austsaint

One difference appears to be the confidence Pochettino has in the lad. I’ll back his judgement in. Still think we need a better strike force than Downs, Stewart, Archer and Arma though.

You make many good points. I’d be very happy to see both Armstrong and Archer stay. I see a big risk though in going in to the new season with a strike force of AA, CA, Downs and Stewart. What if Downs doesn’t make the grade or takes time to adapt and Stewart succumbs to another injury? I think we need another striker…..sure a Mitrovic or a Toney is unlikely but hopefully Spors has knowledge of a gettable target who is likely to both complement and improve what we already have.

You’re right. I see the argument for only one of Archer or Armstrong, although I’d be happy to keep both. If it’s one or the other, I choose Archer; with the right supply ( not the likes of Will Smallbone) he can have an outstanding season. Stewart may be handy if he stays fit, but that can’t be relied upon. Despite BBD’s record in the Championship he’s got an awful record with us and I’d be happy to see him go. That leaves the possibility of Downs as the up and coming central striker and the need for one other…..and it has to be a “star quality” signing at Championship level. We need a star factor strike force to achieve what’s needed and wanted. Automatic return to PL.

Good news if Harwood-Bellis stays; still have a faint hope of MF staying - thinking of a reprise of the Morgan Schneiderlin situation where he gave us that extra season. Fernandes is far too good to play Championship; but maybe he will.

Indeed, ended up putting considerable egg on the faces of Levy and Mourhino. One of my favourite Saints players of the last 20 years. Loved watching his silky skills. Respected his willingness to stay after the relegation and appreciated his qualities as a good bloke/decent human being. Go well KWP.

Why not have all three of them and be rid of Smallbone and Aribo?

As a judge of players, you make an excellent Administrator. Perhaps you should do more administrating?

What I believe to be true is that Martin couldn’t wait to bin a young, talented midfielder like Alcaraz off in favour of a not so talented midfielder named Smallbone who Martin described as making him very happy whenever he was on the pitch. That told me everything about Martin’s judgement concerning recruitment and retention of players.

He could. I remember the astonishment as each week of the transfer window 12 months ago passed and KWP was still here. Fernandes staying would be equally miraculous; it would give the whole Club a huge boost. If he is to be sold, I hope the Club stay firm with a valuation of at least 40 million pounds. Even at that price, the buying Club would be well rewarded.

The three (or six I suppose) most satisfying wins next season would be Pompey, Leicester (if Russell gets the job) and Charlton…. in that order.

I could see him as next seasons “super sub” , our own Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

There were a couple of hiccups early in Mane’s Saints career, yet you could see very early on that he was a special talent. From memory it was an early game v Arsenal where he drew a penalty; made several attacking runs and troubled the Arsenal defence. He remains among the very top Saints players in my 35 years watching the Club. Sulemana divides opinion, but given his transfer fee, has been disappointing….. he’s more than a sprinter with a trick though. Watching his spirited performance on Sunday, it was notable that no other Saints attacking player could keep up when he made several counter attacking runs. Despite what some posters claim, he was wilfully overlooked by Manager Martin. Given that Will Still knows Sulemana well, it wouldn’t surprise if he remained and played the Championship season. He may yet, belatedly repay some of that record transfer fee. He’s no Sadio Mane though.

I’m wondering how new manager Still is going to decide who goes, and who stays. I’m assuming he hasn’t seen many Saints games to base his opinions on. Who does he take advice from; how many video replays does he watch? Will he try to convince a gem like Fernandes to stay. I’ll be majorly disappointed if players like Bree, Manning and Smallbone are in the frame to be starters, or even on the bench when August comes around. How the new manager sorts out the many average players on our books is going to be his first major test.

Kreist almighty Farmer; there can’t be much happening on the estate at the moment. I’ll have to clean out my old storeroom in search of my trusty old Oxford Dictionary to see if it’s worth having a semantic tussle with you.

Oh no, not the dreaded “I question your Football knowledge” from the Footballing oracle, Farmer Saint. I actually said, the squad measured up to Leeds and Leicester; nowhere did I claim they were better. Team selections; tactics and style of play adopted by RM were other reasons many supporters weren’t happy with the Manager.

It was a pretty good achievement. My complaint with Martin is what he did (or didn’t do) following promotion. He made a virtue of the scar tissue associated with the squad he inherited, yet he showed a derelict naïveté in thinking the squad he shaped for the Prem could be competitive. His legacy is tainted by the shocking squad he assembled for the Prem and the ridiculous style of play he dogmatically stuck to.

Yet we finished 9 points and an inferior goal difference from the automatic places. Plenty of glitches alongside the famous run.

The quality of the squad in the Championship was not poor. It measured up favourably to Leeds and Leicester. The squad was shit in the PL, largely because Martin didn’t have the judgement to re-shape a competitive squad last summer. Following the Wilcox departure he had considerable say in recruiting and retention. The result?…… players of the calibre of Manning, Smallbone, Wood, BBD, Arma, Stephen’s were Martin’s picks to give the Prem a red hot go.

The promotion was wonderful, and of course Martin deserves credit, even if you could argue it was a harder won thing than might have been achieved by another Manager, given the quality of the squad. I’d say Martin created a shitshow following the promotion, rather than inherited one. S. Clarke’s forensic summary above details many reasons why he won’t be fondly remembered by many Saints supporters. Should he be given the Leicester job, I hope he comes in for Manning, Wood, Smallbone, Fraser, Bree and Bazunu. The least he could do for us in the circumstances!

Not so much “on the beach” as lost at sea.

Surprised Aribo is starting ahead of Ugochukwu.

Wellington is a good LB, and like Downes, is exactly the sort of player we need in the Championship. Will be In the top bracket of players lining up in the division. Manning would be ok backup, no more…..Wellington is by far the more gifted player.

I believe Downes is a cricket pitch in front of Aribo, and two cricket pitches better than Smallbone. But your observation is correct; we were vulnerable in CM during Martin’s Championship tilt and hopelessly exposed in the Prem.

Quite a few have praised Stewart, but I couldn’t see a player we should be putting much faith in next season. A lumbering type, without speed - not much of a hold up game. The run he made resulting in the correct non penalty ruling, was courtesy of an inch perfect KWP pass; Stewart had time to launch a shot but dithered and gave the CB time to recover. Not for the first time this season our subs weakened the team while Fulham’s did the opposite. The arrival of Traore exposed the defensive frailties of Manning and upped the Fulham pressure for most of the second half. Downes and Ugochukwu did well. You’d have to hope Downes is with us next season, and Chelsea are going to be returned a much improved young midfielder in Les. No surprise Ramsdale, KWP and Fernandes were Saint’s standouts again.