Gordon Mockles

I’ll get the Pringles and the M&Ms!! Who’d have thought, an approach for our cart horse, lanky, totem pole would bring some harmony to the forum!! Made me chuckle and, must admit, after a rare moment totally dumbfounded reading the story, it made my day. We had best not be the usual, money hungry tw*ts over this. Just think, if this was couple of weeks ago, we could’ve shifted out BFG & potentially brought in Pongracic and made a profit. Too late for that now but I’m hoping our scouts have been heavily scouting centre backs and full backs for quite some time so have a series of targets...ideally who don’t play for Fulham.

I think the consensus is that Danso really isn’t all that good. He was awful for Austria when they got tonked and despite a semi-decent game against City, he hasn’t done much or impressed enough in training since. Great we were still stupid enough to pay over 3.5 million as a bloody loan fee. That’s extortion. That should be his fee!!!

For once, you and I are in total agreement. I'd give him a lift!!!

Superb result. With Bednarek out and Vestergaard in, I feared the worst but thankfully we didn't need to rely on Long's finishing (he works hard and I like the guy but Kammi summed up well his biggest frailty, his finishing, not ideal for a striker! LOL) and, luckily Tosan suffers a similar affliction for Palace so Vestergaard got let off but he should not be starting in this league. He's a liability. Every match. In PL terms, what is 9m for a CB? Nothing. A Romeu or Soares transfer (which we can't do this season but adds perspective). Surely Pongracic would have been a steal to replace Vestergaard as he really does seem able and anything is an improvement on this carthorse?! Time will tell for Wolfsburg but we surely get the occasional scouting project correct. Not putting a negative slur on a great result but the board should learn, we desperately still need an injection of quality but each time we win, I fear the further from the much needed strengthening we drift. Still, up to 9th which is superb. Even Bournemouth won. If we had beat Wolves, we could have been 7th (crazy season)

Do people genuinely think if we sign no-one in January which looks likely, this muppet Chairman will put any funds in to rebuild the squad properly in the summer? I', not confident and their word now means less than nothing. Under Gao's ever increasingly disastrous tenure, our squad has gone thinner and thinner and the incoming outgoing ratio is heavily weighted on one side. He's a charlatan. My greatest concern is, Ralph is a good manager and unless something changes VERY SOON to repair the string of obviously broken promises (the board are consistent, they seemingly b*llsh*t the staff as much as the fans), I fear Ralph may walk. #GaoOut

Very Good Kaiser. I wish he didn't exist. Then we wouldn't be in this mess. Gao has to be the worst owner we have ever had (and I hated Lowe on another level). Surely the worst owner in the English Premier League by a long shot. Imagine the reception to our situation in Tyneside (and certain fans think it's ok having a thread bare squad, no back-up to midfield and defence whilst deferring any low grade transfer to yet another subsequent transfer window. Madness). Surely we all want the club to succeed. To compete. I'd go one better and like us to win something but that would probably be deemed unrealistic and inherently crazed, like some demented Victor Meldrew on acid (certainly not this season. We will struggle to get a starting 11 and field a capable bench if we get a few injuries). We are seasons away from competing for trophies and we will practically need a new squad of signings next season if we are to approach the season in parallel to our competitors and that will not happen under this absolute tool, Chairman Gao (and with it, no tangible depth in the squad and no competition for your place in the starting 11 so more possibility of lack lustre performances due to motivation or, like Bertrand, simply being burnt out). Only at Southampton... What has happened to the KWP talk? Please no Joe Bryan. Judging by the pretext to Ralph's 180 degree turn and considering the Daily Echo club spin to lower expectations below zero, like the weather, I truly fear we won't be signing anyone but I strongly feel this will come back to bite us on the butt and this will be a huge mistake and complacency of the lowest common denominator. We simply never, ever learn and, worst part, push complacency more and more rather than safeguard our status which is nothing more than utter, utter lunacy and complete disregard and incompetency. UTS!!

60% of that sentence is 100% nonsense. Let’s not sign anyone and let’s not improve our squad because we once signed a few crap players. Thank f**k Klopp didn’t adopt that philosophy after signing Paul Jones, Lovren or Steven Caulker. Some of the points brought up in an attempt to argue on here are pure insanity. I’m hoping you were being sarcastic. Yeah, let’s hope we get no injuries...like to Bednarek.

