Tommy Mulgrew

To put Benji and others out of their misery: David Prutton married Jenny O’Neil, daughter of Brian O’Niel, who played in midfield for Saints in the 1970s. https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/brian-oneil/ We need someone like Brian right now; he would certainly liven up our games this season - at least until he gets sent off. Interesting story in that article that he never owned a pair of boots!

IMO, possession is not the answer; our experience with Martin showed us that. What we need is two proper defensive midfielders of Premier League standard in front of a back four. The trouble is we do not have those players. Of those available in our squad, LU and FD are probably the best we can do but one is too inexperienced at this level and the other is having a bad season. Aribo has deputised to the best of his ability but does not have the right skills. Cpn. Jack is definitely not the answer. Neither is Manning. Smallbone is totally the wrong type of player. We are stuffed as far as I can see unless we get two DMs in; and that will not happen. So, onwards and downwards it is, then. 😥

IMO, MLG has autistic-like skills, as you all well know. Your viewpoint to him is just as hard to understand as his is to you. Show some understanding and compassion please. MLG has said he read the whole of gio’s post before highlighting what he sees as a contradiction in its text. You either see the contradiction or you don’t; it’s not the end of the world either way. Just accept he has a right to see it as he does. I wrote about that type of thing a couple of days ago on another thread. It does not seem to have had much effect. Hence this post, which I hope you will consider in the spirit I intend. As some of us see it, at present this is beginning to become bullying again. Let it be. Just seen MLG’s latest post re an offer to Reading - we do like to collect left backs!

Oh, the memories, courtesy of the Toon. Good and bad ones in this list of past games: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fabian-schar-turns-air-blue-30846655

I am not sure whether this article has been mentioned on here before. Certainly I had not read it until now. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2k887nzlno Imagine if Ivan can repeat Gasperini’s feat here in the Premier League. A few interesting quotes: … Gasperini has learned to accept that the better he does, the quicker he loses his best players. The Goddess can thrill but she must always sell, and Gasperini is back at square one at the start of nearly every season, teaching, developing and transmitting his footballing ideals. In November it was announced for the 9th season in a row that Atalanta had closed their accounts in profit. Since Antonio Percassi became president in 2010, the club has made nearly 600m euros in capital gains. Over 400m euros of that came when Gasperini was installed as coach, proving just how well the coach has developed players into stars coveted by the biggest European teams. … Under Gasperini, Atalanta have sold a plethora of exciting talent for sizable amounts of money. Whether it be Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United for £72m, Teun Koopmeiners to Juventus for £46.1m, Cristian Romero for £42.5m or Dejan Kulusevski for £29.7m, La Dea have been well compensated for Gasperini's ability to extract talent and dedication from talented young players. … "I worked with coaches like Mourinho, Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez, but nobody like Gasperini. He taught me so much on a human, technical and tactical level," remarked Thiago Motta in 2016 when still a player for Paris Saint-Germain. … During training, my players need to struggle; those who aren't used to working hard scare me," Gasperini told the Guardian. "I had never seen such intensive pre-season training as Gasperini's with Atalanta," exclaimed Duvan Zapata. "There were moments when I thought, I simply can't do this. I can't. I'd wait 30 seconds and then go again." … A tactical genius, Gasperini's teams are instantly recognisable for their fluidity, relentless attacks, and intense and aggressive pressing. Yet in a league built upon neutralising strengths, Atalanta have rarely been exposed - in fact they appear harder to beat every season, even when playing every three days. … His ability to exploit the potential of his players while remaining faithful to his footballing ideals has ensured Atalanta's success. Players feel confident, empowered to trust their instincts but also aware that life is hard under Gasperini. … We can but dream. 😇 And that hope applies to both us fans and Dragan.

In my wallet, a no.8 was an inside right and a no.10 an inside left. So your “vice versa” is right. Happy to help.

He is still in Sheffield, playing for Wednesday tonight. I’d have thought we’d have him back in Southampton by now but apparently not. Let’s hope he gets here soon so that Ivan can run the ruler over him in the next week or so and advise SR what to do about him.

I wonder whether MLG is Tyler’s dad. Please, you guys, cut MLG some slack: he cannot help but do what he does; show some tolerance of his foibles - we have all got some idiosyncrasies. ❤️

MUSGA Make us Saints great again 😡🤬😇👍

Dom Gape signs for Shrewsbury: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c15zzkqlykzo

Poison Ivy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Poison_Ivy_Batman_Vol_3_26.png https://batman.fandom.com/wiki/Poison_Ivy sorted

Noooo. I reckon it will be 6:3 to us.

The legend returns: The Return of the King. https://saintsmarching.com/southampton-legend-pictured-st-marys-stadium-five-years-away

Saints look to field an entire team of left backs before the season ends. https://www.givemesport.com/west-ham-and-southampton-eyeing-move-to-sign-20-yo-star/

The SFC website lists 34 first team players. Today, Ivan the Terrible said “… I have 17, 18 players, maybe more, who are competitive …”. So half the squad seem to be of interest to him. Just about sums it up really. 🤔 I wonder which players are in the list and which are not.

She seems to have returned to the matchday squad several weeks ago and has spent her time since then on the bench or not even selected. So perhaps this move has been a while in the offing. If not, I reckon she has done the right thing by going to MU and trying for game time there. The MU present no. 1 goalie is Phallon Tullis-Joyce; try saying that after several beers or ciders.

I prefer my Dawns to have real double Ds. 😜

Kayi Sanda: If KS is anywhere near as good as Morgan Schneiderlin, who played for France for every age group between u16 and u21 inclusive as well as the full national team, I shall be well pleased with this new signing. Morgan came from Strasbourg, a step up from VAFC, for about £1million IIRC so I suppose £5m is OK, even if I suspect it might have been inflated for VAFC’s benefit (internal SR accounting and all that). As Chez says, we shall have to wait a couple of years to see some benefit from our outlay.

Or defensive midfielder, or attacking midfielder, or striker, or wingback, or goalkeeper, or subs. Or board of directors. Or all of the above. (And some of our fans, too.) But never in a million years any saintsweb members. 😇

Not once, not twice, not thrice but four fucking times. And SR are still here to potentially do it again in the summer. ”It’s hope that kills you” but I’m dead already.

If Juric has us as really average for the rest of the season, and if it is Premier League average, everyone on here will whoop with joy; (well everyone except maybe three or four). 😍 Dream on.

Do you mean us this time next year?

IMO Mateta was not careless or reckless and did not use excessive force but he did impede Ramsdale with contact; and Ramsdsle was not careless or reckless and neither used excessive force nor impeded Mateta with contact.

What a sad and sorry state the beautiful game has become. That and our recent and present plight is why football rarely gives me real pleasure any more. I have almost, but not quite, given up hope that Juric can rescue some hope and pride from this clusterfuck of a season. If only we could have appointed him instead of Jones after Ralph was sacked we might have been spared the nightmare of the last two years. I’d gladly have given up the joy of the playoffs for that.

Interesting thoughts on how Ivan might improve us defensively - see first link. https://totalfootballanalysis.com/team-analysis/ivan-juric-southampton-202425-tactical-analysis-tactics I think I have already put the second one on here somewhere; whatever, here it is again. https://totalfootballanalysis.com/article/head-coach-analysis-ivan-juric-201920-tactical-analysis-tactics Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all.