Vancouver Saint

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. 😠

Only caught the second half. Looked like even though we controlled possession we couldn't really be bothered either way if we went through or not. Slow pace back passes in our third at the end (there must be a stat that shows where our possession is - my bet is 70% in our own defensive third of the pitch). Two sides clearly lacking in confidence and goals. We looked better than Everton. Happy with the win. Penalties were great. Six goalscorers will give each of them confidence. McCarthy big save to keep it 1-1 and then winning save. Well done Saints. Home draw please - I don't mind who the opposition is.

What a different story that could have been if we'd scored that penalty! You just knew that was going to be a huge turning point - and it's incredible how much confidence it gave them and sucked out of us. We didn't have a shot after that. Second half disappointing, Positives? No complaints about RM's set-up with the exception of Stephens inclusion instead of someone like ABK (what on earth is going on there?) First 30 minutes we looked really good and if we play like that I think we will be better than at least three other teams this season. RM will now be forced to not play Stephens (at last) for is it two or three matches for a straight red? Dibling special as we knew. Ross Stewart back - think he will add something if he can stay fit (he doubled his total minutes played today right?) Aron Ramsey a huge upgrade in goal. Young midfield did well. I feel for Archer - think there's a good striker in there and hope he can shake it off quickly. It wasn't a great penalty. I feel a bit of r RM today - didn't get any luck or reward for making the right changes. I don't get Brerton Diaz - a big unit, not fast, but we play him wide like a winger - gets isolated and disappears completely in games. Frustrating to concede a third but in the bigger scheme of things our season begins now. Write these four games off. Let's go on a 25-game unbeaten run from here! We will stay up this season.

So RM says "we'll create more chances playing tippy-tappy out of the back (every f...in' time btw) than we concede"...NO MATE YOU"RE WRONG. That is the third time we've beaten ourselves because we're not good enough to do that in the PL and if you are as predictable as that with no variation ever we will succumb to the press every time. Five goals conceded, four of which have been to 'suicide' self-destruct mistakes at the back - so let's keep track shall we Russell - you owe us four goals. Serious questions about whether he will learn fast enough to not be enslaved by his ideology and to learn to mix things up. We have enough good players to survive, but will we play them and in the right way? Set-up wrong again...five at the back, inviting pressure...I understand loyalty to players who got him promoted but seriously, Smallbone? Clearly not strong enough for this division. Armstrong, enough now. Stephens, was okay today but a below-average PL CB lacking technical skill that will not give us an advantage. THB and Bednarek both terrible today. KWP not at his best. Quite a few players not playing that well tbh...way too many giveaways under no real pressure. Credit RM tried to change it at half-time and we were showing real promise with Fernandes, Archer and Dibling all big improvements when Bednerak commits our second self-destruct and kills the game. Positives - all the subs better than the starters. Aribo played well. Sugawara a revelation. Ramsey will make a good difference, especially if he's allowed to distribute fast and long. We had a good transfer window...long season and all that. But we've got to be able to score goals. We won't do that when we invite the ball into our own 'red zone' close to our goal because we choose to pass it back and around our own penalty area EVERY FRIGGIN' TIME!

Would we be happy with a point? Methinks yes.

So early days and no need to panic yet but we're entitled to be disappointed after that performance. So we now know where we stand, which is not a surprise for many - I think Forest are better than relegation candidates under Nunos, they're comfortable mid-table - but they were so markedly superior from beginning to end I was surprised. That is one of the most comfortable 0-1 away wins they'll have. Should have been more. For us it should dispel any myth that we have enough to survive in the PL - we need a top class GK, much more bite up front and energy booster ball-winners in midfield. Forest gave every other away team the playbook against us which is simply to press high and wait for us to cough up mistakes which we do with regular predictability. We simply cannot be such a predictable one-trick / only-trick play it out of the back even if we're hedged in to our own corner pony when we don't have the ability to execute it. Too many Championship / marginal PL players... Smallbone - why? Just why? I counted 6 giveaways in a 20-minute period. He turns backwards every time. Yet he's the last to be subbed-off. Martin, way too slow to make subs when it was clear their goal was coming and we needed a boost of energy. Dibbling and Fernandes looked good when they came on.