saintsmike25

To the tune of 'Sugar' Mo elyounoussi Better than Mo Salah (If anyone can think of the rest after that....) i didn't really want to call him a candyman!

I think Carillo will go out on loan, Hughes doesn't rate him, and let's face it he didn't look like scoring. I'd say Shane Long's days are numbered, although i feel okay with Gab/Austin being first choice strikers, we need someone young and hungry to be challenging them. I don't think we have that in our academy, although this is a real chance for Sam Gallagher to step up. Although if Shane Long does go, then what he brings is pace and work-rate, we need someone similiar with more goal threat to replace him - Jack Marriot who banged in goals in league one for Peterborough would be ideal, although he is likely to join Bristol City. It'll be interesting to see the lads in China, certainly a fairly tiring trip, and one which could exhaust the players before the season starts. I hope it will at least create a bond that could help us start our season quickly.

Guess he's a gamble at £12m... International class like i said earlier. Both him and Tadic are class, the issue is set-up, Serbia/Switzerland both set up their teams to make the most of flair like players and both Tadic and Shaqiri were superb.

Why would he want to join a team on the decline who were lucky to finish 17th, and go for a team who finished top ten and previously won the league.. dunno must be Les Reed's fault.

Worth a gamble at £12m? he's worth at least 25 to 30 in today's market. Proven quality, gamechanging ability, can win games, international class.

As usual everyone rates other teams signings etc, let's wait and see what the transfer window has in store for us. Personally would like to see Quincy Promes/Gibson/Dembele. Sobhi is like Boufal, lots of tricks some pace but lack of an end product. Pastore - waste of money, too old and may show flashes of brilliance rarely but there's a reason PSG want rid of this high earner who will have little resale value. Fredericks is a good signing, strong full back.

I suspect we will keep it tight and not play an expansive game. Could lose 1-0 but we'll be fine. It'll be a dull affair that's for sure. We aren't that easy to break down with the 5-4-1 formation.

Good - Tadic, Holjberg, Macca and that's about it Bad - Austin looks a bit lazy, Redmond not quite in the game but picking up some decent positions, touch seems a bit off, Romeu AWFUL, Bednarek is gripped by fear as is Stephens, Bertrand looks off the pace Overall - Hughes needs to make a change, we need to get the ball to the front men quicker, need a Shane Long or Gab - this is MUST-WIN not must-not-lose, i'd rather lose 1-0 with lots of chances of winning than draw 0-0 with a mediocre performance. Biggest 45 all season, Swansea can be opened up and their press leaves them open to counter attacks.. we need to start pinning them back and putting them under pressure, MUST close Clucas down and Ki, both have too much time.

Okay - simply put if we don't get three points against Swansea we're down. Our goal difference may well keep us up. Last week if you offered me a win against Bmouth and a point at Everton i'd have taken it. But in typical Saints fashion we're making things harder for ourselves. Positives: Redmond WAS sublime, Cedric, Holberg, Bednarek, Romeu, Long, Macca Negatives: Austin (awful - Long is better currently) Bertrand lacking quality, Hoedt, Yoshida (stupid red card)

Swansea looked poor today. Lacked spark - i'd be surprised if we failed to get a point against them. We have two games where six points is possible, any point against Man City is a bonus.

Okay - we have given ourselves a fighting chance, Everton and Swansea both must-win but are winnable. Man City we could get a point on a good day. I think we'll get a further four points from our next three we will go down but it will be tight.

The game is set, we need two strikers or at least another midfielder - 3 at the back is stupid at home. Hoedt makes our defence worse with his hoofing and continual ineptitude, i'd even say he's probably a better midfielder than defender. Haul off Romeu/Hoedt for Sims and Long and we might just win.

