Vancouver Saint

Well, fast enough an appointment to suggest SR had been thinking about this...what do we know about him as a manager? - me, nada.

So much better everything. Saints fans still in their seats right until the end with the team competing until the end. Same players, different energy, mentality and approach. Relegation pretty much a certainty as a consequence of hanging on to Martin for too long - but at least some optimism we'll salvage some pride in what remains of the season.

Good post from Francis1947 way back in the thread. SR my concern here. RM earned 10 games in the PL to prove himself...it was very clear well before then that he was out of his depth. For me the Leicester game at home was the breaking point...2-0 up at half-time...a bad goal to make it 2-1 and change the momentum...the game screamed for some experience, a calm head and control in the middle of the pitch...with Lallana on the bench he brings on...a not fully recovered Smallbone who re-injures himself within 10 mins and doesn't touch the ball once. It told me this guy plays favourites, not skill or what the team needs. Rasmus Ankerson should be the next to stand up and admit his performance has been terrible. I blame him for our precipitous fall with the outrageous gamble on Nathan Jones - surely the worst PL Managerial appointment ever when we were in a position to hire a considerable managerial talent. compounded by the 'cop out' Selles appointment. It is abundantly clear Ankerson was not the magic in the potion at Brentford. Moving forward. Dragan to get a fellow investor at the same level. Ankerson out. Get a decent Director of Football, someone who knows football (duh). For Manager...I'm a dreamer...would still like Potter...sold on a three-year deal along the lines of we expect to be relegated this season - miracle turnaround if not...bring us back up as a proper PL club within three years. Otherwise, Moyes short-term to get the best out of our senior players and restore some defensive stability.

This.

My comments before reading others. Beaten relatively comfortably by a Villa B-team that could and should have added more goals in the last 20 mins (Emery knows how to rest players, conserve energy and bring high calibre players on at the end who should have put that game to bed much earlier). That said, we played not badly. Definitely the better team for the first 20 mins. Scuppered by a defensive mistake from HB and some pretty bad keeping by Lumley (could he have tried to make his big frame any smaller I ask myself?) Lumley was a liability throughout. Walker-Peters again showing his class, Dibbling too but has had better games. Downes good. Aribo good when he came on. Wood played well - still young but in a better team would look better. Fernandes had his worst game for us I think, just nothing happening for him and off the pace, dispossessed several times. Archer not great today. AA in normal role of hard-working runner with no goal threat. We have a losing culture that is very hard to shake off. RM may not have the quality of players or squad others have but he still is out of his depth. We are totally devoid of ideas or cutting edge when we do reach the top of the opposition's third of the field. It's almost like there's an invisible line where our players stop, turn around and pass it back. You just know that the ball will make it all the way back to our keeper and we'll gift possession away from there under pressure in our own third of the field. What were the Villa fans singing? I couldn't make it out but the commentators were implying it was something like "It's time to give us the ball" when we were playing out from our six-yard box. We did oblige as normal - they just didn't finish. Anyway, it's clear to me that SR are okay with us being relegated, will keep RM on until the end of the season short of fans staging walk-out protests and plan to 'strengthen for the long-term'. I think they have no idea how fortunate we were to get out of the Championship at the first attempt last season. Once we've lost all our best players and blown what little they'll reinvest on terrible recruitment reality will bite...for those who are happy with an instant return to the championship. It's been a dire season so far. Never felt quite so detached, dis-engaged and disinterested in the team I've supported for over 55 years. 😳

Southampton B vs Chelsea A...should be a giggle. Either an incredible performance from out-and-out underdogs to cling on to a 0-0 draw...or 0-6 Chelsea. I don't think Wassisname the Chelsea manager is someone to let us off the hook by playing his B or C team. Think he'll get 3-0 up with the A team then swap out players. Naturally, am hoping I'm wrong...

Leicester going to take Van Nistelroy is my bet - why can't our owners see an opportunity like that?!

And so we continue to find new ways to lose games... Russell Martin is every other PL manager's useful idiot....they must be praying we keep him employed so they can Pass Go and collect their three points.

