Southampton banter 3

01 Apr 2024 23:02:25
Well that will be that then. As a Saints fan it's very disappointing because we have the squad to compete for auto promotion, but we haven't got that winning mentality.

A winning mentality comes from the manager. The problem is RM is too thick to change his ways.

Be honest, does anyone have a clue what his best team is.

Bree - why? KWP on the bench?

Bazuna is not good enough at the moment - give him 3 years and he may well be. But every time he plays out from the back he puts us in trouble. He's also too slow in getting down and weak on his near post. He's cost us many more points than he's saved us this season.

We need to toughen up - there's a post comparing us to the Championship equivalent of Spurs. I agree with that in terms of having a soft underbelly but as much as it hurts me to say it, Spurs play on the front foot and entertain. We don't do either nearly enough.

If we don't go up this season, I think it will be a long time before we return. Our squad will be much weaker next season so it's either play off glory or facing that lot down the road for the next few years. All quite depressing really.

01 Apr 2024 22:14:15
`We should score more and can`t concede the way we did`

So says RM. Pretty obvious really.

Surely we knew their left back was going to be a threat but we did little to deal with him. Hence first and last goals.

Yes 97th minute goal was cruel and we probably deserved a draw.

At least Ed Sheeran had left by then.

01 Apr 2024 15:37:36
Today is simple. Win or it's the play offs. If we do win, we're seven behind with two games in hand, and bizarrely now it looks like it's Leeds plus one other (most likely Ipswich) but there will be more twists to come.

If we don't win, we need to mentally fully focus on a three-game shootout. Hopefully the other three run it close and whoever finishes third is crushed and can't recover for the play-offs, then we need to get past West Brom and Norwich/Coventry.

A draw and it keeps us still thinking 'maybe' - go for broke please lads and please don't leave it as a one goal game with a minute to go!

01 Apr 2024 19:31:59
We drew, I'm just a bit upset, we should've won, I'm trying to say how we can fix it? A new signing? I don't know stats show we are doing good but final results don't say that. Draws should be wins for us well some of them especially this one. We can't survive prem like this.

01 Apr 2024 19:37:13
Nevermind, we lost in the 97th minute. I can't lie as a fan I should be hoping we'll go through on playoffs. I don't think we will I can't lie. We'll bottle it. My friend calls us the Tottenham of the championship and he probably is right in this game.

I'll try keep believing but my hope is diminishing

01 Apr 2024 22:22:05
You have to admire the team spirit of Ipswich, they consistently win games in the last 10 minutes of play. As for Saints, spare a few crucial players for the final 4 games of the season and go into the playoffs with a physically fit and determined team. Let Adams leave now, he’s been poor all season and today went missing when we needed him. I would settle for 4th or 5th and playing West Brom because I genuinely think we’ll beat them. The final is a lottery often won by the team that’s best organised. I really do think we need a change of manager at the end of the season, pure possession football is not the answer in the premier league or championship. Shame we’ll lose Harwood bellis, Downes and Brooks but I do expect Fraser and Rothwell to sign permanently.

01 Apr 2024 22:53:02
2408 :
I love football and I don’t care who plays it, I enjoy watching it. Ipswich have created a team that not onjy keeps going, but make subtle tweeks to ensure they win .
we pass back first minute or 90th minute. Ipswich wanted to win and so changed things, not a lot but enough .
for a while we were both apologising that we had misjudged RM. but we were seeing him against lower teams. What a difference since our run of now losses . found out and no plan B …
As you say 2408 . Martin would be destroyed in the EPL .
there is a reason this man has never been successful and we are seeing it

30 Mar 2024 14:22:33
I was at the game yesterday, I wouldn't say we played bad, Middlesbrough played a decent game for being a mid table team with nothing to gain this season.

What I will say is that fans have to take a percentage of the blame for concerning last minute. The last 15 minutes of the game it started kicking of in the corner. From then on to the end those fans were all you could hear but rather being focused on the match it was all boos and chants of 'dont know what you're doing' directed at the stewards. That whole period saints were on the back foot. The distraction and chants were going on right until Middlesbrough scored. Then after the Middlesbrough fans who were quiet, the whole game then became the loudest until the match ended.

