The Great L1-10 Player Review of 2024/25

Usually you don’t see appraisals of the squad and which players you think we should keep for next season, until all 38 games have been played but as we have been relegated since more or less October, we have all had a lot of time to think about it, even though as I write, there are still four games to go.  None of those games are relevant though because we are already down.

The main question you have to consider is do we want to build a team for next season, or do we want to build a team with a two-year plan in mind of getting promoted next season and surviving in the Premier League the year after that? We have a number of players in the squad who did well last year in the Championship and would probably do well again next year but they have absolutely sucked this year.  Is this a sort of player we want to persevere with next season knowing full well that we are going to have to move them on, should we achieve the aim of getting promoted again? So, here’s my review as it stands, with some thoughts on whether the player in question will stay and whether I want them to stay or not.  There's also some highlights and lowlights (is that a thing?) that were very much the first thing that popped into my head.  The review comes complete with some pictures of good players who we used to have not so long ago...

Goalkeepers

I would love AARON RAMSDALE to stay because he’s the best goalkeeper we’ve had for a number of years and considerably better than all of the other options in the squad. However, he is too good for the Championship, and he should be allowed to move on as long as we get a decent fee, with our blessing. There will be part of me that will be a little bit disappointed when he does move on, but I fully accept that it’s going to happen.  Even though the team has sucked this year, Aaron has kept his standards up and overall, has had a good season and his value as a goalkeeper won’t have gone down.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 0%
Bothered if he leaves?  Expecting it, so no.
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Starter – first choice for about half of the remaining Prem sides
2024/25 Season Highlight – Everton home game, ridiculous performance
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Broken fingers and decision to join in first place
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 8

With one year left on his contract, ALEX MCCARTHY should certainly be retained for next season, and I would anticipate in being first choice as you would expect us not to have a manager who wants to play suicide-ball from the back.  Ironically, he would have been fine to be first choice this season if Russell Martin had accepted that suicide-ball from the back wasn’t possible with these players.  Decent on crosses and reliable if given a run of games.
Do I want him to stay? Yes, I guess
Chances of him staying: 100%
Bothered if he leaves?  Not really.
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Bench
2024/25 Season Highlight – Getting a new contract
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Newcastle away in the first game, passing to Isak, setting the tone for Russell Martin’s time in charge.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 4

JOE LUMLEY is out of contract and should be allowed to move on as I see absolutely no point in having a third-choice goalkeeper who is as old as he is. You can always bring in an emergency loan should they be needed and one of your young goalkeepers is not up to it.  Good guy, probably gets his round in and organizes the golf days.  Would be a good laugh if you bumped into him in the pub.
Do I want him to stay? No
Chances of him staying: 50%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  Just no
Prem Level? Not in this lifetime
2024/25 Season Highlight – Brighton away performance
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Playing another game after Brighton, namely Chelsea at home and passing straight to Cole Palmer.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 2

GAVIN BAZUNU proved himself not really good enough for the Championship last time around, being the worst performing goalkeeper when measuring the shots he should’ve saved against the ones he actually did. The trend of how good a goalkeeper is, being judged by how good he is with his feet is not as popular as it was even a year ago so all that old-fashioned shit like keeping the ball out of the net, is now more important. Second choice goalkeeper at best.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 80%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes. Still young so keep him.
Championship Level?  Bench
Prem Level? Not until he learns that stopping shots is important
2024/25 Season Highlight – Injury recovery, playing again
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Getting injured again out on loan.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a

Full Backs

KYLE WALKER-PETERS has let contract run down and will be leaving. Thanks very much for your time spent at the club Kyle and good luck to you wherever you go – and it should be to a club at a decent level. It’s a shame that he is going but I accepted it a long time ago.  He gave us a season in the Championship last time around and that should be remembered when looking at his time with Saints.  Overall, has had a good season, be it on the right or the left.  Will be a solid acquisition for any Premier League club and running his contract down was definitely the right thing for him to do as a player.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 0%
Bothered if he leaves?  Out of contract so it’s a given.
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Starter
2024/25 Season Highlight – Consistency in all bar a couple of games
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Low point for everyone that he’s leaving
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 7

JAMES BREE wasn’t good enough for the Championship last time around and wasn’t good enough for the Premier League this season so therefore I’ll take a wild stab in the dark that he’s not good enough. A back up player for next season at best and if he goes elsewhere, I am not going to lose any sleep over it.  I did like the fact he was prepared to have a shot from outside the box this season, when no one seemed to.
Do I want him to stay? Not really
Chances of him staying: 80%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  Bench
Prem Level? Nowhere near
2024/25 Season Highlight – Goalscoring Carabao Cup GOAT
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Seeing his name on a Premier League teamsheet.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 4

