kwsaint

Think that we will need a minimum of 38 points to stay up. There are a lot of teams on around 1 point/game - from Watford downwards. The table isn't as spread out as normal. All will be scrapping like mad so will pick up points. WBA look gone but it could be any two from 7 or 8 teams. So we need 12/13 points from 11 games. No idea where they are going to come from. Stoke and Bournemouth at home are must wins - can only hope that we pick up a couple of away wins.

Was at the game last night. Never known SMS so quiet. Wasn't much in the way of booing, other than half-hearted at the end of each half. Everyone seems resigned to the inevitable. Everything so slow and ponderous. Not just Davis - everyone. We spent virtually the whole game passing the ball in front of Brighton, not getting anywhere. It's mainly down to poor tactics and coaching - plus a complete lack of confidence. We have 5 home games left and 8 away. 3 of the home games are against big six teams - although not sure about Chelsea after last night. Just feels like a relegation season - no fight, just quietly going down. I think that we have a summer of upheaval to look forward to, both on and off the field. Just hope that we can stabilise in the Championship. Going to be tough to get out of it as there are a number of sizeable clubs in that league.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoIwJjdhN4w

1/12 for BvB is intuitively too low. For example, Man C have an equal chance of playing any of the other 15 teams, 3 of which are 'big'. So 1/5 chance of Man C playing another big team Way to work it out is to take one of the big teams. Odds of them getting a small team is 12/15. Then pick another big team. Odds of them getting a small team once the first tie is fixed is 11/13. The pick another big team. Odds of them getting a small team is 10/11 (2 ties already fixed). So the chances of all of the big teams avoiding other big teams is 12/15 * 11/13 * 10/11. Which simplifies to 8/13.

Ignoring who are the home and away teams, there are actually 2,027,025 ways of pairing up the 16 teams in the 5th round draw (15 x 13 x 11 x 7 x 5 x 3) I made it that the odds of the four 'big' teams all avoiding each other in the draw was 8/13 - just under 2/3. So still more likely than any of them playing each other. I think that the myth around heating up the balls started in Scotland, when they were supposed to do this in the later stages of the Scottish cup to keep Rangers and Celtic apart. I think that it's just that people like conspiracy theories rather than accepting the simple truth - FA cup drawers are random, Diana's death was a terrible accident, Obama was born in the USA, etc etc. Conspiracies sell newspapers. Thanks for the puzzle. Made a change from the daily Sudoku. (KWSaint - BSc Maths a very long time ago)

Kevin Kilbane on Football Focus hit the nail on the head. Having watched Saints several times this season, he said that the team were very flat and that he worried for us. Unless something changes I think that we are going down. Other sides with less skilled players will battle- just like we did all through the nineties. Can't see this lot fighting for us and the manager simply doesn't know how to get the best out of the team. MOTD a couple of weeks ago said that the players werent playing for him. Think we will be back in the Championship next season and it will be tough to get out

I had to read that one twice to realise what you were getting at.

This

Completely agree. Loudest I have ever known SMS Billy Sharp's second goal against Pompey in 2012 comes a close second.

As ever, Fulham is a good day out. Plenty of places to eat/drink. Great location. Friendly locals. Game was OK but we were far from convincing. No comparison with the performance last time we went to Fulham in 2014, or even the previous year. Dominated first half without creating much apart from the goal, but second half was really scrappy and Fulham could easily have forced a replay with better finishing. We just sat deeper and deeper against a mid-table Championship team. Fans got behind team well, and only had a go at MP for the Hoj substitution (should have been Davis). Wanted Gabbi on much earlier than 85 mins, as Long had run himself into the ground. Left it far too late. And Redmond's head has gone. His confidence is completely shot. But a wins a win. We limp on.

that's got to hurt

million

Is my last Southampton game before heading back to Uni so I'm planning on venting all my anger out. Apologies in advance.

IMO, if MoPe isn't gone by then, use the 90 minutes to indicate our feelings. Clearly a cup run is the last thing we need since we're ****e when we only have the PL games to think about.

Has to go. Just has to go.

And there was me thinking he’d cracked it

WGS? Left Scotland and would kick them into gear.

for me, the best player for us today. looks like he'll be pretty decent (which probably means we'll sell him in the summer). can't be easy playing behind redmond...

Just back from the game. Turkey sandwiches were nice.

What about a swap deal? VVD for Sturridge plus cash. I appreciate that we may not really want to deal with Liverpool again, but Sturridge would be an improvement on Redmond.

Reading a recent issue of When Saturday Comes and there was a letter commenting on the fact that three players in the current England squad were born in Sheffield. The letter also suggested other cities which might at one point have had three players born there in the same squad - this included London and Manchester, but also Southampton. Which got me thinking. How many England internationals were actually born in Southampton - not necessarily having played for Saints? I could only think of two, Wayne Bridge and Ted Drake - and they certainly were not in the squad at the same time. Think that the letter writer might be mistaken Any ideas? One for the statisticians

The squad is clearly unbalanced. Solid back four, but no real goalscorers apart from Gabbiadini, and he never gets the ball. Plus a goalkeeper who is out of form - convinced that other teams have sussed this and deliberately shoot low. But I still think that a better manager could get more out of the squad - certainly get them more motivated and working together. Thing is, I really have no idea who would come here.

I am also of the view that MP has to go. The problems stem back to last season when Puel came in, made worse by not replacing him with someone better. However, I think that we need to have a replacement lined up before getting rid of MP. Otherwise we will drift even more. The way that Pochettino was brought in to replace NA was brutal, but the right decision. NA was a thoroughly decent man who probably didnt deserve it, but for the club it was right. Has anyone heard any whispers of us making approaches for anyone? Apart from anything, who will take charge if MP goes and we are looking for a replacement?

I emailed the club after the game and got the following reply: Which is a fair reply. They clearly received a number of complaints and intend to act.