Saint Fan CaM

Wonder what odds you’d get for Saints not signing a new player in this window? Pretty poor I would imagine.

Got to say, it’s hard to disagree with that logic. What many will tell you is said potential incomings will not give a fig about a minority of protesting fans because the money will be the deciding factor and anyway, if they’re good enough (and most Prem players think they are) to change the fortunes of their new team, then it’s an opportunity to be a hero and earn them a lucrative deal to a top 6 club (read Liverpool) in a season or two.

Seems those who think the games remaining will be enough to get us out of trouble. The problem with that is two fold - teams above us are actually on better form and so will likely win or draw...so they stay above us, and, then when you consider how we’ve been over the last 10-20 games it doesn’t take a genius to predict we haven’t got a win in us. Pretty bleak picture really. Now add to that the fact we don’t have a squad of sufficient quality to put up a convincing fight and a Board not able to bring in new heads that are an improvement and even if they do, it’s probably too late. Add into the mix a poorly appointed manager...a panic appointment of a man who had previously not proven himself in any substantive way. A man who surprise, surprise has had connections with Liverpool - yep, funny how that clubs name is woven into aspects of the demise of what was an excellent club setup with so much potential. The prognosis is not good...more chance of going down than staying up unless significant action is taken. That means change of football strategy AND 2-3 decent new attacking heads. Personally I don’t think either of those things are going to happen.

Move on. They want £30m - we’re not in that league!

Sorry, but until I hear the majority of SMS get behind the Team and the Manager in a deafening roar of support for at least the first 80 minutes of a game, I don’t think protests are effective or indeed even warranted. It is ultimately Les Reeds responsibility to either sack him or back him with a decent strike force. Protesting during a game is self-defeating and just contributing to our downfall. As others have reflected, this is so much like the Lowe days...militant supporters trying to oust the Board, the Manager etc, and doing nothing really effective to arrest the slip downwards.

Remember the notorious Leeds game when they cam back from 3-0 down to win the game? I know...it hurt a lot. But what I remember most of all was their supporters incessant chant...”we’re going to win...we’re going to win...” on and on. It got to our players and the Saints faithful in a way I’m not sure I’d ever seen/heard before. It won them the game and crushed us to the point where the memory lives on. So my point here is this. If the supporters give EVERYTHING we’ve got during the game in a positive way, maybe, just maybe, it might make a difference. And if it doesn’t well surely that gives the Board even MORE reason to sit up and take notice. Maybe even enough of a reason to sack the ‘clown’? Just saying.

Even though Pellegrino appears out of his depth, I’m not so certain the answer definitely lies in his sack. I’m not confident a new manager has enough time to turn this pretty dire situation around unless 3-4 experienced Prem players are appointed...preferably not loans. But that will not happen...financially the club are against the ropes despite the supposed £75m from the VVD sale (never was going to be near that). Based on the fact that we’ve played essentially the same style for more than 2 seasons, but pre-Puel with much higher quality, my feeling is that an enhancement in quality in our strike force may well be enough to get us out of trouble. Let face it, a couple of wins would completely change the face of our place in the table, the atmosphere in SMS and most importantly might restore much of the self-belief that seems vacant from the squad right now. Now, having said all that, if Pellegrino has lost the changing room then all bets are off. Les won’t sack him IMO, so even with new signings whatever managerial nouse he may have will likely be completely lost on the players. Not only that, but my honest opinion is that Dear old Les has too much of an influence in football matters, also meaning that a new manager will have little or no effect...he will revert to “the Southampton (Les) Way” and ultimately fail with this unbalanced, Championship level squad. PS: gives no pleasure doing the “told you so” thing, but I’ve been saying for months that our forward line is Championship quality and not good enough. How many goals? How many wins? Sad times...

What happened was one of their players cheated and was allowed to get away with it...pure and simple. The fans are at least partly if not significantly responsible for the teams good form.

Fixed it for you. I do wonder sometimes about the mentality of certain Saints fans...other clubs fans would get behind the team and manager when the chips are down but what do we do...boo and chant “you don’t know what you’re doing”! Talk about self-fulfilling prophesy...

