Saints4Prem

Not sure I mentioned Bazunu ? I just do not think the new keeper is much better and is the answer. His job is to make saves, I think he has too many mistakes in his locker. He was lucky today as the Watford player he put the ball out to should have scored and he was nearly closed down twice in his area. As most seem to agree here, the change in defence has made a difference and has really helped with clean sheets in my opinion. I am not comparing him to anyone but wish we had found a goalkeeper who could come out for crosses and command the box. I recall a double save he made when he was first here which was a shot he softly padded out to someone's head and then had to save that instead of a good clearance or catch from the first shot. Fair play if you and the others who responded think he is the answer but I hope we find someone better for next season as I suspect with our goalkeeping coaches he is unlikely to improve.

Do you mean the goalkeeper that fell over the ball last week to nearly give a goal away. Today, early in the game, he passed out to one of their players, who should of scored. He also dawdles on the ball and today was chased down by a forward twice and just about got the ball away. He also kicks the ball into touch a fair bit more than I would have expected when he kicks forward. He doesn't command the box and the only difference I can see is that going to a back four has made the defence more difficult to get through. I am not sure he is the answer going forward as it scares me every time the ball is crossed into the box.

Sorry as I attend games I do not look at the match threads and obviously I am totally wrong in everything I said before, as so many have pointed out. I now remember why I do not post much (been watching Saints for 65 years, season ticket holder but dont have a clue about football) when so many here find pleasure in attacking a fellow supporter they do not agree with.

I do not want to pick out names or go through it all, but the 120 page Gavin Bazunu thread on this forum has a large number who blame him. Totally may not have been the best word, but I do not see many of our poor defenders get picked out with as much critisism.

He seems to be the current scapegoat on here and getting the blame for our losses. The poor defence seem to get off very lightly. In my opinion he is not as poor as others make out and has earned us a few points this season starting with the save to stop Wrexham going two up at the start. Since Russell Martin came in and tried to play Pep Gaurdiola football, with players that were not good enough this club has gone downhill, again in my opinion.

Will people stop picking on the goalkeeper and totally blaming him for a very poor defence, a midfield that doesn't play forward and a lack of goalscorers. Also a poor ownership that keeps making the same mistakes on player recruitment, management and bringing the club down to a position where there is not a lot of hope of promotion this season.

Well his assessment and qualities detailed further up in this thread (or the transfer thread?) says that one of his weaknesses is commanding his box. Oops! Also if the team played forward instead of across the six yard box with many errors then Bazunu would not be the problem.

I thought that to win games you had to score more goals than the opposition? So what do SR do, get a goalkeeper in that has been on the bench and hasn't played. If I wanted to win games I would concentrate on getting an attacking goal scorer first? Secondly I would sort out the defence and if it is written in the gods that we have to have a certain quota of possession from tippy tappy backpasses, get some defenders with the quality to play that way. (Or perhaps get a quality Coach/manager that make them stop the tippy tappy and get rid of ones who can or will not change). With a defence and attacking mindset we may not have needed to replace Baz (yes I think he could do a good job if the confidence and stuffing had not been knocked out of him from the many defensive errors). We showed in the run of games/wins that the players bothered in, to get Eckhart the job, that there are some good players in the squad when they can be bothered. It needs a coach that can instil some discipline and get the best out of them. Lastly I would go and get another unproven goalkeeper from the bench somewhere else who can be thrown in front of a rubbish defence and become another target for the boo boys. It makes me wonder if SR just want to make mid table championship obscurity their own 😇

But are you injury prone ?? 😀😇

😇😀 Well, that will not catch on it is too sensible!! We haven't needed a new striker for 3 years of course. It looks to me that the priority at the moment is to bring in another poor sucker, oops meant goalkeeper to be the fall guy behind our crap defence. As for the so-called defence I am not sure Donnarumma would do much better as we tippy tappy our way mid table mediocrity. The owners do not seem to have the same priorities as most of the sensible fans on here and having been attending games for 65 years, only loyalty and hope (misguided at present) will keep me renewing my season ticket. As fans we deserve better and while on my rant it seems like player power has taken over. The players liked RM as he was all lovey dovey with them and they could play the tippy tappy stuff. I appreciate it may work with good players but ours are not Man City quality. I despair that RM was allowed to play the same way to relegation disaster after SR must have seen how it had not worked for Burnley the season before. When Will Still came in at the beginning of the season it was obvious that the players did not to change to his system and they got him out. Eckhart comes in, the players start trying and going forward. (the cheer around the ground at the first goalkick that went long showed what the fans think). Well that lasted until SR gave Eckhart the permanent job (I wonder if they had wished they waited until the New Year) then back to tippy tappy and trying, but mainly failing, to play out from the back. We need a strong manager in charge as I believe there is quality in the squad so come on Sports Republic sort out the mediocracy please.

Great save Bazuna

They cant get much shorter than 1-2 and only one bookie taking bets? https://www.oddschecker.com/football/football-specials/southampton/next-permanent-manager

I just looked on oddschecker (link below) and only betvictor look to be taking bets and they have Gary O'Neil at 2-1 on ?? https://www.oddschecker.com/football/football-specials/southampton/next-permanent-manager

I d not Blame Baz for the Stoke defeat it was mainly down to poor defending and lack of scoring goals from easy chances. Obviously the Baz bashers don't remember the great save that kept us in the Wrexham game and allowed us to gain 3 points. I also think he is trying a lot harder and has also been a lot braver, for example coming out to the ball where the Stoke guy dived and got sent off. I am not rushing to write him off yet.

I think that may be a silent R on his 😵 shirt 😀😂

Not only Harsh but extremely rude. Keep posting Christophe and apologies for C B Fry who maybe should take his own advice and not post on here

Can you imagine the 5 minute wait to celebrate the winner whilst VAR tried to find someone offside for the winner. I am with Clattenburg above on the two obvious penalties (sorry MLG and Whitey) and why no red card see the quote from him above.

Our good Friend Mark Clattenburg had his view on the penalty decisions as below. In another quote he pointed out that Jack Stevens was in a covering position so no red card but it should have been a yellow. As quoted by The Wrexham Insider, Clattenburg sympathised with Wrexham not getting an extra man advantage: "A push in the back is not a genuine attempt to play the ball so therefore the only other thing that can save Edwards from a red card is a covering defender." Honestly, the penalty whistle was correct and the 22-year-old Saint deserved some extra consequences, but what about the visitor's antics inside the box? There were handballs and player-pulls not evaluated appropriately, and if defenders should be made to overpay as above, then it's fair to acknowledge that Southampton were denied twice.

Sorry to quote some news on potential transfer gossip, perhaps it would have been more interesting for you if I made a joke about horses or something. 😇

https://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/1281798062?-11205:798 Tyler Dibling transfer to Aston Villa ?

Sorry you will need the Gelding section for that 😉(Gelding - castrated male horse)

Especially the Horse d'oeuvres

I think it is time for you all to take a break and have something to eat. Highly recommended. https://www.thefourhorseshoes.co.uk/services/eat/

Oh dear, do not under any circumstances tell anyone in Kent, but both P & O's stand for "Peninsular and Oriental". I have avoided the ferries but will try another cruise as they are totally different companies. Not sure if anyone outside Kent knew that 😀

Carnival do own "Costa" but that is a cruise line. Costa Coffee was sold to the Coca Cola company in 2019. (according to google)