WALK DMC

I am really puzzled by this. You say that "we more than held our own in the 2nd" and until the sending off had hopes we could sneak it. Couldn't agree more. It was particularly impressive against the European champions with £150m worth in talent just in the 2 players up front. And then you have a go at Ralph for picking the team ? Are you suggesting he shouldn't have picked JWP as he might get sent off ? Or did you just want to take the opportunity to have a go at Ralph for no other reason than to have a go at Ralph ?

An interesting point. Putting Tella and/or Theo up front would certainly add pace and would act as a surprise to Chelsea (although their team is strong enough to adapt 🙂 ). I like Armstrong and thought that he made some good runs on Sunday but wasn't spotted by our wingers or midfielders. I'd personally keep him in, but maybe partner him with someone like Tella. The issue is that Tella doesn't hold the ball up as well as Adams, so you add pace but lose possession and Che's clever through balls which I think Armstrong may yet thrive on. Still think that we have a chance of a point as long as we have a team close to the Man City game, so any changes from that should be minimal.

We managed to get a very deserved point from Man City playing KWP at left back and with the usual 4-2-2-2, so I would be surprised to see Ralph make significant changes to that. Our overall performance against Wolves wasn't bad, we were just toothless up front and a poor mistake led to a goal on the break. It will be a different game on Saturday and closer to Man City than Wolves, so I'd keep KWP rather than Perraud as he is a good defender and better at keeping possession. I'm a fan of playing Tino further forward, butt he is still only 18 and finding his way in the Premiership; give him a few more games at RB before playing him as Right mid. I don't think Chelsea away is a good game to experiment, I'd hate to destroy confidence in a different position if we get wacked which could well happen if we concede early. There will be plenty of opportunities as the season progresses.

Tempting fate message of the day: Saints haven't conceded a first half goal in the Premiership this season. Wolves haven's scored a first half goal in the Premiership this season.

I'm a KWP fan, but he isn't the biggest player physically, so putting him against Traore would worry me. That's what I like about Tino, he has the size and physicality to supplement his other skills. Perraud is a little more sturdy than KWP, but he is still small, so neither are particularly ideal again the speed and strength of Traore. Not sure that there is a simple solution; Traore is a unique footballer - but he does have off days .....

I have no idea if Lewis Potter is any good, but Saints need to get their cheque book out and get him at any cost. The opportunity to have JWP, KWP & KLP in the same team cannot be ignored .....

I think that Valery will probably play right back as KWP & Tino both featured in a fairly intense game yesterday. Valery started against Newport and Ralph has spoken reasonably positively about him this season.

It's true that our team isn't as good as it was, but we've still had some good recent results, including drawing with the current European Champions twice last season. Man City away is probably the most difficult game this season and I expect us to lose, but nothing is impossible - we actually beat them only 18 months ago. Let's not (completely) write off our chances just yet. We can still hope for loads of missed City chances, multiple slices of luck, dodgy refereeing decisions in our favour and a moment of individual brilliance from Redmond which has Pep salivating in the post match interview. Keep it close for 60 minutes and anything could happen .......

It certainly wasn't a free flowing performance, and once or twice we rode our luck, notably Soucek's missed header from a corner, but that was one of the best defensive displays I've seen from us for a while (probably Chelsea or Leicester home being the others). What I find encouraging is the fact that Ralph has started to experiment with different formations both as a starting team or during the match with 4-2-2-2, 3-5-2 & 4-1-4-1 all been seen in the first 4 matches. For Man U, the formation was switched at half-time and that is what I'd like us do more; with 3-5-2 & 4-1-4-1 we look defensively better and perhaps these can be utilised the next time we go ahead. Football fans (and especially those on social media) are not renowned for their patience but I have been a little surprised at the negativity from many on here regarding the performance yesterday. Yes, it was flawed, but the formation was experimental and we stopped a top 6 team (who had scored 10 in 3) from having any real clear cut chances. Something to build upon (shame that we have Man City and Chelsea away in 2 of our next 3 games). Changing formations take time; I recall going to Liverpool in the early 80s and Lawrie decided to experiment with a back 3, which wasn't popular in England at the time. We got absolutely murdered 5-0. Yet Lawrie persisted and that formation was the bedrock for our best ever season 83-84 when we came 2nd.

