saint1977

Any chance Jon Moss can follow his fellow idiot Bobby Madley to Norway?

A point now in a game we’ve dominated without creating much would now be a good result. Sad slump in the last 2 years. Forgotten what a win feels like tbh

The only thing that is pathetic is Reed, Kreuger and some of the super annuated s hit on the SMS pitch (and some on the bench and in the stands e.g. Forster) - 3 wins in 28 league games, Derby under Billy Davies territory. When they start playing with the heart of a Saints team, they’ll get backing

Confidence but also committment, and most importantly, character. On paper last night, Stoke had better players in every position than Wigan but the promoted side simply wanted to win more than Stoke and had the momentum from last season. After 3 wins in 28 pitiful games, I'm sure confidence is low at SMS but it needs someone in the pitch, whether that's Ings or someone else, to scream in some faces and wake the players up, get them on it at the start of games, not halfway through. That dreadful statistic might change that way. As fans, I don't want us to moan if a player tries something different that doesn't quite work, that's what WGS meant by 'bravery'. However, we are perfectly entitled to pick players out who aren't putting the work rate and energy in.

More likely to be Moeen after his double ton and 6 for, plus he did well v India at Southampton last time. The bigger England problems are the openers - Jennings looks like Gary Ballance MKII and Cook, legend though he is, is well and truly washed up. Nick Browne, who we face next, was tipped for a call up this season but has been disappointing this term. He'll probably get a ton now I've said that. There's been so many opener picks selected and failed since Strauss retired - surely one has to appear at some stage who can play a moving ball? Moeen could open of course.

Great result which combined with Surrey’s dramatic win ends Notts title hopes and on the fringes of trouble. Lancs v Worcs is huge now but Moeen likely to be recalled to the England Test side and has a good record at the Ageas Bowl. We could get a result at Essex, not a great hunting ground but their top order is even more flaky than ours. Donald looks a positive signing, Adams retiring I’m guessing.

Typical that we could have drawn one of the SW teams and I’d have watched a Saints game live without a 3 hour trip each way at least and we draw Brighton, the only all PL tie. Typical.

Been done in the 1970s LD, and didn’t work then. In principle I agree sentences for those prisoners who pose a clear risk to the public and will be hardest to reform should be a lot longer but are people happy to pay the extra tax to cover it? Costs over £40k a year on average to keep someone behind bars, a lot of money. Government guidelines on sentencing, both Tory and Labour, have been discouraging JPs and to a lesser extent judges from putting people away in guidelines due to the cost and that I am ITK on.

I very much agree with your first and last paragraphs and the first two of your middle. I was frustrated with Nathan’s moaning on the lurch and blaming others but he’s worked on that and has put in a shift in both games which not everyone can say. Finally taking players on which is good to watch for a fan who grew up in the era of Danny Wallace. You are totally wrong on Hoedt though. Have you seen him play live? I thought Jakobson’s place in our worst ever XI was never in doubt but this guy deserves it more for his sustained commitment to ****tiness and it appears from the other thread a rank attitude too. Hope he goes before August Europe window closes. If he plays v Leicester and has another shocker, the crowd will turn.

It’s simple Prof, people, actually the overwhelming sum of the fanbase, have the hump with Les Reed, and until he is gone it puts a sour smell into everything about the club. After the Forster second extension and Carrillo debacles in particular, which hamstrung us badly this summer when still needed to strengthen further, welcome as the new signings were, that can’t be a surprise to anyone who knows their stuff. The Fans Forum, normally a docile affair, brought this home. Reed leaving would give the chance to come together, is he is as controversial figure as Lowe was, but in Mr Gao’s hands. Still plenty of question marks about Mr Gao himself. That, Reed, and 18 months of terrible football, are why there are a lot of grumpy fans inside and outside of SMS. I’ll still be going to games to back the manager and team but haven’t felt much in the way of belief in the club hierarchy for some time.

Great batting effort again, 164/7, 57/1 at lunch but Adams, Northeast and Alsop all bottled it after lunch. Pity as York’s struggling and Lancs at Surrey. Hopefully the surface and conditions are doing a bit for when we bowl. Vince got 70 odd but needed him to go on. The thug just got out at Trent Bridge, poor Sam Curran. Feel really sorry for him.

Agree with those who say Ings and Gabbiadini should start. Looked more of a threat yesterday but a miracle to only concede two, felt sorry for the full backs with those two jokers at CB. How does Cedric end up marking Richarlison for their second? Hoedt is something else, at least Stephens can play RB, where is actually OK and I wonder if he’ll end up dislodging a misfiring Romeu at DM. JWP had a better second half and Lemina OK. Vestergaard hopefully only a 24 hour thing and Yoshida back next week. Vardy sending off a bonus for next week.

Fan for over 35 years, so you do one. Let’s see at FT. Happy to for the lads to prove wrong but that side looks a soft touch at a very tough away game.

Yep, I’d take a 4-0 defeat and prepare for Leicester. Anything less than 3-0 would be a decent effort and GD could be important at the end of the season in staying up. Gao, Reed and Kreuger are just about to find out what the PL is about.

Wow, didn’t think there could be a worse PL game than Watford v Sheffield Utd but a decade on, this surpassed it. One of the worst individual performances I’ve ever seen by Kenedy. Good result for Saints though with neither side getting 3 points. We are poor but surely not as bad as that excuse for sport?

