S-Clarke

If we look at the season as a whole, rather than just individual games or runs (both extremes) we are middle of the pile, in amongst the likes of Palace, Brentford, Brighton, Villa etc. We just get there differently than other clubs, I guess it's the 'Southampton way'. In comparison with last year, we are doing pretty much the same and this is without our best player and goal scorer (Ings). Not bad going if you look at it like that, as the investment we made to 'replace' him just hasn't cut it at all, so we haven't had anyone scoring goals on a regular basis yet we are still doing pretty much the same. Our lack of investment in recent years has meant we have to stand still, which is exactly what we've done. This summer is a crucial summer and it's not a summer to do the odd bit here and there, we need radical changes to the starting 11 with new players - not squad additions or young players to 'bed in' like Small etc. We need new players ready to go, that costs money...so I hope we've saved some cash in our back pocket from January to add to whatever we have in the summer. We can't keep standing still, because eventually we will drop - unavoidable no matter who the manager is. The club won't be blind to our lack of quality in the final third. If our output was higher in those number 10 area's then I'm fairly sure we'd be in and around Wolves. We have less quality in attack than last year, yet we are doing the same - that indicates that we've improved defensively slightly, so if we can now improve the attack in this window, keep everyone together then we will hopefully avoid standing still again.

Terrible, again. We're starting Shane Long though, the lack of quality in that area is absolutely horrific. Our only decent player, who is now out of form, isn't even ours. The rest of that attack is average at absolute best, if not lower league fodder. We need huge, huge investment in the summer to overhaul that attack. I do not want to see Long, Redmond, Moussa, Ely etc trying to pretend they can provide an attacking threat at the highest level, as it's painful to watch - honestly, it's enough to send people round the bend. Keep Tella around as squad depth, but his season has been a bit of a disaster all told (injuries haven't helped). Bednarek for that goal was shockingly bad, but it was kind of just expected. We really need better than him if we're to do anything more than concede every single week. So yeah, big summer ahead. We can't keep regurgitating the same trash heap players and expect different results, we need a radical overhaul.

He's massively struggled. He was given quite a few opportunities at the start of the season and physically he struggled, it's clear he had a good turn of pace but he lacked refinement in his finishing and touch and had absolutely no physicality to his game - and at the highest level, that is shown up. He may come good, but I don't know - I can see huge limitations in his game that will always mean he'll struggle. £15m is a decent investment for us so I'm sure the club won't give up on him, but his confidence is through the floor right now given that Shane Long is preferred as the sub role ahead of him.

Absolutely stupid tweet that just creates pointless speculation. Main point is that it's the other knee and totally unrelated to the meniscus injury he had. This injury can happen to any player and is just dreadful, dreadful luck. Using it as a stick to bash Ralph and the club is nothing short of lunacy.

I can't imagine the club being dumb enough to revert back to McCarthy as number 1. He's supposedly fit now, but not even getting in the squads. I can't see how he can go from there to starting for us next season. My assumption is that the media have assumed 'young' goalkeeper = backup, but I think we're looking for a young goalkeeper to be our starter.

ruud van nistelrooy is the most famous one I can think of. Became a better player off the back of it.

Devastating for him, such a bad injury for any player to have at any age and it's not guaranteed that they ever return to the same level. Let's hope it doesn't stunt his progress, as he had great potential.

We'll probably know towards the end of this week, I guess they'd have to wait for any swelling to go down before they do any scans to get conclusive proof

Yeah I totally agree, but I think someone like Wan-Bisakka would come in as a starter and we don't need that. I remember we had links to Spence (the guy on loan at Forest) back in January, that could be a good shout to offer some depth?

But we now have KWP back in his natural position, we don't need a replacement starter at RB.

I'd hope for a win against Palace at home, we could beat Leicester away and play on their fragility this season. Not the force they once were. Brentford will be tricky, but they're not Man City. Weirdly more confident in the games where the teams play football and attack us, as we seem to get more of a handle in those games and aren't bullied.

4 points from our remaining 4 would be dire.

Everton played for a 0-0 and maybe a lucky goal from a set piece, it almost worked but the subs changed it. Diaz is such a good player, he's slotted into that front 3 like he's been there for ever.

