Greedyfly

I am aware of this, but, and this seems to be an issue on here, neither of what you say addressed my point. Swansea's attack have actually scored more than ours and as my point was I'd rather have theirs to ours based on this alone. And the fact that our current striker and back options are rubbish and Gabbi hasn't scored since West Ham (when he scored 33% of his goals). So, the stats don't prove in wrong at all SKD.

Cedric has literally zero assists and zero goals this season. Yeah top 6 material that. Seriously people, those glasses aren't just tinted...

Then you're just another one in the ignorant category. Promes has 22 goals and 15 assists in his last 44 matches, stats way above our level. His agent said just last week that they are aiming way above Southampton (Liverpool) and also so far I'm 100% right because he's not ****ing here is he? Annoyingly I got caught up in the hype that was our pitiful offer in January but the long and short is he isn't here and won't be this summer either. And after your nonsense about Lemina getting into Chelsea's first team I just stopped reading because it made it quite clear you have no idea what you're on about. He'd oust Kante would he, ok then.

Not sure why you started with the ‘Brazil 1970’s’ quip from my post when I made it abundantly clear that it was a) a quip and b) I knew no one was saying or implying it…I mean I even said those exact words but anyway… Cedric, and Lemina would not ‘just get into any team in PL’, not even close, and JWP, PEH etc wouldn’t just walk into any team below 7th because there are better players in a lot of those clubs already playing in those positions. Taking teams from 6th below (because your claim that Lemina and Cedric would displace anyone from the top 6 is laughable) I would argue that Lemina’s is on par with Ndidi (one you missed off your relatively limited Leicester list) and Gana for Everton, and that is just off the top of my head. Cedric no better than Naughton or Yedlin again off the top of my head. The one from that list that may feasibly be good enough to get into the top 6 and I would say is a genuine top performer (despite a relatively low key season) is Bertrand who could potentially oust a few of the top 6 LBs and almost all of the rest. On the question of Swansea’s attack the answer is ‘yes’, because I prefer to rely on facts and numbers as opposed to JUST league position and believing we have a good squad when realistically we don’t. And the fact of the matter is Austin is the only striker of our mob that comes anywhere close to being an accomplished prem striker. To our Austin, Long, Carrillo and Gabbiadini, they have Bony (meh but he’s got more than anyone other than Gabbi and Austin), Ayew (only bettered by Austin), Abraham (only bettered by Austin). There isn’t much in it admittedly and Austin is probably the pick of all those names BUT seeing as we are addressing squads, on paper they have three strikers with 3 goals or more. We have 2, our main striker at the moment has 0 and our back up has 1, that’s pathetic. Also, on paper this, if we had that….Again if my Aunt had balls….We don’t. We were never going to get Promes because he is just far too good for us so we don’t have that pacy attacking wide man so the point is moot. We were all told Redmond was going to be that, or was it striker, or a 10, or…Or nothing. He was average at Norwich and he’s average here. Realising this could go around in circles I’ll say I pretty much agree with a lot of what you say, we’ve underachieved, Mope is a terrible manager and a lot of players are performing somewhat lower than their averages (although many of them are just bang average anyway), but I think anyone saying we have a better squad than teams 7 – 20 is either arrogant or ignorant. I don’t think there’s much difference in the squads placed 7-20. I think Everton have a better squad and starting 11 but miss a little bit upfront to really get them going, Leicester have a better 11 and matchday squad and then the rest are pretty much similar. This is where MP is both complicit in our failure this season (i.e. all things being equal he should be doing much better) but also the reason why it’s not all his fault (although let me be clear, he’s always been a defensive minded average manager so we shouldn’t be shocked that he’s now being average here as well). My hope is that Hoedt stops being a calamity waiting to happen, that Carrillo scores a bloody goal, that Boufal is played in his rightful position and that we start attacking in numbers and that by some miracle we start to pick up enough points to stay up. Then, regardless of what happens, we do away with MP in the summer because I can’t stand his (mis)management (basically he’s useless as a manager), we pick up some decent attacking players from abroad/lower leagues (forget Promes, he’s a ruthless animal and way too good for us), address the bollix at board level and start to put together a decent team we can enjoy and be proud of again from next season.

