Match Day Thread Saints Vs Brighton – Sunday 14th March 12.00pm, BBC1

When we were playing well, I made the comment that the squad does not need a massive overhaul. The defence has long since been of concern but when we were on form, Vestergaard and Bednarek looked the finished product. I agree that we need cover for the full back and I am still concerned that Ings is so injury prone. I think the problem is that they need lifting as too many players ae not turning up. Romeo has been one of our best players this season and he has been missed. The issue stems from a lack of confidence and a fatigue with the season. I think we are more likely to get relegated than Brighton, Burnley and Newcastle. It is difficult to see where we can get the points from. Either Ralph has to go and we get a "bounce" with a new manager or we sweat it out. For me, this season is just about getting over the line. The closed season will not be about a re-build although I can see some players getting shipped out as they have not stood up when it has mattered.

 

* South Pacific


Apologies for the pedantry
Edit; and for not scrolling down

 

I particularly love that "truncate", when used in Excel, is "trunc"

The football wasn't very good.

Vin

 

I truncated my viewing of the match.

 

I think The Toon are going down.


Or should that be going doon?

 

And blocking the route for academy players. It's a real dilemma for clubs like ours. Seeing our Europa hopes disappear was the low point of this season. I suppose all we need to do now to redeem the situation is win the cup!

 

We know that when we have few injuries and time to recover between matches then Ralph's playbook is very effective. This season has been unusual due to the freakish amount of injuries since the new year and the hectic schedule of matches and the team have appeared to run out of steam.
I was not happy to see the release of both of our back up fullbacks in January without replacements and that has cost us dearly IMO. The time to get in back ups would've been last Summer as Ralph clearly doesn't trust the Academy lads in those positions.

 

Exactly this

You only get a limited view on the telly but there can’t be enough movement and we won’t play long

And to make space you need someone who will run at teams but Stu didn’t do that yesterday and Tella was up front, he should be on the wing. Mini found space 1st half so I assume their change stopped that. We miss Theo

Ralph has to find away to react to teams adjustments to our play during games. There’s a reason we lose more points from winning positions than anyone else

 

And not get relegated maybe

 

We should get Pompey Meowth to do the next thread

 

Your comment about Vest and Bednarek is true for the whole team - if the team are all playing to the best of their abilities, we look a good side (obviously). But if they aren’t, then we look like a relegation side. So my point is with these players, they pretty much all have to put in an 7 or 8 out of 10, otherwise we collapse.

That’s just not happening. Maybe because of fatigue, or maybe because it is just an average squad who over performed at the start of the season.

But there is only so long we can keep giving the ‘fatigued’ excuse.

 

Jos Hooiveld was interviewed by The Athletic last week. It may have been spoken of on another thread but Jos said something along the lines of he sees no leaders/characters in the squad.

It showed yesterday.

 

We are missing Romeu badly.

 

It's a strange comment really. Historically we have always considered a leader to be a vocal one who is constantly directing players. VVD was the best recent example - he organised the whole team from his CB position. Ralph has a different view in that if they all know what they should be doing on the pitch, then no one needs to be talking. You see our players discussing situations in breaks of play but the vocals when in play all come from Ralph. I think there is room for a balance but have no doubt there are a number of leaders on the pitch apart from JWP. Fraser, Ings, Romeu to name but three. I would, however, like to see Vesty take on more of a VVD role.

 

When we are relegated will be able to do a Norwich next season?

 

No. There is no need.The reason being, we're not going down. Our concern is making sure that the team and staff are strengthened for next season in the PL.

 

If we are relegated will we be able to do a Norwich the following season?

 

I think we need an upgrade in the starting 11, players who can perform in any system and who can improvise.
When our system works it is effective and exciting to watch. When it doesn’t work it is bloody awful to watch and you can see the confidence draining out of the players because they don’t know how to turn it around.
I said during yesterday’s game that someone needed to get angry, as Brighton were starting to knock the ball around as though we weren’t there.
I am not saying that the players don’t care, but I am not seeing anyone trying to lift or motivate in the way someone like Dean Hammond, or going further back, Alan Ball used to do.

 

James Ward-Prowse is probably my favourite current Saints player... but I do wonder if he isn’t the leader we need on the pitch as our captain. As captain shouldn’t he be rallying up the players keeping their heads from dropping? I don’t think anyone does it. The team spirit we had at the start of the season seems to have dropped and back to poor communication and poor passes. Obviously squad not happy with the run of results but are they all blaming each other and fracturing the spirit of the squad?

 

I think Romeu was a huge miss yesterday. I love Diallo, and think he's a really, really good player. But someone needed to crunch into the likes of Lallana yesterday, and it just wasn't happening.