gordonToo

2 hours ago, derry said:

Absolutely.  Bloody square pegs in round holes or no pegs at all is killing us. It's not just Selles, not one manager since Koeman has known his best team except a short spell with Ralph which he couldn't repeat. Tinker, Tinker, Tinker all the time. We're going to see the same thing again tonight and more of the same on Thursday and so on. It's a simple game just stop complicating it.

How would you set the team up to score more goals than they concede?

The game's all about having good players and scoring goals. No manager on earth could make a silk purse out of the current set up.

3 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

There is nothing to work with here and if the club believe there is, then we're onto a very nasty slope.

Even if the club believed it, is it practical?

Top priority though is to move JWP on. There will be no recovery while the team is built around his attributes.

1 minute ago, Dman said:

The more I think about it, the more fucking ridiculous it is that we go into a must win game without a striker on the pitch. . 

It's become a club without direction or belief staffed by players that don't care. Look at Bolton and Sunderland for what comes next. 

5 hours ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Not changing the manager for the Championship would be idiotic, and another tick in the “stupid decision” column for SR.

Disagree. The real problem is the continued absence of a proven goal scorer. Ralph would still be here if management hadn't bungled the issue back in the summer.

Ask yourself this: why should the fans care when the players clearly do not? And what would you say to the player who was happy to swap his shirt on the pitch in full view of the cameras as though it was just a testimonial match. Quite honestly the club does not deserve to stay in the Premiership on that performance and without a complete rethink of the set up I can't see them surviving in the Championship either.

33 minutes ago, chi saint said:

I thought we saw signs of improvement today, some nice pass and move as well as more fight and vigour. Pleased to see JWP score (his second not first lol) as can't do any harm to his confidence or that the team.

Each individual made mistakes, but then doesn't every team, it's just at the moment it seems so called fans latch on to these and pillory the player not very support-ish if you ask me!

As for NJ, it's early days, I have no idea if he is the right appointment but what is done is done. As the saying goes - Roma (sic) wasn't built in a day.  

Clearly things today were better than against Brighton and I suspect he is learning with every game who can hack it and who can't. Albeit I accept that we may run out of time before he knows his final 11, has them is bedded in and working as a functioning unit. 

The upcoming window will be crucial, be it loanees or contracted players we clearly need a striker (preferably two) and a more experienced, natural leader to assist both on the pitch and in the dressing room. Extras in midfield would be a bonus but the need is clear - striker, striker, striker.

One query I do have for NJ is why S Armstrong isn't starting as it seems to me that today his introduction was one of the defining moments that signalled a notable improvement. Perhaps his fitness is an issue, if not then for me it is a quandary.

To those on here who are already calling for NJs sacking, give some thought to his situation.  He knew there were 'issues' as did we and the club hierarchy.
He has inherited those players and like Ralph is no doubt questioning who is up for the relegation battle, who is there only for the money along with this are disillusioned after having been sold the fantasy of Saints being a shop window..

Keep the faith for if we jettison NJ, no one will be coming to us as we'll be adopting the 'Watford way' in respect of management appointments.

We have the games, we just need one or two players and supporters who support.

15 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Personally I don't have any time for this (if the players are throwing their toys out).

They have been SHIT for years, they are in no position to dictate anything. If this is true they need to STFU or get the hell out of my club, as they've stunk it out for years with their shitness.

I'd likely agree with you if Jones had any sort of pedigree. The fact is he doesn't and there's the problem.

1 hour ago, Master Bates said:

Friction between players and manager.

https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-nathan-jones-at-odds-with-southampton-stars-over-formation-change/

Us of a certain vintage have seen this all before. Hopefully SR will see the error of the ways and put Selles back in charge.

Well past his sell by date. Intelligent lad with enough money in the bank to do whatever he likes for the rest of his life. If I were him I'd chuck it in now and look for a new challenge.

Can't score, can't defend, can't press. A captain that doesn't captain and a manager that hasn't convinced the senior pros he knows what he's doing. A truly awful performance against a team that was light years ahead of us in terms of quickness, control and speed of thought. Nailed on relegation form.

No belief = no hope

10 hours ago, aintforever said:

He comes across well in the post match interview, hopefully he is exactly what we need. 

It all hinges on who we can bring in in January, a decent striker or two and we have the makings of a side that should stay up comfortably.

Yes, he talks the talk well. Early days though.

Key for me is how the players react to his arrival and the replacement of the coaching staff by Luton's Championship team. My guess is this is a Sturrock type situation where senior players don't buy into his methods and the situation goes from bad to worse. Hope I'm wrong but Premiership football is on a different level to anything Jones has experienced so far and if if he loses the dressing room it's a one way ticket.

17 hours ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Would be incredibly stupid to play anything but a strong side. SW will be no pushover…they’re a good team driving for promotion. The club needs a lift by the team putting in a dominant performance and a convincing win. Good time to get new (or interim) manager bounce.

Interestingly someone on here recently suggested Selles was the tactical man in the managerial team. If that’s the case and we see a typical tippy, tappy, backwards and sideways affair, I can see a banana skin and a nasty reaction from fans.

Reckon we’ll scrape it 2-1.

A good result here should put Selles in the frame for the top job. Maybe wishful thinking but the NJ link could just be a smokescreen.

From the Telegraph today.

In his spells with Luton and Stoke City, Jones has proved box office at the side of the pitch, constantly in motion and so emotionally attached that he wears plasters over his fingers to prevent him from chewing his nails during matches

Should be amusing as Adams misses yet another sitter.

One question for Nathan Jones - "show us yer medals pal". Relegation guaranteed. Mark my words.

Doesn't have the instinct of a natural goal scorer and never did. The club knows this and failed to do anything about it in the summer. A factor in the current predicament but not the only one.

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

We used to be decent at aggressively pressing the opponent.

 

Valery was where he should be in the 5 at the back set up- it's KWP that's out of position and ball watching.

12 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

With the likes of Djenepo and Valery running at players from deep we frequently gave the ball away. Saints struggled to put any decent passing moves together. Possession retention seemed poor. 

That's it in a nutshell. All the opposition has to do is wait for us to lose possession and then hit us hard and fast on the break. Just a complete lack of quality and technical nous everywhere. Spurs were playing at a different level and they knew it.

On 29/05/2022 at 22:09, Ralph Fastenbüttl said:

[Redmond] was in the top 4% for miscontrols and possessions

Key stat for me. 

Maybe just maybe Ralph's player assessments matches those of posters here and by his team selection aims to impress their failings on those that hold the purse strings. Certainly, after last night's performance no one can be in any doubt that a radical overhaul is needed to avoid being relegation favourites next season.  

Still finely balanced but our game depends on having good players in all positions which clearly is not the case. So, we either buy good players or change the system. But Ralph is wedded to the high press so changing the system means changing the manager. Semmens et al will know all this so we can only watch and wait.

12 minutes ago, Saint Shady said:

I still think 3-4 players would improve us more than a new manager. 

I think the two need to go hand in hand. A new manager and a deep cull of the non-performers. Today was as big an embarrassment as any Saints performance I've seen in 60 years.

8 hours ago, Dragon_man said:

As Semmons said its not about league position its more about seeing great young talent play week in week out.

I'm afraid this is the way we have to view it these days. If you want titles and cups you're supporting the wrong team.