Chewy

Brilliant work. In answer to the OP, there's one general thing and one very specific. In general, it's money. And not actually so much the players wages (galling though it is) but the fact that failure costs so much, and stepping up a level requires hundreds of millions, not just good team building. This means teams can't risk blooding youngsters to let them and the team grow and develop because instant success is not only wanted, but needed in order to avoid relegation that can genuinely cripple your club. And it means the top clubs are rarely changed. In my very early youth you had forest come up a division, win the league and the European cup. Leeds similar ten years later (obviously not Europe). Impossible now. Us and Ipswich challenging for titles and in Europe. This wasn't just a one off, it happened regularly and was down to good coaches, great teams and not simply money. And my specific item is the fa cup final. Mainly because there was virtually no football on tv the entire nation sat down and watched the whole event, including hours of dreadful build up. It really was a super bowl moment the whole nation (and to be honest many other nations) sat down and watched THE game everyone cared about. Simply not the same any more, and it's a big shame. That said, on balance, there's actually quite a lot better today. Average skill level of players, almost total lack of hooliganism, standard of stadium (though soulless), ability to watch a good game of football on to most days of the week. Progress??

No rush, both contracted until 2021. Personally I'd leave both for 9 months before worrying about them. Looking at who's due to be out of contract by 2020, I don't think we have any first team pros to worry about at all now to be honest, can let them run out and leave if we can't sell so work here for first team is pretty much done. Quite a few youngsters to sort once we've decided on whether to keep, with sims and slattery at the top of that list (would assume we do) but would make sense to leave those two until the summer. This is one area where the club have managed things reasonably well, though perhaps too well with some of the contracts for people we don't want or need. Hoedt could be here another 3 years! Ely, Forster, guido, maybe boufal ... Won't be losing any players on a free, so making on potential fees, but when you see the salaries going out for years on people we want shot of, makes you wonder which is the lesser of those evils.

Agreed, very pleased for him and us.

Inclined to agree. Not convinced he will cut it, but Put it this way, I'd certainly rather an on form boufal than spending another 15 million on another mo ely. I trust Ralph, and by the time the next window shuts he'll have had time in pre and early season to assess whether he's worth persisting with, and will then action accordingly. Whichever Ralph chooses is fine with me(as if that matters!) Don't think we'll be spending a fortune this summer, so if we have one less purchase to make (and one less high wage earner to sell at a loss) I'd see that as a good thing.

He's hardly a world-beater, granted. But take out JWP's set-piece contribution, and Armstrong has looked like the only player in the squad able to offer a goal-threat from midfield (assuming we count Redmond as a forward these days). And seeing as our forwards can hardly muster a threat themselves, we need all the help we can get in that regard. If we had better options I'd happily see him slip down the pecking order, but until then we're a bit stuck IMHO.

Ha! 18 from what I gather, so maybe something that can be coached. Cheers for the snippet of info, though. About 6 weeks at best before we can't thinking about players based on which league we're in next season I guess, though sounds like this one maybe one for the future anyway.

Seen a mention on bbc's gossip column of a recoe Martin from mk dons. Anyone know anything about him (I.e. Seen him play / proper insight ... I've done the Internet scouting thing)?

Oh ... Coat!?!?

Agreed, though I'd swap your priorities of winger and right back over; another wide / attacking / creative player is a must-have IMHO; with Valery's progress, I think we're probably looking at a back-up right back rather than a starter? Could be wrong, of course!

You are an odd one - great half from Sims but for someone who kept on telling us how unready Valery was for the first-team despite playing really well until you changed his mind after one worldy against United ... you now want to shove Sims straight into a starting spot above an international footballer with Champions League experience based on a good 45 minutes? Sims hasn't scored a single goal in his professional career (and no assists that I can remember). Armstrong has 4 goals and 1 assist this season. Not spectacular, but ranked 4th in the squad this season. I like Sims, I think he has a future, and hope he plays out of his skin for the rest of the season, with numerous goals and assists. But right now I'd start Armstrong ahead of him, no question. Still, we're all entitled to our opinion I guess, and if Ralph agrees with you I'll be fine with it.

Missed that - remember watching it come in on the old Grandstand vidiprinter. It was one of those occasions they had to put the number in letters as well, just in case people thought it was a typo ... Southampton 8 (eight) - Coventry 2 Funnily enough though, the return fixture was my first ever away game; a drab 0-0 at the old Highfield Road with the highlight being the first sending off I'd witnessed. Think it was Stephen Hunt (??) for clobbering Steve Williams who got stretchered off IIRC?

