 | News
Comment | Southampton At Birmingham City The Verdict
at 09:31:07
A fair assessment.
Overall a draw was probably about right as both sides had their chances that they didn't take and both sides had moments where they were making errors. Peretz had a poor game and has not looked assured thus far this season. Whether that is due to having an indifferent defence in front of him I am not sure, but he is not dealing with crosses well and as you say, his kicking was woeful last night. In midfield we look flaky and Scienza was out of sorts. All that said, we had chances and Larin could have had more but equally Birmingham should have been ahead a couple of times.
I wouldn't say it was a poor performance but rather an indifferent one and so far this season we have looked inconsistent. But a draw is not a disgrace and as you say it is 3 games unbeaten. I do worry that in the window we went for cheap options rather than quality options in defence and that could cost us dearly. That said I am often proved wrong and happy to be proved wrong again. Also, apart from Larin last night I could not see anyone else scoring.
I suppose, overall, if this was a school report, you might say: not bad but must do better. |
| News
Comment | Im Sorry Tonda But You Are Wrong Not To Play Taylor Harwood Bellis
at 11:32:53
I would agree, you should pick your best team and if THB is fit and available and he is professional in his attitude then he should play. I don't understand why THB would not want to play as a move is not guaranteed (though likely) unless contrary to what Tonde is saying he is refusing to. The other side of it is that they don't want to risk an injury if to all intents and purposes a move will happen and they don't want to lose out financially. |
| News
Comment | Southampton V West Ham United The Carabao Cup Verdict
at 09:14:56
I am not going to dress it up in fear of being labelled a bedwetter or something but that second half performance was shocking and unacceptable. They look like they could not be ar*ed and their attitude stank. There were lapses and alot of errors but if you can't be bothered those errors become more pronounced.
The club got this game all wrong. The ticket prices etc and from the start. Maybe this cup is a low priority and I am not that bothered we are out of it, but I am bothered by our performance and attitude which has also looked suspect in our 2 league games. If last night had happened under Will Still, Nathan Jones or some other managers the anti on the various Saints forums would be off the scale.
It is a big game at the weekend. It is a tough one anyway, but any under performance and we will be well beaten and the question marks will really start to hang over our manager. The questions as to whether our long unbeaten run last year was down to spying will not go away whilst we perform like this.
We need a good closing transfer window as we are looking vulnerable in defence and in midfield.
I am not panicking and I still believe Eckert will deliver but too many more performances like this will not help his case. |
| News
Comment | Southampton At Watford The Preview
at 08:58:28
I can't remember the last time we had a good start to the season. We always seem to take a few weeks to get going, even when we have what would be seen as a good season. But, this time we really do need to get going quickly and erase that -4 points otherwise it will start becoming a millstone around our neck. |
| News
Comment | Less Tickets For Away Fans At South Coast Derby
at 13:22:47
I would tend to agree with Manwithnoname. It always feels like the authorities do everything conceivable to make this match a non-event. How do Arsenal/Spurs, Liverpool/Everton, Man U/Man C, Newcastle/Sunderland et al manage? May be it is the same for them but I don't get the impression it is. |
| News
Comment | Tonda Eckert Being Interviewed By The FA Today
at 17:16:31
I think the FA will do whatever they want to do irrespective of any of those arguments Nick. We are a provincial club with little or no clout and they will not worry about what impact it has on us. I am just hoping they take a reasonable approach and make the decision very soon. Equally I hope the club already have a plan B lined up if a ban is imposed on Eckert in any way. |
| News
Comment | Now That The Dust Is Settled Lets Have Some Transparency
at 10:47:19
You would hope though that much of this will have been picked up by SFC board and legal team and if not, why not and if they have what have they done with it? In fact what are SFC and the legal team doing, if anything? In fact what are the SFC board doing full stop? The silence from them is deafening. Unless I have missed it, a week or more has gone by and not a sound, not even a whisper. The club seem almost supine from the moment the story first broke. They may not be and I appreciate things sometimes cannot be said publicly but we have had nothing absolutely nothing.