I read online that the fans were having a go at the stewards for kicking out two fans for banging the advertising board for trying to get an atmosphere going. You see the irony in that right .by chanting at the stewards those fans created the wrong atmosphere by creating confusing. Imagine being saints player on pitch and no idea why your fans are chanting what they are. I get their high paid professionals and should be able to focus but atmosphere counts for everything.

On here we blame players and managers for every tiny fail or detail. Yet yesterday the fans have to take some of the blame, if you/we really want promotion then the focus needed to be in the game. A 1-0 lead (whether we should have been leading by more is irrelevant) was something that needed to be protected. Those fans were acting like we had won the game. They sure as rubbish went silent after we conceded.

30 Mar 2024 10:28:02
The highlight yesterday was Rickie Lambert's half time pitch side guest appearance. That was worthwhile the 4 hour car journey down from London on the busiest traffic day of the year (nightmare).

The irony shouldn't be lost on either of our forwards - especially Adams who missed a hatful of 'unmissable chances'.

Wind back the years - Rickie would have left with the match ball - no question about that.

As the game wore on, we could all right the script - late equaliser and then RM would throw on some artillery for the remaining four minutes.

We will beat Ipswich though!

01 Apr 2024 19:39:38
This aged a bit poorly

29 Mar 2024 17:43:15
20 days have passed since our last game (and my last post).

The same old story. Failure to take chances/put game to bed. And then the late goal conceded.

Adams reminded me of his miss against Wolves with 2 lost chances.

Again, what is the point of Sulemana?

We have clearly addressed nothing on the training field in the absence of games.

Last minute of game and we are still passing backwards.

Automatic promotion was looking like a dream but now not even that.

Oh dear - RM - what have you done?

29 Mar 2024 18:52:30
It’s Martins way or no way .
stubborn and inflexible .
It’s not even exciting to watch anymore …
The opponents are changing their tactics against us, being clever when to and not to press. They are definitely not overcommitting as they know we will mess round with it and then play out …

Opponents have also stopped chasing us around to try and win the ball, because they know that all we will do is make some sideways or pointless pass.

I didn’t even bother watching the game … it’s been a very long time since I felt that

30 Mar 2024 02:48:55
After all of our Manager’s hot air has evaporated congratulations are in order to Michael Carrick after salvaging an away point with 11 players unavailable through injuries.I wrest my case Your Honour!

30 Mar 2024 06:55:11
RM’s Epitaph .
Possession football DOES win matches

29 Mar 2024 16:57:07
Yet again too wasteful in front of goal. 62% possession and 13 shots but only 5 on target.

29 Mar 2024 17:27:43
Che Adams needs putting down - awful

27 Mar 2024 07:53:23
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new player profile about, Kostas Tsimikas

22 Mar 2024 10:48:31
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new player profile about, Kobbie Mainoo

18 Mar 2024 12:48:00
Just like to wish Ralph Hasenhuttl good luck in his new managerial position at Wolfsburg

18 Mar 2024 18:54:48
I agree Teejay. Wolfsburg have got themselves a top manager, shame our fanbase couldn't see it, we wouldn't be in our current predicament if they could.

C'est la vie though.

19 Mar 2024 03:17:46
With a lull in the games calendar l felt it appropriate to express my personal observations and feelings rafter than “I told you so-within a few weeks.Considering starting the season with a reported strongest squad. In the division in my opinion we will be lucky to end up 5th/6thin the table.Comparing Kieran McKenna’s achievement of bringing up Ipswich Town FC directly from Div.1 with little Transfer monies Martin’s success looks questionable.His failure to inject any steel into his Players plus continually playing Players out of their best. Positions and appearing ( (even now) not to know his strongest side.Should Southampton FC achieve their Pipe Dream of promotion to the Premirship they will certainly have to consider an upgrade in Manager to be installed.—-Steve Cooper—-Perhaps?

19 Mar 2024 07:11:56
I agree that with the squad we have we should be top two and RM's inflexibility gives me serious concerns.

I think 5th or 6th at best is harsh. We are 7 points clear of 5th with two games in hand. Plus we should have all of Downes, KWP and Fraser for the upcoming games.

Anything could happen of course and we have a lot of tough games to come but we be aiming for a playoff final at least.