derry

Kevin Keegan and Ron Davies. I've not seen a player in the world that could match Ron in the air ever. Modern players Gareth Bale and VVD.

Ings was a good player. At £20m or less it was better to keep him in my opinion however for the reported £30m ish it became a different ball game and a chance to buy two decent players at least and added to the available funds another couple which would give the team more resilience and the ability to ride out injuries.

Vestergaard's biggest weaknesses are to be painfully slow and switching off. I don't buy into his going forward because when we lose the ball he is so slow, he is out of the game defensively, can't get back, causing a big hole in our defence with Bednarek exposed, KWP up the field often ending up in a goal conceded. Vestergaard needs to cover Bednarek and vice versa. I think he is a massive weakness and the sooner we find a mug the better we'll be. We can then use some of the money to find another Salisu mobile type of centre back.

I think we should keep Ings until his contract runs out unless in the absence of offers from top clubs or injury he signs the contract solving the problem. Ings is more use to the club playing for us than playing for some other club. He is ambitious, treading water will end any chance of international call ups. He will need to be playing well and scoring goals, That means to me we will get value albeit costing us 80% of any possible fee. Risking relegation for £16m doesn't add up. We should buy a replacement now and bed him in. With the £100m+ we wasted on a collection of expensive players that weren't good enough or didn't fit in was expensive. Another season from Ings is cheap in comparison.

He is reported to have signed a six month contract. Well done Saints.

He was one of the reasons we were able consolidate in the first division after promotion. One of my favourites playing behind our great forwards. RIP.

I wonder somehow if we aren't missing a trick. Years ago not only did the likes of Liverpool and Manchester Utd buy ready to play players they bought in young not yet ready but good young players from the lower divisions. For example Ray Clements and Kevin Keegan who didn't play immediately in the first team but came through quite quickly. Our purchase of ready made players for multi million fees has been very hit and miss in the last few years, It seems it's either that or the academy which also isn't producing as it used to. Maybe we should add another tier of two or three players from the lower divisions every year and if some of them step up to the challenge it would help the squad. After all we brought through some pretty decent players from division one who performed well in the Premier league. Watching the playoffs I've seen players that at that level look almost too good. For example if anyone is watching today, I've been watching a 25 years old left wing back several times in FA cup games and the playoffs. Ryan Haynes, he looks pretty competent but it is difficult to see on TV. If anybody knows him or is watching I'd be interested in any opinions.

Never mind McCarthy's lack of shot stopping, his in possession play is just totally incompetent. What manager in his right mind would allow him to do that. It led directly to the first goal, that and outnumbered at the back. Diallo spectating, just the back three and KWP managing to get back. Redmond is brainless stood offside for ten seconds until he noticed, moved onside but was offside when he received the ball, air shot defending then not bothering to defend. Our defensive organisation is non-existent. Vestergaard doing a great impression of a lamp post

Harry Kane and Son suckered our centre backs second game of the season. Leeds suckered us at Elland Road, and again tonight. Just three examples of Kamikaze defending. Our defenders might and it's a very big might get a couple of goals a season between them. They are employed as defenders. Vestergaard and Stephens carrying the ball forward just opens us up at the back. JWP was the only Saints player back for the second goal against three Leeds players. Defence is too important to allow them to showboat. Until we organise and become a disciplined team we are going to continue to be also rans just happy not to be relegated. Ralph needs to get a grip. We probably wouldn't have conceded if we had been disciplined at the back.

Stephens has had this problem for years. He has been at fault on numerous occasions for losing his mark while ball watching. His body position is a major issue. A marker not only needs to see his mark he needs to be goal side and have a view of the ball. on these occasions Stephens focusses on the ball.

I was hoping you'd give your opinion. What's your take on the rule. I've checked McCarthy's position and the ball was gone towards McCarthy before Vardy collided with Vestergaard. The collision was as much Vardy's actions as Vestergaard's momentum. I'd go so far as to say I can't see how it could be a foul, more an accidental collision.

