Vancouver Saint

This. And a backlash from Arsenal to come next week?

OMG - this is as bad as I've ever seen us. Foster MoTM so far - the only player who is coming out with any credit. Any positives anywhere from anyone? Seeking solace.

This. Stupid penalty killed the game. Salisu should know better. As a team we gave a really good account of ourselves, so it's disappointing to be let down by both centre-backs making goal-conceding errors. Finishing as everyone says could and should be a lot better. Have been sympathetic with AA for a long time but he was woeful with his finishing today. Positives - Stuart Armstrong outstanding, Elyonussi played well, KWP terrific again, Livramento looked back to himself again... For those criticising Che and Broja - very hard to maintain belief once you know the game is done - which at 1-3 down it was.

I would never have thought we'd not take a point from our last three games...and I don't think we're going to get anything out of this game either - so there's a chance we might! We can but hope.

When did that poxy new ball come out? Looking for a reason why we should go from great to terrible - think this could explain it.

OMG, I so nearly gave up trying to find a stream for that and seeing the lineup thought I wasn't going to miss much. Big shout out thank you to you Chez - your link worked perfectly and I am so glad I got to watch that. Perfect game for me as i missed the first 25 minutes when West Ham were apparently bossing it. Like more than a few others I really thought Ralph had blown this with the starting lineup which was very much Southampton B vs West Ham A...how wrong I was. (Again).

Any streams for this? my norrmal go-to usagoals site is blocked...although looking at the lineup not sure watching is a good idea

Polished, professional performance. Armstrong my MOTM although Romeu immense again. Only gripe is we should have scored more. Everton poor and deserve to be where they are. Must press on and get a big win against Norwich after we gave them the points at Carrow Road.

SOooooo happy with that win. Had to work whilst the game was on live...watched the full replay without knowing the score...thought after the blatant foul on Broja and the no-call / no VAR pull-back that this was going to be another travesty having dominated the game. The come from behind win was just so satisfying i can't tell you - missus had to check out why I was screaming at the screen and flicking Vs up at Spurs. So well deserved. The better team all round. Man, I'm exhausted. Must be the best game off the season so far from a neutrals perspective too.

Chelsea's model is the 'cuckoo' strategy. Get lots and lots of promising young players on contract, and then farm them out to smaller clubs to grow in their nests...if they flourish, they have the option to bring him home or sell him at a profit. Maybe only 1 in 10 survives that test, but that one covers the cost for all the others many times over. Broja is such a one. So IF Chelsea decide they're okay selling, they won't care who it is they sell to - it'll just be about the money. The only thing that might change that is relationships. IF Broja really wanted to stay at Saints that would help and IF Chelsea wanted to maintain a good 'train our young talent and/or help us make a profit on them' with us, then it might, might just happen. A few too many IFs and mights to make it anything more than an outside chance. Still as Jim Carey said in Dumb & Dumber to Holly Hunter - 'You're saying there's a chance!'

Phew! Exhausting watching those type of games just waiting for the inevitable lucky bounce, deflection, never-a-penalty-but-is-against-us VAR decision to go against us in extra time...but no - we hold on, and could have even sneaked it! So proud of my team. Pep clearly. pissed-off in the interview later saying it was their best performance of the season apparently without sarcasm... Perrault is a fighter, I like that he battles for everything and really let Sterling know he was around. Salisu a beast as normal. First signs of Armstrong's class in controlling the ball in midfield and creating from there...great goal from KWP. Foster had a good game, although I thought he should have come for the cross on the goal - we need to sort that long free kick over the high defensive wall - like an open invitation for the opposition. Were lucky City took so many quick, short free kicks from good positions instead of setting them up. Broja class, kept them occupied at the backall game. A really hard-fought point. should build confidence to beat Spurs on their home patch.

Always have hope... it's 11 v 11 (well at least at the beginning for us)...if we can step it up against the bigger clubs...and them in particular as we've done in the past...we could get something out of the game. Man City should have lost to Arsenal and were super-lucky to win that. If they have a flat day and we play out of our skins and don't make any defensive errors...okay, okay, I heard myself say that - better stop here!

