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

hear hear, well said.

 

It's easy to look at the cold stats of our 2021 results without context but there were certainly mitigating circumstances why performance levels dropped off from Jan-May.
I don't think there was another manager that had to deal with the freakish amount of injuries (Ings 3 times, KWP twice and virtually everyone except the GKs and JWP!) and recovery times were elongated by covid restrictions on facilities.
The squad just looked knackered with the hectic fixtures and a shortened pre-season and there were so few experienced options from the bench and I think the poor results fostered a lack of confidence too.
So far this season the performance levels are certainly improved greatly (Wolves apart) but we need to score more of our chances and there are far greater options from the bench. I think that better results will come if we carry on playing as we are but I accept that if they don't then Ralph's position will have to be scrutinised possibly after we have played most of the teams once this season.

 

That has more Ls than a Welsh town.

 

I'm convinced Saints won't sack Ralph, but if they did it would be towards the end of the season.

Mrs Game and I both wore masks too but we seemed to be the only ones and people kept looking at us as if there was something wrong.

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Remember Phoenix Nights?

 

Fair enough,I'll carry on moaning at ya.

 

I'd like to see Tino with KWP together but to compare that to Branfoot and Le Tiss is nuts. Would I risk the possibility of our two best right backs getting injured just to see that I'm not so sure

 

So rather than risk an injury to a player, you’d rather play someone ineffective?

I mean I’m not saying we should be playing KWP/Tino for the full 90 every game. But it would be nice to see it at least for five minutes one day. You can’t tell me you prefer to stick with Walcott?

 

Whilst I would be trying this, SA coming back in from injury could make this less likely to happen. I did wonder if he would try this around the 60-70 min mark in a game. Mind you if I were KWP I’d be getting a little upset at being benched.

Why do you think Ralph hasn’t tried it?

 

Walcott I will admit did not have a great game yesterday and maybe should have been replaced earlier. It all depends which Walcott turns up really. I do think he still has a bit left in his locker but maybe should not be a regular starter. Stu did not play for Scotland in the International break which suggests to me he isn't fully fit yet. Maybe he will play the 90 against Chelsea. When fully fit I would expect Stu to be the regular starter

 

Best argument I’ve seen on why not to do it

 

I’m not really convinced that is such a great argument against doing it - I mean, why not rest all our best players so they don’t get injured.

 

Right, was thinking the same thing. Do we have the luxury of resting our best players.

We also have Valery and Olefunwa coming through.

 

I agree. I just hadn’t seen any other possible explanation and it doesn’t sound stupid. It’s an exceptional situation. You wouldn’t normally worry about keeping players happy but in this case there is a genuine possibility that they could be brilliant together on the flank and I would rather not piss off kwp. Tino is just so good though. If it didn’t work then you would just have to say to kwp that he is straight in as cover for Tino or Perraud

 

Very strange response from Redmond after the miss ….. I didn’t really think it was a laughing matter!

 

That’s an interesting shout. He definitely is one of the few managers that doesn’t seem to have an entourage around.

 

We have squad depth this year. I don't want to have a repeat of last season.

 

Me neither, but best players should play.

Although results are strangely similar.

Think our PPG in 2021 is 0.77, this season it is similar I believe.

 

“Come and get your black bin bags, they’re long and black and slender”

 

It is wierd reading some of the negativity against Ralph on this thread. The draw yesterday was a fair result and I do not think it was a bad performance. I gave said previously on this board that there is not a great deal wrong with this squad. Yes, Ings is a massive miss and neother Armmstrong nor Adams are consistent enough. However, there are plenty of positives. Broja looks more than capable and I feel both Salisu and Livramento was ecellent additions. Diallo seems to have performed well too. I think Peraud seems to be growing in stature as well.

On the "negative" side, Stephens was playing really well at the beginning of the season andt then got injured. Benarek seems out of sorts at the moment. If I am going to be critical about one player, it has to be JWP who has been poor this season and for whom missing the three games through suspension will probably be to his advantage. I hope he comes back refreshed but maybe think we should have cashed in on him in the summer. I think that was a difficult call as he is absolute class yet I wonder whether we have seen the best of him???? On top of that , Stuart Armstrong has been out injured and I feel he is a player whp is instrumental to how we perform. He is integral to our success.

The talk about Ralph not being up to the job is rubbish. I think he has had problems to cope with this season and an awkward run in. It will be a disaster if he is forced out as there is so much improvement being made after the train crash appointments that followed Koeman. The Dutchman was right abut the calibre of the academy and a lot needed to be out right. I feel we are steering in the right direction and there is no logic whatsoever in replacing the manager.

 

Spot on, Ian.