Southampton Banter

14 Nov 2019 16:56:27
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new podcast entitled, And Finally

09 Nov 2019 15:51:59
half time against Everton.
Absolutely awful football!
Our midfield is non existent!
Romeu and JWP serve no purpose, they are being played through like they don't exist!
Cedric out of position, just not good enough at LB. Yoshida can play any position across the back. Move Cedric to right back, Yoshida to left back!
WE are AWFUL! not a shot on goal! we are making everton look good, they are passing to unmarked team mates for fun!

09 Nov 2019 18:17:40
The 3 at the back doesn't work we are always going to concede no matter how defensive we play so just go for it. You don't win football he's unless you score. Also with Cedric playing lb y is our other RB (Valery) on the bench?

I would play:

McCarthy

Cedric
Bednarek
Vestergard
Bertrand (when available, but Valery today with Cedric lb)

Hojberg
Armstrong
Jwp

Redderz
Ings
boufal

Just try and score goals. Vestergard has had some good games and some awful ones but has scored this season and is a worry for opposition at corners. Jwp he's got the legs and last year when Ralph had us trying to win games was scoring and creating from midfield. Bring djenepo on when opposition are tired from redderz and boufals quick feet.

09 Nov 2019 19:19:15
Ralph said we’re not good enough
Wow news flash
We have been saying that for months omg
Why does it take today for him to release that
Jesus I’ve given Up.

09 Nov 2019 20:09:11
Potentially five adrift if Villa do a job on Wolves tomorrow. Don’t look like winning a game. Ralph needs to do what he wants to do and not what he thinks he has to do to perk up player morale. Why are we still playing so many players out of position and not playing Danso and Boufal. Ridiculous.

If we can’t defend, don’t play most of a back four out of position. And don’t put people in front of them who can’t defend either. Ralph is over complicating everything far too much and it just seems to be spiralling.

International break will either see us reformed or (most likely) get worse, and in a few weeks we could already be gone.

09 Nov 2019 20:14:14
I agree diggy. Absolutely pathetic display again today. Seems like RH has lost the plot. Playing players out of position when it's already been shown that it doesn't work . JWP gives the team nothing so why keep playing him? Romeu is just too slow and defenders unable to defend. Ings is the only player who seems to be giving 100%. I'm actually feeling for him at the moment.

09 Nov 2019 22:52:18
1/ WeAre Not Good Enough. Although there are exceptions it’s generally thought that pro-footballers aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed and maybe ours are more blunt than the average after days/ weeks/ months of education, tuition, practice&coaching these players are unable to apply these lessons onto the pitch. ( Needed)1Competant DOF.2. 3proven asst. Coaches.4 Several match winning quality players (Jan)5. A Doctor to treat Ralph’s exasperation &6 finally 1 clever snake oil salesman to convince all of the above that we will not be relegated-&to sign up!

09 Nov 2019 23:40:51
St John. a doctor to treat Ralph's exasperation?
When Ralph says we aren't good enough, he needs to take a long hard
look in the mirror. He is not helping one bit! He has played more players out of position in a handful of games than i can remember over 10 seasons! Stephens / Verstegard / Yoshida / Bednerek / Danso . take your pic who he's going to play, it seems random! Danso must be thinking what on earth did i come here for! Cedric left back, Danso left back, right back . JWP CM, LWB and RM in one game!

Add the mixing pot switching from 4 at the back / 5 at the back!
And then you add the weakest, slowest, disorganised midfield i have ever known us to have. Focus on JWP or OR and watch them; chasing the ball from player to player, being pulled out of position, not marking their man, not moving with their man, poor tackling, too slow, not tracking their man, poor distribution, poor tackles .
So whatever changes Ralph is making in defence are compounded by a dreadful midfield who offer no protection!

Today you could see centre backs moving the ball through midfield, Ings and Redmond coming back to try and get the ball .

RALPH YOU NEED TO IMPROVE MIDFIELD AT THE VERY LEAST . or we are doomed .

