In my defence I still think RM seems like a top bloke I’d have a beer with Was that the criteria they employed him on? They should have asked him more football questions maybe?
Fair point and I'm not saying we should be treating these teams with disrespect but with the money the club (I hate we) have received, a performance like these over 3 games is unacceptable.
Just a quick thought as I am reliving the game in the form of PTSD flashbacks. What the **** happened in the first half when we were on our only decent break of the game and Edozie just stopped dead on the half way line for absolutely no reason? I strongly suspected that RM had shouted at him to slow down, or threw him off with an instruction (as he suddenly stopped right in front of the bench) but I can’t say for sure, did anyone else see what happened there? It was just so bizarre.
Have found it odd that all the while the transfer window was open, we were doing well with all the disruption it brings I was expecting us to do well after the window shut with a stable, settled team. The team has been far from settled and most players have been below par, seems like either sulking if they didn't get their move or complacent that they are in the team Also RM team selection and positioning been strange
When I got a season ticket for this season, I didn’t expect us to walk it, and I certainly expected some bumps in the road. But I didn’t expect to watch tediously dull football and watch the full backs keep walking into central midfield before rolling the ball back to the centre halves on loop. Having to suffer yet more crap defending AND total bluntness in the final third in parallel is painful.
I just get the impression we have a squad of 2nd raters, stealing a living off the Saints, I don't blame RM, just like Ralph he has been dealt a duff deck.
Nah. We have sold too much quality. That much is true. But this team shouldn’t be this bad. It’s good enough to compete at the championship level. And we are nowhere near competing the last few games and that’s because of one bloke.
Hmm interesting. I’m with you on that, but I still think four are more difficult to roll than three. I agree though five or more make it easy. May have to google.
Even Jones had more an idea than this guy. Martin comes across as some kind of modern religion salesman. Leading you to a new world when in fact he’s a fraud. Jones was a harmless village drunk
On a more serious note, started ok. Then they scored. We moved to a 4-1-5 formation where the front 5 stood there waiting for a ****ing miracle. No team can pass out of the back, if you have one player to aim at. It put us under considerable pressure.
its grim at the moment, but dont see that out come at all. But know what i enjoyed it when we were last there The fans were much more genuine than the prawn cocktail brigade and the glory hunters
Nope. KWP, Bednarek, Stephens, Downes, Alcaraz, Stuie, Che, Fraser are all Premier League quality players. Add to that a load of fantastic but raw young players like Edozie, Charles, THB, Sulemana, Amo-Ameyaw. The squad is quality. Those players who aren't good enough; Aribo, Smallbone, Manning, Adarma, Mara.
I thought last night was really uninspiring. I have to say that I still think Martin is working with a poor quality squad. The team was dreadful last season and we have effectively lost 90% of the decent players we had then. The new recruits are young and inexperienced and the lack of a proven leader on the pitch is demonstrative that Martin has little to work with. However, I really think that the appointment of Russell Martin is going to prove to be a massive mistake. This bloke is supposed to be an improvement on Reuben Selles yet the recent performances seem to suggest that he does not know who his best players are, does not know what positions these players perform best and the displays on the pitch suggest that either Martin's tactics are useless or that his players do not believe in them. As i have repeatedly argued, I am not expecting him to pick up any points until the Rotherham game. If we cannot beat Rotherham, I think that the confidence will go again and that Southampton will get relegated with Martin at the helm. I cannot see how he will improve at this point in time but hope he will come good. The summer transfer window will now make amusing reading when goin over the posts that retaining Smallbone will give Southampton a massive boast ! We should have taken whatever Sheffield Utd offered!
I actually think it’s very harsh to judge smallbone. When you are put in as a defensive midfielder on your own, surrounded by strikers what are you meant to do? Even Pirlo, xavi or iniesta would have struggled. Suicide manager takes the blame 100%
Very true! It’s gone from “Martin is our King” to “Martin out” in a matter of games, but I don’t think it’s reactionary. He’s gone from having a pretty wide backing from the fans to having to prove to us that he’s up to the job (I’m not sure he is).
