11 Mar 2018 11:41:49
For god sake everyone - WE'RE NOT DOWN YET. You all may be ready to write our PL status off in the interest of saying "I told you so", as one 'fan' has already done, but if you actually get behind the team we can still get out of this. Anyone actually looked at the table? I know this may not suit your "I hate Southampton and anyone at all involved with them" agenda that has existed since the start of the season, but we're not actually in the relegation zone.

Things have sucked lately and yesterday was appalling, but please, none of us want us to go down I assume so let's get behind them and do all we can to help the players keep us in the league.

We are now well and truly in a scrap for our lives, and fan support and the ability to make St Mary's a tough place to go to is going to be a huge part of whether we can stay up. On matchday, keep your views on the board and MP to yourself, stop writing off the season before we need to (we're not in WBA's position, are we) and SUPPORT YOUR TEAM.

Every fan is in agreement on this now I think, he needs to go. And the board are aware of that, trust me. There is no way they can't be. I think its clear his days are numbered, but they seem to be taking the decision that he has a better chance to fix things than a caretaker manager. I'm not sure I agree, but I understand why you might see things that way. The board are aware you want him gone, and I'm 100% sure he will be at the end of the season. So let's stop booing just to make ourselves heard, and do our part to keep this club in the top division where it belongs.

1.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 14:26:37
I was at yesterday’s game which was difficult to watch
Ok yes we were beaten but the manner in which we were taken apart was difficult to watch
We were amature
I kept my eye on Pellegrino through out the game and his leadership just didn’t change arms folded without any reaction
We’re all saints fans and we want our team to do well and at the moment having to go game after game without a glimmer of change In results is shocking
I think we could scrape out of this but not with him at the helm
We need a new face to inject hope and this is needed fast Pellegrino has to leave this week for a manager of any substance to come in and give us hope for the remaining games.

2.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 14:32:45
Very naive position to take Saints123.

3.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 16:04:48
're saints123 comments I appreciate your comments but please get behind the team? Yesterday I heard our fans who had made the longest away trip in the league singing until the third goal went in. So don't blame the fans and lack of support yesterday was just the latest example of a totally unacceptable performance, Liverpool away and home were bad enough but yesterday reached a new all-time low! To concede within 2 minutes and then yet again just go through the motions with no players stepping up and accepting responsibility oh for a Jonjo shelvey or Matt Ritchie! . It's patently obvious this team has lost it and the present manager is incapable of rescuing the situation. We keep ticking off the games and with 8 to go you saying we are not down yet but where are we going to pick up points? Next Wigan in the cup who presumably cannot wait to take us on? Then West ham away who presumably after yesterday's debacle will be up for this 6 pointer! These are highly paid professionals who for the most part have underachieved woefully let's face it this week the team went on a bonding exercise at East Sussex golf centre well that certainly paid dividends! We lack backbone, will to win call it what you like at this rate we will go down with a whimper! no sign of a fight. I would like to think the players were brought into training early today and made to watch yesterday"s disaster and reflect on their lack of desire, fight but I doubt it. You may say this is a knee jerk reaction and ridiculous but being nice is just not cutting it! The next game I want to see every player right at it right from the start getting into the opposition, stop inviting teams to play football because we have done that all season and that is why we are where we are. We are too soft, too slow no fighters. How many times do I have to see Soares shoot from outside the box and put it miles over the bar? It's just crap, football is not complicated but you have to compete. Unfortunately this team reminds me too much of the 05 relegation side and We all know how long it took us to get back. So we all write not through lack of support but because we care and properly managed at all levels we would not be in this dire situation! So let's see how the next few weeks pan out . Regards vs.

4.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 16:17:50
positive attitude has got us nowhere 123 even then it's only the northam stand that sings and cheers all the stands are full of families and seniors who to watch in silence. It's too late now it's toxic the board don't care whether we're up or down because financially we're not worse off because thanks to the VVD payments and parachute payments (if we go down) which will be over 43mill a year. Not forgetting all the profits of players sales and being the only club in the premier league with debts!

5.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 16:21:38
* no debts.

6.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 16:40:04
Hi guys I forgot about a few other results from this season lose 2 1 away to stoke 0 2 at home to Watford 1 4 at home to Leicester and who can forget Xmas boxing day 5 2 away to Tottenham so the fans are owed big time by this team!

7.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 16:40:55
Fair play for making the trip diggy, I couldn’t make it.