Djenepo, Boufal, Redmond, Ings is a dangerous combination to have on the field!

I am watching my beloved Saints taken to the brink of relegation with no signs of it getting any better. If anything Ralph is making more and more bad decisions - JWP captain why.

10 Nov 2019 05:21:03
I agree with that of all our coaches none are really proven as assistants or attacking/ defensive coaches all been promoted from "within" get Ralph his team in look where Leipzig are in the bundesliga. Bloke looks so alone and dejected I feel for him. Even the video analyst we got in has not worked with Ralph before so he's got to teach the staff what he wants as well as the players thinks that's why we're seeing no change because the coaches the club have given Ralph doesn't know what or how he wants to play get the man his own backroom team. He was so upbeat when he joined and now barely a year later looks a broken man things behind the scenes must be toxic and or just inadequate.

10 Nov 2019 08:29:18
I don’t understand what the club are trying to do
All back room staff are leaving with no replacements
Lined up
Who sanctions these decisions
You generally in all types of business have a short list Of replacements
What you don’t have is no list
There seems to be total unrest in the players and I think Ralph unfortunately has to go
Who will come in god knows but something behind the scenes has escalated this now and we now have an international break to sort this out
I expect nothing will happen because there’s no one
Who has any authority left and both our owners
Are not going to sack another manager without a list of replacements
So it’s a vicious circle of doom.

11 Nov 2019 16:06:31
I really wanted to give Ralph a chance but it looks as if he's out of his depth. He seems to have lost the respect of the players and you can see during matches that his body language is totally different to what it was at the end of last season/ first couple of matches of this season. I think that we need a change sooner rather than later as we're already looking like we've accepted relegation.

12 Nov 2019 16:30:48
teejay - he looks totally out of his depth!
In fact he looks totally confused/ bewildered/ lost - just maybe he hadn't realised the skill level within the PL.
His playing players out of position, i feel, is a big insight into his lack of understanding. Or, is is simply that Danny Rohl was the tactician/ the brains/ the thinker/ the analyst .
Because one thing for sure, Ralph is displaying none of above atributes .

12 Nov 2019 18:33:31
I agree re. Danny Rohl being the tactician. Seems like RH was just the middle man passing on Rohl's instructions. I think that something has to change over the next 2 weeks otherwise we'll be so far adrift by Christmas there will be no coming back. I'm already looking at championship grounds to visit next season.

14 Nov 2019 02:38:59
Let’s Face Up-unlikely anything will change radically until after January Maybe with any luck something will click in the meantime. TRY-McCarthy Valery Yoshida/ Vokins? Bednarek Danso/ Stephens? Hojbjerg/ Slattery? Armstrong Dnepo Boufal Ings Adams (Redders On the bench) Once Adams scores his confidence will soar but should be given further opportunities for this to occur.

05 Nov 2019 17:27:26
Right. This run up to Christmas is now the make or break for us. I said I'd reassess our season objectives after the next 3 games 3 games ago, and with an aggregate of 2-12 and 1 point, my optimism for the top half (or even 15) is gone.

It is all well and good turning up away at City to only lose narrowly, but if we can't get riled up for a home game with Norwich, we have no chance. The passion, desire and determination shouldn't only exist when there's something massive on the line. Now it has to be shown that this isn't just another 'we were crap but look how good we did, now we're going to go back to half arsing it for a month'.

In our next 7 games - taking us to near halfway through the season, we play EVE h, ARS a, WAT h, NOR h, NEW a, WHU h, AVL a.

We currently have 8 points, and realistically need to be around 20 to keep things on track and away from immediate danger.

Each of the those games is very much winnable. Realistically, we will get 8, but should be looking at 13.

To do that, we need to play Danso. And play Højbjerg not in a position he has never played in his career. And maybe not play donkeys in the middle of the park.

If we play Boufal, Djenepo, Armstrong, Ings and Redmond in the same side at the same time, we could be playing attacking football like Leicester. If we play JWP, Romeu and Long, we'll be playing like Barnet.