Sheffield United have managed to sign one and are now looking at a second and Wilder wants to bolster their defence which is a lot more than we have done so it is actually possible. you just have to want to. I quote “But with Wilder looking to bolster his defensive options for the second-half of the campaign, United would be willing to pay a fee to secure his immediate release rather than wait until the summer”. If only we could follow that (logical) mentality, wanting to improve rather than make do. I also believe our need to sign full backs is way greater than Sheffield United but don’t let that stop you.

I quite simply expect the club to put up, or shut up. Don’t peddle the manager out to assure fans as to the transfer intentions of this prevaricating club then go full circle and crush our small sense of optimism. They will eventually crush Ralph’s (likely) diminishing level of patience and then the sh*t will really hit the fan. You can’t juggle with your arms tied behind your back.

Can't argue with that (I also realise JWP isn't a full back which is misleading in my sentence. Badly worded) Surely people can't defend Gao anymore? The man must go. Not overreacting but this is suicide if you consider things. We are riding our luck already. Safeguard yourselves FFS. It only takes a relatively small gesture to galvanise our status. It isn't too late. We have just over a week. Sort it out Saints....please

I meant no adequate defensive players with mobility on the bench

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/18172850.southampton-boss-ralph-hasenhuttl-happy-squad/?action=success#comments-feedback-anchor Genius leadership!! The Gao system of mindless, fan insulting, media spin. Don't shoot the messenger... I worry with the utter complacency and incompetency of this owner since they take Ralph's patience for granted and they are pushing and embarrassing him continually to the world's press...everyone has a breaking point to which they will be let down no more. Let's hope we don't find out Ralph's breaking point. I used to have a small sense of optimism and I was guilty of this mindset despite my criticism but this "next window", "next window" thing has become an absolute farce now. I really don't believe we will do anything with this asset stripping joker at the helm (helm being the operative word!!) Talk about exploiting goodwill and fragrantly taking the p*ss!! We lost Saturday due to a lack of depth and no defensive ability in defence (not the pace to contain the hungry Wolves) Utterly mind boggling way to run a PL club, if you read into the pretext. Just sign a full back at least to give Bertrand or JWP a rest as players are being overplayed and there is no option for rotation.

If Romeu goes, it will be a shame as he’s been a very good midfielder and a loyal servant to us. That fact shouldn’t be overlooked or forgotten. If we get the purported 10 million from Celta Vigo, I think it is actually good business considering what we paid for Oriol and how long he’s been with us. His pace and legs have gone a little and whilst he’s often been the best player on the pitch, I don’t think he’s suited (at his age and mobility) to Ralph’s style of pressing, pace and high energy pushing the opposition. Romeu has often dominated and held our midfield, single handed, so people should not diminish that fact. I also really liked and was impressed by Harrison Reed a couple of years back so I find it odd and a little frustrating he’s never had his chance yet Ralph persisted with players like Gallagher who clearly lacked the quality. Reed was a hard working, little dynamo of a player (reminded me of Alan Ball despite being before my time) whom I thought would suit Ralph’s profile of player down to the ground. Smallbone is a really good prospect whom I expect big things of so earn your money coaching staff. Ramello Mitchell is an interesting one, on a 2 year contract. I don’t think we will be able to replace Romeu mid season. Who would want to sell a key, holding midfield mid season? We will have to wait for that I feel. I don’t fully agree with it but kind of understand it as can’t see us recruiting such a key, specialist position mid season (much like CB). As long as we have substantial funds for a big rebuild and appoint Walsh or this player trading chap as we will practically need a squad’s worth of players next summer with Long & Yoshida out of contract too. This time we need to recruit substantially and efficiently. No more wasters. I hope the club are already on the case with this as Crocker will have a mammoth task and baptism of fire to prepare for the new season. Whichever league the club prepare for. Buenos suerte Oriol.

Possibly

Chilwell out of the squad for Burnley v Leicester. Could he be going to Chelsea and Bertrand off to Leicester? Generally, clubs tend to drop players when there is a transfer involved (he could well be injured, I don’t know) very much unlike the Quincy Promes façade. I couldn’t miss that chance to make a point. :lol:

To be fair, you can’t blame them for looking tired. They’ve played almost every league game (other than possibly Armstrong, sure someone will correct me if wrong) since Nov. So many games in Dec. Without meaning to sound like a stuck record, once again, that highlights our lack of depth. Ralph has no choice because he doesn’t have any suitable back up and that is with a strong medical and physio team. We really are riding our luck. Pongracic looked decent and affordable. We missed him. Maehle seems to have slipped off the radar despite being known also by Ralph and affordable. Arguably, we can use Danso as CB back up If injury or suspension happens. Then sign or loan a utility full back if money is so hard to get signed off. Surely justification enough.