A love this question and subsequent answers. 'We aren't where we are supposed to be” and, “who else has a better squad than us etc etc'. And the answers are always a classic case of looking at things through red and white tinted glasses or just not understanding other team’s squads. Firstly Leicester have an infinitely better squad. Not only the ones mentioned but you forgot Ndidi, Okazaki, Silva, Gray, Maguire, Iborra etc etc all performing or perform at a consistently higher standard then their Saints counterpart. Now, I appreciate that this actually hurts my Pellegrino rhetoric somewhat, and I do agree to some extent that we should be higher up the table based on the first team alone (supporting my thoughts that Pellegrino is a terrible, defensive minded manager with almost zero clue as to how he got us into this mess and even less of an idea how to get us out of it) BUT, let’s not go pretending that we have something of a superior squad to all those around us. It’s at best arrogance and at worst an insult to those teams. Player for player, in relevant positions, our squad is on par with at least Newcastle, Watford, Swansea, Burnley, Stoke etc etc and worse than West Ham (happy to debate some of but not all of those selected). Of the teams above us I would say teams like Bournemouth, Huddersfield, Brighton and Palace are legitimately outperforming us. Our obvious strengths are in LB/RB where we have quality starters (Bertrand is one of the best in the league regardless of what some say on here and Cedric still a suitable RB) and their replacements also very adequate in McQueen, Pied etc, and that we are stacked in CM where Højbjerg (finally), Lemina and Romeu are of obvious quality. But our attacking, goalkeeping and central defensive options compared to all those listed above, are woefully inadequate or again at least on par. We have a backup striker who has one goal in 20 games (1138 mins) and our new record signing who has a career comparable to said backup in terms of goals to games. Our CBs are down to the bare bones and the regular starters are arguably second rate/learning their trade anyway, and our attacking midfield is basically a joke. Tadic, for all his faults, is the only consistent (lose term) assist provider and scorer where Redmond, JWP, Boufal (who I rate but I think is being horribly mismanaged) all have their flaws. Davis is a busted flush despite being the joint second top scorer (which tells you everything) and the ones who I would have hoped to have had more game time (Gabbiadini, Sims and McQueen) have splinters in their a**. Just to give some examples, I would happily take each and every one of Swansea’s attacking line up vs ours. Sure, they may not be very good either but they have scored more than us all season and are currently scoring more over the last few weeks. So let's stop pretending we are the Brazil team of the 1970's (I know no one said or implied that btw) and start hoping, at least, we find someone who comes into a bit of form (JwP as one example) in the attacking midfield/striking options and starting this weekend because we could really use those 3 pts.

Your post doesn't actually address my point though does it. I said saying 'give them time' as in give them time to get used to our surroundings and start playing well is a luxury that went out of the window in the games at home to Swansea, Burnley, Watford, not the **** end of the season when we are in the bottom 3. Hoedt has had time and frankly regressed which was essentially what started this in the first place. However, you are quite right, we are stuck with the scrapings of the barrel now that is the likes of Carrillo (to answer your question a half fit Austin is better and Long, as **** as he is too, has a better goal rate) and the liability that Hoedt has suddenly become so I hope, more than expect, them to get us out of this mess.

Add to that the absolute howler he gifted to Liverpool (and the overall shocker he had against them), the average game he had against Brom last time out etc etc. It’s just another thing on top of another howler. I am glad to hear he and Stephens generally had a good game (this is the first one in five I haven’t watched the 90 mins of in some capacity), and I thought Hoedt looked ‘ok’ when he first came here but this last month or two the concerns have been very obvious and my point was that, comparatively, both Alderweireld and VVD both looked good from jump. Hoedt hasn’t. Also, for the love of God, can people stop saying ‘give them time’ (Ottawa Saint) and ‘he will do well with a run of games’ etc etc about our signings. We literally do not have that luxury and the next five games will determine whether we stay up or not and those ‘give them time’ players will be complicit in what happens either way. So, no, I won’t give them any ****ing time, because we don’t have any.

Everyone keeps mentioning Stephens and his ball watching, but from MOTD only this time, Hoedt looks like another waste of money. Complete liability. And to think he looked good when he first started here...

This. But Gabbiadini is probably better...and I don't rate him either

Any news on Austin

Bang average as expected. Needed goals, hasn't got any. Shock.

