Hodgey

I mean it has worked for us before - Chris Baird excelled there, as of course did Bertrand. I just think if you played a team with a proper centre forward, not Havertz, they’d quickly find a weak spot. Baird was composed, read the ball well and surprisingly good in the air - I just don’t see Valery as a centre back. Still the fact he didn’t look totally out of place tonight might mean I get proved wrong (and I’d be happy for that to happen !!)

Great performance against a quality team - although I’d caveat getting too excited by that as Chelsea struggled in the previous round and won on pens too. There is consistent defensive improvement - and I think you have to credit the coaching staff and system as well as the player for a strong Lyanco (and Valery) performance. Credit to to the board and Ralph for improving the squad and providing genuine competition for places. Now the big negative - I’m still not seeing many goals in this team, and think aside from Broja we have a load of championship level strikers and attacking midfielders. Let’s see how we get on against Watford - but realistically I think success this year will be avoiding relegation and hopefully a couple of those at mid and strikers become genuine Prem talents. Result is annoying - it’s one of those winnable trophies for teams like us. But not faulting Ralph for team or subs (although the Walcott signing was ridiculous - you can’t not play a fit £70k a week player you have just signed in a league cup game against at weakened opposition).

I had to re-read that, he would be utterly dismantled in the Prem league playing there. I can’t think of a single attribute he possesses that would lend itself to that position. For prem cb I’m thinking composure, reading the game, strength, Ariel prowess, perfect tackling, mental strength, determination, awareness. Anyone else get a picture of Valery from those characteristics ??

Absolutely - it’s a great loan and well done the club for being pragmatic enough to recognise that our principles around loans simply won’t work in our current state. A frightening thought is that 2 players who have instantly become some of our best were miles away from Chelsea’s first team (and based on talent)

I’ve just seen Redmonds miss - what is so scandalous about it is that he tries and use his right foot - stick your left foot out and it’s a goal, much easier than attempting it with your right. It’s unforgivable for a top level player to be unable to use both feet, favouring one is fine. What do our coaches do to stop this ? Same with Adams - he’d have double the goals if he had any faith in his left foot. They train every day, there is simply no excuse.

Yep EKS - I would have loved to see us lift the cup but I’m not that old (but old enough) - but to answer perhaps your question I want to see us win something (either cup), appreciate those who put a higher price on top 8 prem finishes etc but I just want to see us win something - for me that is what sport is ultimately all about.

I’m as frustrated as anyone with our lack of silverware. Let’s be clear - in my lifetime supporting Saints we’ve won nothing of note - and (sadly) we’re talking 40 years. But Adkins job wasn’t to win trophies - his job was to get us to the Prem, which he did in 2 years, he was a huge success. I’m more annoyed with Poch for throwing away some great chances in the cups with an unbelievable team.

You can certainly argue we should have won l1 with the richly assembled squad we had, but to go straight through the championship was a great achievement. Also we were outside the drop zone and improving when he was sacked. In reality he was ahead of his time in terms of motivation and tactics with us - but everyone else caught up hence his lack of success.

I think there is some unfair JWP criticism going on again. Let’s be honest that was a terrible Leeds performance with all their quality players out, Romeu and Diallo had freedom of the park to play and a tell tale sign of a weak team is Redmond standing out. That said JWP clearly hasn’t played to his own high standards this season for whatever reason but the fixtures have been tough - would Diallo playing instead of JWP seen better results than draws against City / Utd / West Ham where the midfield is properly contested ? I’m not convinced…. but happy that Diallo played well today.

No we are not. I get the question as for whatever reason this season he has been average so far, but he is proven quality and has carried us at times. Diallo and Romeu have more limitations. Agree on Broja though - he’s got qualities Armstrong and Adams will never have.

There is of course a way out (aside from an increasingly unlikely buy out). It involves actually getting a couple of high quality youth players through each season to replace a couple of 1st team sales. Sadly this is a part of the club that has been criminally ignored for a good 5 years and I’m not seeing any improvement although the plan B of getting disgruntled youth players from other teams for relatively high amounts but potential big returns is a good but short term idea.