Too many of the club's foreign recruits believe their own hype that they will be the next Mane/VVD - so simply have treated Southampton like the stepping stone it is. If the club goes down they don't care, they're confident they'll get a move. However those who have been at the club and have perhaps peaked, but are proud to wear the shirt (Long/Davis and some of the younger players Stephens/JWP/Forster/Romeu/Yoshida) are most definately fed up of the likes of Lemina/Boufal/Cedric/Hoedt. I imagine Holjberg is in an awkward position because you can't question his commitment but he's also one who knows he'll be picked up come relegation. If you look at the big money signings recently Hoedt Lemina Boufal Carillo All four have been awful with attitude problems, or simply inept (Carillo/Hoedt) - we could have done a Burnley and spent that money on hard-working talented youngsters plying their trade in the championship. But too much focus on the black box and the turnover of managers and departures has left our team without a spine and flimsy, the sale of Jose Fonte was probably the nail in the coffin, he was the last true leader that i'd say Saints through and through, naturally what should have happened is Yoshida takes on captaincy, but he's been treated shoddily and played second fiddle to Hoedt who has frankly been terrible. All in all, the shambles on the pitch and in the dressing room reflects what is likely to be going on behind the scenes, a rudderless ship that is sinking without anyone taking responsibility. The players are blaming each other, Hughes inherits a mess while Les Reed/Ralph and the new owners shy away and don't admit they made huge mistakes, starting with the sacking of Puel. The fans don't deserve what has happened but those at the club in positions of power have reaped what they've sowed, and no doubt the challenge of rebuilding will be a tough one, but i hope it starts with home-grown talent and a real overhaul of the playing squad.

We deserved that - too negative from the start. Positives. Bednarek, Hoedt did well for once, other than that it was simply very ordinary all round.

This should be a game where these players get themselves up and try and attack and make a statement, instead they treat it like an afternoon stroll and don't seem too bothered if they attack.. it's almost like a bad training session.

Simply put not enough ambition. Romeu awful, three defenders... no pace, some fight but too little too late. JWP for Davis like a Pellegrino sub. Players don't want to win, as soon as it was 0-0 and 20 minutes left we went into a shell realising we could lose if we attacked, that's what fear and awful mentality does. The only player who looked like he had a vague bit of quality was Tadic at times. Woeful game and a half hearted Leicester looked far superior to us throughout.

Dunno what to make of this but the JWP for Davis substitute was awful. Defensive for defensive... Davis isn't anywhere near match fit. Need to take off Romeu and try and win with Austin.

Lol. Says it all over our players have no mental fortitude whatsover. Gutless after a positive start. Hughes not to blame like Pellegrino in many ways, these players have zero strength of character. Doesn't matter if Pep manages them they're all far too weak.

Cedric has responded - has played excellent - MOM for me. Two assists.

Good performance compared to previous weeks, but the 5-4-1 at 2-1 down needs to be changed, switch to 4 at the back, Romeu as DM, swap Tadic for Sims, and take off Long as he's now injured for Austin.

I'll support Saints through the highs and the lows. You don't just give up when we're in the crap - teams go through patches of being good/mediocre/brilliant/poor - currently we're poor but we can rebuild.

Think he will go for JWP at right back. Certainly is better than Cedric - better crossing, works harder, good set pieces. Cedric has been useless. Shame we let Targett go on loan he's doing superb at Fulham, we could have done with him replacing Bertrand who has been awful of late. Sims instead of Tadic and Boufal instead of Redmond - Nathan blew his chance against West Ham, bottled it on and off the ball. Lastly Romeu instead of Holjberg/Lemina and Long instead of Gabbi. I'd rather we went down fighting for players with some fight rather than those who don't seem to care.

Lemina is better in a three. He lacks discipline and simply should have played it back but instead backed himself when under pressure and in a pressure game you can't do that.

What did i say - Palace are worse than us at holding on to a lead. Could prove vital at the end of the season 2-1 Lpool.

Palace are fast starters but as the Man Utd defeat has shown they can attack but their defence struggles against pace.