12 Jan 2020 16:02:22
Although I am (understandably) very excited by our situation at the moment, the underlying stats seem to suggest that Ralph may be onto something a little bit special with the lads.

28 points in 22 games has us projected to end the season on 48, our highest tally since Koeman in 15-16.

27 goals in 22 games projects us to get 47 goals, our highest since Koeman in 15-16.

Excluding that game of which we shall not speak, our defence is in the top half and, you've guessed it, would be our best return since 15-16.

Since that game, our form is sixth best in the league, only behind the current top five, and we are on our best run of league form since - YUP - January/ February 2016 (16 from 18).

That run included wins against Watford, West Brom, West Ham and Swansea; this time we've beaten Tottenham at home and Leicester, Chelsea and Villa away. Not only that, we're actually keeping clean sheets and retaining leads, or coming from behind to beat second place on their own patch!

It's also the first time we've won three straight away games since the start of 2015 in those Halcyon days under Poch.

Basically, if we keep this up for a full season, we may well be back where we want to be. We may only be six/ seven clear of danger but with our run in and the way we're going I'm looking more to Sheffield Utd four above us in sixth and an outside shot at Europe.

I can't see any of the current bottom three going beyond 37/ 38 so once we're at 40 we can really look forward.

Almost end of statistical rant but one final thought on yesterday. To look at where we were 11 matches ago and how desolate the club seemed, to go to the ground of the team that emabarrassed our club and outplay them and deservedly win, from behind, without letting our heads drop (we were 1-0 down after quarter of an hour in that game as well) speaks volumes not only of what Ralph has done, but for everyone to turn it around and finally find something that works.

We seem balanced, confident and of course having Danny on course for 25 and fifth highest scorer in the top 5 leagues helps but Stephens and Bednarek are partnering up beautifully after I and most of us wrote Jack off, Armstrong is just superb, and we have our tricky wingers contributing some end product.

We are scoring goals, conceding less, keeping clean sheets, coming from behind, playing as we want to. We'll still slip up at home to Villa and the like but that's part and parcel of the league.

And when it's quiet on here from the results side of things you know things are going well! And oh wouldn't it be nice to go to Anfield and ruin their party in a few weeks' time.

WE. MARCH. ON!

1.) 13 Jan 2020
12 Jan 2020 22:12:25
Saint G
WE have had a few discussions in the recent past over Southampton, especially with regards to Romeu, negative play, poor defending and so on .
Your post perfectly sums up where we are. I absolutely believe that Ralph was so immersed in not losing games that we were not trying to win. You had to watch the way OR, JWP and PEH passed the ball among themselves and then invariably back, to see if we scored it was definitely luck! Even DI was having to come back and try and get the ball. Once you realise that your attack is more likely to score than your defense is not going to concede, you take on a positive attitude.

Ralph has also stopped playing players out of position (thank god), he has clearly sorted out his differences with certain players and now plays the best players in their correct positions.

I actually think our midfield as it was, was making us so easy to beat. OR was awful! slow, poor tackling, non existent tracking of players, and never looking for a forward pass let alone an incisive pass!
JWP running around like a headless chicken, chasing shadows, very few decent passes, almost obsessed with playing the safe ball. PEH absolutely awful, awful distribution, giving away unnecessary fouls, never looking for the defense splitting pass!

Queue . Stuart Armstrong! Queue JWP taking on the traditional number 10 role . exit OR . and what do we have
we have a midfield that can battle, win balls and then look to break, look to pass to an attacker!

So now instead of DI having to come find the ball, he is doing those runs, asking for the ball and getting it!

Stuart Armstrong has totally changed the dynamic of the team! we are now fast and dangerous . back passes are very rare and have a look at players in front of the ball . up to 8! and players closing down in the opponents half . up to 6!

COYR

SAint G's statistics are spot on! we are on a roll .
and the players feel unbeatable now . !

2.) 13 Jan 2020
13 Jan 2020 02:26:58
It's no coincidence that after the introduction of Arsmtrong in our first 11 we have been getting our best run of results since ages. What I like now is our consistency with picking our first 11 and starting formation of choice. Stephens JWP and Cedric have improved massively as well. I know it isn't right to complain with how things are going recently but if Redmond and Hojbjerg can just up their game again (not saying they've been bad, but I know and believe they can be better, because they had better performances for us in the past) and reach the lofty heights they set themselves before then we will be seriously in a shout for top 8.

