Match Day Thread Saints vs Everton - Sat Oct 1st 3pm

Try this on Saturday?

 

True, but at half time we still had a point and despite a 'better' second half we ended up with no points, again. Obviously next week versus City, a draw would be a miracle so just hoping we're no worse than United re score line. However the WHU game will be a better guide to see if something in the mental strength and ability to defend a (hopefully) a lead is any better. If not the board I think will make their move to replace. Let's hope for a positive outcome from the next two or three games.

 

Picking up on some of the points made in this thread in favour of Ralph, I would put out the question as to whether the performance and team selection on Saturday would have been expected by one of his teams when he first became our manager? I loved the swashbuckling and pressing style of football he produced and regret that so many of these really good performances were played in the unrealistic, behind closed doors matches during Covid. The Ralph of those days would not have put out a team to play so lethargically and I doubt that we would have played quite so many players out of position. I am not sure , either, that he would have made so many changes in the line up for one game. It is difficult to believe that the teams he put out when he first became manager and the one that has performed so abjectly in the last two matches have been coached by the same man. We look like a team who has run out of ideas and forgotten how to press.

I would also throw another argument into the ring. Alot has been said about the youthfulness of the current Saints side. Ralph inherited a relatively mature squad yet, when considerating the younger players, he managed to get James Ward-Prowse to realize his potential after a number of seasons where he had under-acheived. You could also cite the case of Yann Valery, a player who looked a real prospect in his first season. Even Michael Obafemi initially seemed an exciting prospect. The Hassenhutl of 2018 would have motivated the new, young recruits signed over the summer and got some good performances out of them. Not only has JWP regressed over the last 15 months to a shadow of his former self who contributes little to outfield play, but Ralph has overseen the departure of Valery to Championship-level football in France. Both Obafemi and Tella are now playing their football in the second teir. We are in real danger that Hassenhutl will disrupt the development of a group of youngsters we did well to sign this summer. If the press is to be believed, Ralph has overseen a squad where the older players do not believe in him and where the younger players ultimately deteriorate.

The change in coaching staff over the summer was necessary to freshen things up and to let Ralph hear new opinions. Unfortunately, putting out a team of players who has only played together in practice sessions and then putting a number of them out of position strikes me as a mark of desperation. We no longer appear to know what we are doing. The decline has been going on throughout much of 2022 and the rebuilding of the sqaud has failed to make a marked difference. I think the current squad is good enough to push to a top ten finish and we should be doing much better than we are. Too many points have been lost to teams we should be beating. Whatever "system" Ralph has been using may look good on paper but the results are demonstrative of a team heading for relegation. As much as I like Ralph, we need to make a change.

 

I’m going to triple captain haaland for this weekend

 

I agree with much of this, Ian, but who were the ‘many players’ playing out of position against Everton? As far as I could see, there wasn’t a single one?

 

Problem is; the reason that none of our best players have played together a lot is because of Ralph.

He absolutely wasted pre-season by playing stupid tactics and formations… and now we are nowhere near ready for the season.

We look totally lost and a team of strangers. 100% down to the coaching

 

Is there a hapless victim out there wishing to sacrifice their time to scribble a match thread for the (gulp) City game?

 

I would have thought there’d be a queue? This could be a moment in history!

 

Saturday 8th October 2002. Manchester Citeh v Southampton KO. 15:00.

Referee: Andrew Madley.
Assistants: Derek Eaton, Steve Meredith.
Fourth official: Robert Jones.
VAR: Lee Mason.
Assistant VAR: Adam Nunn.

 

If there is a queue, you are first in line!

 

Ok, mugs away! How do I do?

 

At the top right of the front page there’s a big red button saying “Post New Thread”. Click on that, and off you go! I can edit any mistakes and I’ll sticky it once it’s up.

Try not to give any hope of any kind of positive outcome, and we’ll be fine!