I am assuming their preferred option is to retain Eckert because if it wasn't and they (SFC management team) fundamentally he did something wrong they would have sacked him and anyone else linked to it. Now maybe they are waiting for the FA outcome, but that does not give credence because the club either believe Eckert was wrong or don't or believe that he may be wrong but it does not warrant dismissal but rather an opportunity to atone for what he did (assuming it was him and not someone else).
My frustration with SFC Board/Management team is that on so many things, we always appear behind the curve, slow to react. Now it may be that behind the scenes they are building up all sorts of cases etc and aim to hit it in one go or have they just all gone home and thought they would sit back and see what the FA will do? Who knows, because they don't say anything. But time goes marching on and before you know the next season will be upon us, not knowing who the manager is, what players we have and another slow start to the season because we are not prepared. |
| News
Comment | Jose Fonte Announces His Retirement
at 16:02:57
He didn't blot his copy book with me. I have always had a positive impression of him both as a player but also the way he handled himself with the media etc. As Underweststand states, he was a good player and captain.
I have always felt (with no real firm basis I suppose) that he has the gravitas to be a manager one day. Time will tell.......or he could take the easier route, like so many do, of being a pundit for a range of media outlets, both here, his home country and a host of others. |
| News
Comment | Southampton V Middlesbrough The Play Off Preview
at 13:08:35
DellBoyWally - I do fear that there is now a preferred agenda for us not to reach the final and that any goal scored, any tackle etc is going to have to be nailed on perfect to avoid some reason for us being denied a goal or losing a player. I hope Flynn Downes is mindful of it.......he is always a card a game at least. |
| News
Comment | Southampton V Middlesbrough The Play Off Preview
at 09:05:37
Putting aside the spygate nonsense, we cannot be complacent about Boro. They are a good team and can still hurt us. It is an opportunity for a great night but we need to be on our game for the full period. As much as I want a great atmosphere etc, I really hope our fans behave themselves whatever the outcome both before, during and at the end of the game. We can ill afford any more negative publicity (a repeat of the West Brom ending last time) and give the media, the authorities and the haters of us more ammunition to hit us with. |
| News
Comment | Arsenal Have Injury Issues After the International Break
at 12:51:20
We all know what happens when sides claim to have injury issues just before they are due to play us?
I think Arsenal will want to win this and win it well. They were heavily criticised for their recent Wembley performance. If they perform badly against us it will send some jitters amongst the Arsenal faithful and the media. |
| News
Comment | Southampton At Fulham The FA Cup Verdict
at 12:09:16
I could not go to the match or see it on TV and all I had was the radio commentary and some brief highlights. From everything I have heard and read and seen this was a tremendous performance by the manager, players and fans. I went to Sheff Wed the other week and I cannot say I was that impressed but we found a way to win and that is something we now seem to do, which is a positive sign. I am seeing a spirit and team ethic I have not seen for a very long time and whilst I do not expect it not be without poor days in the office the overall progression feels like it is going in the right direction. I just hope we build on it and don't mess it up this time. |
| News
Comment | Southampton At Stoke City The Verdict
at 16:12:11
I thought today was a good all round team performance. No one had a bad game and everyone put a shift in. Strangely we seemed nervous after scoring the initial goal but settled down again. A better team than Stoke might have punished us on a couple of occasions, but I am pleased with the way we approached and dealt with the game. I thought we had 2 solid penalty shouts and Azaz should not have received a yellow for simulation. The Ref had a poor game but fortunately it did not affect the outcome. A pleasing weekend. |
| News
Comment | Southampton V Coventry City The Verdict
at 09:44:11
No matter who our coach and manager is we rarely have a plan B. Teams have worked out how to stop us being an attacking force time and time again but we don't seem to work out how to overcome packed defences etc. When we go down to 10 men we usually lose and lose badly. Other teams use it to motivate them.
