austsaint

I read it was a heart attack. Very sad news - a brave trailblazer for black footballers and sportspeople in the 70s and 80s. The crap he must have put up with is shameful to look back on.

It felt like a defeat though didn't it?

Explain to me again why Boufal shouldn't be given a start?

Already diagnosable - clear case of cognitive disorder with delusional decision making deficit.

A few straws being tightly clutched there me-old-Lord.

Indeed, play both. More than ever Saints need their best players on the pitch - and that includes Hojbjerg, Lemina, Romeu and Boufal.

Probably the same reason Boufal wasn't chosen - our Manager can't see what most others do.

I wonder how Ralph will keep in touch with our little Club when he's back in Vancouver?

True what you say, yet Pellegrino could have made changes to address the Watford tactical changes. He could have played 3 CBs bringing on Bednarek and replacing one of the attacking players who faded out of the game ie Tadic or Ward-Prowse; he could have shored up the midfield much earlier by replacing Davis with Lemina and keeping Romeu higher up the pitch and finally he could have brought on Boufal to give Watford something to think about as our attackers had put the cue in the rack 2nd half. Yes, Watford responded and showed greater desire and work rate, but our Manager could have acted much earlier.

You've put it well. He must go now. Reactive and passive sum him up - the game was there for the taking but the Manager didn't have the guts to be proactive and tried to protect what he thought he had.

That was as "on your knees capitulation" in the second half as you'll ever see. Yes, their equaliser should have been disallowed, but why did our Manager wait so long to try and wrest the momentum and energy back? Lemina was the right change for Davis, but both Tadic and Ward-Prowse were completely uninvolved in the second half but our Manager waited until the 93rd minute to make those two attacking changes, even though we had completely retreated in the second half and handed the initiative to Watford. Pellegrino just has to be removed.

Touche. Hard to trump that.

Are you allowed to say our multiple goal scorer has faded out of the game - Boufal or Sims to turn the tide.

It's the type of positive change I would like to see - let's hope our Manager thinks the same way.

Wait until Glasgow hears the news from Carnoustie.

Enjoy it; pray we don't throw it away, but don't think we've suddenly become a complete, well managed team.

One of the differences has been Shane Long showing dash and control down the flanks and providing JWP with two side footed opportunities to score, the second via Tadic from Long. I hope this doesn't mean Pellegrino is off the hook.

Hojbjerg immense - Romeu good as well.

Absolutely.

I'm a JWP critic, but that was a cool finish - Long did JWP's job down the right, and Prowsey did Long's in finishing.

Yes, I grant you Cedric is good bombing forward with pace and width, even if his crossing is hit and miss, but what value does JWP offer with Cedric? We don't get the run and interplay Boufal and Bertrand offer on the opposite flank. So I'm saying let's team up Cedric with someone like Sims - more pace and width and plenty of run from both.

I'll take up your question about Sims. I see him playing wide right where JWP has been playing regularly - without much impact in my opinion. Sims would add pace and width which we get with Boufal and Bertrand, but don't get with JWP and Stephens/Cedric. Do you really think that passage of play at Anfield resulting in Sims playing in Long to wrap up the game didn't stamp him as PL ready?

I'd like to see him in that right wide spot JWP has been occupying. Hesketh could also be effective playing in and around Gabbi and Boufal with protection from Lemina and Hojbjerg. It's a bit of left field thinking (or right in this case) that's going to free up our turgid attacking play.

I think he could have included Long, Tadic, Davis (decline related) and Ward-Prowse in the under performing/not-good-enough category. Interesting to note the comments about Boufal being sought by other Clubs; I'm not surprised - he would be much more effective with better attacking team mates.

So would I. And with the money we would save - sack Pellegrino, without further delay.