Wolves, Watford, West Ham, Leicester & Everton all have a good jump on us. They could be a manager or star player leaving away from dropping a bit, but we’ll have to do very well in recruitment this summer to close the gap.
Nice analysis by Thommo: https://www.skysports.com/watch/vid...705390/thommo-hasenhuttls-done-a-terrific-job Jeff Stelling: Shane Long looks like he can’t miss at the moment! Thommo: Oh yes he can!
Right. This is what people tend to overlook. That teams 7-10 are all thinking, “We just need one player to break the top 6.” And teams 11-15 are all thinking “We just need a player or two to break into the top half.” Obviously some teams will make the wrong moves and fall down the table. But others will improve. We don’t just have to be better than say, Wolves or Newcastle are this year. We have to be better than they will be NEXT year, and they might be quite a bit better next year. I would be perfectly fine with a stress-free 14th place finish next year, so long as the right players are improving and we stabilize the finances and what is happening behind the scenes. If there is a three year plan that has us treading water for a bit, but that we think we keep us a top half side for the next decade after that, then I am okay with waiting three years for that. I’m not saying there is, just that I think we have some club infrastructure that needs rebuilding, not just the players. So it may take us a bit.
Maybe the changes brought about by gao recently suggest we could have a significant overhaul in the summer. Hassenhuttl surely wasn’t brought in to bring us 14th place?
Nah. He did us over good style with his behaviour. He can fluck off. Easy to be a big man when you’re on the side of the fence you want to be. He’s shown what type of man he is. One little tick isn’t buying me.
Just checked. Yep, still happy As for VVD, if I carried grudges for everyone in my life and football that let me down I wouldn't be able to walk. His comment was a nice touch...he worked here and knows lots of people here...I can easily believe he would have been upset to see us relegated and was pleased we stayed up, so I shall take his congratulations in the spirit it was meant.
It’s not weighing me down Fran. I just find it hollow and not enough for me to suddenly say that makes him a “man” now. I hope life isn’t really that shallow.
Okay, I haven’t seen the highlights yet, but am I the only one who thinks Bertrand could have done better for their first goal? I get that he had someone outside him, but he still IMO should have been more central, nearer the goal scorer, and potentially able to win the ball after first touch. Like I said I haven’t seen the highlights so if I have misread the situation, be gentle with me.
Funny as I said to my lad that I thought Ryan could have done better for their third goal. Two weeks running he has let someone score in his zone. Last week he let Perez get round the back of him and this week he let Wilson get across him in front. Tough life sometimes!
I'm sure there were players making mistakes (as in every game), but the bigger picture here is that we achieved our aim and now can enjoy the last two games which hopefully we'll win (despite the players being busy selecting their favourite flip flops). Ralph will be professional as usual and analyse the game and plan for the next match...no let up from him. I suppose Ralph will take a short break at the end of the season before being thrown into the business of summer planning*. *Ooh, I wonder where the training camps will be. China? Isn't it great to be able to move on to thinking about the summer?
Wolves in particular really are a very good side. And yeah, in terms of quality, our squad is a long way behind all of those.
But a team isn't just a bunch of individuals. We started from a low point when Ralph arrived....our form would put us right up there with those teams if we hadn't started on so few points and we took points off these good mid-table sides. That's what RH gave us back....confidence against sides that we never feared a couple of seasons before. We can get wins against any side on our day....that's what we used to feel under Koeman and Poch.
Absolutely. But look at the quality of players Koeman in particular had to work with. Add Mane, Van Dijk and Wanyama to this squad, and maybe we could challenge the top 6 again. Maybe we’ll luck out and recruit players of that quality again. Maybe we’ll find them in our academy. But that’s how far away our current squad is from the one that finished 6th.
Aaaah, Nigel We have had some good managers since Markus took over, haven't we? Pellegrino and Hughes aside....and even the latter kept us up (though tbf so might Mauricio). I'm hoping that we can keep RH....by him being great for us, but not so great that a bigger side fancies him...may sound daft, but just for once I'd like a manager that saw us as a destination not a stop over.
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17602455.saints-take-on-bournemouth-check-out-the-images/ I noticed on Picture 9 that JWP had his shirt ripped, I saw a bit of footage that suggested Natt Clyne was the culprit, celebrating with our players after the final whistle! See message #522!
I loved Nige, Poch, Ron (while he was here) and now Ralph. Can’t beat an enthusiastic manager, oozing energy. Probably why I never take to the likes of a Hughes and although I liked Puel, he certainly lacked charisma
How old is Clyne? If he could be kept on the straight and narrow off the field, he could be a good signing (ignoring wages etc).
Absolutely! Put yourselves in the shoes of Everton, WHU, Wolves, Watford, Leicester et al - where do you think they want / think they’ll finish next season!
I thought yesterday's game was hugely entertaining but it was effectively our season in microcosm. For the first 25 minutes I thought we produced the best attacking display at home this season. I said to the chap next to me that once the second goal went in , the game would end in a rout. It looked like the end result was going to be something like 5-0. Until they scored, Bournemouth had not got the ball in our penalty box. However, there were still aspects of our game that reflected the issues under Hughes. We cannot defend with a straight back four and whilst Stephens made some excellent interceptions, his decision making is poor and he is prone to errors. I just felt that once Bournemouth had tactically changed the formation, we lost control of the last 15 mins of the first half. Going with a back five solved the problem and the tactical change did work for us. Unfortuantely, I felt the change at the end to bring Armstrong on also changed the match, but in a negative fashion. I have got to say that he has been a disappointment for me. I went to a pre-season lecture by Matt Le Tissier who singled Armstrong out as a potential surprise success. He has had a few intermittently good games but if he is supposed to be a replacement to Davis, this is a misstep. I don't think that Armstrong is good enough. I know he needs regular football but I don't think he is of the same calibre as anyone in the first 11. I applaud Ralph for keeping us up. I think we have probably been a bit too keen to congratulate ourselves for achieving this and whilst the results have improved tremendously under the new regime, I would have to point out that Huddersfield, Fulham, Cardiff and Brighton have been abject and we have been fortune that so many teams have continued to take points from there teams. In my opinion, we could have finished higher and been safer quicker. The style of football being played deserved this. For me the problem has been a defence in which most Saints fans will have little confidence. But for these errors, we would have come away from matches with three points. It is my belief that we will be watching and entirely different team in August. I do not think there is much wrong with the midfield and I am excited by the prsopect of Obafemi up front. I would guess that the clear out will be extensive. We already know Austin is going to leave but I think that Vesterggard, Stephens, Sims, Ellynoussi, Forster and a number of the youngsters will not be here next season. I also have my doubts about Armstrong fitting in to Ralph's plans. I cannot see any of the out on loan players returning either. I would not be surprised if we cashed in on Lemina too, Basically, a large proportion of the squad has run it's course and the whole thing needs refreshing. It will be fascinating to see the extent of the changes and who is brought in. I would suspect that we will be able to more properly judge Ralph once he has assembled his squad. The basic core of Redmond, JWP, PEH, Romeu, Long, Valery, Bertrand and the goalies needs to be the struture around which we rebuild for next season.
