Saint86

I have no doubt Sheldon enjoyed that that article hurt saints, but the run that followed is due to injuries and squad limitations. That rest break didn't have that much of a role in our form 😅. Reality is that when Ralph had fit and on form strikers we were shit hot and getting plaudits from everywhere... And when we either had injured strikers (or only shit ones left) we were dog awful - this season being 18th for goals scored whilst being 13th for xG for example...

People criticising his ability forgetting we're a championship side 🤣😄. He'll be fine there.

The fact the club nearly went out of business somewhat dwarfed the relegation for many i think 😄. Barring a miracle this summer, this turd of a squad is not going to bounce upon landing in the championship - so in that regard, yes, history could repeat itself. The board have give assurances on the financial front? I think the way the squad is structured towards younger players on cheaper long term contracts should mitigate a lot of threat, as will relegation clauses. Agree, if SR walk away then we're in trouble short term.... but... We own the ground, we have a top quality training ground, and the academy is in very good health. We'd get snapped up by some other owner looking to get us on the cheap and push us up the leagues.

I've been more "are we there yet" than upset. Most of us watched saints go to the wall last time, what's the worst that can happen?

We have fans that are now calling are dedicated away supporters c*nts and noddys. We have a fanbase that booed this young and inexperienced team from the very first game of the season when they needed support. And we have fans that wanted a loyal, passionate, and good manager sacked - a decision that has most certainly relegated us. As a fanbase we're reaping what we've sown. But I must say i'm looking forward to the, "anyone would be better than ralph / JWP / INSERT OTHER" finding something else to moan about in the lower leagues. Without doubt, their unrealistic expectations and impatience in "supporting" this team, and the negativity they created, are a part of why we're going down. Commentators calling on saints fans to be a "12th man" this season 😂

In all serious, rather unlucky tonight. Lots of injuries and blunt tools. Players did give it a good go. But at least now we know we're down and can rebuild. Will hate watching JWP playing for someone else next year, would love it if he stayed and we appointed an attacking manager again.

Played Macca, let in shed loads of goals... hardly a surprise is it.

What we've seen here, is one club that went out and got proper attackers in the summer, vs one that hasn't managed it all season...

Unlucky tonight in fairness. 1st goal was a joke off a free kick. Pen was unlucky. Always been chasing the game. Still. We deserve to be going down.

How predictable was that!

Navas is only 6ft 1", Paul as 6" on him without even jumping ffs!

If ever a game there was a time to play Tall Paul - its vs this defence....

how is that not accidental handball - would never be given as a pen ffs!

One of the worst teams defensibly in the league... why are we not playing Tall Paul - adams has done relatively little regardless!

yes, we've been down since we sacked ralph.

Thats unlucky tbh

Bednarek with his great trademark covering block/tackle/interception. Watch him pass the ball away / score and own goal in a minute 😂

Not that it matters, but absolute joke refereeing. Never ever a foul by Che Adams to launch that fast counter, and was the ball moving when they took the freekick?

Always felt like Sheldon was using saints as little more than a career ladder, he seemed quite happy to put the club down if it suited, and by all accounts he upset a few behind the scenes (minimum). Never felt his analysis was being close to on par with any of the other journos we've had and I would have cancelled my Athletic subscription had he continued. Tanswell is certainly a step up but still fairly average overall - although improving. I find he holds some quite partisan viewpoints about the club in some of his peices, but he does at least seem to hold an affinity for Saints, and he does have some decent analytics in him. Agree with others that say both Sheldon (particularly) and Tanswell tend to write stories out of / about nothing. Alfie house has been very good and has impressed me a lot this year, and works with less resources that the above - without doubt the best current journo dedicated to saints (imo) , probably since Anka.

What?! No. You would have to be one of life's greatest ever optimists to have hope now.

Kevin danso assist and Lois Openda (😭 - £7m last summer) goal to give lens a 2-1 win over 3rd place marseille in ligue 1, moves them up to 2nd and 3 points of PSG. Missed opportunities 😭

I've been saying 33-34 points for weeks. But our goal difference means we'd be at the bottom of any team on that points total. We're done now, can stick a fork in it. We'd need minimum 3 wins and a draw from the last 4 games to have a chance.... I think it would be a literal miracle to survive, and that's ignoring the way we're playing and our total lack of attacking identity. I could even see us even needing to get 4 wins as I'm not convinced we'd get out of it with 34 points and our goal difference.

Results not bad today, would have a chance if we had just 3 more points, let alone hadn't sacked hassenhuttle Would be sods law that we get results out of forest and Fulham and then go down to the dippers last game. 😢

I don't have a huge issue with the royal family as an institution. If its a choice between a largely politically independent monarchy and President Tony Blaire / Dave Cameron / Boris Johnson / Nick Clegg etc then its an absolute non starter... But as for treating them as anything other than a token head of state that represents Britain internationally and brings in some tourism.... such as swearing allegiance - No bloody chance. If its not something Charles wants and has come out of some hair brained plan from the Archbishop (as that Dimbleby implies above) then fair enough... but i still think anyone who does it is mad...

The athletic journalists are a mixed crowd. Anka was quality and it was great when he covered us - he had a lot of tactical and analytical knowledge and was able to write about it well, also embedded himself well with the overall club, fanbase, and ex players. Dan Sheldon certainly had no love of saints / ralph (especially) as far as I could see, and the quality of his analysis (when it even happened) was pretty poor. Jacob Tanswell is okay, he does some data analysis but i can't think of a single article where he has added anything of merit on the tactical front. And as you say, he manages to write an awful lot about nothing, or stuff that is very obvious.