02 Nov 2017 11:47:04
I am going to be extremely controversial here but I just need to say it whether others agree or not. Watching Saints this season is pretty desperate going and frankly depressing. I don't believe we appointed the right manager to replace CP who in my opinion should have been given another season or at least till this Christmas. When Pelligrino joined as people said we were going to produce fast paced flowing football similar to Pochettino but I fail to see where anybody got this idea from as he spent last season at Alaves setting his team up very defensively to stay in La Liga which he achieved and should be applauded for however I think CP could have done that as well. I think from the rumours that CP lost the dressing room and ultimately his job due unsettled players. On reflection the likes of Dusan Tadic could have been at the heart of this with his whinging and wining which let's face it we see him doing on the pitch every week acting like a spoiled brat and overreacting to just about every contact from an opposing player. I have been a season ticket holder for over 40 years and hardly ever miss a game even through the dark days of League 1 but do you know what if the weather is crap on Saturday I would seriously consider giving it a miss and listen to Soccer Saturday instead, I haven't felt like this since the days of Ian Branfoot so I find that very worrying from a personal point of view. I honestly don't think our squad can play high pressing attacking football anymore, not because they are not good enough players, they can't because either they have not ever been shown how or the management won't let them. I believe the fear is in the management team which is being so negative and this is being transmitted through to the team thus creating the toothless performances we have sadly had to put up with. Pellegrino has got to be brave and change things NOW, we are playing City very soon which gives us the perfect opportunity to give it a go. We will probably get beaten even so but one thing is certain if we try to defend against them they will murder us with possession and I think the likes of FF not conceding is just a pipe dream. Anyway that's the way I see it, football should be about entertainment even when you lose, I remember those days and hated losing games but at least you could reflect on the game afterwards and know that you tried everything to score. That seems to be a thing of the past over the last two seasons apart from one game, the final against Man U showed we can do it. The difference was it was not in the league so no points were involved so it seems to me we just set up to try not to concede. I hope I'm not the only one that sees it this way if I am maybe it's time to hang my season ticket up forever.

1.) 02 Nov 2017
02 Nov 2017 13:18:17
Hi Saint Duke. I've posted a reply on the banter page if you have a few minutes to read it.

2.) 02 Nov 2017
02 Nov 2017 13:43:48
I totally agree with you, I have never been so depressed watching us this year, all we try to do is keep the ball just passing from Full Backs to Center Halves to Midfield, the back again, NOT gaining any territory, and get nowhere. The players surely can't enjoy this type of football? The only players that will not complain are the ones that should NOT be in the team, the wining Tadic, & Redmond, what does W Prowse offer us, and that excuse for a Goalkeeper, I will not make my thoughts public, as I could get in to trouble!
We have to get more energy throughout the team, and start getting more players into the box. KEEP Two players upfront. Our Full back have just one player to hit if they play the ball forward, give them more options.
We are NO better with this Manager, and I think we are at times worse. The enjoyment of looking towards the next game has gone, I am the same as most of the crowd at St Marys Not expecting a lot.
The team is not giving us anything to cheers about.
Come on M. P get the team do what we used to do best ATTACK, it the only way to Win games. Bring back the feeling of use looking forward to going to the game and supporting our team.
G Smith.

3.) 03 Nov 2017
03 Nov 2017 14:56:21
Agree with a lot of this, although disagree with any suggestion MP's job should be under threat. The problem stems back to Koeman in my view, who started the trend of changing the way we play football, and I think that MP should be judged on next season once he's had more of a chance to stamp his mark on the team.

I understand your frustration, but we all know that if we had been giving it a go, losing, and were sat in/ around the relegation zone right now you would be calling for MP's head, so he's in a difficult position. Your point about City for example, yes it'd be nice to give it a go, but that's the kind of thinking that can get you beat 6, 7, 8-0 against them right now. They're that good, and I can see an argument for trying to frustrate them by sitting deep.

It's going to be a long season of mid-table mediocrity but I think as fans we need to avoid treating MP the same as we treated Puel. Puel had to go, but it was the fans (and maybe players, I don't know what was going on in the dressing room) that made that the case unfortunately by turning on him. Let's not do the same with this manager. If things don't change next season, then we should start talking about whether he's the right guy. Until then, let's be patient and accept that we need to get rid of a few players who can't cut it (cough, Tadic, cough) and bring in a few hungry attackers ready to work hard and prove themselves. After this has happened, we can judge MP on the results.

4.) 03 Nov 2017
03 Nov 2017 19:45:00
123 I understand your post completely and agree with most of it. If you look on the banter page I responded to Figo about me stating that Pellegrino should be sacked, I never said that and don't want that to happen. I simply stated that I personally didn't think he was the right appointment. You make a point about not taking it to City, but maybe just maybe we need to do that. We have some good technical players and they need to be used to bring out their skills. City will be sitting there thinking that we will go there and put everybody behind the ball and they will coach their side to expect us to do that. Let's do what we did in the Cup Final last season and show that we can take them on, if we sit back we will lose maybe only 2 or 3 but don't you think if we have a go it might make them think a bit as City are not the greatest defensively. We are too predictable and just about every side in the PL has worked out the best way to set up against us, let's change that.

5.) 04 Nov 2017
04 Nov 2017 21:19:54
Stats wise are we looking any better now than we did under CP this time last season?

6.) 05 Nov 2017
05 Nov 2017 00:20:19
Will we should have kept Puel rather than employ a new manager that is more negative than he was.

7.) 12 Nov 2017
12 Nov 2017 17:36:26
I Agree . I didn't think Puel done much wrong. 8th and a Cup Final, how can that be classed as a poor season . It now looks like it was the players on the pitch letting him down at the end and continued into this season doing the same.