You are quite right, I thought they were higher. However, he spent an absolute fortune on complete dross and barely improved that team. He isn't a progressive manager in any respect, and although that's not necessarily what we need right now, we could use someone with some fresh ideas. I agree, Ron, he won't be sacked which is a shame. However, if he is I'd much rather Silva than Hughes.

Mark Hughes spent a **** ton and took Stoke exactly zero places up the league from when he was appointed. Old style manager and not what we need.

Hoedt is getting worse and worse each week. Certainly not a decent VVD/Fonte replacement so far. Both of those started fast as well.

I will eat my pants if he signs. He is far too good for us. Has no intention of coming here in the summer is my feeling.

I thought that too, he seems to have grown if anything. Very nice player though, him, Sims and McQueen should have had more of a look-in this season for me.

Well he's also been injured and taking ages to get over said injury so either way....Also I'm not sure who you're calling a plum either but your propensity to make some profoundly inaccurate comments suggests that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Well that's his first 90 mins since Huddersfield so, no, but mostly because, Spurs game aside, he's hardly played. Some cracking insight though.

Some arguments in the LeTiss household then because Mitch thinks Mope is the incompetent fool most on here think he is.

I can only assume you're the King of sarcasm because, results aside, the football has been abysmal. Cumbersome, defensively sloppy, slow and without an attacking direction. Agree with the majority, he's an utterly awful manager in all aspects of the game. If we survive I still hope he's fired because, as said ad nauseam, his teams all play dull defensive football. It was bad in large patches under Puel, but it was also good on occasion (West Ham away for example), literally non of it has been good under MoPe.

Personally, I think this one gets done. Millbrook has made a good case above and there appears too many positive 'vibes' (for want of a better word) around this one (his liking of certain social media posts (which as dopey as it sounds holds some weight these days), Russian media's stance softening, Crook saying it won't happen (which is a blessing in itself)) and the fact that we simply don't survive without this injection of pace and assists. We need a pacey outlet to move stubborn defences around and to make room the other pedestrians in our team. As bad and as useless as the board has been over the last few years, I believe even they know this...why they can't work on a deal for an animal of a CB at the same time is beyond me however!

He was at a training camp in Marbella and does not have red hair

Firstly, I'll be as I please especially when I'm being called out by someone who clearly hasn't the first clue about what he's on about. Mate. Secondly, I didn't state any 'facts' but suggested anyone not thinking MP was culpable should consider looking at his history to see that there's evidence to suggest he is in part (a large part - that's my opinion) to blame. However, as you couldn't be bothered here's what I came up with; I have seen his Alaves team play on the odd occasion and they were as defensive and as boring as our current team, as highlighted by the FACT that they were the forth lowest scorers in La Liga last season. This is even more irritating when we were told that Saints fans were in for a treat with MP's appointment with MP himself believing we had a 'squad to play high intensity attacking football' (Reed's comments, not mine)when this evidence seemed to totally contradict that. If you look at his Alaves first team and the most used players, 5 of them were loanees from Spain's top clubs and one from Italy (those were Hernandez, Deyverson, Camarasa, Llorente and Romero most of whom were there before he arrived before you scream 'stroke of genius on his part') many of which are highly rated by their clubs but are naturally behind the Ronaldo's, Modric's, Messi's of this world, so the notion that he did well at Alaves (9th) really should be replaced with 'should have done better'. It's not a tough league outside the top 3. Also what else is telling is that Alaves's top scorer that season turned in a measly 7 goals...suggesting that it's not always the players but how the team is set up. I've looked into his Argentinean clubs too but I'm not going to regurgitate them here as it's late and I'm struggling to work off a mobile, but as I've now given you some idea how to do it yourself, maybe you can do that part on your own. I can tell you they were far from impressive in a fairly noddy league.

How does it sound like my opinion? If it was an opinion piece I wouldn't have pointed you in the direction of his previous clubs for comparisons sake. Don't say things for the sake of saying them. Also, you have google, look them up for yourself before typing dopey replies. Start with Alaves, the players he had on loan there, how many those players scored compared to the other teams around, compare those stats with the competitiveness of the league outside the top 2 or 3. Then maybe work back to Argentina where his teams are far from prolific.

I'd go and look at the stats at the previous clubs he's managed. They do suggest that he's culpable both here (although not entirely his fault) and elsewhere