Saint86

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 🤣

Its a chicken/egg scenario. You could easily argue that no one wanted to pay more for them based on their performances/quality vs what we would ask, and that all the contract running out does is mean that we'll accept a reasonable bid 🤷‍♂️. You say PEH is a £35m pound player, but I doubt many teams would pay that for him. The season before, Ings was basically the defacto golden boot winner (zero pens) and there wasn't a sniff at him. He misses half a season with injuries and scores 12 goals, and we get £30m for him with a year left on his contract. The implication is that frankly, teams just weren't prepared to pay more for those players. Another example being that JWP is still here...

Nothing against vest and hope he does well as it reflects well on saints. But couldn't care less that he's gone and look forward to us investing the funds in a replacement who better fits the role under ralph.

Eh? Pure speculation.

The "cult" is simply people who support the team.... Absolute weirdos apparently 🙄

Only 2-3 of those players would have been starters last season though - KWP, maybe perraud, and one of Adams/Armstrong. He's had to assemble the squad he has whilst being in a terrible financial situation with limited resources - having to shift high wage dead wood, and selling to release funds to buy. Those players above were largely all signed as promising young players that could develop into first team players / starters - and he's had to (and still is) managing the transition. To get to this point, he's/we've had to sell/shift; Ings, Vestergard, Bertrand, Cedric, Lemina, Hoedt, Carillo, Gunn, Hojberg, Reed, Yoshida, Boufal, Target, Austin, Clasie, Austin, Gallagher, Davis. Plus we still have Ely 😅 And listing your signings above; KWP, Salisu, Perraud, Livramento, Diallo, Walcott, Djenepo, Adams, Armstrong, Broja Not to mention he's had to keep team cohesion with that level of churn - as well as totally changing our style of football from the puel/mope/hughes days. So yeah, its his team.... But fair play to him for keeping us in the league and out of relegation scraps i'd say - we have been chronically mismanaged before him and he's barely had a pot to piss in. I'm sure he'd love a good goalkeeper - but fortunately forster and Macca are capable and certainly not as useless as players like Hoedt/boufal/lemina etc for saints. Like i said before, he doesn't have many places to hide this season. But we're certainly a work in progress, and i for one will judge him with the knowledge that he's assembled the team he has on one of the lowest net budgets in the league.

He's been forced to replace key players like ings and vestergard under strict financial circumstances - so whilst he's signed the players I still don't think it's the squad he really wants. I would say we're midway through a work in progress tbh. If we're abysmal he has few places left to hide though imo. But I'm prepared to be patient with him and the team. I still think he's a good manager and that last season was a culmination of terrible injuries, a small squad, and players looking at their next moves. Excited to see how this new look and younger team gets on. Think we've done some very good business atm, but will Ralph get the time to see some of these players mature 🤷‍♂️

I agree. I just don't think jwp is leaving. Didn't he say in an interview at the end of the season, that his dream is for his kids to see him lift a trophy for saints or something?

Pilchard are you itk on this?

Tempted to say that if Vestergard stays, we might see the two CB's as him and Salisu with Bednarek dropping.

Duplicate

6 players?!?!?!?! Can't be. People were saying we hadn't signed anyone and had no depth.

If we sign anymore players from chelsea and we're going to start getting ridiculed 😅 - But then, if they're all good, who cares?

That's the key part of this. I know lots of villa fans and people from around Birmingham, they're all pretty nice decent people, and i actually couldn't say a bad word about a single villa fan that I know in real life... but that all changes as you venture into the city proper 😨 😛

Nearly there but not quite for me. If JWP really isn't fit then: Forster; KWP, Bedernak, Salisu, Perraud; Armstrong, Romeu; Walcott, Redmond; Adams, Tella. 9 subs don't forget - McCarthy, Livromento, Stephens, Diallo, Broja, Armstrong, Djenpo, dymel + 1 new signing I think Tella will start up front alongside Adams, with Redmond in the CAM spot. If JWP wants to maintain his record for playing every minute then: Forster; KWP, Bedernak, Salisu, Perraud; JWP, Romeu; Armstrong, Redmond; Adams, Tella. McCarthy, Livromento, Stephens, Diallo, Broja, Armstrong, Djenpo, dymel/+1 new signing, Walcott.

Why are people down on Saints?!?!? We've cleared out some dead wood, made/making some very astute signings, and had a decent pre season. Plus we've got a pretty good manager who looks like he'll be going into the season with a team of players the majority of which he signed for once... And perhaps more key than all of the rest, some squad depth.

The one you've basically answered Seems relatively cheap though - makes the price we've got for Ings even better imo.