saint1977

Good effort that, conditions had a bit of everyone. Great knock by Alsop, proper batting to be there all day. Donald played very nicely, good tactics to use him in the middle-lower order where he could attack. OHD bowled well, and like the look of Brooks, very lively for them, can see him playing ODI for England next 18 months and Test prospect as well. Good effort by Patel on a first day pitch. Need to be scoring at least 350 and as close to 400 as possible, day two might be best for batting. Good attack though with Kyle, Fidel and Barker knows this ground and conditions inside out.

We might not have choice re: Ings and I was saying getting rid of Vestergaard, just suggesting that he lacks mobility given the current line up of CBs for RH's preferred system. He's better than Stephens certainly, but would need a quick partner in a four. Yoshi has decent pace but would need an upgrade if we can move Stephens on with Yoshi as the cover (he has to be first XI at present). Given that we seem to have to sell to you, Vestergaard might be an asset to use if Stephens can't be moved on quickly.

Agree with you but at least this manager will be an absolute pain for Ross in the press if he doesn’t actually put in some work this summer after learning all Les)s bad habits. Also, he won’t be afraid to banish the likes of Fraser or Wesley if their agents don’t pull their weight or they refuse to compromise on pay cuts to move on. I get the impression Hoedt is so desperate he actually might take a cut to go. Massive question marks still over the owner and people running the club. Why is Ross still there?

Retain - Redmond, JWP, Bednarek, Ings (we have to but remember how good he was in the first half of the season before the Conference South training standards pre-RH caught up with him after being used to Liverpool), PEH, Valery, Bertrand, Gunn, Romeu, Sims, Slattery, Obafemi, Yoshida as back up. Undecided - McCarthy, Vestergaard (realistically we won’t sell the latter, and not sell the former through choice), Reed. Realistic prospect of selling/mutual termination - Lemina, Cedric, Jordi, Charlie, Targett, Stephens, Long Sell if buyer can be found, if not loan out - Moi, Hoedt, Forster, Gallagher

The defence has needed more protection so not a bad shout

Red card for Sunderland, yellow at most, Evans was going away from goal. Pity as Sunderland were well on top.

1-0 Sunderland, good goal.

Was a great day out, didn’t realise until I saw MOTD that night that the first goal was off Beattie’s shoulder not a glancing header as it looked from the Arthur Waite. Shame about Mills’s late free kick for Charlton otherwise we’d have secured safety there and then. The huge bonus was relegated Forest fighting like tigers to win at Blackburn. No way it was only 10000 Saints fans, gate was 24k and no way were there more Dons than SFC. The goals alone underlined that. Can see what you are saying Eric and agree on the better connection between players and fans then. However, The Dell was so much smaller than other top flight grounds and there was no Russian investor like Bournemouth. So Saints mid to late 90s were always up against it so there was a sense of fighting the odds. Also, with SMS on the horizon and with no investor, if we went down that season I’m not sure we would have moved to a new 32000 seat stadium so soon. We also had players like Franny and MLT who were the last of an era. I also went to plenty of games under Adkins, Poch and Koeman where we made a right racket. Even some of the games under Puel away from home and the cup run still created an atmosphere although the home games were awful to endure which isn’t fun when you are travelling long distances to games. Reed knocked the stuffing out of all of us - fans, players, club staff - through a grim determination to play dull, appalling, FA manual football. Either that, or he was ill. Ross was his little sidekick. Pellegrino was the worst season I’ve ever seen bar Swansea, worse than Branfoot and half of this season was dreadful pre Ralph. Bet the atmosphere picks up if the improvement continues with upbeat football under RH and then the next manager. It will take a few years to clear out Les’s appalling and costly blunders.

Ironically Liverpool twice - 3-3 at the Dell with Pahars in injury time and 3-2 under Koeman from 0-2 and Mane missing a penalty (but he made up for it!). Bolton in the FA Cup and Horne's wondergoal. Newcastle home as Noodles mentions 3-1 having been 0-1 with 4 minutes to go and battered first half but Saints pinned them back second half. That stupid announcement for the Archers to sit down with 20 minutes to go really stirred up the fans ironically! Preston away which Shurlock mentions notable for the difficulties the club was in at the time. Sheffield Utd home last day for similar reasons and pure drama.

Very sad news. Proper poster, respected here and never got involved in any of the nonsense. Sounds sudden. Thoughts with family and friends.

