Tommy Mulgrew

Quote from the Manning article on Sky Sports: (interesting that we see the same mistakes game after game and we practice the same things every day. I’ve yet to notice us dragging teams out of shape though) But I think there's a lot of our play that comes from playing out from the back that leads to chances which wouldn't be there unless we had built up. "That's about dragging teams into different shapes and different positions that they wouldn't normally be in. "We are consistent in what we believe in and we practise the same things every day. Every training session is designed to make us better on a match day and at the end of the season, I feel like things will click and we'll be out of the bottom three by then. "I think we'll be looking back and saying that it was just a tough period that we went through. It only takes one or two results to go your way and all of a sudden the picture changes a lot." 🤥

Not if they finish in 18th or 19th place. That would make one fewer promotion places from the Championship next season.

Header v Chelsea

I have explained why I think as I do. I do not expect everyone to agree. You, on the other hand, seem to like belittling those who do not think as you do. In a funny sort of way I feel sorry for you: life must be infuriating for you. If you read what I said again, you will see that I did not blame Martin for both mistakes; I blamed the system (admittedly his system) for one and AM’s apparent inability to see where Salah would get to the ball for the other. And I did not say that Rambo would not behave the same way; I am surprised that you believe that I should think that he would. I hope you get it right next time.

A lot of blame has been piled on Macca on this thread for not releasing himself from the short passing/rolling-out brainwashing mantra when he gave the ball to Fernandes before the first Liverpool goal. But he was under pressure, not only from what Martin has told him to do, by being urged by Stephens, who was standing beside him, to give the ball quickly to Fernandes. I doubt that many keepers would have done anything else given all the pre-match training and the instruction from the captain during the match. For me, Macca was not to blame for the goal; the system that the players are drilled to play was. For their second goal, I thought that Macca somehow did not realise that Salah was rushing goalwards and would easily beat him to the ball. That is the only explanation I have for why the goalie was where he was when Salah scored. If AM had stayed in or near his 6-yard box he might have prevented the goal. For the third goal, I thought Sugawara badly misjudged the flight and bounce of the ball. And we were unlucky not to get the benefit of the doubt for “intentional” handball after the ball first seemed to hit his chest before it hit his arm. I’ve seen similar ones not given. Dibling did very well for both our goals. Armstrong’s penalty was a tame effort and he was lucky that the follow-up did not ricochet away from the goal after hitting the goalie’s leg. I was pleasantly surprised that we got the penalty decision; I’ve seen similar ones not given, especially as we were playing Liverpool. I thought Suga, Dibling, Armstrong and Fernandes did brilliantly for our second goal. If only we played like that more often. And, like others, I thoroughly enjoyed TP’s efforts. Such a shame that he has been treated so shabbily so far by Selles and Martin. We did a lot better than I thought we would but gifted the win to Liverpool and came away with no points yet again. This disastrous season continues. It tries the patience of a Saint.

And we’ve got Downes and … … … . Oh, and Lesley. And Stephens. Not quite Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi is it?

Thank you for responding, gio. It seems to me that you essentially agree with those who do not share your, I would say “blind”, optimism. I asked you to explain why you believe in your optimism that playing in the way Martin wants us to play will succeed in the EPL but I think you have not even tried to do that but have instead merely reiterated your belief. My conclusion is that you are unable to justify your belief and that that belief is wrong. And that, by agreeing with those who disagree with you, you know that already and you are just stubbornly sticking to your point of view. As for your stoning point, my intention was to see the justification for your belief and was not to bring down scorn and hatred upon you. I hope that your critics have got their ire out of the way now and that they are aware of your sensitivity to some of their more extreme posts. BTW, a more flexible approach by our manager to our way of playing does not necessarily mean a change of manager but most certainly does if the present manager refuses to even adopt the flexibility that he adopted at the end of last season. Given the possibility of Martin staying here for the rest of this season, and perhaps even beyond, I expect many who post on here would welcome a less extreme and a less ever-present version of Russball - RussoRalphball, if you like.

I’m waiting for gio’s reply. So far, the silence has been deafening.

Probably explains why we got Lallana.

How do you think we shall ever be competitive in the EPL by playing unadulterated Russball, which results in few goals (for us), with players who are nowhere near as good as those in up to 19 other teams who play less extreme PB football complemented by variations of playing style that lead to goals (for them) being scored? We shall always be behind, doing our walking-pace version of chasing every game, and no more competitive as we are now. I cannot fathom how you believe we can do it.

