Tommy Mulgrew

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.

Sorry, no. I think it was a viaplay one but I think you cannot now watch the Saturday matches.

I think you’ll find they will be in the squad in the Championship next year: hardly a massive waste; more like a wastelet. It strikes me that Macca is much better than Rambo in coming for crosses and generally commanding the goal area. Perhaps not so for near-post shots, though. Looking forward to see how he does against Stoke on Tuesday. Ditto BBD.

Indeed, he said it again yesterday after the match and seemed proud and brave to have done so. In his speech, no sign of the pragmatism that he displayed in the play-offs last season. But I have to say that I believe that I can detect a more direct evolution of our usual slow and ponderous way of playing out from our goal area in the last couple of games. We now seem to play a lot more on the break than we have done hitherto. And that is not just because MC dominated possession against us. What we need to do in the forthcoming games is to dominate possession much further up the pitch, well away from our goal. It was notable that yesterday we seemed happy to fanny about with the ball in our penalty area, let alone merely in our half, whereas MC were determined to dominate possession only in our half. Hence the game being played almost entirely in our half of the pitch. We defended heroically for the most part but we’re fortunate to escape with only a 1:0 defeat. I have watched a Dutch stream of the match and at half-time the commentators spent most of the break analysing the mistakes in our attempts to pass our way up the pitch. It lasted a lot longer than Walcott’s analysis of our successful attempts. I hope we go into the Stoke and Everton games with confidence and a willingness to play with pace and more directly forward to the three furthest-forward players.

That is a seriously good result for a team playing over an hour with 10 men against a big-name team unbeaten in the first eight games.👏 30% possession, 19 shots and 7 on target v. 70%, 14 and 3. Stoilov obviously does not believe in Russball. The two promoted teams are 5th and 6th after 9 games. I wish it were like that in this country. BTW, until now I did not realise that Lis is captain. Juan played 70 minutes and Victor Hugo was subbed-on at 94 minutes.

Really? I have to say that from what I have seen so far the reverse is true. And we are much, much better at this style than when we started. The problem is that the style is shite. And you mention courage. I rather think that doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result is insanity. And the longer he is here, the less likely we are to win a game. IMO, of course. (I’m now half expecting us to beat Citeh.) Good try, though, Gio. 👏

Just like us, England women shoehorn their Captain,Williamson, into the no6 shirt, and with much the same result as with us, in the first half v. Germany. But, look who Germany have at no6! (Sorry, I had to laugh.) 😀

Mbappe or Lewandowski on a player-coach basis for the rest of the season. Just what the doctor ordered. 😜

He was an unused sub away to Dagenham on Tuesday. Vokins was subbed on in the 92nd minute and provided the assist for the equalising goal. Good to see the club doing so well under Kelvin.

Lyanco lasted the whole 95 minutes without getting a yellow or red card. I think he might have been more of a right-sided CB in a 3:4:2:1 formation, with Scarpa (nice name) as RWB. Athletico won 3:0. Football gains from characters such as him, whether he plays for your team or not. I enjoyed his time here even though he was frustrating at times. Good luck to him in the second leg, hopefully final and beyond.

Ah! So, we’re majority owned by the Serbian Baldrick. Now it all makes sense. And our Rasmus is Rowan Atkinson in disguise. So, the suggestion of Frank Spencer is not so silly after all. I now know why SR find it all so difficult. 😇

Sulemana had just walked slowly forward towards the edge of the area, while other defenders had rushed forwards, and therefore played (I think two) Leicester players onside. Just saying - I don’t blame Sully for the defeat. That was down to RM’s failure to set us up defensively and to bring on the right subs. And, secondly, inept and apparently biased referring. As already mentioned dozens of times on here already.

Serious injury for Fleetwood player. 4 goals scored in injury time. Saints win 4:1.

VAFC lost 2:0. Took off 2 defenders and brought on 2 midfielders in 88th minute when 1:0 down to a 29th minute goal and, very Saintsily conceded a goal at 90+4 to lose 2:0. No doubt Christophe will explain how the game went.

Right, Alex Clapham it is then. “RA, on the phone straight away and get him in pdq.”

Blimey: SRL certainly has a sizeable beer belly.

IMO, the squad we have now is no worse than the one that Ralph had and he managed to keep us up, mostly by some margin. Unless Martin changes his apparently preferred style of ponderous passing the opposition (and crowd) to death - almost entirely in our half of the pitch - I have no doubt that we shall get relegated. So far, he has given no indication that he will. Given Ralph’s example, another manager could very well keep us up. It is definitely worth a try. Even though your record of appointing managers so far is dismal, come on SR, roll the dice. 🙏