Tommy Mulgrew

Exactly what we did under Cortese. I remember us being successful, too. Remarkable, isn’t it? How unlike us now! 😩

For those who have not yet read it, see this: https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/65411/daily-echo-hint-at-player-power-issues-in-southampton-squad

Interesting article about an interview Leo gave to Brazilian media. Seems he does not want to end his career in Brazil but wants to stay in Europe. His next goal, obviously is to get promotion to the EPL with Saints. (He might have a long wait.) As with his other interviews, he comes across well. https://sportwitness.co.uk/just-to-correct-you-southampton-player-shuts-journalist-down-then-talks-up-promotion/

Azaz has the physicality of a gnat and the speed of a sloth; he epitomises one of the major flaws of our squad. He has not so far lived up to the promise of him as a game-changer for us. Unlike Scienza and Fellowes, who both have. But they cannot do it on their own, especially if only one of them is on the pitch at the same time. The games we played before Honda was confirmed as a permanent coach were the most pleasing for several years. We were sharp and incisive and moved forward at speed, by both running with the ball at opposition players and passing incisively to willing runners attacking the oppo’s goal. We have since then lost all sense of urgency. We have stopped being a Honda team and become a Lada (or Reliant Robin) one. True, other managers have set up cleverly to negate our forward momentum but our players show no urgency at all for about an hour and a half each game. That and not merely well-coached opponents is why we look so poor. Take the last game as an example: for the first 90 minutes Millwall looked more likely to score than we did. They had more shots, more shots on target and more touches in the opposition box than we did; they moved from defence to attack swiftly and effectively. All while playing an essentially defensive game and not really looking to threaten our net much at all. Only in the last few minutes of extra time did we look remotely like scoring a goal. Only then did we resemble the free-playing, attacking team that scored for fun just a month or so ago. Now that the festive flurry of games is nearly over, the time has surely come to abandon the boring, slow, ponderous baiting of the opposition’s press and walking pace efforts of moving the ball forwards when we do occasionally break free and trust ourselves to rapidly threaten the oppo’s goal. When we do that we look like a team that everyone on here wants to support, one that plays exciting, attacking football, always looking to outscore our opponents, even if we do concede a goal or two. We have tried to protect our goal at the cost of sacrificing our attacking intent; it does not work. The present negative and turgid rubbish being served up has got us hardly any points and is alienating most fans. Ditch it, Tonda or your short-lived Championship managerial career will soon be over.

Verrry Inteeerrresting! But stupid (to rely only on a 3CB formation). Now we know that Goztepe, the premier club in the SR franchise, dictates the way that the SR feeder clubs play and so support the premier club’s achievement of Champions League participation. All hail Goztepe and SR. So sorry that almost all the posters on here are apparently wrong. ☹️

Merry Christmas everyone. ☃️❄️🍷🎄🦌🎅🏻 😇

👀. I know a Championship side who already has one of those sitting on the bench most games and many posters on its forum attributed promotion to him less than two years ago. His name is Alex McCarthy. 😇

Anything else you can share with us?

I’m curious how you know that, @Hodgey. Please tell us what you know about the probable activity in the January transfer period. Thank you in advance.

More info on (potentially) our sixth first team squad CB. You cannot have too many CBs, as Tonda is wont to repeat ad nauseam. https://sportwitness.co.uk/why-ramos-mingo-is-on-southamptons-list-a-closer-look-at-the-argentine-defender/ If scouting reports are true, he looks a promising prospect. Can he cut it in the Chamionship?

As well as looking at new keepers, we seem to be interested in a left-footed Argentinian CB, Ramos Mingo, who is 24. Reported by the 72 and SportWitness. Don’t hold your breath! https://the72.co.uk/2025/12/19/southampton-keen-bahia-santiago-ramos-mingo/ https://sportwitness.co.uk/southampton-among-four-clubs-chasing-south-american-star-interest-continuing-from-summer/

For me, how could it not be the 1976 Cup Final win against ManUre?

Sorry, but he is far from reaching the stratospheric heights of being mediocre.

I, too, would like to see what we can achieve with an extra midfielder and only two CBs. The main point of progress, however, would be if we can drastically reduce the number of crosses coming into our six-yard box - that should be possible with either 4 or 5 at the back - and play a goalkeeper who makes saves and is not afraid to come and catch or punch crosses, even if he is less assured with the ball at his feet. I have previously drawn attention to our sister club’s good performance in Turkey. Goztepe have conceded only 9 goals in 16 games; that is three, five and six better than the next-best defensive teams in the league. Goztepe play with three CBs, usually in a 3:4:1:2 formation. True, they don’t score many but surely some inter-club dialogue could take place and we might both learn from each other. An extra midfielder would give us more and better options when trying to get the ball forward quickly to our attackers and to get runners onto cut-backs in the opponents’ penalty area.

You say our defenders were all over the place whereas, according to Carragher, they should have won the game for us. Coventry might well rip us apart but we play them at home next Saturday. That’s when, again according to Carragher, our attackers will win the game for us. Our defenders will probably still be all over the place but the logic that you seem to accept suggests that the key to us winning lies not with our defence but with our attack. Nothing is ever as simple as that, however; we shall need every player to be on their game to get three points next Saturday. Sorry to be so picky, 😇🫏🐑🐓🦆🐺; I just could not understand your logic.