Saint Fan CaM

Players lazy?!? Rubbish! There are 5-6 players that just do not have Prem quality - it's not them being lazy - they're just not good enough. Hughes can't do much more - he picks from a squad that has been drained of quality and it's not just quality on match day - it's the quality in training listening and retaining the knowledge that the coaching team are trying to get across. What has Redmond contributed? What has Long contributed? What has JWP contributed? Ings is not exactly top quality, but at least he's got a footballing brain and knows how get into scoring positions. I didn't expect us to beat City - I even expected a thrashing - so it's not about this game. It's about the last THREE seasons of decline where we've sacked two managers and the recruitment of players has been shambolic. The blame should lie entirely at the feet of the Board. I would emphasise Les Reed, but I'm not sure he's still holding the reigns now.

Get the frustration, but if anyone here thinks Hughes is nub of the problem, they're wrong IMO. It is about the quality of the players on the pitch. I was saying three seasons ago that Redmond, Long, Austin would get us relegated - add Hoedt and Stephens to the mix and the flake that is JWP - well, I would defy any decent Manager to make the team good enough to get anything from the likes of City.

Perhaps Les is operating within the parameters set by Ralph and yet still trying to maintain ‘the Southampton way’? They do seem to buy players with specific personalities in this regard, leaving behind other seemingly obvious candidates that may be able to play great football, but will never hold a masters degree.

4-0 City. We will be ok until the 37th minute. Lovely.

You know what, I’d like to think this is true but look at the trend in decline. Cortese left, Lallana and Lambert left, the black box chap left (can’t remember name as I type this) and from that point Reed was managing a legacy that he couldn’t sustain. Some may say that’s not his fault, but it is...he oversaw the hiring of replacements that were not of the same order. Why? Because Kruger was told by Kat to reign in the spending while she plotted her escape. The writing has been on the wall for years now and we’re likely to see the result at the end of this season. If we drop out of the Prem I don’t expect a quick return...possibly never.

Spot on analysis, with the exception there really is little of a positive to be taken from the other poor teams, as we’ve yet to play the top teams. I do not believe changing the manager is the right move - sign of madness when you do the same wrong things and expect a different result. It’s the players and mainly the attacking players...they were never good enough and now the entire squad has no belief they’re good enough. In short, the rot has set in and only an amazing January window with significant outwards and inwards movement is going to change our fortunes. As a non-betting man I would put a decent sum of money on the odds of that not happening. We are definately in the mix to go down and if you want a recent example of why, ask why we could not beat a shockingly bad Newcastle.

McCarthy Cedric Stephens Toby. Bertie Hojberg. Lemina Mane. Le Tiss. Ings Lambert

Relegation trajectory...no doubt about it. Unless Redmond, Elynoussi, Long, Austin are replaced with 3 quality attacking players in January (which is a pipe dream) the goal drought and level of game loses will persist.

By his own admission Ings likes to drop deep and act as link with midfield to attack, but he’s not doing that now. I suspect that’s because he is seen as the most likely goal threat and so is tasked to play forward to receive balls. This therefore suggests the coaching employed is having a negative effect on our attacking play and with the lower level of skill/pace our strikers enjoy, its little wonder we’re not scoring goals.

Good point but Redmond was dire, Austin was poor, Ely was ineffective and Ings had no decent service. MOTM was Hojberg...as good as any performance put in by Schniederlin or Wanyama. Lemina getting back to his better self. The back line worked, but against better opposition make no mistake there would be no clean sheet.

It seems not so long back that we went into most home games inc Chelsea with the thought of a win a reality. That’s no longer with us and it’s hard to see where a goal is coming from. This one is more than likely a 0-3 loss...how depressing.

Oh cwap, Walcott on...you know that means we throw it away.

Sounds like Targett is having a fantastic game. Pity Bertrand will continue to keep him out of Prem games.

Yes...Ings you beauty!

Absolutely incredibly poor defending, but there were some telling Ref decisions in the lead up to the goal where he should have stopped. We are too slow in everything we do - that might be fitness, but its mostly poor investment in recruitment over three years. I think there is a good chance we will go down.

Commentators are so biased to Wolves it's embarrassing. To be fair we are playing so poorly and thats mostly because in central midfield we are allowing far too much space.

Rubbish so far

Another loss on the cards...Wolves are a well drilled side and we can’t buy a goal. 2-0 if we’re lucky.

Predicted 3-0, so not surprised in the slightest. Our squad is for the most part below Pools in terms of most attributes. We will be in danger of another relegation scrap unless Hughes finds a way of galvanising this team.

This lad could be the answer to our goal drought but what chance do these youngsters have getting into the first team - Gallagher can’t get a game even as a sub.

What’s with the sudden love for Bolton. Don’t get it. They fooked up...what’s it got to do with Saints?

Well the point over not being applicable to Kinglsand centre is rubbish...I sit in this area and was offered via email.

I like this but there’s not enough mobility in central midfield. Would play Hojberg instead of Armstrong to start. Then bring on either Armstrong or Romeu for Lemina or Hojberg depending on how the game is running. Agree with the two up top...Austin does not deserve a start, however I expect him to as they’ll not want to dent his confidence after a couple of poor games.

Can’t blame them for wanting to fill the ground, but to offer ST holders in this way smacks of little thought. The whole idea should be to attract sustainable repeat sales, but if your friends can only sit on their own in another part of the stadium rather than next to you, it will detract from the experience considerably. If the club made seat re-assignment easier...

Cardiff, Huddersfield and...Wetsham or Brighton.