I said at the beginning of the season give him 10 games....I stuck with that through gritted teeth...final straw for me was the Leicester game when at 2-1 up and the momentum swinging against us, he brought on a recovering-from-injury Smallbone (who shouldn't be anywhere near a PL team IMHO) leaving Lallana on the bench! Confirmed that he is a totally clueless manager who puts the dressing room culture/players before the customers - us mug fans who are victims of having had the club choose us (think Harry Potter's wand)...in my case for the last 55 years as a supporter. He is denying someone else the opportunity of salvaging our reputation and PL status. Must go now.

Do you think SR are so committed to RM they have already accepted relegation and are building to dominate in the Championship next year? Do you think they understand how naive that approach is? (If we have ambitions to be a competitive PL team). If they do not change things this international break it will be too late for any new manager to get us to fourth worst team in the league. I would like to see Graham Potter come in. Wishful thinking I know but...

Enough now. Please give us a better manager and better players. 70% possession - 0 shots on target. The RM way. Yes, Flynn Downes injury unlucky, and a bad VAR decision against us, but we didn't set up 'brave' dear Martin...you set up to repeat the Everton scenario...contain and try to win in the last 20 mins bringing Dibbling on...that got blown in the second minute. Got what we deserved. Again. Bugger all.

1-1 We will try to contain them instead of going for the jugular from the off. Will set up 5-4-1. Do our normal 62% possession...90% in our own third passing sideways across our own penalty box until someone gifts it to Wolves to score. 1-0 down at half time, we continue the same pattern...introduce Dibbling and probably tall Paul on 60 mins (because that's the plan)...score an equaliser within 10 mins...then revert back to trying to defend a draw rather than go for a winner. Could be wrong...

Take the result but an underwhelming performance overall. Lesley had a mare, Ramsdale less than convincing, Sugawara poor, Cornet very rusty, Fraser a nonentity, BBD added nothing, even Fernandes had an off-day. Tried hard to throw it away at the end but Bree came to the rescue... Squeaked through against a second-string back four that had only played 11 first team games combined!

Any streams?

Looks like Jose Mourhino is our next manager! https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/videos/c7v36nd6velo

Played well today. Clearly out-classed and lucky it wasn't more...but fair dues, did try to play football within our limits and played as a team. STILL the end result is the same - another loss and zero points. Think RM is a decent bloke but his main attribute seems to be finding innovative ways to lose games of football and still keep his job. Can't go on forever.

Not for me - Graham Potter please.

"2-0 and you f-cked it up" sing the Leicester fans. Too right - it takes some real incompetence to go from 2-0 up at home and cruising with 30 minutes to go and losing. Smallbone? Seriously? That substitution alone tells me how clueless RM is. Did Smallbone touch the ball? The extra-extra time winner was so predictable I laughed. Numbed to it now. Officiatiing was poor - VAR refs ridiculously inconsistent - worked against us but wasn't the reason we lost. So time really is up for Martin now for me. Must win transformed into another loss. Graham Potter come on down...

This. I said the same at the start of the season - give it 10 games - and so I'll hold by it. I think his ideology is trumping reality and that has to change. But on a couple of things I cut him some slack. We had a 25-game unbeaten run after a dreadful start. He played the 'credit in the bank' loyalty repayment card for the players who took us up and I don't resent that. We were unlucky not to get something from the Newcastle game. We were super-unlucky not to beat Ipswich. So we should be on 4 points. He has proven he's willing to be ruthless...and also to experiment a bit. He appears to have the player's respect (but this is always hard to tell and will wear thin if we continue to get nothing from games). We have a decent squad (too many too average)...but is it better than three other teams in the PL - everyone else has strengthened. On the negative side...there's sticking to a principle and then there's just plain pig-headed stubbornness. Jack Stephens? Will Smallbone? That Bournemouth performance - the most dispiriting since Nathan Jones vs Nottingham Forest at home. Now 3 games left after the international break - we need a minimum of 4 points from those IMO - plus decent performances.

