austsaint

Agree with this - for long periods it was Derby who showed greater speed, link up play and goal threat. Their CB Tomori looked head and shoulders above any CB we have and young Wilson looks a Prem player in the making. Once again Romeu had too much to do in midfield; Moi improved in the second half but his lack of composure and touch were glaringly obvious. Redmond improved the side yet managed to fritter away two goal opportunities. Gunn showed tonight why McCarthy has to be first choice for the immediate future, while Ramsay showed a lot of promise.

DT - get off Lemina's back - or tummy, or whatever else is ailing him. He has been consistently among our best players this season, along with Romeu, PEH, Ings and Redmond. Your comment about him makes no sense.

Why not sell Ward-Prowse? And keep one of our best players.

Quite right - like paying too much for a house which becomes expensive to maintain and can't easily be sold on. Reed's legacy will live on at Saints for quite a while given there others who were expensive, are expensive and almost impossible to sell/move on ie Forster.

It's incredible really that Long (good guy and hard worker though he is) has been at SFC for what, 4 seasons? If we survive again this season withe strike force of the last three seasons or so it really will be a minor miracle.

With respect, what you write is nonsense.

I thought Romeu had to cover for him most of the afternoon. Covered a lot of ground but not really to the team's advantage in attack or defence. He seems to run beside or close to opposition players but not tackle, harass or intercept. Good penalty and a few good corners. Not a CM/DM in my opinion.

Have to query a couple of your ratings, was Targett really magnificent today? And Ward-Prowse 8? Took the penalty well but left a lot for Romeu to do. Surely Stephens was better than a 7 - all three CBs were excellent, especially Vestergaard. I must say I didn't see Slattery shore up the midfield either; he looked a bit flat footed - Romeu ran the midfield - on his own.

Romeu's performamnce the equal of anything I've seen - he was a one man midfield today; protected the 3 CBs and tackled, harassed and passed well for 94 minutes - colossal. Heroic win, well organised and defended for their lives.

Will play a lot better and not be 2 up at half time. Even before Valery's dismissal we were being overrun in midfield - Romeu is basically on his own. oing to be a long second half.

Ok.....Sims in my view is a better winger/right sided attacking player than Elynoussi, or Long, who has been played there, or Ward-Prowse who has been played there. I'd rather Sims played as a support striker to Ings than the present versions of Austin and Long, particularly given Ralph's stated preference for a pressing style forward - Austin gives none of that quality and Long can only provide an attacking press and not much else. Reed is a better DM, CM option than Ward-Prowse in that his tackling, mobile pressing style is more effective and his distribution at least the equal of JWP's recycle, safe approach.

poorer than poor.

Sims and Reed are better players than at least 3-4 players in our current squad.

I'd rather Redmond up front with Armstrong and Sims - Long really isn't a start-the-game proposition. Is Lemina fit? If so, he should replace Ward-Prowse.

Would love QPR to pick up Austin; give them Long as well.

Well done Steven Davis - quality person and damn good player at his peak.

To be fair Ginge, a couple of years ago you accused me of a hate campaign against JWP because I expressed a different opinion about him - ie that I doubted he would become an England Captain at senior level, or become a top Prem player, or ever live up to the considerable hype he attracted at the time. I think my last reply to you was, "let's see where his career is in a couple of years time". Some of the comments about JWP from the people you are responding too are doubtless, a little over-the-top but the criticism of players like Ward-Prowse, Long, Austin over a period of time is now by any assessment, accurate.

Agree with your assessment. The only optimism I have is Ralph, who stands out as a quality manager and coach; surely those who argued the squad was top ten and too good to be relegated must see how bare the cupboard is. RH must see how awful Long and Austin are as attacking players; he must see how poor Hoedt, Targett, Vest, Stephens and Elynoussi are. He must see the limitations of Ward-Prowse. Whatever happens in this window, if Ralph keeps us up and is allowed to re-shape SFC we will all be in his debt.

Lemina is a very good midfielder. Enjoy him while he's still a Saint.

It is a bit hard to believe given Kreuger presided over a sinking ship for 2 years while defending the appointment of Pellegrino long after it was credible to do so. However, let's enjoy the Ralph H. era irrespective of whose idea his appointment was.

You have posted much bunkum Glasgow but you're on the money with this effort.

Perhaps not as scathing as you but I too have my doubts about Armstrong - thought he was lightweight and something of a passenger yesterday. I doubt he will make the grade now Ralph is on board. He strikes me as a poor man's Steven Davis when Davo was in his prime.

It's a very good question - hard to believe that Ralph K. has identified RH. Who is the person deserving of a very big tick?

He is not a rubbish player; but he is an extremely limited one, who has had more opportunities than most young players could dream of - all for very little impact. He must be moved on; he hasn't got the game to fit into Ralph's way of playing.

Yes, would love to see him back - playing where Armstrong is at the moment. Under Ralph I think we would see a much improved Boufal.