Match Day Thread Southampton v Leicester City Friday night football 25.10.2019 8pm

#****offsamallardyce

 

Erm, is it safe to be here yet.

Well I picked the right match to miss, almost glad my boss wouldn't let me off early.

I'm almost at that cliched point of 'play the kids' and prepare for the Championship.

We sure do need a response to this, and some serious backing for RH in the window (if he stays that long).

 

This reiterates my earlier comment. There is the basis of a decent side amongst the squad but one which should have been augmented by rebuilding the defence. I would add Valery and Obafemi to the list on the basis that they will improve with proper coaching.

The absence of Rohl is telling but the club missed the boat in the whole when everything should have been re-appraised and the team rebuilt. Ultimately the issue rests with Goa who must act incisively and ensure that money is spent wisely. There is no reason why the squad is not capable of finishing mid table with investment in the defence although this is not going to be achieved with Ralph, I am afraid. He did brilliant motivating a poor squad last season but the 19/20 season has shown him to be seriously out of his depth. Fundamental errors are being made and I cannot see a way back for him after a 9-0 home reverse especially if the rumours are true about the players not believing in him are true. PEH's interview last night was intriguing and hinted at disagreements with Hassenhutl. It doesn't feel like the playing staff believe in him.

It would not take a serious amount of investment to turn this team around but I feel that the people who have been making the decisions probably cannot be trusted to sort the issues out.

 

Can we not think about that.

 

In truth is there anyone out there that can do better than Ralph with the players he's got............???

 

Lol going by these pages, all of us!

 

Magic started it.

 

Beddy

I think the performance last night answers your question. When we went down to ten men, we were three nil down before Ralph even had n inkling of what to do. This is the worse Saints performance I can recall - not only from the point of view of the score line but the fashion in which we played where we had no clue as to how defend or how to retain possession. All the simple skills and requirements in a team performance were absent. Ralph has been a great motivator and worked wonders last season. This term, we seem to be very much back to square one albeit the home results are actually worse than under MP2.

I cannot comment on the away matches where we have played better by all accounts. Judging by what I have seen at St Mary's, it has been difficult to defend Ralph after the Liverpool and Man Utd games where we did ok. Since then, I would have to say that we look hopeless.

 

This is exactly it beddy. Normally, I'd be thinking the manager has to go after a result like last night. But I honestly cant see anyone doing much better with this team.

Our only hope is that the players are so embarrassed they up their game, and then the Chinese fraudster spends some money in Jamuary.

 

No. But it depends on Ralph and whether he is prepared to turn this around or not (Plus he could do with some help. Get him in a new right hand man ASAP!!!). He has done it before with this very team. We were in a worse position this time last season with less points, a worse team (slightly) and a worse manager.

 

Probably not. Ralph wanted to rebuild in the summer and it really didn’t happen. We either back him or he will leave anyway. Maybe we did and it was just that no one wanted to come here.

I don’t really buy into the Rhol theory - no one really knew what he did so associating our downturn with something as random as that makes as much sense to me as linking it with Les Reed’s departure.

We either stick with Ralph and back a rebuild (though I’m still happy for us to limit spending within our means) or we take this Championship level side back to the Championship and get someone like Nigel Adkin back who can coach the best out of quite ordinary players.

 

I don’t think Nigel should be that man.

 

In truth I nearly put that bit in blue. Then again I still feel it was an unfinished job when he left. He’s never had the back up at other clubs that he had here.

 

Our trouble seems to be in the quality of player we seem to want to buy these days. We never seem to want to buy established players as most of the top teams do. While we have that attitude we cannot possibly be a top 7 or 8 side IMO.

 

The Stats say we only committed three fouls! Berties red, the free kick that they scored from and the penalty? Only one card, does this show a lack of commitment?

 

But we hadn’t lost 0-9 at home, offering absolutely nothing in terms of resilience, resistance or clear headed tactics. I appreciate we have not got the best squad, that was obvious long ago, I agree that we should have strengthened in the summer etc, but even with 10 men and 80 minutes on the clock, we still should be capable of displaying some of the aforementioned characteristics. So for me the whole playing unit, manager, players, coaches etc. need to question their reason for being in red and white stripes and find a way of getting something out of the very next game. If a repeat (which seems likely) happens then I think we can take it that even this average squad is not playing for the manager or buying into his thinking or tactics. Then the board had better make a decision. I like Ralph, breath of fresh air, really got us ticking over well, but he and the team are not working as a unit however one looks at it. If the board are happy to see half empty stadia then the plan is showing definite signs of working. However I’ll be there for the Everton match and hoping for the reasonable outcome of a team playing a form of football worthy of the PL!

 

How many successful tackles?

 

That was on the BBC site ESPN says 12 fouls, still looking for more in depth facts.

 

No yellow cards says it all, doesn't it.

Bunch of absolute wet wipe players

 

I agree, and I'm not defending that performance by the manager or players, who could? I'm just saying that it would be rash to make a decision based on one terrible terrible game IMO. Yes we haven't started the season well, and it would appear that we have problems all over the club. But we have also had a terrible run of fixtures and are not cut adrift. I hope whoever is in charge of football operations (do we even have one?) Is sitting down with Ralph, having a frank talk about whats gone wrong and what can be done to turn it around, and to me it seems the only thing thats worth doing right now is to bring in a new coach that Ralph has a good connection with. He needs to regain his fire, and having a right hand man might help. I'd rather that then sacking Ralph and rejoining the manager merry go round. No manager is going to do significantly better with what we've got. I believe Ralph can turn this around, but the players need to believe in him and trust him. Whether they can or will, well....that remains to be seen.