123 - I think what you are saying is admirable, however surprisingly from you also naive. We can no longer rely on draws as there are not enough games left (potentially) . Be it 37 points or 40 to be safe, we need wins. We have 5 so far. If not for a lucky last minute penalty against West Ham and a worldie from Boufal versus WBA, we would be well and truly in the bottom 3. I personally will continue to support and sing loud and proud, but I cannot blame any one who has had enough under this regime. Even West Brom are showing effort, we simply pass to the side with no urgency and read the same drivel from MP and the players. My point is unless we sack him now, with time to replace him, we will be relegated.

8.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 18:02:27
I think I23 is pretty clear that he’s asking for fans to support the team as it gives us a better chance of pulling off this feat than if the fans boo the team after every 45 minutes of play or gasp and groan in frustration if things aren’t working on the pitch. I agree with the principle, but I also feel that as fans invest so much of their hard-earned wages to watch the team play week in and week out, home or away, far or near, they are entitled to voice their anger, frustration and anxiety. It’s a little one-eyed to insist on fans cheering on the team when the performances are as abject as they are.

Whilst its true that booing the team or groaning during the game may be counter-productive, its hard for fans to see the same formation and tactics in every game when it has yet to yield sufficient positive results, then coupled with ponderous performances and the manager failing to find the solution to the abject performances by changing things. Einstein’s definition of stupidity is continuously doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. MP’s refusal to change things was at first stubborn, but it is evident now to all that it is also stupid. Whilst he may be happy every Monday sitting in his office and thinking, I’m going to try a 4-3-3 this week and it’ll work, it is too much to ask fans to wilfully buy into this stupidity with money from their own pocket.

The reality is, that it is up to the players and the manager to earn the respect of the fans by playing their socks of and showing a will to win, even if the results don’t go our way. Fans will happily cheer on this side for the rest of the season if that happens.

No, you’re right 123, we’re not down yet but the team needs more than a cheering fanbase to achieve the results required to stay up. As I have posted elsewhere, before yesterday, I still felt we could do just enough with MP at the helm, but now its impossible for me to see how he can steer this team to achieve enough points to keep us up.

Finally, I also have to agree with 123 about the ‘told you so’ posters. What a sorry thing to try to feel smug about. Predicting a team’s relegation after 12 games is not prophetic or smart, its rash and negative. The season still isn’t over yet and hope must remain of something going in our favour, otherwise, why follow the team’s progress beyond Christmas when there’s no announcement of a new manager?

9.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 20:08:43
It’s obvious we’re not down yet mathematics tells us that but under Pellegrino the stats aren’t stacking up either
Like I said earlier
if he’s here with the same games to points ratio we’re down that’s it
I would like it if the board thought about this and thought ok he’s had his run now let’s make the change I honestly couldn’t give a fook who comes in short term long term but let’s show some fooking fight
I’m all for giving every ounce of support on the terraces been there done that but if they aren’t showing that on the field what’s the point
Only one person picks the team
Only one person motivates the team
And only one person pays the price.

10.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 21:30:31
I think there will be a reaction next week at Wigan and we may win though by no means certain.
Then WUFC away which is do able given their situation.
Yes we lost and lost bad but just hope it was a blip result.
We got to keep the faith. Manager will not be sacked until end of season. Still have a superior goal difference to Teams around us. Let’s hope that result has really put the dear into the players of the reality of the situation. Not sure penny had dropped with them before yesterday. New territory for all of them and not had to deal with this before!

11.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 21:39:42
Re figos comments about posters feeling smug about forecasting relegation after 12 games being rash and negative is total bollocks! Without being arrogant I've played coached and watched a lot of football over the years and it has been patently obvious right from the start that this team was not right, there was no spine in the side, we have been pitifully slow going forward, we don't create enough decent opportunities and invite teams to play through us and they have happily accepted our offer and ultimately the league table does not lie. If you think this gives me any pleasure then you are a total ----! What annoys me is that this situation could have been avoided but we have been totally mismanaged, we can all recount bewildering team selections and equally bizarre substitutions and here we are after 30 games 17th in the league, we haven't been unlucky we have failed to compete and that is why we are staring at relegation! You can pontificate all day but soccer is a results driven game and we have been consistently poor, other teams have sussed us out and fortress st Mary's is a long gone myth! If we do stay up then we will count ourselves very very lucky and we need to spend the summer culling this side with a decent manager who will stay long term and who is supported with the necessary funding to ensure this never happens again! I would far rather be posting how happy we all were and the team was going great but we're not! I've been supporting Sfc for 50+ years was at Wembley in 76 and the charity shield and the league cup final against forest and season ticket holder for a number of years and this side ranks as the least combative, unwilling to get stuck in and too often going through the motions. These guys are seasoned professionals and they know when they have put in a decent shift and too few have been coming off the field having given everything. It grates as all of us supporters would play for the honour of wearing the shirt for nothing and give absolutely everything! So accept that we have the best interests of Sfc at heart and again I say our league position reflects our performances!