Today was RH showing Ross ‘you don’t know what you are doing - leave transfer dealings to mentally competent adults. Now sort the paperwork out and make me a coffee, there’s a good lad’. That’s what I’d be saying in RH’s shoes. Club are going to have to take some serious baths from the gross negligence leaving Les and Ross in charge you can decide which is dumb and dumber - to create an appalling catalogue of insanity. Can’t fathom some of their decisions at all. Forster - would suggest the club offer him 25pc settlement tax free up front although he will probably want more. Clasie will be a zero sum release eg small fee vs wages. Stephens will get a buyer but he needs a monster of a manager to sort his concentration out in the Champ. Moi - loaned out. Armstrong is an Ok squad player and we only paid lower champ/L1 fee for him anyway. So I would retain Gunn Valery Bertrand Bednarek Vest Yoshi A Jones Romeu PEH Sims Redmond JWP Ings - we have to T Johnson Slattery, Ramsay et al Undecided Targett Long Go Austin Stephens Lemina Moi - no chance of selling, will be a loan Clasie McQueen Forster McCarthy - like him, but need to raise funds Cedric Hoedt Carrillo Boufal Amazing when you lost it - and sure I’ve missed some of the deadwood there, how appalling Les and Wilson have been.

Sunderland in the play offs. Bet Hampshire police thrilled about that. On form, should be Pompey but the play offs are rarely predictable. That thread on Ready to Go about the Pompey fans is going to be very long by the time the first leg comes around. Best bit - if Sunderland knock them out we get to watch it on Netflix

Sunderland in the play offs. Bet Hampshire police thrilled about that. On form, should be Pompey but the play offs are rarely predictable. That thread on Ready to Go about the Pompey fans is going to be very long by the time the first leg comes around. Best bit - if Sunderland knock them out we get to watch it on Netflix

Brilliant win, Markram has been a great signing and Alsop on song. Northeast and Vince also batting beautifully but sadly we will lose two of that quad for the WC. Always nice to beat Sussex and pull it back after Wiese’s wonder knock.

Doesn't look like there was many of anybody there, let alone this forum.

Chez was signing John Marquis's praises on the main board's transfer thread. If it is Doncaster (unless the skates lose to Accy) then he is a major danger. 60 goals in 133 appearances - impressive stuff. 90th minute winner from him at the second leg in FP. If not, Charlton are dangerous in a prospective final (can see them doing Sunderland).

Chez was signing John Marquis's praises on the main board's transfer thread. If it is Doncaster (unless the skates lose to Accy) then he is a major danger. 60 goals in 133 appearances - impressive stuff. 90th minute winner from him at the second leg in FP. If not, Charlton are dangerous in a prospective final (can see them doing Sunderland).

Well done for following up on it. I've heard incidents but not always easy to identify who shouted the abuse and where they are sitting during a game. Having his season ticket revoked will be the least of this guy's problems if the law are involved. Having witnessed the abuse Danny Wallace had to put up with in the early 80s when I was kid at the Dell from away fans, it's appalling that we (society/football, rather than Saints specifically, have seen far more of it at some of the London clubs) still have this problem nearly four decades on.

Hence why Sat’s late soft equaliser was annoying. Prize money could wipe out the loss on Fraser alone.

Sounds like a more technical Antonio. If he’s ooc as well then worth a look. Marquis I’ve seen play for Torquay and stood out in L2, but I’d like to see him get a run in the Champ first. Interesting info from Eric, not surprised about Austin but thought Long might see out his contract. This little run of scoring might get him a buyer though. Swansea’s winger - Daniel James - he would be one I’d be targeting. Pace and takes people on. Looks good technically when I’ve seen him as well. Maupay at Brentford another and Bowen at Hull. Che Adams might be too expensive now.

Been effectively safe for a while and it is mathematically confirmed now. Good game, some good attacking movement but dreadful defending by both sides. Fans were starved of entertainment by the previous 3 managers so we deserved a bit of that. Great job so far by RH after a pathetic 9 points from the first 14 games. Looking forward to RH getting the players through his pre season programme, Ings etc may get some sharpness back that he had when first joined, and hopefully Redmond, JWP, Valery and PEH keep improving. Ross needs to get working on starting Monday, there are at least a dozen players he needs to start moving on. Busy summer ahead.

I went on Ready to Go to see what this was about and there is a growing thread about this. ‘They’ve got some cretins in their support’ Barnsley in the driving seat now unless Luton totally implode.

In other news Ian Holland on loan to Northants for their one day cup campaign. Sad news about Shaun Udal, sure he will show the same determination he had as a player. Great message from Michael Clarke on social media.

And a comfortable win, even with DL. Four wins from four as defending champions. Great knock from Vince and very good all round display from Dawson. Crane got overs in and 3 wickets. Anyone know why Fuller as a front line bowler not being used much? Perhaps as someone who hits the deck we will see more of him when the pitches firm up. See Notts piled up over 400 v Leics. Wonder what Alex Hales suspended for this time!