It was an entertaining game and good championship football. We can forget about promotion - we are miles off it. But, I am happy to see games like that, albeit I would rather we won them - I could be wrong but I don't think we have actually beaten any of the top sides!
I am not fussed by Lampard's reaction at the end personally. I don't think he has a problem with Saints per se and I think it is just part and parcel of what the game meant for both sides. |
| News
Comment | Southampton V Birmingham City The Verdict
at 15:46:40
I am just pleased to be enjoying football and watching Saints again. Do I expect us to win every game - No and I never did. But even when we lose games like Millwall last week we were still in it. Whether we get into the play off's or promotion is not something I am bothered with right now. One step at a time. We are far from being the polished article and there are flaws but I can cope with that when the football we are watching is both entertaining and competitive. |
| News
Comment | Southampton At Queens Park Rangers The Preview
at 10:11:45
Some people have been maintaining we have had a good squad for years and yet (apart from the one blip of promotion through the back door) we have been in Universal decline no matter how managers we have had or who they have been.
If we have such a good squad why do they keep under performing? Why can't they defend? Why can't they stick the ball in the net from 6 yards out when it is seems harder to miss than score? Why does our midfield relinquish the ball so readily? why do any of the copious number of corners fail to offer any real goal threat and all too often end up working to the advantage of the opposition? why do our goalkeepers have such consistently bad lapses and lack of presence and control? why can we only ever perform partly decently for one half of a game? why do they show such a lack of fight and desire? Year in, year out this has been the case. I am sorry, but don't just tell me this is all down to who is in charge.
I know my job, I know what I have to do, I don't need someone to tell me every day. Some of those misses against Swansea were almost criminal and as has been the case in other games. We are not talking about inexperienced players here - we are talking about players that should know what to do - how to defend, how to attack, how to hit the bl**dy net at least some of the time. Managers can be blamed for all sorts of things - tactics, motivation, game plan, etc but not for being bl**dy useless at what you are being paid to do. Then for players to suggest they have not been trying - completely unprofessional and unacceptable and should almost be sacked for it - but that never happens to players does it?
I will believe we have a decent squad when they start being.........well..............decent......over a period of time (not just when they feel like it and when they think they are in the shop window). |
| News
Comment | Southampton At Blackburn Rovers The Verdict
at 09:35:52
I can't see how WS can survive but for the life of me I can't see how as a club we go from here. I have zero confidence in those supposedly steering the ship to do the right thing whether or not they dispense with Still. They have made one bad mistake and error of judgement after another and most of those mistakes and errors of judgement have proved costly in some form. The reputation of SFC as a well run club is in complete tatters. It is hard to imagine who (of any recognisable ability and skill at managerial level) would come to us at this time.
The players - I don't think they are blameless, I don't think they have been for a long time. There is something fundamentally wrong in many of their attitudes and that has not just been under Still but under several managers now - even going back to the dying days of Hassenhuttl. For some reason, too many do not play with any heart or commitment or desire to do well not just for the club but even for themselves (except when they think they are in the shop window when they play a Liverpool or someone like that). Even under Branfoot - as bad as that period was, there were players who fought for the team and club. Many teams above and around us arguably have weaker squads than us, but they have something we have not had for a very long - team spirit, fight, the will to not give up.
It is not something I would ever have advocated before but I honestly believe fans need to seriously think whether to keep turning up helps the club. Generally I would have said it does not help to stay away (the need to support the team always came above and beyond anything else for me), but in our current situation and malaise that seems to prevail in the club, I cannot think of how else we can collectively send a hard message to those that run the club. A Sheffield Wednesday similarly type of response appears needed - ironically who we will be playing at home soon. I am not sure though, we can afford to wait that long.
I can see no way back now for Still. The problem is, I cannot see a way forward any more. |
| | A1079
|
Site Scores| Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 0 |
|
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.