Be fair - we were by far the better team in the first half and VAR is winning this for Wolves. Foster is shite and totally culpable for the second IMO - as has been said on here, the gulf in quality between the goalkeepers is clear to see and has made the difference in this game. Hopefully the upside is this spurs the purchase of a good goalie.

Haven't read the thread yet. What a fantastic result. Some amazing performances there beyond the obvious Broja, whose brilliance continues to shine. Lyanco, Romeo, Dialo, Forster all played really well. JWP played a dominant captain's role with a brilliant goal-saving tackle at the end. Perraud gets knocked on here but he did well again running forward and creating opportunities. good to see Che back and hungry. Adam Armstrong will hopefully score again and go on a run. Stuart Armstrong obviously affected by Covid and is taking time to find his level. Our new owner looked genuinely happy to be there and engaged - enjoying the environment and the win. For all the prannets on here who think Ralph isn't good enough for us - the DAZN panelists Tim Sherwood and Owen Hargreaves (who have both always been fans of Ralph) - already talking about him taking over at Man Utd. It's so true you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone - well I for one, know we have a great manager in Ralph. Not without the ability to improve, like all of us. I do not take RH for granted for one moment. I will enjoy our moment in the sun with the prospect of moving up the table and onwards without thinking about losing Ralph for now!

Thanks for the link Convict - worked well. Without reading threads up to this point I admit thinking WTF Ralph when he bought on Elyenoussi and Long. When we went 2-1 down I thought, how predictable...and where on earth are we going to score a goal from in this team? All credit Long for a great assist and the winning goal... What else did we learn? Valery is not a very intelligent footballer. How stupid do you have to be to put your hands on the attacker a) when you're on a yellow and b) when he's obviously over-hit it and there's no threat? How many of us here foresaw him being sent off - and why can't Ralph see that? (In fairness, perhaps he did and realised we're out of right backs). Also Forster cannot continue to have such bad distribution or get lucky with parrying shots back to the opposition. Anyway, happy we're into the next round.

Yes. I'm excited for us. Not just about the big data analysis though...because that is already becoming a 'hygiene factor' (i.e. a necessary cost of doing business that everybody gets up to speed with pretty quickly)...more because he appears to be brand literate. That is he understands fans are irrational and support off a team is driven my emotional reasons. They have got the basic equation right and we shouldn't forget this is a two-way relationship - they are lucky to get Southampton FC as well. When Cortese advised Markus, he correctly identified that we had (then) the 15th largest brand franchise in English football...and that we were languishing somewhere in the third tier. We have a large and loyal fanbase with the opportunity to increase it globally if it's well managed. We have a relatively stable, well-run club. We have a culture of investment in youth and development of young talent (a double-edged curse as we have until now been trapped in the 'feeder-club' trap of not being able to keep our talent long enough to win anything...but that might change). And most importantly, we have a pretty solid seat at the best table in world football in the EPL, with all the profile and financial rewards that brings. Now we need to go one further and become that rarest type of elite club - where the fanbase that make it what it is have a meaningful say in the decision-making - and ownership of the success (or disappointment) that brings.

Wow. Emerged from Covid over New Year to found we'd been bought. Have spent the last hour scanning this thread and doing a background check. I am cautiously optimistic. Like others am pleased that Ankersan is there...seems like a real person with an interest in football and empathy with the fanbase. Kraft, I need to understand better. Semmens is a class act IMHO - have listened to him on TSP and he makes total sense - I sincerely hope he stays on, at least for a decent transition period - although I suspect the next announcement is he's leaving to run Newcastle. Overall, a positive move. Something had to change with the Gao regime...we were doing well to stand still with no investment and raping the clubb of talent every year...top of the 'net in vs out' table each year was his goal and he managed to achieve that. On the plus side, he was hands off enough to let others works hard to make the club work and bring in people like Hasunhutl - without whom this deal would never have been possible. The big picture multi-club model is also exciting. We have a short window to make Southampton the cornerstone of this - highest profile / most successful brand in the portfolio - and not a millstone.