RYAN MANNING is decent enough for Championship level but will never be a regular Premier League player, so it depends on our strategy.  He has actually outperformed what I expected from him this season and there’s not many that I can say that about.  Was our best player in a couple of games this season which is a worry because his ceiling is not that high. If he stays I would see him as a starter most of the time, but could well end up wherever Russell Martin rocks up.  Probably played more than expected in the Prem but always has a defensive rick in him when the pressure is on.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 80%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  In and out of team
Prem Level? No
2024/25 Season Highlight – Locking up Mo Salah
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Playing for Ireland at Wembley when THB scored.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 5

WELINGTON is the perfect player for next season because he will learn the English game in the Championship but has shown in flashes in the Premier League that he could step up given a bit more experience, which next season will give him.  I feel that he will relish the scrap in the Championship. Should have a shout of being first choice for next season I feel.  Ivan Juric seemed to not trust him but that should certainly not count against him.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 80%
Bothered if he leaves?  A bit as there is more to come
Championship Level?  Starter (probably)
Prem Level? Potentially
2024/25 Season Highlight – Debut versus Ipswich away
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Dumb penalty given away at Spurs
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 4

YUKI SUGAWARA has real contradicting traits. A player who seems like a really nice bloke and you really want him to do well and has the attacking side to his game.  This all jars up against the fact that he is one of the worst defensive full-backs that I’ve ever seen in 50 years of watching Saints. No composure, no consistency, panics at the slightest presence of an opponent and no awareness of anything that’s going on around him.  However decent you are going forward, you have to at least be able to defend a little bit.  Has been linked with clubs in Italy and that would probably be the best solution all round. Might get away with some of his defensive madness in the Championship, but I’d be tempted to cash in if we could get our money back.  Not bothered if he stays or goes.
Do I want him to stay? No
Chances of him staying: 50%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  Starter, but will still be defensively dreadful against the good teams.
Prem Level? No. Bottom six teams can’t have defenders who cannot defend at all
2024/25 Season Highlight – Any interview he’s given
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Anything involving defending – take your pick.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 3

CHARLIE TAYLOR’s signing, even though it was on a free, has been nothing short of a disaster for whatever reason. To be an experienced Premier League player and not be able to get into a team as shit as this one was, takes some doing. Also, it’s three managers who haven’t picked him so clearly something is very badly amiss. Move him on.
Do I want him to stay? No
Chances of him staying: 30%
Bothered if he leaves?  Would anyone notice?
Championship Level?  No idea
Prem Level? No
2024/25 Season Highlight – Getting a contract in the Premier League
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Following Mbeumo about like a puppy
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 1

What’s the point of JUAN LARIOS? Always injured and very small and not exactly suitable for the physicality of the Championship. The best time for everyone to go their separate ways and I’m sure he can find a home at a Spanish club.
Do I want him to stay? No
Chances of him staying: 40%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  NHS
Prem Level? Bupa
2024/25 Season Highlight – Touching the crossbar
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Pick an injury
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a (not available)

Central Defenders

I would love TAYLOR HARWOOD-BELLIS to stay and originally, I thought that his inconsistent performances this season would not have got him a Premier League move for next year, but changing agent mid-season brought a lot of noise, and with him winning a full cap for England and being a regular in the under 21 squad, there are still plenty of clubs who would take him.  He will, however, probably have the situation where he’s going to start off a substitute wherever he goes.  I feel we need one of him or Bednarek to stay, but out of those two, I would say that THB is the least likely.  Played well at time this season but cracks have appeared in his attitude sometimes when appearing to be too ready to blame other people – maybe though that’s him being a leader and demanding higher standards.  Needs to sort his barnet out as that’s got progressively worse as the season went on.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 20%
Bothered if he leaves?  Accepting – though talking a good game on Instagram will piss me off after he moves on.
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Starter but need loads more consistency.
2024/25 Season Highlight – England debut and goal
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Initial struggles and blaming everyone else, barnet.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – 5 (at a push)

