Saint86

Eh? Any team that has to play Valery, bednarek, and lyanco as a back 3 all season would be relegated by April. We have a smattering of decent players, and a very average / poor squad overall. We were tipped by everyone for relegation this season and yet we've improved without ings goals. Its a bad performance at the end of the day. But this lot are young and on holiday whilst Burnley are fighting for thier Premier league season.

We've played 4-5-1 and stood off one of the worst possession sides in the league (who unsurprisingly have now set a season best first half for possession and attacking play). All because we got flukey vs arsenal (ta forster) with this formation.

Sadly hard to argue with that.

Full time predictions. Ever the optimist I think it will finish 3-2... But to who? 😅

Lyanco and Valery off. Adams and salisu on. I'd go with that!

Not bad! 😅

He has no time between getting Cork clear, to the header coming in, to him knowing whether Cork is going to kick it on the way through (which is clearly offside interfering in play for the keeper, you can see forster hesitate as it goes to Cork). Defence didn't deal with the previous attack or the corner well. The issue here is a back 3 of Valery, lyanco, bednarek.

To each their own, but I wouldn't be stating the blame game with forster for that goal 🤔🙄

Absolutely shocking performance so far. We can't be starting Valery, bednarek, and lyanco like this and then expecting forster to carry our defence. They're horrendous as a trio defensively!

How that isn't interfering in play I'll never know. Forster doesn't know if he's going to kick it ffs.

Is the defence playing to get forster a new contract?

I remember their new owners saying some fairly detrimental things about Southampton FC when they took over, so frankly i hope we go their and slaughter them. Those same owners have shown themselves to be absolute imbeciles in recent weeks their are lots of reports saying the club is now swimming in debt after the leveraged takeover, and they've set about sacking the majority of the backroom staff that have built the club over the years. The dyche sacking has also driven a wedge between them and the fans. Glad we didn't get them as owners, and i personally think they're going to fully implode over the next couple of seasons unless they make a very good appointment.

Dortmund set the release clause though! Its a huge wedge of money for them ultimately, should be interesting to see how they spend it and what it does for their competitiveness in the Bundesliga.

I'd be very surprised if city let Delap go out with an option to buy!

There is absolutely no way i could go near fratton without a giant wedge of benali stickers to leave in my wake.

When you consider villa and Everton signed Gerrard and lampard respectively, you have to think surely they'd have been better off with the proven quality that is dyche?

Not really been following the keeper contract situation. Where exactly do we stand with them both? On recent evidence, forster is getting back to his best - so I would be looking to keep him myself.

Sounds like Bednarek's days are numbered, which is backed up by his attitude/performances recently, as well as Ralph's comments? Salisu i think is the player we might sell. He hasn't signed a new deal so his transfer value will only drop, he's ultimately replaceable (i'd argue JWP nad KWP aren't) and he's rumoured to be in demand. So could well be 2 new CB's required - but equally with money available to get them. Similarly, Djenpo and Redmond seemingly being moved on. And I still do not understand what is going on with Forster and Macca. Seems to me that we should be keeping Forster. But if we aren't doing that we need a solid #1 keeper. And finally, we'll be signing another CF this summer as Broja is clearly on his way.

There were times with Forster under Koeman when he was superb. Didn't we set (or get near) a new record for clean sheets or something? Then he had that knee injury (dislocated patella?) and he never quite got back there.

Stuck with us in the darkest days, and saved our promotion push that night. On the banner surely?

To each their own, but for me Carl Anka's work was routinely some of the best football journalism i've read in recent years. He wasn't just "quirky", and I'd argue having a "bigger voice" in journalism is a sign of ability. But anyway, given he wasn't a saints fan and he was very good - i think we were lucky to have him. You may not and that's personal preference. Although, the praise and benchmarking people do against Carl is a sentiment that gets echoed on here, and you'll also see it on the Athletic comments on the odd occasion he covers a saints story. If the Daily echo has stepped up to offer that kind of work as well then that can only be a good thing. Bring on the spoiling 😁.

Lovren over fonte as well 🤣

Yeah sorely missed is Carl, think we were spoilt when he was covering us. If the echo are turning out stuff like that then I'll start giving it a read again.

Just taking the statistical analysis, xG is a average statistical view. You can't really argue with the xG stat for the game since it's based on a significant amount of statistical data - but Chelsea are a top team with great finishers generally - so they should over perform it. Equally forster can still make several great saves from good finishes (that overperform xG) and still let in more than is predicted by the stats. Chelsea were on it, so was forster. Given the domination they enjoyed they could easily have had more.

Nah mate, it's Ralph's fault we're not challenging for Europe. Shit manager init. Nothing to do with impatient fans wanting him gone.