We need to play in a way we wouldn't want to face from our opposition, and if Vestergaard, Bertrand and Cedric start playing like every game matters, then we will be fine.

If we stay stuck in our ways, we're due bearing the full brunt of our mediocrity with second tier football come August.

06 Nov 2019 14:09:15
Totally agree! I'd like to see the following team play on Saturday against Everton -

McCarthy
Cedric Bednarek Danso Bertrand/ McQueen
Hojbjerg
Djenpo Armstrong Boufal
Ings Redmond.

06 Nov 2019 16:15:05
Good post, gone too quiet on here and in the stadium. The thing is, losing marginally is seen as brave away to city, fair enough. but as you say if we get turned over by sides we should be competitive against it’s pointless, literally.

08 Nov 2019 18:31:22
It seems that many are in agreement that he needs to ditch the JWP/ OR midfield pairing. One of the knock on effects of these two is that PEH (when he plays in position! ) is trying to cover too much ground to make up for their inadequacies. He needs dynamic players around him to utilise his skills/ vision fully.
We all want a much more attacking side, Ralph seems to want to play this more defensive side? Trouble is any team is now looking at the way we play and can almost ignore both the threat and strength of our midfield, simply because our midfield has neither threat or strength!
As i posted before, if you are slow (like JWP and OR) you'd better be a damn good tackler . sadly neither of these are good at that either - i agree with the team selections above.
If tomorrow he continues to play the same midfield and style, we are on a very slippery slope to relegation.

03 Nov 2019 14:53:06
{Ed's Note - sgynwa has posted a new article entitled, My 2 cents on Video Assistant Referee (VAR)

01 Nov 2019 00:21:47
The person behind a regular score prediction article vs a weekly guest usually talks a load of nonsense, but this week he may have a point. Not sure if I can say the name but you know the one I mean.

He firstly points out that our down turn in form could be the departure of our assistant manager in the summer, which is plausible. Although before my time, I gather there has been many successful managers that have lost their way when losing a trusted and complimentary no 2.

He then goes on to say Sheffield Utd and Burnley will be a great team as they never lack effort or intensity. We should be talked about in this vein, then and only then can I accept a loss.

I was also a little frustrated at being reminded at how Gazzaniga is deputising well at Spurs. Whilst I agree we had to loan out FF I really don't rate AM and certainly have seen little from Gunn, other than mistakes. Yes he is young, but simply not good enough.

I don't think sacking Ralph is the answer. Relegation has been knocking on the door and we do not address the issues already spoken of for four windows. That's not really down to him but the club as a whole - the strange tactics are of course but I can't see who would be better. Someone asked me if I would be happy with big Sam, I wouldn't.

01 Nov 2019 11:15:16
I think that both Fraser and Gunn have had the same problem. playing behind awful defences. Fraser is getting plaudits in Scotland especially in the last Euro game. We must fix the defence before anything else.

29 Oct 2019 20:31:57
40 minutes gone in the Man City game! 19% possession
What is Ralph trying to do?
this was his opportunity to blend Armstrong into midfield, not but Hoejberg at left back? and stick with JWP and Romeu
Watch JWP hardly touches the ball, never tackles
As for Romeu . TRACK YOU MAN! first goal made a half hearted attempt to mark his man, second goal just ball watched!
FOR GOD SAKE - WHAT POINT IS THIS FORMATION! . our weaknesses are so evident!

29 Oct 2019 21:42:35
It’s more that they don’t get hit heavy again 3.1 there’ isn’t
A bad result to be honest and this is the cup
I’m not to concerned about this cup but it’s now the manner in which we get beat.

29 Oct 2019 22:52:18
perfect opportunity to make changes in preparation for the league, but once again stuck with OR and JWP.

30 Oct 2019 08:48:31
We're in a really bad position as a club. We accept mediocrity. We lost yesterday, but for some reason the club is advertising this as a positive thing. I get that we lost 9-0 on Friday night, but still losing 3-1 isn't a step in the right direction. I didn't watch the game but the stats look like we were absolutely dominated and City weren't even trying.