Can’t see anything else other than a heavy loss, toxic atmosphere and no action from Reed and Co. Spurs away support will sing our only song and intimidate the Northam faithful with “Oh when the Saints go marching down”. In short it’s going to be miserable day I fear - shocking that it was less than two seasons ago that I went to games like this thinking we had a good chance of winning. Such is the decline in management of the first team element of the club. Thanks Les.

Cannot see us winning this so either 1-1 or a disastrous 2-1. Lose and its looking very bleak.

Can’t stand the heat get out the kitchen. Reed has drained the club dry and appointed poorly in Puel and MP after driving away our best manager for years. He’s lived off the legacy set up by Marcus and Cortese and over the last 4 years allowed excellent back room staff to leave and not replaced players of equal quality and/or in the right positions. He is fast becoming the new Lowe in creating the toxic atmosphere around the club. Perhaps he’s been steered by Katerina and Krueger, who knows...but he cannot dodge the bullet in the part he’s played. The plot has been lost big time and time has run out to turn it around, baring a minor miracle (a win). Lose today and the life rafts will need to be prepared!

Shocking that we’ve not signed a goal scorer at this point in the season. I truly think we’re strong candidates for the drop now thanks to the creeping ineptitude of the transfer committee (Les et al). We’ve sold all our best assets on and off the field, we’re an unfashionable club and us going down would make great news for many in the media. You can see the headlines... “Saints fall, rise and fall...again”.

As others have said, I would love to see him in a Saints shirt...he knows how to shoot and score. If his head is in the right place he could be really good for us and we could put him back on the Prem map. Big fly in the ointment I suspect is with Reed and his son not being able to get this over the line (assuming there’s any truth in it)...there’s just not the competency in our recruitment now it seems. Love to be proven wrong mind.

You would hope better than Redmond I guess.

You have mentioned Targett, but could add a bunch of other names (e.g. JWP) to the list. It does make you realise the level at which these players need to reach/attain to see first team football...pretty remarkable. However, there are commercial differences within club strategy that determine whether they make it at Prem level or otherwise - at Saints the sell-on value would make a huge difference for example.

Ineacho or Walcott? The former would likely be a better investment and play more. The latter would provide a huge lift for the fans and his name would sell lots of merch. Either could score the type of goals we’re not currently scoring and both have footballing brain. One would cost around 2/3rds of the other...guess which one Les would favour?

Sorted for you...lol

Ask how many times he’s played a game and you’ll find an answer. For me this is a clear indication of what happens when a consistent team is not put out....players are not ‘match fit’ and not in tune with each other’s game. JWP on the hand has looked better because he’s had the game starts.

The connection to the £175m of transfer deals to Liverpool is complete then. Les and son have a vested interest it seems. And “small club” Southampton slowly whither away.

Doesn’t matter how you dress it - we’re performing like a relegation bound club. Yes the substitution of Hojburg was daft...MP is way in over his head. But good ol Les will let it drift...can’t sack his old Liverpool mate can he? Pretty much had enough of the club being run by amateurs who are happy to fleece me of £100’s without suitable investment.

Good performance by the team - PEH my MOTM as he was excellent all over the pitch. Defence solid - McCarthy impressed me and should keep the gloves. Once again, despite a good performance by Boufal and much running by Long, we can't score. It's clear to me, if we had 2 really decent forwards alongside Boufal we would be closer to 7th place than 17th. Need to get those new signings in Les.

Would be very careful what you wish for. I don’t think Les has had a great couple of years, but the manner in which KL cut the club loose to the Chinese ‘mystery owners’ (we hear nothing from them regarding plans to improve the club) should surely suggest we need some form of stability at Board level. We need a better squad and better team management/coaching right now more than anything - now is not the time to make this change.

This. All the way.

I’ve resisted a manager out stance, but this is just terrible. I don’t entirely blame the Manager because Reed has royally screwed up by buying such poor quality in Redmond and Long (for example) AND appointing the wrong manager AGAIN. If this doesn’t end up in significant changes in January I’ll be amazed.