I thought Ralph was poor on You Tube as well, quite arrogant and not someone the fans can relate to. Reed was miles out of his depth and came across as a dinosaur, especially when next to two articulate football people in Hughes and Ings. Not surprised about Gao, hopefully he doesn’t take too much out either and he’s taken his shilling before we next go down. I see Faz the club plant has been on here again

Fair question, it’s what I’d have asked and what 95% of fans would have asked. It was a lot clearer than the vague, posturing, patronising response recieved. Neither of them should be at SFC after the last two years debacle, any Saints fan knows that. Hopefully Hughes’s people management skills can get us out of the cart. The Gao takeover is now clearly being shown to be the sham it was, taking us to the next level and investing to keep us top 10 my backside.

It's a good counter-point - I see what Ron is saying, and I morally agree. However, the tax take from PL is huge, it must be one of the top ten generators for the treasury, and doesn't require a lot of public expenditure in but helps spending back out the other side of health and education. That's not to say I like the modern game from that perspective, but it is a fair observation.

This, Warsash Saint above, and whoever it was (Hypo or Batman) that said David Milliband would be a million points head in the polls. Corbyn is revolting, I can't abide what he stands for and any of the 500k £3 Trotskyites who voted for him. Well done Ed Miliband and Margaret Beckett, you destroyed your own party, great legacy there. His past is coming back to haunt him, and all of the Loony Left nutcase causes he has aligned to. If I was on the right of the Labour Party, I'd defect to the LDs at the moment. If enough MPs do it, and they might as well as Jeremy's Trots will do their windows in and try to de-select them before whenever the next election is anyway, it might even bring him down. The thought of him being PM...stuff of nightmares and thought those days had gone when the USSR fell. In other news, I see Boris's brother has given him some feedback on social media - even the Johnsons have fallen out over his buffoon sibling's remarks. British politics has never been at a lower ebb - please, try the again and get some of the Tory left on board as the ERG and Bannon stink their party out, and give the SDP another go. Labour and Conservatives have had it, and can't see the LDs reviving. Needs a new face on the scene. Doesn't need a Trump-type lunatic to shake up the system, a new Centre party would do it.

That’s what I thought as well, although Lemina cane to mind as well. Would explain why Saints were getting linked late in the window to RBs. Bertrand is a possibility although think he just has a considered demeanour and wasn’t cracking jokes when we were top 6 either. Hope Hughes crushes it though. Saints is a club that works best with good discipline; Bates, Lawrie, WGS, Nigel, Poch and Ronald. Of the regular starters, I can’t see it being Austin, Gabi, Romeu, Yoshi or any of the newbies.

I would say it was strange but in these days PL it probably isn’t that unusual. Claude probably hasn’t recruited the new players but surely has some input? There’s been rumours that his style of football isn’t their cup of tea either but he had the high scoring game at Spurs and a decent performance at OT. Decision wouldn’t be surprising but timing would be very strange. Not a decision you’d see in any other industry. In their position, I’d give him a dozen to fifteen games to see if he can get the new signings like Maddison firing and bringing a more attacking approach. Still, could be paper talk and not even true! Does seem someone behind the scenes there isn’t keen on Claude though.

Fair result yesterday, Burnley better for longer but faded after the tactical change by Hughes. Could have nicked it 1-0 with chances for Stephens and Ings, but would have been harsh on Dyche. Pros from yesterday: - Clean sheet - McCarthy carrying on last season's fine form, Angus will have to be patient - Vestergaard - miles better than any other CB, bar Yoshi. Hope the latter is back for Everton with Theo around. - Ings and Mo bright cameos - Romeu and Redmond from insipid to much brighter after the change in shape Cons: - Hoedt. Is rapidly securing a place in our worst ever XI and looking even worse than Callum Davenport and Andreas Jakobsson. At least they didn't cost £17m and one wasn't even our player. Is there something wrong with him, some injury that is undiagnosed so I can be more empathetic? Or is he one of the most unbalanced, uncoordinated and poorly-positioned players I've ever seen play live? No anticipation of the game. No wonder the Dutch don't qualify for major tournaments at present if that's the standard of their defenders. - Bertrand: a couple of overlap opportunities where could have supported Redmond when the latter had committed defenders. - Stephens at CB - but was better at RB, so we've found our back up there. - Still firing blanks - Austin: I know the formation wasn't working but might as well have played with 10 men. Needs to get fitter based on that (or as much as he can be. Good option off the bench though) or Ings/Gabi/Mo will be ahead of him, Gallagher if he gets the chance.

Fans need to step up here as well and set out the standards we expect if the club is unable to. Roaring encouragement for bravery, including on the ball, movement, pressing and work rate. Jeers, ironic oles and booing for people not putting the work rate in. You have a choice as to what type of home match experience you have boys. After 2 seasons of negative garbage it’s time to demand better.

Burnley look a far better side though. Got to treat this like a Cup game against a higher division side, weather the storm and see if we can cause an upset later on. This Saints side was Championship standard in all but name last season, improvement will come over time.

Burnley looking sharper, perhaps the three Euro games have been an advantage. Clearly the better side of the two so Saints need to weather the storm, limit chances and then try and get a foothold in the period up to HT.