It is an interesting suggestion. I think having JWP/Romeu/Diallo on at the same time would be a good tactical change (e.g. if we are hanging onto a goal lead), but not sure whether to start with that. When we recently played Man United, we changed to a back 5 at HT and then subsequently brought on Diallo so the three midfielders were all on the pitch at the same time. Interestingly I thought that our best period was when we played with that formation & midfielders, so it could work.

Was the Scottish winger, Gerry O'Brien ? He was about around then .....

Purely speculative, but it was interesting that Saints apparently made a very late bid to land Djed Spence the right back from Middleborough. If Saints had received a big enough offer from Everton and with Tino proving to be an adequate replacement, could Saints have considered taking the money and getting Spence in as cover for Tino ? I know, I know. It sounds ridiculous. KWP is one of our best players even if he cannot currently get in the team in his favoured position. When I heard that we'd been linked with Middlesborough's right back I dismissed it as paper talk, because we have 2 very good right backs, but when I saw the KWP link I did wonder whether maybe, just maybe there was something in this after all. If Everton had offered £20m for KWP perhaps that would have funded Spence and a strong centre midfielder. Purely speculative, but not impossible .....

Yep I am old. I missed Armstrong - £15m Ignore that last post 🙂

I trust your judgement, but am I right in saying that ? Outgoing: Ings (28m) + Vest(14m) + Gunn (5m) + Lemina (4m) = £51m I have purposely missed out Hoedt/Jankewitz on the basis that price was very low. Incoming: Perraud (£12m) + Livremento (£5m) + Lyanco (£7m) + Small/Simeu (£5m) = £29m I recognise that I am going to be inundated by people telling me all about agents fees, signing on fees, Broja loan cost etc but the difference of £22m does seem rather large to me. Plus the likes of Perraud and Lyanco are not going to be paid the same salary as the Bertrand, Ings & Vest. I am getting old, so maybe I have missed someone or my maths is wrong, but based on the above I still cling onto the hope that we will suddenly find £10m+ in our back pocket tomorrow and suddenly swoop for a big, physical centre mid as a starter. Perhaps at my age I shouldn't be so optimistic - (or as I say above, perhaps I have just forgotten somebody .....)

I believe that if Obafemi leaves next summer we will get a development fee.

Newcastle fans say that he has never been the same since his major injury a couple of years ago. A player running down their contract isn't the most popular person with the fans so needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, but there does seem to be a unanimous view on this. He is still only 23 so time yet to improve. Personally, I'd like to see a big unit to complement what we already have and who can also help defend at set-pieces which have been a weakness so far this season.

I didn't see the whole game but Redmond was called out by Quest TV for his contribution particularly in the 1st half when he had a hand in all the goals (and scored in the 2nd half). I remain unconvinced by Moi - it isn't any coincidence that the likes of Redmond & Moi look better against 2nd rate opposition. I certainly wouldn't start either against Newcastle although would like to see us fit in KWP (and Tino) into the team.

Fantastic !!!!! I got my very first "load of old pony" from Duckhunter. I now only have climbing Everest and Saints winning the European cup to achieve all of my life's ambitions. And in answer to your question. The answer is Yes - Neither are great but he is selecting the individual with the long term future over the one that wants to leave. It happens, particularly when neither goalie is particularly great. I am not suggesting that I agree - just that I believe that is the rationale.

I think that Ralph would have preferred Forster to stay and those games at the end of the season were to tempt him to sign a new (reduced) contract. Forster has said no, so McCarthy is now the "company man" and gets the nod not through being a better goalie but because he is more "loyal". Clearly unsatisfactory, and I hope that it doesn't come back to bite us. I personally think that the combination of McCarthy at number 1 and no aerially dominant centre half will mean a relegation battle - for all the good work done in this transfer window, I still feel two of the most important areas remain weak. We'll see.

From my perspective - Ralph has delivered more good than the last couple of managers and I still feel he has been dealt a tough deal getting rid of all the dead wood over the last couple of years. But the rigid desire to play the sacred 4-2-2-2 no matter what the situation or opposition is a real flaw - when the midfield is getting overrun why not occasionally bring Diallo on and play 3 in the middle with Rom & JWP. Or 5 at the back for certain games. It frustrated me when he brought Diallo on and asked him to play as the attacking right sided midfielder (the number 10 for the youngsters in the audience). That isn't his position and he looked like a fish out of water however hard he tried. And this isn't an isolated example - we really need to be more prepared to start or adapt our team - at worst it will surprise the opposition who knows exactly what our tactics are. We need to be more flexible and change formation to adapt our game to the situation.