What a team / squad that was. The first full season I can properly remember ... little did I know that would be as good as it got!! Steve Moran was my first Saints hero, still to this day only eclipsed by the one and only MLT. Thanks for the memories

Expect us to be bang up for this, and at this stage feeling confident of at least a draw. I'd like: Gunn Jan Yoshi Vesti Valrey JWP Hoj Bertrand Redmond Ings Armstrong McCarthy Stephens Targett Romeu Lamina Sims Austin By and large the team that finished Saturday, but with Ings starting if fit instead of Sims. Possibly a bit harsh for Long to miss out entirely - thought he was decent for his 20 mins Saturday and could be useful if we get our noses in front and are defending; but Sims has to be the 'pace' option after his performance, and Austin offers more of a goal threat IMHO. If Lamina's not fit would want either Slattery or Long as the other sub. Other substitute option might be to bin off Stephens and have Bertrand as our 'sub' centre back (Targett to left back, move Ryan).

Three centre backs and three slow, fairly defensive central midfielders, at home in a must win game against the second worst team in the league. I so hope to be proved wrong, but have to say that team concerns me. Again.

Dropping bednarek is about the last thing I'd do right now. Maya is a great club servant, definitely better than Stephens, and possibly better than vesti, but I don't get the clamour to recall him like he's some sort of Sergio Ramos figure.

For those who didn't see it, we lost as expected. For those who did ... Ffs what a shambolic start. As many points as expected, but confidence taking a battering at a crucial point of the season. Will wait until Wednesday before deciding if I think we're looking doomed, but we are in proper trouble.

Can we stop this argument now? A) it's about some bonkers conspiracy theory, B) it's irrelevant as they're not available to pick and C) it's extremely tedious. So, to the game. Can't see any chance to be honest, but hoping to be proved wrong and pleasantly surprised at a sneaky point. Either way, just hope we play well so can take some confidence into Wednesday which now is a must win. All the cliches about free hit and anything being a bonus apply today.

Id be amazed at anyone other than Rodgers. Now they're out of Europe and the league is pretty much won his work there is done. sure, he'll probably stay for the annual trophy parade but Leicester aren't going down and are out of both cups so can live with a caretaker until Brendan Has had a polite couple of glasses at the party.

Indeed, if only it hadn't been trialled in situations that weren't anywhere near ready for it. Got such a bad rep now that it won't get another airing so we won't be able to test the science. Oh well, back to talking about millionaires kicking a ball around in the winter sun while on my desk-bound lunch break slaving away for some faceless capitalists and investment funds ...

Very good as usual. Don't entirely agree about Bertrand, think they tactically put Paterson on him to stop him getting forward too much, but can't disagree about long, Stephens, hoj, Austin, mo, and in particular the two pr1cks.

You do indeed, which is why it's surprising the board didn't back him in getting the forward he clearly wanted. Throughout January his expectation was that we were getting someone in.

Pretty fair assessment. I just don't agree with the lack of attacking signing. Yes we have bought sloppily before on players we're still paying handsomely for, but the maths for the risk of getting relegated mean there was only one option to take, we didn't and risk paying for it IMHO.

Today hurts on so many levels 1) Obviously lost to a relegation rival (and we're definitely in the mix now) 2) Cardiff didn't deserve anything from that game, they were dreadful 3) we were somehow worse. Sure we had more of the ball, but that's because we had spare players at the back to take the ball instead of up top where we might actually have hurt them 4) Ralph lost a bit of his sheen. We all know long instead of Austin was the wrong call, we all know elianonymous was a pointless waste of a sub, we all know 5 at the back left us short up top in a game we needed to win. Not only pointless but cowardly IMHO. And sure it helps Stephens look good by striding out from the back nicely, but when he can't defend and this play is instead of having another forward, it's rather pointless 5) our captain had a shocker. How many chances to shoot do you need? You have to take a chance, especially when our only 'goal threat' is Shane long 6) just shows how woefully inept we are up top. Our attacking and creative options are basically An injury prone ings , Armstrong and Redmond. With two missing we were always likely to be screwed. How on earth we ended up like this is something the board genuinely need to answer for. Austin can score but can't run, which you'd get away with in a game like today unlike Shane who can't score, and seems to have even lost the ability to run. How bad must Gallagher be to be behind these two? If he's genuinely worse, please sell him. I'm sure there's some more. Horrible, horrible day and result. Doesn't mean we are down, but does mean we need a seriously quick turn around. I really hope Ralph learns from this. Sometimes you need to be brave, there's no need for 5 at the back in some games. Quite frankly we could have 8 and it wouldn't make any difference with some of the individual errors. We must stretch teams who sit back, and if that means surrendering some possession theN fine. And please, never, ever, ever put mo on the pitch again. An utter waste of a footballer. Couple of minor plus points. Thought Bertrand was fine for his comeback. Not amazing, but ok. Aside from Stephens, most of the defence looked untroubled until that final calamity (wrong end to know who was at fault in the box, obviously saw THAT pass!) Thought Valery was probably motm. Not much to choose from obviously, but given his age I thought he was very good. Will be great in the championship ...

If that's true, that's great news IMHO.