My go (and showing age here) Shilton Golac Wright Van Djke Bale Wallace Case Williams LeTiss Moran Lambert Bench: Niemi, Marsden (yep CMFG - some of my happiest memories), Mane, R Wallace, Armstrong (David), Tadic, Long (ok that’s a joke - Pahars)

Think Newcastle would finish above us anyway as they have Wilson and ASM. This takeover means they can keep them and buy a couple more creative mercenaries. We are most certainly in the group of teams at the bottom - just hope we are that bit better than Norwich, Burnley and Watford

We don’t have the players to beat teams we need to break down - our no 10s are not creative and we have no finishers. Still think we will just about stay up as we are an ok team at defending and breaking. What do people expect when you sell your top goal scorer and talisman ?? (Not blaming anyone for that but it’s a fact). More worrying is Long back in the first team and one injury away from a totally unknown cb in Lyanco. Worried about JWP though - our only other genuine PL quality player doesn’t look right.

But playing devils advocate with that. You’d be just as well placed not bothering investing in the academy at all and have more money / time to get disillusioned youngsters from the top 6 and promise them 1st team. We make a big thing of our top class facilities and A status, but if you can’t produce any players it’s all completely pointless (and as things stand it’s not even as if we can flog a couple to the championship for a few hundred thousand, they all end up in league 1 or below on a free).

They must be gutted - wrong side of very fine margins with that and the t20 result.

Big session coming up, this may be close…

Crane opening very odd - yes he topscored first innings but it says everything about our batters to do that !. Hard to work out if the new ball is unplayable or our batsmen can’t bat but both sides struggled so far with partnerships in the tail. Hopefully we can do that and push on to 200 which will be hard to chase down - Vince / Weatherly and Dawson putting us in a better position. Could go either way this….

My first thought seeing that team was keeping Bednerak and KWP happy in a game he knows we can’t win. Fully expect them both to be dropped after we get our arses handed to us today - harsh if so

They gave that a good shot - Weatherly gave them a defendable total but again dreadful batting from the top order. Then a bit of inexperience from Wheal whose radar was a bit out. Disappointing but to get to the final with such an average team was a great achievement. Ultimately Somerset’s long tail won them the game

Spinners doing all the damage now. Having 8 players who all seem to get similar averages with the bat seems to confuse the opposition - that short tail has worked wonders. Funny thing is that it was a similar story with Southern Brave - seems like Vince captains best with a lot of all rounders. Either way it’s been an excellent season from Hampshire led by a talisman captain.

Latest amazing article from the Athletic - after 3 draws Saints need to convert draws to wins. Brilliant, incisive, deeply analytical stuff !!!

Agree - they have something about them, seem to get better results than their quality suggests they should. The bowlers have got them out of trouble so many times and ironically not just with the ball !. If they had a decent couple of openers they’d be a top outfit - see we lost early wickets again today, no wonder Vince can play opener, he basically often does anyway…

The excuses for this B team are wearing thin. There is something not right about the whole set up - coaches / players / strategy / tactics. they get thumped every week and show the paucity of talent our expensive academy is churning out. it might have been a little men against boys - but looking at that Fulham team I’d wager a fair few of theirs were kids too, and don’t forget they are a championship club. When your own site write up highlights last minute challenges and early bookings to take one for the team you know they’ve been utterly outclassed. Prem 2, div 2 is clearly well above their level - worrying

Fair point on the Echo / haven’t read it for ages. Still think my point stands - I’ve not seen anything in the athletic not previously mentioned here or speculated on in the national press. When Carl did it you were getting stuff a million miles more researched and in depth than anywhere else. I thought that was the point of the athletic - fear it’s becoming like the nationals in terms of Saints coverage - but with a dedicated full time journalist it really shouldn’t, especially with a subscription model.