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Match Day Thread Saints Vs Brighton – Sunday 14th March 12.00pm, BBC1

Discussion in 'Southampton' started by Lambertissier, Mar 11, 2021.

  1. Ian Thumwood

    Ian Thumwood Well-Known Member

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    I am now thinking that the comments about Ralph need to be a bit more robust. I am appreciative that Brighton are always awkward opposition but to pick up so few points over such as sequence of matches is getting to the point where the excuses are wearing thin. In the past I have felt that Ralph has done enough to demonstrate what he is capable of producing. This is not someone out of their depth like MP2 or of questionable ability as is the case with Mark Hughes. The injury crisis was a demonstrable factor in the decline in our fortunes and there has been a tiredness that has crept in to the game due to the speed at which the matches come around.

    I have cut Ralph a lot of slack and think he had done enough to merit the club sticking with him. However, I am not sure if he is able to do anything to lift the club. We have not only lost matches but been defeated after lacklustre performances where we effectively deserved nothing. Personally, I want to get to the end of the season and re-group. I am not convinced that Ralph can pick the team up until the summer. We seem destined to churn out these kinds of performances and I am no longer expecting any transformations in how we perform for the rest of the season, It has been an unnatural campaign and once where any judgement needs to be a considered one. That said, we are putting in too many woeful performances like this and I wonder if a full St Mary's stadium would have seem the faithful being so patient.
     
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  2. fatletiss

    fatletiss Well-Known Member

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    Someone said earlier that today was on the players. I agree, although one thing Ralph should have done today was see that they pushed 6 forward as a starting position. I posted about 15 minutes in. It was clear. They started high so without having to actually run to press (which is what we do and hence get worn out), they gambled that we would play the same we we normally do, and we did.

    Tactically he should be getting the instruction out there to get the ball behind that six either earlier or directly and miss out second line out. I think if we had, they’d have dropped off a bit and we would have been able to play through more easily. It’s happened on a few games now; teams have worked us out.
     
    #502
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  3. RedandWhiteManofKent

    RedandWhiteManofKent Well-Known Member

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    I don't know about mothers day, that was a mother fncking sh1t result.

    Still 27 points to play for though and cup to come. We must use the time over the next couple of weeks wisely.
     
    #503
  4. Ian Thumwood

    Ian Thumwood Well-Known Member

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    This is a big statement, in my opinion. I think that Fulham will push for safety and getting to the mythical 40 points will be a massive challenge for Southampton. On present form, I expect us to lose to Bournemouth and, as much as I like the FA Cup, we have to not lose sight of the league. The remainder of the season is a survival exercise and more about not doing anything stupid that jeopardises our league status. The best thing about the coming break is that Ralph can get back to the training board and rectify some of the problems that have crept in to the matches after the visit to Craven Cottage.

    The closed season will be an interesting one as the directors will have seen loads of positives but an equal number of negatives. At the moment, Ralph's credit rating is good but if we get sucked into a relegation battle, I expect that there will be repercussions. It will be interesting to find out whether the playing staff still believe in Ralph or indeed just how deep-rooted the problems are at the club insofar that the academy seems unable to produce players who are anything other than number to fill up the squad. I would like to know why so many players have not performed to their potential in the second half of the season. Just how much is the constant schedule of fixture after fixture having a negative effect on the coaching?

    If I am honest, part of my feels sorry for Ralph. The club has not really backed him as much as he could have been in the transfer market and I think he has been hamstrung by previous coaches paying over the odds for poor quality players we cannot get off the books. The second half if this season has offered little improvement upon his predecessors but the first half has afforded a glimpse of what is possible. I do not really believe that Ralph has shown anywhere near his true potential as a coach. In my opinion, there is far much more he has to offer. I think the problem is that, in the short term, there is nothing that can be done to resolve the issues. I think we will see the same indifferent results until May. My query is whether Ralph will be allowed to regroup in the summer or if the situation becomes so parlous prior to that point that the club decides to pull the trigger. Before today, I would not see the latter being an option but I now think that there is a possibility of this. It would be wholly unfair but maybe something that is necessary to halt the decline.
     
