S-Clarke

Stuart Armstrong hasn't been great, it's been stop-start due to injuries though. Even though he's still our best, but that pretty much sums up the state of our other options. I'd have dabbled with the idea of starting Small today, but he's gone with the experience of Redmond (not that he's a LB). Not sure Ralph is a fan of Small, he arrived to much of the same fanfare as Tino but doesn't get a sniff. So there's obviously some amiss with him.

1) - I guess it's because we know Broja won't be with us, whereas with Moussa he may still be. We might struggle to shift him. 2) - He needed a game time, nothing wrong with him starting. The criticism is that it feels as if he's been thrown to the lions den with very little support behind him. That's why Adams should have started with him, in my opinion. 3) - Romeu was always going to start. I personally think he loses fitness once the season reaches the end months, so we manage him a bit more. Need to replace him in the summer for sure. 4) - No idea, he's probably one of our better attackers in terms of touch and movement but he's painfully slow. 5) - Stuart Armstrong is our best number 10, so if he's fit he always starts for me. 7) My criticism as well, would have been good to see some young lads with at least a chance rather than trying the Long/Theo/Moussa dance again. Only reason I think we're lacking academy lads is that we want to protect him, and the state of the squad is so bad at the moment that we're not confident enough or in good enough form to be able to 'carry' any young players.

We could stick him in the window of John Lewis, with a big 50% off sale sticker on him and we'd still get no takers. The only way he goes is if we pay him off.

At least on the bench, I'd agree with you. What's the point in filling the bench with Theo, Moussa and Long? Might as well give the youth a 'chance' to taste game time. One positive is no Bednarek though, feels like the penny may have finally dropped about his shitness.

All Leeds need is Ralf Kruguer as Chief Exec and they'll win the irritating soundbites league.

Hmmm, this is not how you get the best out of Adam Armstrong. The main, glaring, obvious weakness in his game is a lack of physicality and height. So playing him as a single striker doesn't make a great deal of sense. The only player we have who can play that lone role is Adams. I feel he's going to be totally isolated with that nothing attack behind him. If we had quality in the 10's who can break the line with their pace and get to the bylines etc it may be different, but we don't so it's going to be a slog. Feels like Armstrong has been sent out to fail so we have an excuse to give up on him.

That's exactly what he's always been really, we don't know what to expect from him and neither does he or the players around him. It's a shame it hasn't worked out as he seems like a great character, but he has always lacked the physicality to really boss full backs and defenders in this league, wants too much time on the ball and struggles to beat a man. In a lesser league he'd be class, as he'd have the time to skin players with his quick feet.

Great effort, nice to see some success in this club for a change. The womans team are on a crest of a wave right now, only way is up.

Yep, true...! He'd certainly add some pace and power to our attack, not really sure Burnley is ever going to be the club to get the best out of him.

I can see Leicester and West Ham being in the mix if he becomes available. Rumours are that Leicester are looking for a replacement for Kasper this summer, and WHU need to replace Fabianski sooner rather than later. I think Newcastle have snapped up Henderson, so that's them out of the mix.

Sadly we gave McCarthy a new contract, he's going to be here next year. We just have to hope we either sign a new number 1, or a young keeper who is Tino levels so he can oust him straight away. I'll be so, so bored if we start with McCarthy as number one again next season, there is no point.

I dunno, not sure about him. Seems very inconsistent and injury prone, not sure we need another of those. I'd be more inclined to take a look at McNeil if we are shopping at Turf Moor. And obviously Pope, but he's off to much bigger clubs than ourselves.

