Saint86

Same crap again for the line up. Dropping KWP is unforgiveable, ditto no stuart armstrong - and how can we seriously be dropping Bednarek (a mainstay last season), for Jack Stephens. Just wtf is going on.

You named 28 players, you think we can go the season with a squad of 17? 😨🙈 I'd say about 7 are surplus barring a major injury crisis.

Its about acclimatising the population to the concept of government control and digital ID cards through a slowly creeping introduction. Always has been. The slow move to 1984 / British china. If they cared about stopping covid they'd mandate testing and implement a system that can't be dodged by simply registering a LFT as negative.

Contender for post of the summer, no doubt.

🙄 JWP such a little turd going on strike eh? 🙄🤔👀

Love it guys, keep it coming! This writing off perraud and the transfer window in general after a bad 45min, brilliant stuff! 👍 But also more reactionary than a bunch of teenage girls 🙄.

Yes. I was replying to Turkish who was saying he thought we'd missed a trick in not getting him.

So we're working hard on making a new singing, name drops the vice chairman, and can't give a firm date. Literally anyone on here could have typed that 🙄 But for sure, Rob is ITK 😆

Depends what we end up with. I hope we can do better than Cahil though.

Sounds like we're in for Thierry Small then? 17 years old and Everton would be due £5m compensation. Promising young left back and I think Everton's youngest ever player in the prem?

Its not on the club, its government policy and has been for a while. Also they won't be checking everyone - just a small percentage. All you need to do is input a LFT test as negative and you're good to go though right? that seems farcical to me? Also seems bizarre as well given how high vaccination rates are in the population / by age. If you consider the now evident failure of vaccines to stop the virus spreading and the number of people at the ground.... I'd say that with these procedures, the reality is that you're going to get a fair number of vaccinated people with covid attending packed venues - who are in turn going to spread it further - simply because they aren't being tested. The obvious safe way to have addressed this would be for the government to mandate testing. Makes me think that these restrictions have got a significant gearing towards getting us used to idea of carrying around a little digital passport / id card, and the concept of tighter government controls on what everyone can do. Why do i think that? Because a 10year old with a crayon and 5min of spare time could propose better procedures than these - so the government definitely could if they really cared. Enjoy the toilets and half time queues all - you'll be sharing them with the infected 🙈

Goes well with your avatar 😆

I don't think i've seen anyone say that foreign signings are a "guarantee of quality". But its undeniable that they can offer good value for money if scouted well. Our best signings in recent years have been VVD, Tadic, Mane, Pelle, Toby etc. Our British signings have been for comparable sums and are/were no where near their level. Conversely, do a crap job of scouting players from abroad and you end up with Carillo's, Hoedt's and Lemina's. So actually, i would say the general rule is that foreign signings offer potentially far better value, but at a much higher risk. Just take west ham as an example. £40+ million spent on Bowen (end of contract and £20m) and Benrahma (17months left at £21m) - both of whom are good, but they picked up Coufal (£5.4m) and Soucek (£14.5m) for half that 🤷‍♂️

Steady on! We aren't managed by Southgate....

Switch that to Salisu over stephens and you've got a team!

I'm sure they'll be keeping a careful eye and if things don't improve I don't think he'll see November. But i'm not going to freak out over the first few games. He's had a lot of player turnover and gelling a young squad. If he can't deliver with it after a reasonable number of games then i think his time is up. I suspect he knows he's running out of time as it is - but what he and the team don't need is the fans turning on them over fixtures we do historically shite in anyway. It would be classic Saints if almost all home clubs manage wins at home with the fans behind them, and St Mary's is either its usual quiet self or turns on the team from the start.

How can you seriously say things haven't improved since Hughes left... I'm sorry but that just reads like total and utter nonsense. That was 2 and a half years ago and we're still in the league!!! We've also been confortably clear of relegation every season, finished top half, and had a top 4 2020. FML.

Skybet are offering a 20% return on your money if you think they'll be more than 1 goal. You'll be hard pushed to get a better guaranteed interest rate than that - Just saying....

The way to do it in general is as follows: Step 1 - For games where we obviously aren't going to get smashed, place a bet on saints for a win or draw pre match. Step 2 - Cash out at an appropriate time subject to how the game is going - half time is normally sensible. Step 3 - Watch how the game is going, if its clear that the opposition are going to get back into it (and as saints fans, we can all see those warning signs coming lets be honest) then place the opposing bet on the other side. Step 4 - Assuming step 3 has been followed - Ralph will invariably deliver. Step 5 - Collect innings. 🙃

You weren't alone. Rafa is superb manager for clubs at our level.

Imo the single biggest issue is that we do not change how we play during a game from a defensive standpoint. We get on top, cause problems, maybe take the lead etc... And then we wait, and we give the opposition time to make changes, counter the system, get on top - always at the start of the second half - and then only after we are behind or have sacraficed our lead does he make changes!? This is where he is bad, he needs to make a change to how he tactically manages a game when we are in front and when we know the opposition will make a reaction. Just switch to a 4-2-3-1 for a period with Adams up top and A.Armstrong and a tella/redmond/walcott on the wings, S.Armstrong as the Cam, and romeu and JWP in the defensive spots etc. It doesn't have to be a change of personnel, just change the system to throw the opposition off and retain the ball a bit. We are also a mess in defence, always when we concede its mistakes and a shambles, like the players are too rushed / overwhelmed. Part of that is a quality issue - I do not think we have two CB's that can play his system for 90minutes without gifting goals - and part of it is tactically not being solid enough or well enough well drilled. And above all. The goalkeeper situation is an absolute mess. But if we do not sort out the defensive tactics, or the CB / GK situation we are in trouble imo. We cannot continue to be this soft and stay in the league. Maybe a bit of a gutshot reaction to the first game, but I can see united thrashing us and we've got tough opening fixtures which could lead to us getting into a very bad start and headspace morale/confidence wise. Worrying as well, was the the players didn't really react vs Everton. The second half Everton came out and were in top, the first goal was a mistake and inevitable. The second goal was a bit of a wonder strike for doucore, but the players seemed demoralised, almost like an acceptance that it was going to happen. Not a good sign! After that, with Ralph, the game is gone more often than not. We routinely chase games late on and get beat by a few more goals - he needs to react before this all happens! Anyway, onto the next one. Let's see if he makes any changes.

I was surprised by he selections today. I think full strength we have armstrong romeu jwp and Tella in midfield? And then KWP should be starting RB. Forster has to be first pick in goal vs united. Who are going to utterly murder us!

Yes, if anything the fixture list was kind on us today. 1st game of the season combined with away at everton. 2 birds with one stone.

Absolutely hilarious 🤣