    #504
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  5. steve79

    steve79 Well-Known Member

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    Amazing to think this is the same team that had top 6 form for such a long period. Teams have worked out how to counter the way we play and as of yet we have not adapted our game enough. Also i dont like to single out one player but im going too this time....ryan bertrand, am i the only one dissapointed with him ? Not just today.seams to bottle the block so often and didint even jump for bha 1st goal. He is clearly a good player but he is not the same anymore imo
     
    #505
  6. Craig smith

    Craig smith Well-Known Member

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    Lol
    I think probably judging by that inept performance today quite a few of them are either taking it or need to take it.
    Poor poor performance
     
    #506
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  7. Saints_Alive

    Saints_Alive Well-Known Member

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    I say get through this season safely with possibly a couple of matches at Wembley and a Cup (we can dream) then Ralph gets a full pre-season and hopefully the squad cover he requires in the Summer...We are a good team when everyone is fit and fresh we just need that bit of depth to be able to rotate seamlessly throughout next season. Next season's schedule will hopefully not be as intense as it has been this season.
     
    #507
  8. tomw24

    tomw24 Well-Known Member
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    Although if we win the cup we'll have another competition to play in so the schedule will be pretty hectic!
     
    #508
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  9. Saints_Alive

    Saints_Alive Well-Known Member

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    We'd manage with the adequate cover I think, only needs about 3 more players I think or maybe more if we don't buy Theo.
     
    #509
  10. Brixham Saint

    Brixham Saint Well-Known Member

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    IMHO we still have the same problem as we’ve had for the last several season, The players we have just aren’t good enough. Yes Ralph of course has to take his fair share of the blame, and if the players carry on like this we will get relegated, and Ralph probably will be sacked.

    Thinking today who I would hate to see sold, I think it’s easier to say who I’d like to stay.

    Think we really have to have a big clear out in the summer if we survive, and if we get good offers I think we should accept and let Ralph bring in the players he wants.

    Only players I’d like to stay with no offers accepted are KWP, JWP, Armstrong, Tella, Diallo, Salisu.
     
    #510
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  11. saintrichie123

    saintrichie123 Well-Known Member

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    Isnt Theo out of contract in the summer?
     
    #511
  12. Saints_Alive

    Saints_Alive Well-Known Member

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    That's a bit kneejerk if you don't mind me saying, the players we have are the same that had one of our most successful calender years in the club's history and there are mitigating reasons as to why we are in this current run of form.
    It will turn around again when everyone is match fit and we have the proper cover for all positions and not players covering out of position. We have only just been able to field close to our best team for the first time since the New Year.
     
    #512
  13. Saints_Alive

    Saints_Alive Well-Known Member

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    We get him on a free but big wages?
     
    #513
  14. Craig smith

    Craig smith Well-Known Member

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    #514
  15. saintrichie123

    saintrichie123 Well-Known Member

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    I believe he turned down bigger wages elsewhere to come here...........got a feeling we will get this done.
     
    #515
  16. Craig smith

    Craig smith Well-Known Member

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    With the evidence they gave us today, safely I don’t think it will be. Our form is alarmingly relegation form. On our form Bournemouth will really fancy their chances against us, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t be surprised if they did beat us.
    Sorry but nothing Saints does ever surprises me
     
    #516
  17. thereisonlyoneno7

    thereisonlyoneno7 Well-Known Member

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    Bournemouth's form isn't brilliant at the moment. They seem to be doing their best to staying in the Championship, hoping we'll join them.
     
    #517
  18. Romsey_Saint

    Romsey_Saint Well-Known Member

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    As l wrote, there is an expectation that we should perform to a level against peers and against others but no result is predetermined and that is what l wrote and now you write you find it annoying. Which l find strange given that you, like so many of us, give a prediction as to what you expect the result to be. Is that not too setting an expectation?
     
    #518
  19. fatletiss

    fatletiss Well-Known Member

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    Not really, it’s just a “thought” or a “guess” of a score.

    The key point I made was that you said you expect us to outperform a bottom four side. I didn’t this one because they are playing better than us. It’s a much different thought.

    expectation is different to prediction
     
    #519
  20. LincolnSaint

    LincolnSaint Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure where this obsession with the cup has come from, does anyone seriously believe we can win it? <laugh>

    Or, if we lose to Bournemouth will posters here finally start to recognise we are in real trouble?

     
    #520

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