12.) 11 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 23:41:29
Ok a lot to respond to here so I’m just going to type responses as I read them.

Diggy I think that’s a sensible post, and I do agree that I think a new manager would just shake things up a bit and could get us the wins we need.

Forever1976 – very helpful. Feel free to explain why.

Vintage, I don’t understand how anyone can say we’re down already. Look at the table…we’re not down at the moment! If the season ends today, we’re fine. Well not fine. Of course, we shouldn’t be in this situation, and don’t think for a second that I don’t hold the players and manager responsible for this more than anything else.

To your “properly managed at all levels” point, I don’t think that’s fair. The upper levels of football management (i. e. board level) only have certain windows to influence results. They don’t control the day to day management, and nor should they. They’re responsible for the commercial running of the club. That’s to say, they choose where the club invests its money and build the infrastructure of the club. Part of that includes the manager, and they got that wrong. But in every other area, I like what the regime has done over the last 5 years, so I don’t think we need to tear that aspect of the system apart (we have a great youth system, a scouting system that was heralded until 12 months ago, and a brand new training facility) . What clearly needs to change is the day to day running of the club, and I also have no doubt that will happen at the end of the season, or maybe sooner. Again, to be clear, I think we should have fired MP by now because I agree with diggy that a new manager would give us a shot in the arm, but I’m not ready to ignore everything else because of one decision I disagree with. You have to look at the bigger picture.

Ponykeeper, that’s nothing more than a conspiracy theory. Of course the board care if we go down, even if only from a financial point of view because you’re just straight up wrong when you say it won’t make us worse of financially. Completely and hilariously wrong.

Figo I agree – I completely understand the frustrations, and that the play has been completely unacceptable. Also agree that for me yesterday was like a slap in the face that we are a team that deserves to go down. Until yesterday, though it was bad, I was still confident that we would stay up, even if only just.

The big issue I have I suppose is that it’s not just a question of Maths that we’re not down yet. We’re actually not in the relegation zone. How many people are going to just completely ignore this fact on this forum and talk like we need some Fulham/ Leicester style great escape. We don't, we just need to stay slightly less s**t than the 3 teams below us.

Vintage Saint, you’ve just gone on a very long rant about how the league table doesn’t lie. Well ok then, looks like you were wrong about us going down. Don’t you love it when somebody is so irrational they just win an argument for you, without you needing to really say anything. It's great.

13.) 12 Mar 2018
11 Mar 2018 23:49:45
Hi guys You need to read Luke Edwards match report in the telegraph and he was damning about the saints players who he described as arrogant, conceited and totally disinterested and should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves! if our idiot directors do not sack this clown and finally take some action then I give up. Am I right in thinking MP was given a 3 year contract so someone's arse needs kicking? Regards vs.

14.) 12 Mar 2018
12 Mar 2018 11:21:25
VS, none of us need to read the views of a journalist on the performance at Newcastle as we all saw it and all agree that it was very, very poor. And as you’ve happily unmasked yourself as the ‘told you so’ poster I’ll address that a little further. Playing, coaching or watching at any level does not give you the ability to see the future. It may allow you to make an informed guess about what COULD happen, but there are so many little things that can happen to a team over the course of a season that anyone who states definitively after 12 games where a team will be after 38 is doing nothing more than guessing based on a very small sample of evidence.

You could not, for example, have known for certain that MP would be so rigid with the formation, that he wouldn’t learn from mistakes, that the team wouldn’t improve, that the loss of Eric Black as coach could lead to the signing of several new coaches that could turn the season around, that we weren’t to sign two or three key new signings in January, all with MP staying at the helm. Now, after 30 games, we can all agree with some confidence that MP is not good enough and the team is not going to improve under his tenure but as 123 points out, we are still not in the bottom three and relegation is still uncertain. So your general prediction that the team will continue to struggle has proved to be right for the most part, but the relegation aspect not quite.

So when you say ‘I told you so’ in relation to your prediction after a third of the season its meaningless. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. The most irritating point at the time was that someone would write the team off so early in the season and you’ve sort of jumped the gun a little bit again by condemning the team when we remain outside the bottom three. I totally agree staying up is becoming less likely with each missed opportunity and luke warm performance, but while there are games to go and points to be gained, plus other teams around us also struggling badly, the race is not yet run.