Touching and candid interview. Very tough to deal with. But Sam, if you do read through these comments by some small chance - be comforted in knowing that most of the people I've known make successes of their lives have overcome some kind of adversity. I hope the same is instore for you and wish you and. your family well.

Sadly so predictable. Think the PL should carry the can for this one. Disappointing because we have momentum - and no game to watch on Sunday now. Every PL club should be able to field 13 players and a goalie from the deep pools of players they have access to. If that means giving a few youth players their first chance to wear their first team colours so be it - that's great - look what Liverpool did in their Cup game against Villa was it? I don't blame Newcastle for taking advantage of the lax rules - we'd have tried the same in reverse (but likely without their success). But the incentive should be to play the games not postpone them...if every club knew these were the rules up front (basically play or default), believe me - they'd have done more to make sure their players were all double-vaccinated early and kept as fit as possible to play.

Should be total transparency against every squad member ie are they fit to play, are they injured, have covid, or just isolating as not vaccinated. Should be simple to see if clubs have less than 13 players This Whelk - totally agree. Why should a team with say 60% double-vaxxed players be allowed to call off a game against a team with 98% double-vaxxed?

Confess I gave us no chance when I saw the line-up...six changes, Long, Valery...no Romeu...thought RH was rotating the squad to give us a better chance against Newcastle. Thought that was a massive performance from the whole team. Salisu will hopefully learn from that...he was almost certainly told to 'get up their backsides'...and it worked a treat for 40 minutes...he needed to take something off after the first yellow. Earned ur luck as Wrighty just said.

What? Are we watching the same game? Think he' s done pretty well. My problem is not this game but Brentford now without Salisu and no centre back replacement if Lyanco and Stephens out.

Can't believe we won a game (and away from home)! Was totally psyched for the equaliser in extra time (and probably the winner from them knowing us) so surprised and happy we hung on to win. Feared the worst when I saw the lineup. Thought we should have subbed much much earlier to put some energy back into the midfield...was thinking the worst again...why are we waiting to go behind before changing things? Broja won that for us - total class act when he's up for it. Salisu great. Walcott worked hard, so did Redmond. Great first goal from Elyounoussi. Che Adams and S Armstrong back...Adam Armstrong fit for Tuesday...OMG, do you think we have a chance against Spurs? Foster has to learn how to catch the ball from corners...we will get exploited for punching out every time. I liked big hoofs up the park instead of playing out from the back and being dispossessed or giving the ball away in our own half.

Anyone else think Lewis should be given a chance ahead of Willy C? Willy was terrible against Arsenal - couldn't catch a corner, didn't move to save the second (although that was 80% the non-defending in front of him, better goalies might still have saved that header) gave away chances on poor distribution.. It strikes me that even third choice goalkeepers have to pass some kind of standard to earn a professional contract no? When is there ever a better opportunity than now to give him a chance to prove himself. Willy had the chance and failed to rise to the occasion (sorry, I will stop it...)

I see where you're coming from but I like Ralph because he wants to be front-foot, go-forward, look to win games - I'd rather see that than a Sam Allardyce 'park the bus' from the beginning of games (I still cannot believe people on here would rather see us become Sheffield Utd or West Brom). As we've proven with some terrific performances that short memories forget - we CAN do it - but not when you're missing key players in key areas. I get the 'one trick pony, change the playbook criticism'. I just think that the issue is not the bigger picture playbook strategy, but the lack of tactical flexibility to change it when required. This includes playing players out of position (KWP and Perraud should play with Tino rested or a power-sub higher up / sitting too deep in pathetic attempts to defend a one goal lead instead of attacking for a second goal / not changing it up in some games when you need a 'plan B' from the start...although he tried this a Liverpool and it backfired / general fitness and effort in second half of games / not buying a decent goalkeeper - which was my No.1 priority at the beginning of the season). I think the solution is not to fire Ralph but to hire a rotweiler defensive coach who will counter Ralph's soft approach with some real fear-driven bollocking to eliminate limp performances. We generally are better going forward than defending - so need to strengthen our defensive frailty and make us harder to beat.