Just terrible defending today, which gave us a mountain to climb. We didn't play as bad as at Burnley, but defensively it was a calamity in that first half. Salisu was a mess in the first half, as bad as he's ever been. He needs to sort his shit out. The goal just before half time dragged us back in and totally changed the complexion of the second half. For a good 80% of that 2nd half it was just us, but my main criticism is apart from that JWP goal we didn't trouble Sanchez at all. No real clear cut chances. The only number 10 who really showed up was Tella, he provided somewhat of a threat, but other than that we had zilch. The result doesn't really mean much if the injury to Tino is bad though. The club and Ralph seem resigned to this being a long-term injury, obviously too early to be sure but I'd be surprised if we see him again in 2022. I hate seeing talented players careers curtailed by such cruel injuries. Everything crossed for some not-so-bad news this week. That's all I care about right now.

Spurs have too many backwards-sideways midfielders, they need some CM's who will burst the lines and support the attack. Bentacur and Ericksen would be pretty good for them. Hojberjg just slows them down, just as he did for us.

That's a bit of a slim argument for Bednarek! His prime job is to defend and I think he's always been pretty bog-average at that. He'll have spells where he's average and does a job, but then he'll have his out of form periods where he is just inept and a walking negative goal difference. At the end of the day we haven't had a positive goal difference since he's been a regular in the side, that probably tells you a lot. Certainly a position we need to spend a decent chunk on in the summer, not on a young player to grow in...but someone to start from day 1.

It's nice to have a good debate, which has been done on here before - but to do that you need to have both sides willing to accept other views or at least engage with the other views, there's no balance in some of the recent posts and before long it just turns into a one man attack which is uncomfortable to watch but is somewhat brought on. I'm happy to hold my hands up when I've called out a load of bollocks, which I have many times. I mean I said Elyounoussi would add pace to our attack before he signed him.

I don't think Salisu is injured, I think mentally he's not quite with it for whatever reason. I think speculation/other clubs have unsettled him without question, and he's let that impact his game. I can see why he has been taken out of the firing line, he needs to sort his head out if he's staying. The club may see him as the big sale this summer though if Newcastle want to spend $$$$$, so let's see what happens. Certainly happy with keeping Perruad and Lyanco in and around the squad for the coming seasons, like you say they both have the grit and determination that has been lacking in previous signings. (Hoedt, Vestergaard, Lemina etc). You could do a lot worse than having players like them around.

I think he was much more the profile of player we needed to be honest, Diallo is decent but a totally different type of player than we needed at the time I think. Diallo is more of a work in progress, whereas I think Sanagre with his physicality would have been more of an instant hit. Hopefully we get a player like that over the line this summer.

I guess he's always been a poor man's Barry Bannan.

You're looking at the figures and stats again, there is more to football than the numbers of assists and goals. His all round play, creating opening sfor others, stretching the play, creating space etc etc etc - none of that will end up as a statistic, but ultimately that input from him changed our game. Opposition teams saw that and they saw the threat he poses, hence they've stopped allowing him the opportunities - so I'd say the opposition managers and coaches see him as a threat, pundits, former footballers etc all appreciate what he brings to the game. It's not just about figures.

Give up the Broja crusade, seriously. He is not our biggest problem, far from it. Broja won games for us in the early part of the season, not just through goals but his runs to win penalties, get free kicks etc. As I explained yesterday, which you don't seem to be taking much attention of, are the facts that opposition have somewhat nullified his strengths, so now he needs more help from the wider attackers but he's not really getting much link as our attackers, bar Armstrong when he's on form, are absolute bilge.

This game will suit us better than Burnley, as we won't be bullied or outdone physically. Two very evenly matched teams in my opinion, try and do things the right way and have some decent quality in 1 or 2 places, but neither have enough depth or quality in critical positions and it shows come the end of the season after any initial promise.

I think it's a bit harsh to single him out particularly, but the game did highlight some of his weaknesses and why the temptation to offer him a new contract needs to be avoided.

I'd have him in there ahead of Elyounoussi, whose ball carrying skills are so inept it's painful to watch. But he's still not great and this debate alone shows why our number 10 positions are in such a mess. Any forwards in our team have no chance, they have to create it all themselves.