I think it’s reasonable to expect a comprehensive loss but still be disappointed with the tactics/performance today. I don’t think there were many positives at all. Djenepo played well? Centre backs look passable at the top level? Midfield was diabolical. Strikers non existent. Full backs below their normal high standards
I take it you have finished your homework? Run along and play your PlayStation or Xbox , there’s a good little boy.
Southampton have become the first team to stop Erling Haaland from scoring a hat-trick in the Premier League at the Etihad in two months.
Didn’t see the match, but expected an avalanche of goals. Team must have put in a performance to limit it to 4. Saints have a Championship squad, even our best players would probably be on the bench at other clubs. They aren’t playing as well as previous seasons, whilst we have a lot of inexperienced additions. Avoiding relegation has and will be the priority. I don’t like it, would love to be higher up, but when one City player is worth 80% of the whole of Saints, we are operating on different planets.
I actually agree. However, without sounding like a Ralph apologist, he set up up not to lose badly, and to that extent it worked. Diallo isn't Romeu (Or Lavia) and for once Ralph played the 'finishing 11' rather than the 'starting 11', and that unfortunately means you have to bring on Eli. Front two will huff and puff, but not score. KWP kept leaving the right wing empty. Perraud was ok, but I still thing we are better with Livramento on the right and KWP on the left.
Problem is, we have absolutely nothing about us. If he set us up not to lose, he played the wrong players. Just watching Brighton vs Spurs.. I know City are a level up again. But the pace and control of Brighton’s players who, on paper, aren’t much better than ours.. it’s night and day. We are in big trouble IMO. Need Lavia back so badly. We miss Romeu massively
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt. Mark Twain ^^Your signature on you profile
Dunno, I’d say the majority of their players are better than ours. Their recruitment has been very good last few years
Your post makes no sense. Your club has been a stain on the PL for way too long now. It really is time to go and fester in the lower leagues for a few decades.
What signs would you expect to see that would give an indication that the board was about to get rid? It would appear like you are looking for something that you will never find. I guess maybe the “vote of confidence” which is usually a kiss of death ? Agree that no shots on target is pretty poor. I’d assume it was pretty backs to the wall
In my opinion I think the arguments presented in this forum are often very well thought out. This does not apply only to the "Ralph out" threads but the whole forum as a whole. Different positions may be presented and opinions vary greatly but they are usually backed up by logc as opposed to emotion. The 4-0 reverse could not have ben inexpected and If felt Radio Solent offered a sensible response to the result. I was at another match but had one ear on the radio and felt that two issues were discussed between Adam Blackmore and Jo Tessum that were really intriguing. The first concerned Ralph's choice of formation where Tessum argued that Hasenhutl's decision not to pack the field gave City too much space. Not having watched any of the game, I think that it is fascinating to look at formation and the team selection as a whole and compare what was intended to happen and what acutally happened. My argument would be that would the formation Raph decided to play in have had any difference? It is an interesting argument a this is the second match in a row where Tessum has implied that Ralph has made some surprising mistakes. The other point was rasied by the excellent Adam Blackmore who argued that we have a weaker team this season that last because he have let the experienced players leave and replaced them with inexperience. In addition we have over-relied on Lavia. For once I feel that AB is really wrong. The players who left were either too old or had not contributed sufficiently enough. We needed to refresh the team and get rid of the players who did not want to play for Ralph. There was nothing we could have done about Romeu although I feel letting Redmond go was a massive error when we never recruited a new striker. Granted in was a gamble to bring in so many new and young players but the Ralph of old would have coached them into a swashbuckling , pressing time. In my opinion the issues are quite straight forward. An away match against City who are argubaly the greatest football team to have played in English foorball is no shame. Ralph should not be judged on the result. Where I think it is important to make a judgement is how much Ralph is able to influence a match by his selection and tactics. I am afraid to say that I cannot see he has has much effect over the last 9 months. We need a new voice in there and I do not feel that sticking with him this season was the correct one. He should have gone in the summer to give the new coach a chance to build his own side. It is not a matter of emotion , rather an analytical choice. At my company a favourite expression is to "show the science." This applies when some people make an instinctive assessment as opposed to going through the calculations to demonstrate the self same argument. I think with Ralph the decision needs to rest with the science. If some fans are getting emotional, by the same token the empircal evidence is demonstrative that things aren't working. This has been a trend throughout 2022. As much as I like Ralph and concur that today's result was not to be unexpected, the only reason to retain him is sentiment. The Ralph of the last nine months is a different manager to the one who joined.
Wait, you're an Everton fan? I had assumed that, given the big talk, you must at least be a fan of a good club. Amazing what two wins will do for one's self-confidence.
