derry

Yes I can see him still scuffing the shot to the keeper and the ball being hoofed into our half. That stupidity was the difference in staying up or going down. We ought to pay particular attention to intelligence when recruiting. I have a theory that because of the US College system the US will eventually dominate world football. It will take a decade or more but eventually they will attain the same dominance as the US women already have.

Saints players in the main I think are basically thick which is a large part of our problem. Last night in the dying seconds of injury time a player who is an international, played in a winning European Championship team acted like a complete idiot. He had the ball about thirty yards from the corner on the touchline, what did the idiot do, no, he didn't get into the corner or even pass to somebody close for them to get into the corner he lofted the ball into the centre of the field in front of Norwich defenders who immediately counter attacked ending in the two shots that finally was shot over. We could easily have conceded there. Cedric is a clown. He or the ball should have gone into the corner to try and see the game out by playing off defenders for more throwins and corners like proper teams do. The previous week he only had to trip over the ball to give Obefimi a tap in instead he blasted it. Memories of Long in a similar position was touched by a defender went to ground and the defender came away with the ball and Watford scored with seconds left. All he had to do was knock it into the corner and chase it down. Last night for the Norwich goal he was close enough to Tetty in the centre of the field to either tackle him or stop him but because he was in the middle of the field saw no danger so didn't bother. One pass later it was in our net. Top players in top teams don't have this mindset they are battle hardened and know what to do to deprive the oppositon of any advantage. Our players are paid millions but play like rank amateurs.

I've just linked to the bt booster on the smart hub app and the picture was perfect. The firestick wasn't as good but watchable none the less with no buffering.

I watched on a Samsung smart tv 4K, The Prime app on the smart hub gave good quality reception. The firestick on the same tv wasn't quite as good. I also put it on my laptop for comparison and found that the TV was about 45 secs behind the lap top, excellent picture. I was using the Bt internet smart hub about three rooms away, the signal quality was showing marginal. I'm just about to link the tv etc to the Bt booster that I have about 6ft from the tv which showed an excellent signal. I couldn't be bothered to try and link it last night.

Nothing like seeing what you want to see, the first chance was a pass behind him he did well to get something on it and Foster just managed to touch it onto the bar, not too bad an effort at all. The second the ball was shin height and a better touch would have scored. He just didn't make a good enough contact. Ings missed one completely against MU trying to use his preferred foot. It's the way it goes in football.

That's a very fair comment. He has been appalling in the majority of games this season and not alone. However I have noticed a bit more dynamism in the last two games. One point I will make to those praising his goal scoring which is misleading. He has effectively scored a solitary goal from play in about sixteen games. The others, a missed penalty and a lucky rebound off the keeper that fell kindly for him, a good penalty and a solitary goal from virtually every free kick within range this season. Yes a good vital goal on Saturday but he isn't the master dead ball specialist that some are making him out to be and certainly not a goal threat during normal play.

Who cares except Watford, they really deserved it to turn against them because of the cheating punched goal two seasons ago and the ref and linesman ruling out Austin's perfectly good goal last season because the linesman thought it hit Yoshida from the touchline. It was a yard away and not in the goalkeepers eyeline. Both of those decisions could have relegated us. We deserved a bit of luck against them.

Whether it's derogatory or not is none of your business. We are not having politically correct thought police on here. If you want to exist on here then live and let live. If you don't like it and it upsets you do the logical thing and frequent a more correct forum. It's none of my business either, I saw it and ignored it which is what any grown up would have done.

Good result. Two goals. **** the handball, I saw the punched goal two seasons ago and the disallowed goal last season that didn't go within a yard of Yoshida as he went backwards away from the ball. **** them. Now to the nitty gritty. Bertrand, mostly ok but caught ball watching again and missed the mark dropping off, needs to turn square so he can see ball and opponent. Cedric was poor and got us into too much trouble, Valery next game for me. Bednarek okayish, Somebody needs to lock them in a room and ream them out especially Stephens. They are defenders first and foremost they are not ****ing ball players. I lost count of the short passes cut out by the pressuring opposition that also includes JWP and PEH. FFS under presure put your boot through it into the corners and let our forwards chase it down. If it goes out of play,so what, no danger there. All sorts of problems playing square and backwards and bringing an uncomfortable keeper into it under pressure. We have enough quick forwards, as soon as we have the ball get it forward to them, cut out the backwards and sideways, we're not Man City we're Southampton so recognise the limitations and get the ball into areas where we can hurt the opposition. If we can't pass it forward, miss out the midfield and put the opposition under pressure.

It's all right folks stand down, it's in hand, due to start 3rd Feb. That's what usually happens and coincides with our urgency on transfers.

The clockwork mouse yet again. It's obviously his work rate, pace and power added to his tactical nous, goal a game dead ball delivery, unbeatable in the air and frightening in the tackle. Undroppable obviously.

Peter East. I found him really good. Cut his teeth on local football.

That's how Lallana was playing at the time, not long after that he played against Norwich at SMS, Worked his socks off, tracked his opponent and really never looked back. He obviously was well advised by somebody. He was in danger of becoming a peripheral player unless he upped his game. The rest is history.

I'm not anti Romeu but he's lost his way, He's not playing anything in midfield, all over the show, needs to reset and sit in front of the back four. I don't rate the ball watching Stephens as a center back but it's high time we tried him as a holding midfielder, his passing is better than Romeu. we just can't carry on with the present way of playing with JWP playing every second. He has to go to up the tempo. Throws are another issue, instead of waiting for somebody to take it, first to the ball takes it to nearest player immediately everybody else keeps moving. At the moment when ever and where ever we get a throw everything stops.