As I remember it Armstrong rolled a pass to Vestergaard who took his eye off the ball, meanwhile Vardy was probably about 10 yards away as soon as he saw Vestergaard miss the ball he sprinted hard at right angles to Vestergaard's position from the ball, Vestergaard stretched to knock the ball away but Vardy's pace took him into the path of Vestergaard's momentum. It was an accident not a foul. Neither the referee or Jon Moss took into consideration Vardy's part in the incident. He wasn't tackled he didn't have the ball, Vestergaard had already moved it out of his path. I haven't checked how close Macarthy was, but I assume he was reacting and moving out. The referees got this wrong. Even if they thought it was a foul, the fact Vestergaard played the ball before colliding with the inrushing Vardy who wasn't in possession of the ball should mean a maximum yellow card, I may be wrong but I understood that the red card in those circumstances was only if the player in possession was fouled without any contact with the ball. The nasty streak in me remembered Vardy going into the back of Van Dyck's achilles and the damage he did. I didn't wish him well and was disappointed he ran it off. I was hoping that he was getting a dose of his own medicine, still living in hope. Dirty little bastard.

Personally I'd love us to win the cup. Secondly not if we were relegated. With the ownership we have, to be relegated could be terminal. There is a suspicion from me that the assets would be stripped and the relegation payments used to assist the owners to balance the falling value of the club. If we want to be in a position to even compete in cup competitions we need to have a competitive team in the Premier League together with the income it generates. Falling out of the league could open a trap door. I'm working on the premise "Be careful what you wish for".

One of the critical faults in Saint's game is the almost 100% ingrained habit that when a forward run into space is made instead of playing the player in, the player in possession ignores the run and recycles backwards and sideways. As time goes on that leads to less runs and sometimes no runs because what's the point, as the ball isn't going to come. Added to that as the players know the ball is going sideways nobody tries to decoy a marker to create an opening for the runner. We are completely one dimensional. Bednarek is a game killer, he is frightened to play forward. Today in the first half he played a few forward balls. Nothing in the second half. Ralph needs to reset completely starting tomorrow. His original statement was win the ball and get it forward quickly, if lost, gang up and win it back quickly. Now just get back to that. Brighton must have been delighted with our ball recycling giving them all the time in the world to mass their defence. FFS we scored our goal from a cross Dunk wasn't able to deal with. After they scored we should have been bombarding their penalty area with crosses, quick forward balls and runs. In injury time we were still recycling the ball across our back four.

That game looked like we were a team turning up expecting to pick up an easy three points and getting their pants pulled down by a side giving everything then not able to adjust. Passing the ball along the back line just helped Brighton consolidate and play on the break.

I certainly will cut them some slack. It was a pragmatic side in the circumstances. What I was annoyed with was Adam's stupidity trying to pick out Salisu on the other touchline, playing straight across our box to Mahrez. Salisu passing forward but straight to a MC player. That was two goals. Bednarek played one pass forward all night. Turning and playing backwards with McCarthy in goal with the ball usually going back to him did us no favours. Never mind his lack of saves his kicking is abysmal and mostly his passes just get us into trouble. It was right to rest players. It was good to see Adams score but he might have had a second, He really needs to pay attention and stay onside we've had several goals ruled out this season because of it. He was well offside tonight even though he could see across the pitch.

Two ways to use his pace, put the ball in behind defenders, he knocks the ball 10-20 yds past the defender and uses his pace, Close control reduces his pace. He won't be any quicker than a nippy defender that is running without the ball. Not to worry though because from his play he gets how to exploit his pace. Walcott was also very quick but rarely uses his pace as he keeps the ball too close. He was better before he went to Arsenal.

For a start, Bednarek needs a sharp kick up the backside. In the first half he had plenty of possession and just hesitated, its in his DNA, instead of taking the initiative he chickened out turned back and played a short ball back to Vestergaard etc. This happened every time he had possession. For us it was a disaster as we rely on the full backs initiating and supporting attacks. The best thing he could have done in the circumstances was put the ball down the line behind Digne and let Ings and Adams try and hunt it down then push up into the space. It is also an ongoing problem when he is centre back as he almost never plays forward always sideways or backwards. It's all very well keeping possession but not if we aren't drawing the opposition out, at least Vestergaard can hit decent long diagonal passes mostly accurately. I quite like Salisu he does a lot of good things including quickly passing forward rather than sideways. I was really unimpressed with his marking of C-L. Standing close and trying to outjump him was crass. He should have to backed off and given himself the room run and jump. A ruthless Centre Back would have piled in under the ball and poleaxed C-L in the process. It's not how brave somebody is when bullying a smaller player its how brave he is when he is going to get regularly clattered and knows it's on it's way. Our whole team game is out of shape. The balance that was there early on in the season has disappeared. Until we get KWP and Diallo back we need to adjust the shape. 4-3-3, 5 3-2, or maybe 4-2-3-1 or a variation on that, play the back 4 as a defensive line unless it is three centre backs with two wing backs. 4-2-2-2 and 4-4-2 are unbalanced by the players unavailable and the demands on the full backs. Forster was ok, Armstrong was a revelation, Vestergaard, JWP were decent. The front two were getting too little too late, feeding on scraps. Adams looks like he hasn't a clue how to read the play or when to make runs. Djenepo put in a proper shift and was brave. Bertrand was subdued and needs to step up to the plate, We were better when Bednarek and Vestergaard were reunited and more balanced with Djenepo then raiding down the right. Redmond needs a talking to. He needs to attack all out when he is forward and stop checking out. If he is going to keep doing that he needs dropping until he gets the message.