3.) 13 Jan 2020
13 Jan 2020 06:33:11
Good to read the positive posts on the recent success and elevation of our team. However I felt irritated by. comments directed at our Manager from a certain Wesley Hoedt. He appears a natural ‘BIG HEAD’ and is in Cuckoo Land regarding his past Saints performances. Perhaps when his Agents SPIN to unsuspecting Clubs is exhausted Hoedt will finally reach the level he aspires to and deservedly take his place in his SUNDAY PUB TEAM! K. O. M.

4.) 13 Jan 2020
13 Jan 2020 14:06:53
Whether it's on purpose or not he has effectively closed the door on his journey with us. I understand his frustration at not even being given a fresh start but Bednarek took his chance with both hands. Ralph will not be leaving any time soon and the club can afford to lose all three of Hoedt, Vestergaard, and Yoshida providing we sign Danso permanently and get one center back either this window or in the summer.

5.) 13 Jan 2020
13 Jan 2020 15:53:59
I agree that Hoedt and Vestergaard can go but I would like to keep Yoshida for 1 more season. He's been a good servant to Saints over the years and he still does a decent job when asked.

{Ed002's Note - I expect Yoshida to move on.}

6.) 13 Jan 2020
13 Jan 2020 16:21:02
I agree would love to have seen Yoshida stay on, his dedication and effort is 100% - although i realise dedication and effort don't keep out goals!
As for Hoedt, i wouldn't waste my time reading the article. I have never ever known a defender that had two awful attributes and regularly showed us them in games!
i) dribbling (otherwise known as fart assing around) with the ball in dangerous places when the easy option was there all the time.
ii) passing up to 20/ 30ft in the wrong direction. I don't mean backwards, i mean when attempting to pass to another player would regularly miss the player by a mile! and then we were on the back foot!

Vestergard is actually a good player and very quick! but again prone to unforced errors.

While on defenders, i really am not sure what Jack S has done to his game to remove the errors, but remove them he has! i do wonder as i have said before, that the whole team was trying not to lose and putting unnecessary pressure and panic on themselves. Now they are much more on the front foot it's like a huge weight has been taken off the defence!

To be fair to them the midfield was giving them no protection at all!

On another note, we have not mentioned or given any credit to Danny Rohl's replacement . Richard Kitzbichler. He is not so vocal as Ralph and tends to stay in the background but i know he and ralph work very well together.

7.) 13 Jan 2020
13 Jan 2020 20:22:16
I do think Ralph must have seemed a bit lost when Danny left, but just watching him go to the fans he seems like one of us, really up for it now.

On the subject of players, as always we are probably six from where we would want to be. Get Fraser off the books, allow Cedric and Hoedt to go, Yosh when he’s ready, get Maehle in and a CB - I like Vestergaard and really want him to stay and come good - PLAY DANSO. I would like to think he’s worth keeping but maybe give him a cup run or a few league games.

McQueen, Carrillo, Lemina, Romeu can go. Elyounoussi is flourishing in Scotland and he was as bad as Stephens has been so maybe worth another go?

Maybe one more body in the middle of the park but not needed right now. If Danny gets injured we’ll struggle but so would any team outside the top 6, and the rest seem good to chip in at the moment.

8.) 13 Jan 2020
13 Jan 2020 22:23:24
I think a bit disrespectful to list Sam McQueen alongside CArrillo, Lemina . Sam had an ACL injury and although out on loan, was a good player for us. I have heard that he will never be the same player again. CArrillo was just awful . and Lemina up his own a**!
:-)
Elyounoussi is flourishing for the the simple reason that the scottish league is not just very weak but a lot slower!

9.) 14 Jan 2020
14 Jan 2020 02:13:51
It's sad to see the big mess Ross Wilson and Reed had left for Crocker and Glover to clean up. Our list of deadwood is bigger than I can recall in a long time. Getting Hoedt, Vestergaard, Lemina, and Carillo off the books is a big challenge in itself. Cedric, Long, Yoshida, if they do leave at the end of their contracts I believe they won't have any trouble finding new teams, though I'd like Long to stay for one more season. Sims, McQueen, Boufal, Reed are players that I'd like to see stay but sadly it seems they're going to be off as well. Both Elyounoussi and Forster been performing well in their respective loan clubs. I don't mind them staying. If all the players mentioned left then I'd like to see a Center Back, Winger, Right Back, and Striker recruited. 4 signings seems to be the average we make in a transfer window anyways.

10.) 14 Jan 2020
14 Jan 2020 23:50:22
Perfect Decicion! By Ralph to reassure Che that he is very much in his future plans at SFC. I predict that once Che plays regularly and opens his scoring account he will go from strength to strength and form a lethal attack partnership with Danny especially since the upgrading of the supply route via Stuart Armstrong. and a re born JWP. KOM.