I wouldn’t deny anyone the right to bitch and moan; I’ve been doing a fair bit of both myself this season, and expect to do a fair bit more. But I don’t get the level of misery and despair after yesterday. There are two divisions in one in the PL this season, and the gulf between the top 6 and everyone else has got a lot bigger. We were effectively playing one of the best teams in the division above ours, and we gave them a decent go imo. Not much to bitch about in our performance yesterday imo. Anything less than 4 points from our next 2 games, and that’ll be the time for gnashing of teeth and tearing of garments.
Which teams are those Tom, I can only think of Huddersfield and Cardiff that we actually stand some chance of beating at the moment? We need to start winning somehow against more than just a few teams around us to survive the season. We need to get the personnel in that can do a job for us, not passively sit here waiting for the ineveitable
The Newcastle game is massive already, especially if they pick up a win against Brighton the week before...
Yes, just imagine we beat Newcastle, Cardiff, Fulham, and Huddersfield over the next few weeks. We’ll have a princely 17 points by Christmas!
Newcastle, Huddersfield and Cardiff at home are all must wins really. Draw with them away and that is probably a third of the points needed to stay up. Can't see it being too much higher than last years tally to stay up as the bottom 4 or 5 are all terrible.
Agreed. Think there will very much be a bottom 6 this year, rather than 8-10 teams all being similar.
Not sure about 6, us, Huddersfield, Newcastle and Cardiff will be down there. Maybe Palace and Brighton as well, but think they are a step above the first 4
Don't disagree with much of this, don't believe we were set up to have a go though,lmo we don't until we have to. Not enough teeth to be doing any gnashing anyway.
its too easy to beat saints i think i ended up eating my soiled pants on sunday as i wanted to know on the taste. other teams seem to be doing well. i look at brighton and bournemouth at present and they pick up some impressive results. more so than saints i think mark hughes has not kicked on and proegresed from the relegation survival finish. Its a poor start to the season overall
Yep. We can get better though. No need to panic yet, we just have to hope the players retain enough self belief to turn this around. We won’t be troubling the top six for a while, best get used to that. The most we can hope for there is a result against either Spurs or Man U, who are both struggling a bit themselves.
The only thing I would add is that there are 3 divisions in the PL. Top 6, middle 6 and the rest of us! Lack of planning and investment in the right players is costing us dear and will continue to do so for at least another 2 years or more unless a change I cannot envisage happening as yet occurs in the next 6/7 months. I really hope I’m proved totally wrong though and despite everything there will always be my Saints scarf ready for future matches!!
I think we'd better get used to the present form....hopefully we might improve a bit, but can't see us getting better markedly for a few seasons. To do that, we'd need a few genius players and we can't seem to find or afford them anymore.
Who are the 'middle six'? Everton, Leicester and a rotating cast? I'd say it's an oversubscribed - less snappy - 'middle 8-10' this season. We are of course, in a far more exclusive and discerning mini-league
I don’t think it’s not being able to afford players - it’s not being able to spot or develop players like before. We have actually spent quite a lot of money. For some reason, we have completely lost our way in almost all areas. Just look at how much money we have out on loan (Carrillo, Boufal, Clasie). Look at how our new signings are barely able to make he match day squad. Compunded with decisions such as our third choice keeper being one of our highest paid players, Sims and hesketh sent on loan instead of given a chance etc. etc. etc.
Suspect that Brighton are. Their first eight games of the season have included Man Utd, Liverpool, Man City and Spurs, which constitutes one of the hardest schedules of any team to date, and they have acquitted themselves fairly well considering. They don't play another top six side until mid-December. Palace, on the other hand, has played Liverpool and no one else from the top six. Their next five in the league? Everton, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Man Utd.