Ibrahim Maza: 18 year-old at Hertha Berlin, apparently, not merely Endrick. https://www.footballfancast.com/southampton-plotting-january-loan-move-for-real-madrid-endrick/ Attacking midfielder. Looks promising. Seems we are planning ahead for MF’s replacement already. But … In true Saints’ style likely to cost less than his predecessor. In that way lies SR’s profits ever increasing and Saints’ ever downward league position trajectory (as if it needed any help). 🙁

Is that why she is married to you? Just asking for a friend. 😉

Two 18year-old saviours in our team. Wow! Yet another record for Saints!

We have been promoted to the first division or premier league before. Each time we stayed in that league a long time before being relegated. During that time we sometimes played well and sometimes played badly; sometimes we were exciting to watch and sometimes excruciating. Now we are tying something different: bravely trying a revolutionary way of playing with the intention of overturning the EPL world order to become one of the big boys and thus deserving of gio’s support and admiration. The trouble is that our way of playing is not revolutionary at all: plenty of other teams do it, and much better than us, too. And those teams play with a pace and intensity that we can only dream of; and they vary their style to suit the opposition and the occasion. We do not do that; we play an exaggerated version of possession football, which reduces our ability to score and thus win games or draw them. Without wins or draws, we do not accumulate enough points to avoid certain relegation. How can us non-believers get excited by ploughing a lonely but brave furrow if all it does is give us a worse chance of survival in the premier league than we would have if we were to play to the strengths of our squad of players and try to win games and hence stay in the EPL, where most of want to play for as many seasons as possible? Absolutely barking mad.

Nobody has yet posted this from yesterday so I thought that I would: https://saintsmarching.com/southampton-jan-bednarek-speaks-openly-mental-health-matters Good to hear him conquering his demons.

Anyone else noticed tightness in Portsmouth bottoms or front bottoms? 🤪

And, what is more: one of the style of play points, “aggression”, which might be regarded by some as a positive trait, is merely a propensity to suffer red or yellow cards by giving away fouls; it has nothing whatsoever to do with a high level of commitment to winning the game. So, another weakness, then!

The Russell Martin effect so far, according to WhoScored.com: + Strengths (Team has no significant strengths) - Weaknesses Finishing scoring chances Weak Defending against long shots Weak Defending against through ball attacks Weak Protecting the lead Weak Aerial duels Weak Avoiding individual errors Very Weak Defending set pieces Very Weak Stopping opponents from creating chances Very Weak Southampton's Style of Play Short passes Possession football Attacking down the right Aggressive Playing in their own half © WhoScored.com

That article reads as though we shall loan-out GB in January and get him back in the summer for pre-season before starting next season with him as our number1. Yet another fine mess we’re in, then.

Now that Ramsdale has put his finger up to Russ and got it unfortunately damaged (remedial op on Wednesday, apparently), we have the prospect of Macca in goal for a game or two or three. The last time Macca played a few games last season, we cut out much of the fannying around in our penalty area and became more direct as a result and therefore got promoted. Perhaps we might surprise one or two of the top clubs we play soon - clutches straw - and Russ stays longer than he otherwise would. I’m not sure that I really want us to do well while Rambo is injured after all. 🤔

RVN now available - has left MU.

But, when we played them, we got nowhere near Brentford. Anyway, except for Man City, we don’t copy anyone; (we have to be different): no bravery in doing that. How can we be proud every week if we merely copy what Fulham do? Fluke goals are not for us, no sireeeeee; we just have to score a perfect goal each and every time. And if we manage to walk it into the net after a slow build-up in which 11 different players touch the ball that counts for double and increases the value of our possession %age by 10 whole points. “That’s the way to do it”. 😇

I note how many fewer goals the women concede than the men (I know the quality of female attackers is different). How about swapping coaches? 😉

If true that we are after Lewis O’Brien, we seem to be preparing in long-term planning mode: preparing for league 1 the season after next. ☹️

At one point you could see TP gesticulating animatedly to our defenders to get the ball out to the right wing and for the winger/wingback to get it up the pitch and cross it into the Stoke penalty area. Quite comical really. Who would have thought that our players would need on-pitch instruction on how to attack the opposition’s goal. It was definitely needed, though, and I commend him for the coaching lesson. But it had f*ck all effect, even though we were supposedly pressing for the winning goal. Thank heavens for James Bree.