Again, it is the players but that's not the end of it. To get a team that is greater than the sum of the parts it needs blending, It's like building a house with the footings on top of the walls so to speak. There is no shape, how could there be with three center backs that show no conception of playing as a three. The full backs wrongly selected. The clockwork mouse in midfield doing nothing just living for the dead ball situation which he exploits once in a blue moon. Shapeless midfield with no bite or perceptive passing ability, Up front, I feel sorry for them living off scraps but still capable of keeping us in the game. The Squad is what it is. Ralph needs to grasp the problem and rework the shape and try and get players into positions where they are comfortable and can blend with the natural shape. You can't pick a team just using the shape you have to look at what the players can do, then put them into a shape that gets their natural best out of them and complements their colleagues. Personally I think Macarthy Valery Bednarek Yoshida Bertrand, Stephens, Ings and Armstrong, Boufal Adams Djenepo. would be a start. I think they could play a lot better than the shot away out of position pedestrian team Ralph is selecting.

That's a given, It's the way his teams are supposed to play. He needs to identify players that can fit in, JWP out is a first must or whatever he does won't work.

Personally, despite being a season ticket holder, I was fed up with the way we were playing and have been playing since Koeman left, After the Bournemouth game I took a break. I missed Leicester and Everton but watched both games live. Watching on TV gives less of a wide view but with replays gives a better view of what just happened. When Ralph came he sounded like another Pochettino. That might be the case however we haven't seen any evidence yet. He can however sort this present squad out. It's slow buildup and it's obsession with possession leads all the way back to Puel he needs to sort that immediately. How, immediately leave out JWP because he is obsessed with possession, Saturday 35 passes 86% completion, No shots from play, NO TACKLES FFS, Poor corners, slow and no forward runs, I rest my case there. Play Valery and Bertrand with two center backs with Stephens as a holding midfielder with a brief to pass forward quickly. Armstrong maybe Hojbjerg (I'm really tempted by the hardworking Ings and make him Captain) in midfield then three from Ings, Djenepo, Redmond, Boufal, Adams, Long, Obefemi. Why would I be tempted by Ings in midfield. He works his socks off, isn't the quickest up front but has a nose for goals and makes good runs and perceptive passes. He can tackle. Ideal for running in behind and breaking the defensive line from midfield. Armstrong likewise. Hoijbjerg runs and chases but his passing is woeful, Again if Ings and Armstrong were breaking out of midfield with Adams up front and two of Djenepo, Boufal and Redmond it would give us pace and the ability to press the opposition. The instruction has to be always pass the ball forward, or hit the corners for the forwards to chase it down if nothing obvious, play a high tempo and cut out the comfort zone passing. Lose the ball swarm to get it back. In a word fundamentally change the way we play and put in the players that buy into it. It isn't beyond the wit of man to get it done, doing nothing isn't an option. Anybody who thinks it is needs to go.

I'm not sure he is that committed. Last season he was left out of the squad, he left St Mary's at just before 2.30 jumped into a car and drove off South. He ran across in front of our car. Obviously not interested enough to stay and support his team that is making him a multi millionaire.

Ronald's right hand man with Holland.

I think I'd take them away for a week in tents cooking their own food and doing the Lympestone RM obstacle and training regime every day. It might not make them better footballers but by God they wouldn't want to go back there any time soon. If money and persuasion won't cut it, the fear of the pain might.

JWP, made 35 passes, 86% completion backwards and sideways five yard passes FFS, Made NO tackles, For God's sake how did he manage that with the amount of time Everton were attacking. One Shot, a ****ing free kick. His corners were poor and lacked control. I'm not an analyst, the club must be ignoring what anybody who watches him can see, he is a liability. He is a big part of the problem bringing the defence into play to pass sideways and backwards.

Not a bad shout, has something about him. Why not go the whole hog and play him in midfield alongside Armstrong in front of Stephens with three from Djenepo, Adams, Redmond and Boufal up front. Compared to the last four games it couldn't be worse and give us some balance and attacking pace.

I've just checked the rules and Bertrand will be available for the Arsenal game provided he is fit. Yellow cards only are competition specific whilst Red cards are covered by all three competitions. So MC twice and Everton completes his three match suspension. Now pick a proper team, no excuses.

Until January it is what it is. So where do we go from here. IMO break it all down to basics so start from scratch. Firstly identify those with character and a bit of pace. Macarthy in goal is easy. Bertrand at left back is a no brainer, Bednarak, Yoshida, Danso, Stephens, Vestergaard, two of them have got to play. Personally Valery at Right back. We need a holding midfielder not a Romeu all over the place type. Stephens maybe as he could be a defensive playmaker that can play balls over defenders out to the wings. Either Romeu or Hojbjerg could play in midfield with Armstrong. Up front three from Ings, Djenepo, Redmond, Boufal, Adams, Obafemi, Long. Maybe try Ings, Adams and Djenepo with Redmond and Boufal as alternatives. I know it's clutching at straws but that gives me something like. Macarthy, Valery Bednarak Yoshida or Danso Bertrand, Stephens, Armstrong Hojbjerg or Romeu, Djenepo Adams Ings. Not ideal but a lot better than the bizarre selections lately. Danso could be an alternative to Stephens but I've not seen enough of him to form an opinion either way. Romeu isn't a holding midfielder he needs a partner because he roams around. That's not to say he couldn't discipline himself to hold. Any other suggestions. I hate what JWP does in slowing everything down. This team has to be aggressive, high tempo and get the ball up front quickly with runners from midfield getting into the box. I'd be interested in any better suggestions.

Ralph gave JWP the captaincy, he is the biggest problem we have, if Ralph can't see it then get rid of him, because until he does or he goes we are useless as long as JWP is in midfield..