Sheaf Saint

Stupid yellow card for THB.

It's almost like he's not a very good commentator.

1-1 now.

Much better since that early scare.

One of those goals was a wonder strike you can do nothing about (that would have been ruled out for offside if there was VAR), and another was due to an absolute howler from Lumley. And their 3rd goal was scored after we switched to a back 3.

When we played a completely changed starting 11 featuring two young, newly signed CBs with a very inexperienced midfield in front of them and a suspect keeper behind them? I don't think that's the gotcha you think it is.

This is the crux of it though. Why do we need to stay with a 3? It might make us tighter at the back, but so far it's made us very weak in midfield and toothless up front. Stephens might have had a better game at CB last week than THB did, but Taylor is overall the better player and the better option to partner Bednarek if/when we revert to a back 4.

It's true that THB didn't have the best of games last week. But did you not see how badly Stephens was getting rinsed when he moved to LB? It was painful to watch and RM rightly put him out of his misery and made another change. So the fault lies with RM for thinking that was a good idea in the first place. He put in some OK performances at LB last season when needed, but at PL level it's a disaster waiting to happen.

And then when we do change shape midway through a game, he gets shoehorned into another position like LB, when that's the one position we are already well stacked in. I don't hate Stephens by any stretch of the imagination. He has some strengths, and he also has some glaring weaknesses. But the way RM continually insists on finding a place for him on the pitch when there are clearly better options available is quite bizarre.

It amazes me how players stay on the pitch to argue when they've been sent off, like Rice just did. He knows full well he was in the wrong. He was already on a yellow and he deliberately prevented the Brighton player from taking a free kick. How can he possibly have any complaints about that? The ref had no choice.

Very one-sided game so far at the Emirates.

There's still time for some outgoings. The Turkish window is still open for another two weeks (so I'd say there's still a very strong chance of TP leaving), and Saudi clubs can still transfer in until 6th October.

1 wee message.

https://twitter.com/SouthamptonFC/status/1829621344004194492?t=yWmNdQsIRBAxYVnJS6o2IQ&s=19

So have we managed to keep KWP again then?

Let's just hope he progresses well and doesn't get stuck in a rut.

20-something lad enjoying playing football at a CL club urges former team mate to join him. Oh no! What a massive prick he must be! 🙄

And Larios. Came on as a sub last night at Cardiff so he's not completely out of the picture.

Well it worked out OK with VVD didn't it? Oh, hang on...

Right in front of the ref and he didn't even book the guy. And even stranger, he did show a straight red later in the match for what looked like a softer challenge.

They're gonna have to cough up the readies for TP then. Looks like our prior unwillingness to budge on the fee might have been worthwhile.

Fernandes had a good game last night against the Cardiff reserve team. But I think it's a little premature to be suggesting he should be a regular starter ahead of a proven PL player like JWP.

No, Everton.

This is my thoughts as well. I like Smallbone - he's a tidy player with some good technical skill, but he doesn't seem to have the engine required to perform in the PL. He played a key role in getting us promoted, but similar to the situation with Hammond last time we came up, there's no room for sentimentality. If we could loan him out and bring JWP back, that would be perfect.

He didn't want to come to is on our terms earlier in the window. However... If it's true that WH are terminating his contract, and we make him an offer that's better than any others he receives, then he could well change his mind.