Agree, but we have a high percentage of shortish players (JWP, KWP, A Armstrong, Perraud, Redmond) or those with limited heading ability (Adams, S Armstrong, Djenepo, Walcott). Even one of the current centre halves (Stephens) is limited at heading for his position & Salisu got bullied in the air by Calvert Lewin last year. We have removed Vest, who although he wasn't a legendary header of the ball had the height and physicality to protect the penalty area from aerial bombardment. Straight after half time against Everton, we really struggled to clear a series of corners and the inevitable happened. I don't believe that this purchase is our only centre half buy this window. I am still hopeful that we'll get somebody else who can play the heading role. I don't believe any of this nonsense that we are only buying "1 more buy" and Lyanco is it. Unless somebody is signing their own suicide note. My own (admittedly optimistic) view is that we will get another centre half in, which will allow us to play different styles. Perhaps we could be considering playing 3 centre halves more regularly - we now have 3 full backs who are more than capable of playing as wing-backs....

A really good summary - I pretty much agree with everything you are saying. However, I really don't think we should underestimate the loss of three experienced, solid international players all in the same window. Each of them had some flaws, but they had been around and knew the Premier league - that experience is difficult to replace, particularly when we only have 37 games now to get to safety .... I also think that while Bertrand wasn't at his peak, he wasn't quite the disaster some on here paint him as, he played further back last year to cover for KWP's cavalier runs on the other side, so it wasn't just age that stopped him getting forward as much. Either way - will be interesting to see who replaces Vest - I am in the Cahill plus one other camp (the Forest guy looks interesting)

It's pretty obvious that Valery isn't rated - considering he was sent out on loan when we had desperate needs for right back last January. I am sure they are trying to move him on in the next 2 weeks. Even after 1 appearance it is clear that Tino is an upgrade on Valery, so I am really happy with this area of our recruitment, plus he can also play in midfield. It will be good competition for KWP too - it might actually motivate him further. The thought of both Tino and KWP on our right flank also has potential. So far, recruitment has been good this window, we have moved on the players with 1 year left and got decent money, we've brought in a few players who can compete in the 1st team straight away and offer genuine potential. For the first time in years we face the last 2 weeks of the transfer window with £20m+ in our back pocket to get a strong experienced CB, decent CM and backup left back. Plus we may be still able to shift the likes of Obafemi and Valery to further increase our budget. There are plenty of recent activities where it fair to take a pot shot at the activities of the management team, but you are really scrapping the barrel in making sarcastic comments regarding our recruitment at right back. Maybe you should save those until 1st September when we know the results of the full window.

I am not a McCarthy fan and remain annoyed that Ralph picks him in front of Forster. However, McCarthy's handling was reasonable for most of the match. He should take some of the blame for the 1st goal, but Salisu also made a contribution, so unfair to blame it totally on McC. I don't think that it has been pointed out that the defensive header from the corner was also poor (from Che I believe) as it dropped just centrally on the edge of our box. Not good. I felt that our inability to clear corners early in the 2nd half helped Everton pressure us into mistakes which eventually led to the key goal. It isn't surprising as we have lost some of our experienced big (ish) men in Vest & Bertrand and even Ings was usually dependable as the 1st man for defensive clearances at corners. We seem to have replaced them with 2 of the 7 dwarfs in Armstrong and Perraud (and we already have a few candidates to take the place of Dopey in the team .....), so we have a real problem with the absence of height and physicality. It needs to be addressed in this transfer window.

Like you, I wasn't incredulous when the team was announced and McCarthy had been chosen over Forster. My speculative reasoning is that Saints don't want to buy two new keepers next summer as it will eat into our budget. Forster has rejected a new contract offer but McCarthy has indicated that he will extend. Due to this Ralph would rather favour the longer term option than the better performing individual. It is pure supposition, so could be completely wrong - but I just cannot provide any other logical reason why McCarthy was preferred (other than Ralph has lost it). However, I couldn't find an explanation on why Walcott was chosen ahead of Stu Armstrong, so maybe the 2nd reason may be closer than I would like to see.