Saint86

Nail. Hammer. Head.

You assume the current manager it to blame, despite a similar performance to the last manager? Who has achieved far more at Leicester? The squad is either not good enough, not clicking, or not trying (in parts). I don't think the manager is guilty of anything other than not all the players are playing for him... and if they don't want to be here that will be the same with any manager.

So, can we all agree... Saints are not currently in a relegation battle?

Don't know, but he is the Crystal Palace captain this season. For now anyway.

Oh do lighten up Hamilton. If people can't see the funny side of a guy called Puncheon being arrested for being in a fight then I do start to fear for the world. As you say yourself, he may be innocent, in which case there is certainly nothing wrong with having a joke about it is there?

18th place will have less than 38points. Unless this season radically alters course, and even then I think its quite hard to achieve that given it needs 7 of the bottom 9 teams all improving their points returns (some drastically) without a couple of the top half teams dropping significant points and dropping below 38.

I would have thought that was an obvious ploy on words. But nevermind... This tends to have got rather dry and serious on here.

He has been charged with assault and possessing a weapon.

Its sods law, the one year we really should have sold... and the board kept him, unsettled the team, failed to strengthen, and paid his wages whilst he devalues and can't be bothered.... Great business. I'd rather have cashed in and signed a decent striker and another mane style player. Would probably have had change to spunk on another gk if so inclined as well. Really was appalling business.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5190187/Premier-League-football-star-Jason-Puncheon-charged.html A bit of a silly boy! "Premier League footballer Jason Puncheon has been charged with assault and having a weapon after a fight erupted in a street near a nightclub. The Crystal Palace midfielder was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning after getting in an altercation close to Mishiko in Reigate, in Surrey. Witnesses said the 31-year-old footballer was arrested after getting involved in a fight between two girls. Premier League footballer Jason Puncheon (pictured) has been charged with assault and having a weapon following a brawl outside a club in Surrey A witness told The Sun: 'One of the girls was with Jason Puncheon. There was a a big slanging match, screaming and swearing. 'A man who was with one of the girls then punched another man. He fell to the floor and was left with a black eye. 'Police turned up and Puncheon was arrested. They cuffed his hands behind his back and drove him away.' Puncheon, who scored for Palace in the 2016 FA Cup Final, was held in cells overnight and released just after 2pm yesterday. Puncheon was arrested after getting involved in a fight between two girls on Puncheon was arrested after getting embroiled in a fight between two girls close to Mishiko A spokesman for Surrey Police told MailOnline: 'A man has been charged in connection with an incident in Church Street, Reigate at 2.20am on Sunday. Officers attended the area following a report of a fight. 'Jason Puncheon, 31, from Kingswood, has been charged with a section 4 public order offence – causing fear or provocation of violence, possession of an offensive weapon and common assault. 'He has been released on bail to appear at Guildford Magistrates Court on January 5.' A spokesman for Mishiko said: 'We can confirm that Jason Puncheon attended the venue with friends. 'After the venues closing hours, door staff were alerted to an altercation approximately 50 metres from the venue to which they intervened as a duty of care. 'Surrey Police were prompt to attend and made necessary enquiries. The venue cannot confirm if any arrests were made or names of persons involved.' Puncheon, who grew up in Croydon, said it was a 'proud moment' when he was announced as first-team captain for the season in July. He still maintains this title but did not play in Saturday's 3-0 win against Leicester City. Crystal Palace have so far declined to comment." - From the daily mail ofc.

So no, we are not in a relegation a battle? We are halfway through the season, there are 8 teams below us. We have only lost to 1 side below us, and if you think we are so bad, imagine how the fan's of these teams must feel. And supporter apathy does not make a relegation fight. Arsenal have supporter apathy, they aren't getting dragged into a relegation scrap. If we are in a situation where we are 3-5points above the drop with 10 games to go then fans can be concerned we might get dragged into a relegation scrap. But we are not in a relegation scrap atm. Please can this place lighten up!!

Not selling him this summer was the latest in a long line of balls ups by the current board.

We've played 18games at their are 8 teams below us. Are we in a relegation battle?

Since NC and MP left to be precise. Funny that.

League 1 to Prem was not Les Reed ffs. This rewriting of history needs to stop. Les Reed wasn't even at the club to sign the key players in that squad... And it was NC praised by all the key players and managers, not balding uncle les. We had momentum when this board got control of the club, and they duly rode it like the crest of a wave, pocketed loads of money, and with little idea what they were doing from a football perspective. Now after a fair period of reflection we are facing very much the wrong way... And they have lost two of the best recent premier league managers, and they have so far sold a champions league and arguably title challenging team of players. Every day there are now non stop calls for the manager out and half the squad to go with him... 3 transfer windows ago we just missed champions league and were the 6th best team in the county!! Yet despite this dire turn of events, we have people defending one of the key protagonists in our tale, and rewriting history by claiming Les Reed man managed our rise from league 1. Its fecking ridiculous. The man is bang average at his job, and currently that is looking kind. He wasn't even at the club when the core of our promotion team were signed. He didn't hire adkins or pardew, he didn't sack adkins, he didn't hire poch. Its just laughable. Fonte, Lambert, Harding, puncheon, Hammond... it just goes on and on. Nada to do with Leslie. How many managers do the fans want out? How many players are we going to turn on? How long will we just forget and ignore where we were 18months ago? How much can the man running the football side of the club get away with before the fans wake up. FFS. Or for the rest of our club's history, will we live the fantasy that Les Reed guided the club to back to back promotions?!?!

It is obviously not because of his understanding of expected goals though!! Its because he is one of the worlds best strikers and knows instinctively how to score. Expected goals is in effect a statistical average of all players abilities to score. Aguero does it as one of the best, ergo his play fits their pattern. The end.

If you look at how Puel has improved Leicester, and how puel and Mopey are comparable at saints, it can be argued that Leicester have far better players than Southampton. With that in mind, you need to ask yourself how we went from a squad just off the champions league (and 6th best in the country), to where are now - all despite massive tv revenues and transfer profits on players. The last two managers are comparable, and it shows that are squad is simply rather weak. Whose fault is it if the player base and quality have worsened significantly in the base of 1, 2, 3 windows? Certainly a significant proportion of the blame lays at the feet of the man you are arguing is irreplaceable. Ultimately it is better to be wrong and decisive, than stuck in limbo. Saints are sliding badly under the watch of the current board.

We would have got 24 more points and therefore have been a far superior side. so yes. We would also have Europa league football. Personally I would rather support a better team and be one of the top sides in the county (like under Koeman), than win a cup and get relegated a few years later. Ideally you win the cup and get 6th. But saints never manager success properly.

Works hard, disciplined, and has some of the best delivery in the league (both dead ball and open play). Clearly has an important place in our squad. Plus he is loyal and chose us over Poopey

The prowsey slaters are up their with those who wanted mane sold asap after his arrival, there is probably a lot of overlap with the mopey out posters; they play a lot of FM and moan like they are pep himself.

Literally love this thread. Will become pure saintsweb gold. 427 (and counting) armchair pundits that don't know as much as they think they do... and who are basically just impatient and expect instant results straight away.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/42272888

More to the point - signs of a good manager! Mopey is going to come good. There were glimpses of it in his first game, and its becoming more and more obvious each game. Maybe the fans were tired and fed up with no goals Claude, but whatever the reason, our fanbase needs to grow a pair and start cheering on the team, manager! (and Forster!!) The twitter protests were just embarrassing and very counter productive to the team and atmosphere around the club. The manager is a good un. Back him in January and back him as fans!

Puts it in perspective though. Boyfriend chant, or physical assault and being strangled / threatened with a knife.