I think you sum up the problem nicely. I will add Forster seems to pass the easy balls but hits it out of sight if there is a whiff of danger, something McCarthy seems oblivious of. I also sense the defence has lost some confidence in McCarthy and are on edge. They seem a lot calmer with Forster. The other thing is with Forster's long kicking when danger threatens we don't get bogged down losing the ball as we did today and as he angles his long kicks we seem to get pressure on opponents wide way up the field. He has also kept three clean sheets against Liverpool, Arsenal and Wolves. I know what he was like until he injured his knee, He had a bit of a purple patch when we had a great undefeated run under Koeman. He completely lost his confidence after that. He went to Celtic and was brilliant. His one man performance against Rangers won the cup for Celtic. Give the man a go.

Another self inflicted defeat. The defence and management go on making the same mistakes time after time. The aimless passing at the back is a major part of our problems especially involving McCarthy. We were robbed twice leading to both goals the ball goes across the field and leads to the penalty and the second goal. Time after time we recycled the ball getting pressed tighter after every pass until we lost the ball or gave it away. I understand the theory of drawing the opposition but not with the players we have and especially with a keeper who is not a footballer and is a very poor kicker of the ball. Forster realises his limitations but somebody is bullshitting McCarthy. McCarthy has become a massive problem, he can make the flying showboating saves but he never blocks anything. The Arsenal goal went over his left shoulder and today over his right shoulder. He bends his knees and makes himself small. Forster on the other hand makes himself huge and the ball hits him. He was never going to save the penalty. He dives right so Neves watches him and goes the other way. He has to stare out the penalty taker and not be suckered. If the keeper forces the taker to have to decide late he may have a chance of saving a poor penalty. Even losing we are running down the clock at the back towards the end. our goal didn't come from drawing out the defence it came from Armstrong running wide at the defence and pulling back for Ings. All our tippy-tappy along the back four rarely creates anything clear except for the opposition. Only Vestergaard has the passing ability to pass long all the others are hopeless. McCarthy has had more than enough chances and in my opinion is only in the side because he does as he's told even when it's stupid and he's such a hopeless kicker. Forster is a much better kicker and takes less chances, Four wins and clean sheets deserves a chance not more of the same.

His contract had had a clause of a return to Liverpool, They chose not to exercise it and he joined us for £420,000 written into his contract,

Another clean sheet. His long kicking is far better than McCarthy, a good out ball into the opponents last third into the corners when seeing out the game. McCarthy has been poor of late. His brain fart against Arsenal when he came out and gave a goal away and being beaten on the near post was a nonsense. Forster deserves a game after four successive clean sheets including Liverpool.

I was a Herald captain, landed at Southampton. Met by the BA SDO, a season ticket holder, Keegan had just flown in and met by LM etc. He was told there was a news conference at the Potters Heron at Ampfield later. Everything happened as he said.. The most exciting signing in my time. The current European footballer of the year signing for Saints on a FREE.

A hundred passes across the field against nine men. I bet Newcastle couldn't believe their eyes. Stick Vestergaard up front, put the ball into the box. Intense pressure not square passing just wasting time. If Redmond checked back once he did it fifty times. Get to the bye line you idiot.

McCarthy is not a footballer, trying to use him as a sweeper is nonsense, He has hardly made a save recently. He either puts his foot through it or he sits on the bench. Forster isn't a footballer either but the difference is he knows it. He's had three clean sheets give him a go. We get ourselves into trouble time after time, there comes a time when it is getting tight to belt it long, not pass it to McCarthy.