Saint86

This is the weekend where we finally win. (confident that if i say this enough it will make it so).

Personally don't think they're about to sack him - sounds like the usual rumour mill fluff tbh. A lot of people are very vocal at wanting him out and have no issues creating noise to that effect. But equally facts remain he's a long way off being favourite for the boot - currently behind ETH and O'Neil. If he does go, would hope its for Potter of the names listed - bugger all point sacking him for another untested unknown. Needs to be someone with pedigree who knows what he is doing and will have the respect of the players.

We're gonna win !!! 👀

I don't think he'll get sacked even if we lose tbh. Our survival chances will look incredibly bleak if we cannot win this one though. Entering dead rubber territory for the rest of the season. You'd like to think the situation, the encouraging performance vs arsenal, and the fact that its one of our best chances to win at home will all focus the players minds on it - hopefully leading to a 1st win of the season.

Yeah agreed - think it was fairly obvious to anyone who'd actually watched him that he had what was needed. A great buy for Ipswich.

I reckon this is going to be one where it might be worth being "out for the day"....

The issue is Sports Republic. They're woefully out of their depth and have spent hundreds of millions to gut every level of the club to a level below even that of the penny less Gao / Semmens / Ralph years... In fact, i think our only saving grace last year was that they had Lavia and Tino on the books to flog for big money and tidy profits... one final gift from SR's predecessors? Martin looks like he is far from up to the required level, but i feel sorry for him... and when he does eventually get sacked, SR will find someone else who isn't up to it to replace him with no doubt.... All of which makes it a bit pointless hating on Russel Martin and hoping the team lose... Are you in a rush to have the next Selles or Nathan Jones at the club?! 😂

One on the one hand... "it could be worse, we could be pompey" springs to mind... and on the other, we play arsenal away shortly.... 😂

Plenty of people didn't need hindsight mate. And on that subject, how are people still going on about Broja like he is a reliable prem striker? 8 Goals in 66 matches (0.12 goals per game).

Its certainly notable that we might tweak things and get on top for 5-10min... but then the opposition manager makes a slight change and we're nullified until say half time... then we'll change things for 5-10min... and then we're nullified again. Too easy for other managers to counter out setups and then he seems unable to figure that out or realise the danger. First half vs Bournemouth it was obvious it needed changing urgently at 2-0, we did nothing and the game was totally gone with the 3rd goal.

Have reflected on that awful performance over night. I do feel sorry for him tbh. Was always going to be a tough ask keeping us up, but feels like he's totally lost his way the last few games. I don't think the transfer window has been as brilliant as some (we could have loaned someone like Kepa for example and signed a better striker with the extra £25M. He did give us a great season last year (albeit we did almost fail to get over the line), and Wembley was a fantastic day out for the whole fanbase! It was also notable that he did have his dark times last year (Leicester post match interview in particular - and he seemed to used that as a motivation to change up, seemingly with a Neil Warnock intervention occurring behind the scenes... Strikes me he seems to fluctuate between extremes when the pressure is on, which isn't good, but he is a young manager at the end of the day... and who knows, if he stays on maybe he'll push on again - and he did i think prove those particular doubts wrong last year in that he did show he could change for the final run in and playoffs. Ultimately though, I don't think he's going to keep us up. At times we've played well, but we're not good enough to score the goals we need, and the players are making bad mistakes to cost us (and that isn't just on Martin): Bournemouth yesterday: The free kick was pure naivety, and then its compounded by the players very poor / limp reaction to go behind - I also think that ball was likely still moving and i wouldn't be at all surprised if it had been disallowed had we scored it - i.e., it was a good goal that you don't often see come off, and we've just been ruthlessly punished for that error. Deflected second goal Ipswich's deflected goal last week, bad positioning for the defence sure... but again ruthlessly punished - straight into the top corner - keeper no chance Penalty Miss vs united - that's just down to the players... simply not good enough!! Newcastle we outplayed even with 11men, players made one mistake and again punished. And sure, teams make their own luck by being better, but does feel like we're being punished for everything atm. And saying all that, i'm not actually sure anyone else will keep us up either... So if SR have decided that Martin is our man and are committed to him long term, that they think he will continue to grow and develop etc., and they're going to stick with him regardless of relegation - then frankly they need to say it... Because otherwise he's basically being hung out to dry, facing the music every week with all and sundry waiting for him to get sacked... Which is a grim level of pressure for anyone to be under and won't help the team or the fans. Equally, if we're going to sack him soon, then for goodness sake get it over and done with - we're using up winnable games and he needs putting out of his misery, he's a nice enough bloke who gave us some good times and no one wants to watch it all fall apart for him in a long drawn out slow motion car crash...

PSR. Basically stops relegation by default. We were just unlucky enough to go down as it came in. Clubs that get relegated get wrecked by the turmoil it causes, then get promoted and can't spend the same as the worst surviving prem club. And clubs coming up from lower leagues (that avoid that mess) don't have the infastructure to really threaten because it takes years of funding to establish squad depth, commercial revenues, and quality training / academy setups. PSR is one foot into the world of removing relegation.

"Finally leaning" ... "towards thinking". Mate. Do you want any paint to go with that fence.

I think that's going to be it for our favourite vegan tbh. First half was absolutely dire. Looks like hes lost, no idea what line up or tactics to pick, totally scattergun and all over the place. Feel for him, but I just can't see how he can continue. Getting worse if anything.

They should sack him after this shit fest and just go and get potter. Relegation will cost far more.

But but but... we have standing, fanzones, and pens... We're awesome now?!?!

Both 9-0s were Mike Dean / fatty boy mason infested. That is the most hopeless half I've ever seen a saints side play I think. Bournemouth could score at will every attack of they had better players. We should be 6-0 down, not 3-0.

The thing is, whatever comes out in the second half, we've just thrown away another game against supposedly weaker opposition. It's just not good enough. Really does look like he's completely out of his depth and if that is the case we may as well sack him now - don't waste Leicester at home as well.

Yes.

There is a parallel universe where your namesake was never undermined and sacked and we're an established top 10 club looking towards Europe with our best academy talents still at the club, as well as tino and lavia... Oh well ey?

He appears woefully out of his depth by allowing this to continue. The game is now gone. Shocking.

Martin has just sat here. Watched this formation be appalling. Watched them score 2. Watched them attack more and more, stroked his beard nervously a number of times, changed nothing and allowed it to continue.... And sure enough they've scored a 3rd. Entirely on Martin that goal, inexcusable.

And now a deflection. We ain't playing well, but we're getting bent over. And all of that from fernandes recieving a two handed push right in front of Oliver and nothing being given.

Feels harsh there. Ball maybe moving and lesley (I think) should have just kicked it away slightly to prevent the quick kick... Basics... And we've been punished with a really good goal. Harsh.

Loving all the fans that didn't want to sign Delap 😂