If that is the case with the club and the new owner has no money and no money to invest, then the club simply need to stop professing otherwise and lying to the press in every single transfer window (they have lied from the outset of the new chairmanship and the lies have grown bigger) as to their intentions. That’s the crux of the issue and the source of frustration to many, it’s as simple as that. Whether the club PR or divisive social media spin is operated by the club, Jordan Sibley, by Gao’s media underlings or by a separate entity, the source is largely irrelevant as it speaks from the club to the fans. Like you, I’m bored of this and it’s been done to death. The fans deserve honesty and respect and it’s up to the club to build an honest and trustworthy dialogue with the fanbase and community rather than prevaricate and treat them like idiots, purely to generate gate receipts. That’s not a lot to ask is it? If some of us fans expect - or hope (not demand) - for a signing or 2 to improve the team during a transfer window, that’s perfectly understandable.

Oh, I thought we were talking about this transfer window and money invested by the current board. Sorry, I wasn’t having a pop at you as it wasn’t your argument missing the point (as always).

Yes. We have no idea if Gao is selling so applying the same logic of this forum, we shouldn’t assume that Gao is selling and make comments and assumptions based on the rumour of a newspaper report when we haven’t witnessed Gao promising and swearing and oath and assuring us fans that he’s definitely wanting to sell the club. I’d much rather focus on transfer talk, starting with the two centre backs we have mysterious signed for circa 40 million. When was this, who are they and how come none of the papers have reported it?

How do we know Gao wants to sell? That was only ever a rumour in the media and probably made up by a journalist to sell newspapers. We never had any direct quote from the club or our chairman saying that and they certainly didn’t make any promises or assurances of doing so. Something was probably said about one day selling the club and the newspapers probably latched onto it and probably (deliberately) took it out of context.

That’s a pretty well thought out and logical assertion. It’s not a view many ticket buying (& non ticket buying for that matter) fans would be happy with but it definitely has the hallmarks of a very cautious and unambitious owner who doesn’t like to part with money. I’m still struggling to understand why he even bought a Premier League football club and judging by how his media PR is run and his abject silence since becoming majority shareholder, he never wanted the fans to know his true intentions. Personally, if it was my investment, I’d at least bring a full back or CB in to safeguard our PL status and protect my investment. Bertrand, Soares or Ings (or even our CBs) get injured or suspended between 1st Feb & the end of season, we are in a world of trouble as our lack of defensive/midfield depth on the bench illustrated today. It cost us 3 points. That’s my view.

Well said. You hit the nail on the head with the irritated comment. I think the most annoying part is a certain element of happy clappy people on here whom get menstrual about strong criticism of the club, like their level of low standard patience should be the barometer for all. When you consider how our board have ran the club into the ground in 3-4 short years, it is difficult to understand the blind defence of the indefensible. These club apologists insulting others for standing up for a belief seem to shut their eyes and clamp their hands firmly over their ears and refuse to listen to logic from the more critical thinkers and astute fans and that is their prerogative. Turkish argues a good point and even took the time to find direct quotes but still people argue the club have made no such assertions. That is utterly bonkers and some cheeky bint referred to me as mad...and old (for not letting a matter go). Just agree to disagree when you’re arguing against that level of mindset. The fact remains, we desperately need defenders and midfielders. We needed them at the start of the season and last January. It’s more than clear that the current board are not bothered, they have zero ambition, zero competence and will do the absolute bare minimum to survive while prevaricating to the fans and they will push us to the precipice of relegation...or beyond. We will not progress under this board, that much is clear. The club have seemingly lied to the manager about supporting him regarding transfer policy in January and have clearly changed their minds, as I believe has happened before. Likely due to the mammoth and superb coaching effort by Ralph and his team post Leicester. I’m sure the intensity of coaching to achieve the results they have cannot be maintained until the end of the season as the team will be burnt out both mentally & physically. The board have absolutely no experience or idea about football, only about business, and they seem to be expecting too much of RH on the absolute minimum of financial support. If they are going back on promises to Ralph which seems likely (I think it’s why Rohl left), they need to consider everyone has a breaking point. Whilst I’m concerned about an injury or suspension to a key player, I’m more worried about the manager being pressurised and pushed too much and eventually walking due to broken assurances and an inherent lack of transfer funds being available..and mental fatigue (has anyone not noticed how broken he looks these days?) I believe he was let down from the outset because I never remember the big rebuild the club alluded to so much but let’s not even get into that debate or we’ll be harangued by the club’s ‘crack’ team of word smiths, character sleuths and social media assassins!!

