DuncanRG

These things are clearly worse if they're done with malice, but symbols have meaning regardless. See also Prince Harry dressing as a Nazi.

There was an interesting analysis of his time at Bournemouth on (I think) MNF, suggesting that Howe used ordinary players as cogs in a machine while Wilshere was a star who's used to a different machine and couldn't integrate. For me it's moot anyway because there's no way he's going to sign for us. I have no idea who we should sign because I only watch the Premier League.

That analysis was interesting and got at gnawing sense we all have that he's not quite 100%. Not sure about their choice of clips, though: everyone was crap against Leicester and the City goal came after 94 minutes of expert defending led by Van Dijk. Agreed. We've got the squad to cope without him, even if we play three at the back more regularly. The only concern I'd have is team spirit, mentality etc. We're lacking in that department at the moment and he's our only genuine winner.

You haven't addressed the logic. Assuming you're white, if you call out someone using the n-word then you're offended on someone else's behalf. Is that untrue? The difference between this case and the n-word is that some (or more) people believe blackface is acceptable. I'd like to hear an explanation of this from someone who understands the historical context, because there are still people (including Griezmann, I suspect) who don't really get it.

This is a good article. I'd be interested in hearing the opposing view from someone who's absorbed it. The critcism of 'being offended on someone else's behalf' is flawed. We white folks would all, I hope, step in if someone was using the n-word, even if there were no black people around. That's also being 'offended on someone else's behalf', but it's better known as 'calling out racism'. For what it's worth, though, the Vox article above was written by an African-American.

Don't worry, it's not true.

Great piece and an underreported side of football. I love Rory Smith's stuff for the NYT. Not sure we learn much about Saints, though.

Memory plays tricks and all that, but I'm pretty sure McQueen would beat Targett in a footrace.

I'm confused by this trope. They might be making mistakes or even repeating them, but I don't understand what that has to do with the club PR. It's the sort of connection that can only be made by fans on the outside because the PR is what they see. There's no reason senior executives should pay it any regard and no evidence that they do. We're not doing things on the cheap like the old days - we've broken our transfer record twice in a year - but a few missteps in the transfer market, a big squad with fewer games to play and a slower academy supply have all combined to hurt us. There are questions to be asked about that.

Yeah, I can get on board with that, but I'm not sure public statements are the best way for owners to boost morale. They'd get quite a lot of stick if they came out now and said their intent was to get back into Europe, which I assume it still is.

When assessing Les Reed's legacy, the only starting point is the moment he arrived - League One. Since then we've had six years of ascent, some of the most enjoyable in our club's history, followed by a year where things dropped off and now this season, where things are in reverse. That's the record. The board are starting to eat into the vast amount of credit they earned during the rise, but that credit is still due. 'Incredible decline' from League One is the conference.

I don't disagree but it is remarkable how much the team attitude changed when Austin came on. They all gained a bit of intensity, looked for the runs from Austin and Boufal and picked them out. God knows why, but that doesn't happen with Gabbiadini anymore even though he's making decent runs. The other, more obvious reason that the board wouldn't have to sack themselves is that bosses don't have to do that in any walk of life. They might look a bit daft if they sack Pellegrino (like Palace when they binned De Boer) but those questions are already being asked of them, by fans if not national media etc.

That incredible decline in full: League One to Europe.

Fair enough. The pleasantries of a press release would be nice, I suppose, but you don't see club owners giving press conferences. The ones who give interviews tend to either be very involved in footballing decisions (ala West Ham) or wait until they have a bit of a record to point to, as you get with some of the takeovers in the lower leagues. Is there anything else? I'm struggling.

What would you expect them to have done by this point, exactly?

He's just posted an Instagram story of him in Saints kit, an aerial shot of Stamford Bridge then his initials and the kickoff time. He's been told he's playing, then.

Hoedt looks good to me.

Loads of people, I think.

There's a case for consistency but I would hold the Arsenal and City games up as very strong tactical performances against good opposition.

Whatever the answer is, I’d be amazed if it’s ‘Les Reed has too much power’.

He brought on Gabbiadini at half time and Redmond shortly afterwards. It’s hard to assess our tactics when we had so many individual errors and a lack of quality across the whole team. It’s hard to explain performances like that, but as mentioned above they’re becoming a little more common. The mentality isn’t always there, as it has been in every other year since promotion.

Yep

Adam Leitch made a great point on the Total Saints Podcast that it says a lot about our area that the last two in the country were here and in Pompey, despite northern cities each thinking themselves the Mecca of football. I'm too young to have rushed to the shop every Saturday night but I read the occasional copy my grandad bought and felt it as part of the fabric. Sad to see it go, but what a run.

Could be worse. Gateshead are at Torquay tonight! I'm not sure how this one will go. We need a quick start but I do wonder whether our recent habit of letting leads/creditable draws slip will play on the mind against an energetic team like Leicester. Having Cedric back is huge.

Neville by a mile, but it helps that he has a long show. There's a reason the pundits are more insightful/analytical on specialist shows or podcasts. Shearer, Souness and Higginbotham are among the best in 20 seconds on highlights shows, and I think Jenas/Kilbane are coming on too. Chris Sutton is one of very few who will actually make me turn off.