Match Day Thread Saints v Burnley, Saturday 23rd October, 3pm

But if Ralph is pushed out because results remain poor, just look at the availability list - Bruce, Fat Sam, Howe, Lennon, Adkins, McCarthy!!!

 

I’m not saying he should go right now Ides, but there are other managers who the club have a responsibility to find if we cant get wins we need.

The only likely one from your list is Howe, who may come, who may do better. Who knows, just we cant keep on not winning, even if we are playing better, there has to be a line in the sand somewhere, surely?

 

I think this is it. Reality is that we’re not going to appoint anyone better or more suitable than Ralph at this point in time. I think Newcastle’s situation is interesting as they clearly have a platform to build off of but the list of coaches they are attracting are flawed ones or ones probably not experienced enough to do the job needed there. We’re not sacking Ralph on current form, it’s a long season and though we can be disappointed with a point from Burnley, it’s really not a terrible result and we’re on the right path to improve. It helps that I think there’s about four teams in the division who are offensively bad this year and I don’t think we’re going to be in any danger. Moving up the table is very hard though and especially when you look at Newcastle who are probably £200m away from being, say, Arsenal? Spurs? And that isn’t even anything! It’s certainly not a contender for anything. Punching above our weight at the moment is what we’re doing and the club has needed a rebuild that has really only started in earnest this year. I would like for us to be doing better sooner but it’s a long process.

 

You seriously believe we are punching above our weight, with 1 win in 9, and about 5 wins in 30 odd games?

I’m no FM manager or a PlayStation freak, but there are loads of managers out there, I doubt many would be on a worse run of form.

For those saying we had a great calendar year in 2020, also need to be realistic and count the next calendar year, as in the one we are in right now, as it is grim reading.

 

I agree with most of this as a fellow season ticket holder in the ground. The main thing with a Manager is when they lose the players and judging by effort and performance that doesn’t appear to be the case here. From the fans point of view, epitomised by my own, Ralph is really frustrating and testing our patience for the following reasons:

1. Team selection - always contains at least one baffling and bad choice. Yesterday, predictably it was Walcott. Much as I love him, he is blocking the pathway for the so called ‘Southampton Way’

2. Stubbornness - Again seemingly refuses to try out the KWP / Tino axis on the right. I don’t know a Saints fan who doesn’t want to at least see this given a go.

3. Use of substitutes. Although better at making proactive changes this season yesterday again he was too slow to make changes that the crowd are demanding. Walcott should not have had 1 min let alone 74. Why the hell won’t he use Tella?!

We know that Ralph is capable at getting results and I don’t believe we would suddenly start getting more wins if we made a change. I just wish Ralph would rinse the flaws from his own game. He cut such a lone figure in the technical area yesterday. Dyche appeared to have 3 or 4 people to bounce his plans off. Why is Ralph such a lone wolf?

 

The refusal to at least try KWP/Tino together is up there with Branfoot benching Le Tiss.

Tino is fearless. And we need that sort of attitude right now. Having too many cautious attacking players has hindered us. He's our most attacking threat, and yet he is somewhat shackled by needing to get back to the other end of the pitch after each run. Lad must be knackered. We lose him to injury and suddenly we're f*cked for creativity again.

 

Yeah I can see the logic of this, particularly the fact we have struggled with our creativity front he 10’s. My tether is fast approaching its end with Ralph, and I’m not sure many people could come in and do worse than 1 win in 9 this season.

 

BTW, is our Chelsea game midweek live on Sky?

 

Would be interesting to see our record over the last 38 matches.

On your last paragraph I've noticed that some of the people who were taking about the 2020 form in Spring this year are the same ones now claiming that the second half of last season is irrelevant which is a bit baffling.

I want Ralph to stay (and think he will assuming we don't bomb in these next 3/4) but I'm very wary of the whole "No one could do better" mantra when about 70% of this forum, myself included, said the same thing about Hughes.

 

Thinking about the situation with Tella - I get the distinct impression he doesn’t trust him defensively, and he’s very, very reluctant to play two kids on that side. With Stu coming back into fitness though, I’d be surprised if this issue persists.

Can’t help you with why we won’t try Tino ahead of KWP. Maybe they’ve tried it in training and it was pony?

 

Tino as a forward player is going to be the new 'Stephens at DM' isn't it?

 

Indeed, I like Ralph but it seems strange to suggest that there is nobody out there who can do a better job.
I’m sure the club have shortlist but are backing Ralph atm.

 

Yeah, that bit about 2020 etc is getting on my tits a little.

I like Ralph, he is probably at the wrong club. And we could get better results, I’m sure of that.

I’m not convinced we will do enough over the next 3 games personally (league games that is), but we need a win in the next 2 for me.

And I’m sure people will ignore me, or say I’m negative, bedwetting etc. I just cant see this happening with Ralph, think it has run its course.

Whilst we beat Leeds last week, and played well, I was watching Ralph on the touch line - he looked soooo anxious, like he was ****ting his pants. Maybe this is rubbing off on the players.

And how a manager plays Theo from the start is beyond me, and bringing AA on with 2 mins to go! Not sure if it was on here or SW, but someone moaned about AA as he didn’t contribute anything when he came on. **** me what is he supposed to do in that time?

2021 calendar year we are bottom:

Southampton
P22
W5
D2
L15
F22
A49
GD-27
Pts17
PPG0.77

Not sure if this is 100% accurate, or when it was last updated mind, thought we had drawn more than this.

https://www.myfootballfacts.com/sta...ier-league-2020-21/premier-league-table-2021/

 

Update from Transfermkt:

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/jahrestabelle/wettbewerb/GB1/saison_id/2021


So out of clubs playing the same games, i.e. cut off 18th and below, we are bottom.

6 wins from 31 games and -31 GD.

I mean, looking at that, even Watford have secured 50% of our wins in 9 games…

 

My other point I meant to say was the lack of people wearing face masks, hardly anyone wore them.

I was surprised, and me and Mrs Unpopular wore them, but was taken aback by the lack of them.

Still, reassured to read on here people didnt forget their Saints tinted spectacles

 

As we all said before the Leeds match, this run of 5 matches is vital for Ralph and we've made a solid but not spectacular start. We definitely need to win 1 of next 2 (could argue 2 of next 3) but we can probably afford draws in our next two as long as we beat Norwich.

I'm going to both Watford and Norwich so will be a good time to end my awful run of away league matches

 

**** me, with your record I’d imagine Ralph will pay you handsomely not to attend

Btw, if we do fail to get a win in next 2, or 2 in 3, would you want to change?

Have a good trip for each of these, I’d quite like to go to Watford, could be a good game that.

 

Yeah that's not great with Watford at all, especially given that they're one of the few teams with a comfortably worse squad than us.

Who was our 6 wins? Off top of my head can think of:

Liverpool
Burnley
Sheffield United
Lesds

 

That's like comparing Pam Ayres to Shakespeare.

 

Are you going to Chelsea on Tuesday?