I wouldn’t worry about it, you’re banging your head against a brick wall and, apparently, we’re going on about it too much according to the forum Vanessa Feltz topic monitor Don’t take any communication from the club as being truthful in any manner is a good mindset to have and don’t expect anything from the club because people on here will make every excuse under the sun to bizarrely defend why the club hasn’t fulfilled anything it said despite our desperate need. We still have under 2 weeks left but the change in tact from Ralph suggests it is unlikely. A very disappointing result today. The loss proves our desperate need for quality in defence even more (so no Bryan please). Great first half but it seems we didn’t have a plan B which is down to personnel. We had mainly pacey, attacking options and one (slow) midfielder in Romeu (with 2 MFs on yellows) & one (slow) cart horse in Vestergaard which is dangerous against a team with Wolves’ pace and power although we did create our fair share of chances. To me, it proves a total lack of strength and depth in defence and midfield. Had we had sufficient quality on the bench, particularly for midfield, we could’ve adapted to Nuno’s changes and suppressed Traore rather than capitulating.

Cheeky sod. It’s not bitterness, it’s frustration and passion but I can take stick. I would hardly say it’s a nasty streak, just strong adjectives as that’s how I write. I haven’t been overly harsh on people. In fact I would say I get worse comment back at me for just having a different opinion. Only recently have I got past the threshold of patience with prevaricating press assurances and There is a wealth of evidence online and from television interviews which the more astute forum posters have also picked up on. I am a little more forthright than most but so are many. CB Fry can be extremely sarcastic and occasionally rude but generally he simply, he is fairly sharp & doesn’t suffer fools lightly. I’ve had a mild moan at him for being rude to me once but I certainly wouldn’t have thousands of being bitter and a sad individual which is rude I’ve had a mild moan at him for being rude to me once but I certainly wouldn’t chastise the chap and accuse him of being bitter and a sad individual which is plain rude. I can deal with it but I’m just pointing it out. How many fans have met the chairman? You don’t need to meet someone to criticise them. I’m aware I’m harsh on our owner but he has done nothing for the club and he hasn’t put any investment in and since he arrived (but likely taken out, can’t be proven so let’s not focus on that remark) yet we have we had a tissue of lies and misinformation and that angers me and it always will anger me. It can’t be coincidental this method of news has started since Gao took ownership and he landed us Chinese marketing/sponsorship via online media companies so make of that what you will. I can’t abide bullsh*tters and I work in an industry of this so deal with myopic morons daily. So at the end of the day, my patience may be tested more than most but that’s understandable. Set offend you then I apologise as I like harmony believe it or not . Just take it with a pinch of salt. This is football. Not a life skills therapy talk. I would much rather contentious points and debate rather than a load of insipid, mutual agreement but everyone is different. I respect that and wouldn’t ask anyone to be any different. You know I don’t just contribute rants and most will accept that the owner isn’t contributing well. I do sometimes go off on a tangent which I accept is not always ideal. I will try to limit it as I’ve said my bit but in the transfer window with ever diminishing assurances in the press, everyone has a right to get annoyed and that’s ok. It’s certainly not inherent negativity, it is dissatisfaction with poor standards and dishonesty and a series of socially engineered, divisive reported and inactive transfer windows & I never react well to dishonesty. Granted, me typing this is boring even myself and people don’t need to read that. For that I apologise but I will defend myself. I will try & keep things transfer related as I do like harmony, shockingly, although - essentially - this is transfer talk (on heat! Lol) but we do prefer the juicy bits like a signing. Sadly, we haven’t seen much of that in recent years. When people used to put up rumours on here, they got shot down for being attention seekers. Happy Friday and I will apologise for the excessively long tirades. Let’s hope we find a full back soon as, we surely must all agree, we bloody need one. However, I do not shoot people down for having a different opinion to me, many more do. I just rebuke some people down for having really stupid opinions that I don’t believe are entirely genuine, possibly having an agenda. Peace & f**kin’ x GM

I’ve heard some crazy arguments in my life but some of these people, contesting very valid points, is absolutely laughable and embarrassing. It’s also stranger as I have never witnessed fans (face to face) sharing some of these outlandish views. The manager is hardly going to do a boy scout or Benny Hill salute and say “I promised to sign...”, are they? Where did you learn to debate or argue, the wide-awake club?