It seems to be what everyone is hearing, and it needs to happen. We can't keep standing still, we've been somewhat forced to in recent years due to Gao but I'm really hopeful that this new takeover changes that. Like you said, these are smart people in charge. They're not going to be content with us sitting still every year. Rasmus himself knows from his experience at Brentford that it requires investment, and clever investment at that. I think we are on the path of being a development club, but we need a bit of help to kick start that process because we don't have a squad full of much quality to re-sell at the moment. If we have that initial investment, sign sensibly and smartly, we will hopefully have that conveyor belt of developing/selling for big bucks/going again in place over the next few years. It's the model clubs like us have to use if we want to be successful and I'm happy with that. Bigger clubs follow very similar principles, notably Dortmund and the RB clubs. Whilst it's probably disappointing for them to lose Dembele, Werner, Dayot, Halland etc after a couple of years, they replace well and go again. That's what we've got to do and that's why scouting is so important for clubs like us, as we can't repair our mistakes. (as we've seen).

Please stop.

I don't think that theory is correct at all. When we had that good run after the takeover was announced, he was being linked with Man Utd and other top clubs. What has happened since the end of Feb has been disastrous, but somewhat expected. Howe joined Newcastle at the end of Oct/Start of Nov I think, so long before our takeover was even a thing. I'm ambitious as a fan and I want to see winning teams and progression, but at the same time I'm realistic and I realise at the moment we are nothing more than a lower mid-table/potential relegation candidate team due to the lack of quality in the team and investment over the past years. So on that basis you have to say that Ralph is doing what is expected, but he's doing so by getting us overachieving at certain points before returning to type. We've had many managers since Koeman. Pellegrino, Puel, Hughes, Ralph - and all of them have finished in and around the 40 points mark. Only Ralph has achieved over 50 points with this group, but average wise we finish mid-40's most seasons. What more do we expect with the players we have? Honest question. We no longer have no consistent goal scorers, no one who can get 10 goals a season. We have no goals from the attacking midfield areas, we have no pace out wide. We have a terrible centre back and an aging DM with no replacement for him. When you look at it like that you have to say we're doing well to be where we are. There are bright spots in Tino, JWP, KWP, Salisu which gives credence to the scouting over the last few years, but christ they need some help sooner rather than later.

If Pickford, Ramsdale, Henderson and Pope are fit he won't be anywhere near.

Little little piece on the BBC Sport home page - National League Play-off: Southampton FC battle Wolverhampton Wanderers for promotion - BBC Sport

That's an interesting view point and certainly something that may ring true. This is someone who wants and has control of the playing style of all age groups, the plan he developed was intended for club wide not just for the 'first team'. It feels as if this approach has littered the club with lots of 'yes men' coaches. I'm not saying it's all a bad thing and I feel the younger age groups have certainly picked up this year, but it does sometimes cause a problem when things start going bad and as a club they are so invested into 'one man' at all levels, that's why it's almost impossible to sack him. The club have backed him to the hilt in the sense of the club wise philosophy, now they need to back him financially.

It's the 'Southampton Way'. We did exactly the same with PEH, Fonte, Bertrand etc.

When you're proven to be wrong, you scuttle away and never come back with anything like a normal, well balanced individual would. This little post is an example of what you do. Fraser Forster - keep or let go - Page 5 - The Saints - SaintsWeb

He wasn't our player, so not quite fair to include him.

This was the 'performance' that had some worrying signs looking looking back. I thought we were pretty ponderous in attack most of the night, and only through Norwich's ineptness did we get the win. We flagged through that game, and coasted. We could do that because Norwich were so, so shit but sadly we carried that costing/flagging in the following games against better teams and there our season ended.

It's probably the optimal summer for both club and player should he leave, his value will never be higher and if CL clubs are going to be interested then you'd imagine this summer would be the last they look at him due to his age. But that's all I think will turn him, CL Football. And if I'm honest I don't see him as quite that level, he's more in around the Leicester/WHU/Wolves level i.e pushing for Top 6/Europa League. He may think he could achieve all that here rather than moving slightly up and sideways.

Will we have this all summer? You just making up random scenarios because you are so convinced everyone will leave.

He just seems a little bit too weak for me, lacks physicality. The Watford away game stands out for me, he was very busy and 'alive' but he missed at least two absolute sitters which almost cost us. Seems to need lots of chances to score a goal, same as Adams sadly. (although Adams physicality helps him)