Predictable result...better performance second half that exceeded very low expectations. Top positives for me: - TP played really well in the tiny cameo he was given...could work really well supplying knock-downs to Archer or even AA - Dibbling and Fernandes are really good players...there's more to come from them - Archer showed what he can do and should have some confidence - We still have better players who aren't getting on the pitch...ABK and today, Lesley Top Concerns for me: - I don't credit RM with any of the positives...the things that are going right are because he has been forced into decisions...Stephens suspension...striker injuries and poor form. First half we played normal suicide passing and giveaways in our own third and were lucky not to be punished. - RM ideology still beating reality of the need to adapt...go long, direct, faster pace - Ramsdale doesn't command his area or come for enough crosses from corners or free kicks...pointed out by Arsenal podcaster as to why Raya took his place...it's actually quite noticeable - We defend way too deep, don't even attempt to stop crosses coming in, still haven't learnt to leave a man on the edge of the penalty area when defending corners, too often no outlet and ball comes right back at us, attempt to play out from our 6-yard box EVERY f---ing time! resulting in conceding possession in our third time and time again Leicester a MUST WIN for me.

Can't believe Arteta hasn't figured out the best strategy is to give the ball to us, let us run it sideways and backwards to our own goal, then pass it to one their attackers in a dangerous area for them to score...everyone else has done it. Would be a giggle if this ended 0-0 or 1-1!

Potentially RM's last game in charge? It can go one of two ways: A) The team play out of their skins, defend like lions and hold on for a 1-1 draw after being out-shot 27-1 B) We get gubbed 7-0 C) Something in between...2-0 or 3-0 to them (I lied about there only being two options).

Had client meetings so watched a recording later. OMG how bad are we? That first half has to be the worst we've played for ages - and we've had some pretty bad performances. We are a laughing stock...'stupid football' playing out of the back from our goalline against more skilful opposition that know if they press us we'll cough it up to them in our own third. And to keep doing it again and again and again...doh! We actually had the better of the first 10 minutes and it looked promising. But we completely deflated after that stupid first goal. And how are we ever going to win if we have no threat going forward? What really worries me is the lack of fight...we lost pretty much every 50:50 scrap in midfield. When we did get the ball to run with it there were few options (Dibbling would beat three men and look up for the pass that wasn't there). We have no plan. BBD is not the answer to any question I can think of except "who dives at every opportunity, hides on the wing, can't score and hasn't won a Premier League game in 21 starts?"...hmmm Positives? Thought Charlie Taylor was our MotM. Aribo was good when he came on. Lallana classy but not the solution. Lesley good. Stewart put a shift in. I've been prepared to give RM the benefit of the doubt up to this point but enough is enough. Our back line are not comfortable enough with the ball at their feet to pay this high-risk pass-it-around the back stupid football. Do they realise we cannot score from our own third...but we can give it away to the opposition high up the pitch...and do, frequently. The number of time the tippy-tappy at the back ended up with a boot up the line where Bournemouth would lap it up and come back again. We can't defend set pieces. We defend way too deep. We seem to have given up our own high press. We have no target man striker (perhaps a match-fit Stewart)...we don't play KWP or ABK...!

I think the bottled anger and frustration from the Ipswich late equaliser will translate into a win here - 0-2 to the Saints and our first win of the season.

Sooooooooooo predictable! What is it with Ipswich and conceding late late extra time goals. We defend corners way too deep...no way should that shot get through a block. I wonder just how big those two points lost will be at the end of the season. We needed that win. Haven't sworn as much for a long long time. What's the point of all that endeavour when you throw it away at the last. Subs took away from momentum. You just knew that chance Diaz blazed over the bar when it could of put the game to bed would cost us. Sure lots of positives...Fernandes is great. Lesley gonna be really good, Dibling a phenom, Ramsey some great saves (but also not the best distribution), Downes a good game, Suguwara a good player... But man, we had to see that game out. Very very frustrating. 😠