Match Day Thread WBA v Saints. Saturday 3rd Feb 3pm.

Oh yeah I'm sure he is fine in person, but I just find it a bit ridiculous his reactions on here so will say so if I am online at the same time. Just like with his hypocrisy with refs and people slagging them off when he does the exact same thing but about players/manager.

 

He's even worse when Hampshire are doing badly on the Cricket thread......

 

A very sensible, constructive reply. I don't know of a Saints fan who is not seriously worried about the situation, whatever the cause. Personally I don't understand some of MP2's selections especially the last two home games. Yet he has got it totally right in other games, e.g. Man City where we were very unlucky to lose. I also read these posts and see the many different ways people would set up the next team which is often interesting, but just leaves me with the feeling that MP has been handicapped by the selection and quality of players available as none of us seem to have much consensus about team selection. I agree that this is the worst run of results we have seen for many years, and the fact that other teams are picking up wins which no one else saw coming just increases the 'panic' feel.

So the situation is not good at all, yet I cannot bring myself to think that we will continue down this slippery road. A change of plus four/five points over some teams above us will seem a mile off at present but it could happen. When we had Harry Redknapp, did he stop the rot that season? I never got the impression he had a clue what to do with what was then not actually a bad squad. I listen to our present manager and I see and hear that there is someone who is committed to resolving the problem and with the support of the staff and players around him we will see a turn round, enough to keep us up this year. Changing personnel now, in my view, is not an option despite the temptation.Personal abuse towards him, such as seen on here and elsewhere, sometimes leaves me feeling embarrassed to be Saints fan, by all means let the Club know how one feels but social media personal massacre is not a way forward and does nothing to promote the game and least of all the Club. The directors will have to be held accountable at some point for allowing such a dismal state of affairs to come about, but from now until the final whistle blows on the season, give the players and MP in particular encouragement, not abuse.

I remember the Ian Branfoot era like many others and even then felt that many people had overstepped the mark in their public abuse towards him, to the point that I wrote to him following his departure just to offer some encouragement for the future, even though at Saints he had not succeeded. To my surprise, only a few days later I had a hand written reply, thanking me for the comments I had made and a brief explanation as to how he personally felt at the time. There was no need for him to do this but it just highlights the fact that these people are human and have feelings just like the rest of us and whatever their lack of success deserve respect for doing what they thought was best at the time. None of us can ever say we have always achieved what we set out to achieve in our work or family etc but most can say we are giving it or have given it our best shot. If the directors feel he should leave then that is their decision and responsibility. It seems to me at present that is not their plan so let's ensure the manager and players get the lift and encouragement they so desperately need.

 

he should be sacked
I think there is clealry a serious communcatiobs break down between the chinese owner and the directors
the being a good bloke and being fully supporting regardless of results position is all well and good.
but its just plain silly that we perservere with MP - relgation would be an awful very long term problem for saints.

 

Johnny, are you actually Mr Gao?

 

I am Gao
me love saints
up the ****in saints
and hate skates
long time boom boom

 

wise words ...

Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino: "Obviously the most difficult thing in modern football is how you can create more action to convert.

"This is the most difficult thing in modern football. Why? Because the level of organisation is really high and the information that every single opponent has got about you, it's really high.

"I've never seen a league like right now where from the bottom to the middle are five, six points. It's nice but it's difficult at the same time."

 

A lot of difficult moments.

 

More difficult when you bench the creativity.

 

I'll down a bottle of wine in 2 and share the video on here.

 

So what he's basically saying is this ol' football malarky is difficult at the highest level.

 

Puel had one bit of luck that MP2 hasn't had.....when you bear in mind how few points we were above the relegation zone considering we finished 8th. Gabbi came in flying....even though he didn't keep it up as he got injured (of course). Let's hope Carrillo can not only score, but score strategically and not get too many in one game. Make every goal a winning goal, Guido.

 

Every point that you have made is true, but odd you're placing the blame solely on the defence. If we are able to go into matches and go a few goals up, we wouldn't have such a problem with the defence having to defend for resolutely for 90 minutes. Some of the goals have been from poor positioning, which is mainly down to the manager and how he sets up the team etc. We managed to win 6 PL games with Yoshida and Stephens at CB from January on wards last season, proving they are more then capable mid table CB's. Think it's tough to blame the defence if you can't consistently do the business at the other end of the pitch.

 

It's all about balance....defence increases in importance and can get wobbly once you can't score readily.

 

He was excellent in that game against United and pivotal to our victory.

 

I didn't think we would be this much trouble, but I did make my feelings known on here after just one game that I wasn't happy. I couldn't understand how people could be so happy with a good performance, but ultimately a 0-0 draw, at home to Swansea. No goals scored, and two points dropped at home to one of the weakest sides in the league.

People were treating it as if the previous season never happened (which is where my feelings stemmed from - it was a clear continuation from the previous season; stuff the good performance). And yet now, a whole host of people are highlighting the board's failings and saying how we've messed up a string of transfer windows. The signs really were there from day one, and that just makes the board's lack of action on the transfer front even worse. But as I say, even I didn't think it would be this bad - it was impossible to know from that one game just how bad a manager MP is.

 

FYI it was DTLW who called him a ****.

 

OK sorry if I got it wrong, you must have been really pleasant about him.

 

No I will freely admit that I am not pleasant about him. But to single me out is ludicrous. A lot of people on here insult referees after a **** decision. I'm certainly far from alone in calling Pellegrino a useless twat.