Weirdly, I got up at 4 am to get a gym session in before work so that I can get my run in after work, quickly shovel down some dinner and then go to the football. No idea why I'm putting in that much effort to get everything in so I can still go tonight given what we are likely to receive (must be the lightshow drawing me in)! No matter how **** we are, how bad our form is, how many players we have out injured, no matter who we are up against, or how downbeat I am about Saints, I always go into a game hopeful that today will be different and we'll turn up and somehow win. At this stage I think it's clear that I'll never learn my lesson!
Gutted I'm not going to this. Two poor quality sides in a relegation battle under lights. Expecting a bit of a throw back. UTFS
I lost count of how many changes in formation there were against Fulham. Stick with Perraud at LB please !
Don't particularly envy Jones having to find 11 good players from this lot but I'd go for something like this (assuming Lavia & Edozie are fit to start): Baz KWP ABK DCC Perraud JWP Lavia Stu Ely Edozie Adams
I know it’s far too early in the season to talk of “must win” games, but if this one isn’t must win, I don’t know what is.
First goal is crucial, because if it goes to Forest, parts of the crowd will turn very negative. Booing helps no-one, but I can understand it. We've been watching (with many of us paying to watch) dreadful football and results for well over a year now, and lots of fans have just had enough. I don't condone it, but I can understand it, and predict it if the result/performance doesn't go our way. Any win would do, but I'd like to see us win with a clean sheet, as we never seem to hold on to a lead, or stop teams from scoring.
It is and it isn't imo. Forest are going down anyway so we're not in direct competition with them in my view and a loss to Everton would be much worse. Either way teams aren't relegated before less than half the season is played.
Exchanged a few texts from a mate who is a Forest fan yesterday, he is supremely confident about tonight, thinks they are definitely staying up and we are ****ed.
I agree, but it's not really about beating a relegation rival. It's more about arresting the appalling run of form we're on and putting a bit of confidence back into the side. If we can't beat a team like Forest, how are we ever going to turn things around?
I think Lampard is living proof of how important & key the manager is. They’ve got a pretty good squad, much better than ours invested ****e loads & they’re 87 vs us at 90. I hope SR have got this right. Tonight is the nite.
So other teams can be written off as relegated but Saints, who are below them, still have a fighting chance?
Pretty much yeah as one of them was basically decided pre season imo. Also I wouldn't expect the fanbase to give up hope - the first bold was opinion and the second fact. I still think them and Bournemouth will definitely go and will be joined by one other which at this point looks like us or Everton.
I'd say we have looked much worse than Bournemouth this season. Our only hope is that January turns our season around. If we don't bring in at least 3 players, that all significantly improve our first team, then I would put us alongside Forest in the "as-good-as-gone" category.
Jones is calling for positivity from the fans tonight but also recognises that the team has to give the fans reason for positivity. Put in the effort and look like a team with a plan and things should go well, from a support view. Play like we did against Brighton, no matter how patient the fans are, there will be a negative reaction. Barring an unexpected massive upturn in form and confidence, it could be a very tough night.
And yet we beat Bournemouth easily, keeping our only clean sheet of the season which shows how bad they are... I think 2 (or even 1 depending on quality) could be enough but agree that I'll be relegating us if we fail in this transfer window.
Peoples interpretations of our situation are interesting, but I’ve noticed since the World Cup pundits seem to have universally decided we are the one team who are absolutely done already and fans of teams who have already played Saints see us as by far and away the worst side in the PL. It’s hard to argue against really, if we lose tonight we definitely become odds on to go down.
Clean sheet, during the game that our international experienced centre back was allowed to start. Coincidence?