Again we need to completely change the starting 11 on Saturday. I would say this team moving forward using Ralph's favoured 4-2-2-2 formation. As from the sounds of it everyone play out of position yesterday.

GK: McCarthy
RB: Valery (Unless Cedric is available)
CB: Bednerak
CB: Danso
LB: Vokins
CDM: PEH
CDM: Armstrong
CAM: Boufal
CAM: Redmond
ST: Ings
ST: Adams.

30 Oct 2019 16:43:36
Saintjay - i agree with your midfield and attacking line up completely.
With regards to Valery and Danso - Yes Valery is excellent at his attacking play and crosses, but his defensive positional play is very poor. He seems to be getting caught in the midfield-defense no man's land; also his defensive distribution was very poor.

As for Danso, I'm not so sure it's so easy to judge as RH seems to play him in a variety of positions, even swapping him part way through a game. I would use Yoshida more; his tackling, positional skills and passion are suoerb.

But we are in agreement JWP and OR have to be dropped.

31 Oct 2019 17:37:57
I'll say it again, the majority of our first team aren't up to premier league standards. Swapping a cart horse for another cart horse still won't win at the races. We are in desperate need of a revamp.

29 Oct 2019 10:18:49
Turmoil ensues it seems, after what is a totally forgettable result against an on the up Leicester side under Rodgers, the club seems in the same spot as before when hopes for this season were so high, at least I had high hopes. I'm very much hoping we stay up but a lot needs to change I think.
It frustrates me that the likes of Forster, Elyounoussi are playing well for Celtic when we could do with both of them right now, trouble is, I think they are happier at Celtic, which speak volumes. Losing Rohl has been a big blow, I think our coaching staff are OK at best. we need a total revamp behind the scenes and some investment from the owner (s) to actually show the fans they care about what they have bought into. Ralph I like and I'm glad he's been given a chance and the support, we definitely need a decent January window to bring in some players with a bit of grit. Too many 'first teamers' have been awful this season and still play, JWP, PEH, OR, JV, and for Gunn, I say sell him he's been shocking. The only two players i would always pick are Redders and Ings, the rest is a mystery. I'd really like to see Obafemi and Slattery given more chances, Vokins too.

29 Oct 2019 20:38:45
Well you will notice that JWP and OR are once again picked and once again playing EXACTLY the same as they have all season!
JWP serving no purpose - no tackles, no passes, no headers .!
OR ., NOT TRACKING HIS MARKER - been doing it all season! watching the game, first goal made no attempt to jump to get ball
second goal - just watched their player! absolutely no attempt to stop their player!
PEH is actually quite good a left back - BUT why . more of RH meddling - this game should have been used to prepare for Saturday.

31 Oct 2019 06:45:15
Like other posters agreed that a golden opportunity to blood a few youngsters last Tuesday’s cup. game was missed (while supporter expectation of a win was removed ) putting less pressure on them. I’m certain that massive cash investment is required in January ( not just a couple of class c/ b and 2 full backs as generally reported) but in order to seriously survive in the premiership this season an additional 2 cdm 1a/ mid 1 class striker-possibly2.with a similar number of existing players put on the transfer list. The second half of the season results is now critical and we need a squad that Must Achieve.

01 Nov 2019 00:04:52
And who's going to pay for those 8/ 9 players. Can't see RH getting much of a transfer fund in January and certainly not enough to buy the amount of players that you're proposing St John.

02 Nov 2019 09:35:40
Teejaysaint To answer your query on funds for new players I would suggest that the Owners GAO Jisheng and other stakeholders ‘bite the bullet’ and draws forward an additional loan from their institutional lenders with the underpinning guarantees of an incoming payment of approx 120Million pounds plus at seasons end from the Premier League. if they truly want to remain in the Premiership for 2020/ 21.I also suggested putting several Players up for sale plus any revenues from current loaners ( CELTIC LOOKS PROMISING ) ! It’s no longer time for any PATCH UPS! ,