Agreed, our promotion team would hammer this lot. We have fallen so, so far. Recruitment has been diabolical.
Who are the other 5-6 to leave. Okay we sell Lavia/JWP/KWP and incidentally our spine. How much money are we paying Orsic DCC Lyanco Stephens Bednarek Armstrong X2 Adams All seasoned pros on big wages, that noone will touch. It looks grim
Like a lot of relegated Prem trans over the last few years. What gives you confidence that we can completely change the mind set of this squad to be competitive next season. The trans that bounce back at the perennial promotion/ relegation candidates e.g West Brom, Norwich. We seem much more like a Sunderland/ Shef Wednesday/ Stoke city team
The others to leave I would guess: DCC ABK Sulemana Orsic I think all of those would most likely be off if we went down aswell as our better players. Then possibly Alcaraz and Onuachu if they have low release clauses. Perraud should attract interest, but not sure if he would definitely go if we lose all the above. Someone like S Armstrong, Aribo and McCarthy could be moved on if the club wanted as well.
The disappointing thing, and this is the problem, is that I wouldn’t be gutted to lose anyone bar JWP and Lavia.
ABK out of those lot, the rest I’d be surprised if anyone bids for them / they accept a move based on wages. I wouldn’t pay those lot a fiver a week, let alone the fifty thousand or more that they’re probably on. Shocking shocking recruitment. What did they see in any of them? I thought it would be hard to make us worse but they actually managed to do it in January. Sulemana, Orsic and Paul look like competition winners.
I think you are being optimistic. I think we will be stuck with some on high wages, history repeating: Carillo, Hoedt, etc. Who is going to pay money and better the wages if DCc, Orsic, Aribo, McCarthy. You will end up having to pay out contracts
We just drew at Old Trafford. We beat Chelsea. I know tonight was a kick in the teeth, but we are competitive right now. We just lack the attacking quality. Do you know what will change the mind-set? Winning games. It's really that simple. Our players have looked dejected a lot this season, because we have lost so many games. Fans read that as players 'lacking passion'. But the players wouldn't look dejected if we started getting results more regularly.
Possibly optimistic, but I also see those players as being able to do a job in the championship for a promotion winning team so not the end of the world if we keep them either. Anyway we aren’t definitely down yet and would be typical if we follow up tonight’s **** show with a win against Spurs to suck us all in again
Yeah this, there really isn’t much difference in ability between players outside of the real elite. It is mainly confidence and belief which we are massively lacking.
I think you kindly support my argument. What will change mind set - winning games. We lack attacking quality. I find those statements as mutually exclusive. But you have summarised our problem. You are correct winning games will change the mindset. But we do not have the quality and I think a lot of you are underestimating champ football
I hope you are so right. This is my point, if we can scrape the points, it is so much easier to rebuild in the prem
I admire your optimism, but it’s misplaced. We do well against the big clubs because we have signed a bunch of mercenaries who want to use Southampton as a stepping stone. They believe they are better than they are, and could get moves up the table. As soon as it comes to digging in & fighting they go totally missing. Except for JWP, KWP & Lavia. I think Che cares at least. But belief won’t make Diallo, Ely, Bednarek, Perraud, Bazunu, Bree, Sulemana, Paul, Theo, Mara suddenly be good enough for the premier league. Just look at those players. They’re horrendous.
Compare those you’ve highlighted to the other struggling teams though. They aren’t much worse/any worse /possibly better than their options. It is a confidence issue and having a massive squad of similar players so we don’t get any continuity is the problem in my eyes. I’ve said it before but if you were to do a “best combined 11” from any 2 teams from 12th downwards, except Bournemouth on paper anyway, you would have a 5/6 or 4/7 split with any of them, there really isn’t much difference
No, I disagree completely. You really don't understand football if you think a group of mercenaries can just switch it on and suddenly become competitive against the best teams in the world. We did well in those recent games because we were a well-drilled coherent team. I don't really even know what individuals you are referring to. Of all the players you mention not being good enough, you're being very unreasonable. Perraud is fine. Bednarek has played 200+ games in the Prem. Bazunu will be fine; he was just thrown in at the deep end. Bree, Sulemana, Onuachu have all played less than half a dozen games. Mara is what, 20 years old. I agree about Diallo and Ely. Walcott is 34 so yeah, time's up.
Regretfully I made the call to attend tonight with the boy. So so disappointing, tonight's game could have been under Ralph, Jones or Selles. Carbon copy of every feast of **** we've been served up at St Mary’s all season. Sideways pass, sideways pass, pass back, pass sideways, pass sideways, pass slightly forward, pass sideways,lose the ball. Rinse and repeat. Not a creative spark amongst them. None of them can run into space or find an oppo who's in space. We're down, so to fix this, Selles or Ted talk needs to get the squad together and ask one simple question. "Which of you mercenary ****s are looking for a way out next season?" Then drop them and play appropriate youth team player in their place. Start blooding them now for next season in the Championship. Then whoever has been responsible for scouting and recruitment needs to be brought to the centre circle at HT against Spurs, and be shot in the face. Tall Paul is possibly one of the worst players I've ever seen Don our shirt. He's genuinely worse than Carrillo. I don't think we've seen a worse striker for Saints in the past 20 years. Sulemana (sp?) Can **** off too. Useless twats. The worst bit of all this? It's just so ****ing boring. There's no excitement anymore.
The megameltometer has hit the stops and bent the needle. I see signs of improvement with setbacks like last night balanced with better performances. I'm not accepting relegation until it's a mathematical certainty. It's a big ask but it can be done bollocks to the gobshite boo boys COYR!
