - just glad I had a few years of it. Still Saints through and through but these days if the misses dragged me to one of her charity events on a match day, I wouldn't be too upset sadly :-(

Hate to agree with you but I fear that's the truth. We are a very average and non exciting side - really boring to watch. How we are 9th is shocking and reflects the PL these days - sides too afraid to lose. Thank you Sky, BT et al for ruining another enjoyable sport for the sake of greed (F1, Boxing as examples). Still love Saints, but for the love of god, this is not entertainment - was happier watching us lose an exciting game at the Dell in the old L2 than this tripe. Honestly who jumped out of their seat at today's game??