JAN BEDNAREK is one who will do a solid job next season but I do wonder if he will feel at age 28, that it’s time to move on and try something different. I hope he stays to be a senior player next season, but I am kind of indifferent.  If he goes, then it will be thanks for the years that you’ve been here and no hard feelings really.  This season, he has often been given the role of tightly marking whoever the main striker is and has competed well at all times and has finally developed into a defensive leader.  If he leaves, we will need another centre back to be there for the first contact.
Do I want him to stay? Yes – experienced partner for Ronnie Edwards
Chances of him staying: 70%
Bothered if he leaves?  Disappointed but not surprised
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Starter though gets caught for pace, if out wide at all.
2024/25 Season Highlight – Being made captain and being pretty consistent
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Any time he’s been tested for pace
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 6

ARMEL BELLA-KOTCHAP needs to move for everyone’s sake. I can’t see why he would want to play in the Championship this season when he didn’t want to two years ago and I think that there comes a point where you just have to cut the cord. There is a player in there but he’s not as good as he thinks he is and I’m done with players who only want to play in the Premier League and then refuse to play in the Championship when they’ve been largely shit in the Premier League.  Thinking you have some sort of entitlement when you do nothing to earn anything, is one of the things that really pisses me off.
Do I want him to stay? No – time to cut losses
Chances of him staying: 30% – only if no offers come in
Bothered if he leaves?  Not in the slightest, will soon be forgotten like Caleta-Car. Lyanco, Salisu etc
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Bench
2024/25 Season Highlight – Undeserved hero’s welcome at St Mary’s
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Being an unused sub 25 times
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 3

JACK STEPHENS will probably be here next season and is having a strong end to the season, relatively speaking. Assuming he is still around next season, he will have a job to do as a senior player, but I would hope we could have a central defensive partnership that was better than having Jack as part of it. Decent squad player at Championship level but that’s as far as it goes for me.  Wasn’t up to it in the Premier League this season (when the games mattered) and had a couple of high-profile instances to losing his shit, probably due to knowing he was struggling.  Always capable of the odd good game at Premier League level but never a prolonged spell of good form.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 90%
Bothered if he leaves?  A bit, but I’ll get over it.
Championship Level?  Bench
Prem Level? Bench at best
2024/25 Season Highlight – Calling the referee and assistants ‘c**ts’
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Not punching Cucurella’s in the face and making the red card worth it.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 4

NATHAN WOOD should definitely be pushing to be a starting central defender next season but is yet to display the consistency needed to be anything more than a backup player in any division. Was probably originally signed with next season in mind so the chance is there if he can step up to being a regular starter.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 80%
Bothered if he leaves?  I’ll cope – would be disappointing because potential is there
Championship Level?  Bench
Prem Level? Maybe one day but I don’t think so
2024/25 Season Highlight – Performance at Villa away
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Not kicking on after that Villa game, bombed out by Juric
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 4

RONNIE EDWARDS form on loan at QPR has been incredibly encouraging and to find himself in the England Under 21 squad, what was the definite reward for playing regularly. In my opinion should be ahead of Nathan Wood and Jack Stephens in the pecking order next season and can see him being a regular starter, paired with a more senior central defensive partner like Bednarek.  At QPR this season, he’s been partnered by Steve Cook who is well into his 30s.  The almost inevitable departure of THB should be cushioned by Ronnie’s return.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 90%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Potentially
2024/25 Season Highlight – Performances on loan at QPR
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Russell Martin not giving him a sniff
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a

JOACHIM KAYI-SANDA is a 19-year-old Frenchman who is the big hope to make a mark next season. As he arrived from Valenciennes, another club in the Sport Republic multi-club model, it would certainly make that seem more like a good idea that it has done so far. Should certainly be in and around the squad next season.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 90%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes
Championship Level?  Bench
Prem Level? No way of knowing as yet
2024/25 Season Highlight – Potential benefit of multi-club model
2024/25 Having his transfer arranged by Rasmus Ankersen.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a

Midfielders

FLYNN DOWNES of course has struggled at Premier League level, but he absolutely bossed the Championship last time around and we will need that. Seemed to get very unsettled towards the middle of the season and clearly didn’t get on with Ivan Juric, which shouldn’t count against him at all.  Some fences appear to have been mended and with a Premier League offer for him unlikely, based on this season’s performances, he certainly should be one of the main men next season.  If he gets his head around staying at the club for another crack at the Championship, he will be huge next year for us.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 70%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Can do it but needs consistency
2024/25 Season Highlight – Brighton away and Palace at home – what we expected.
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Forest away when it looked like he was trying to get sent off.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 5

SHEA CHARLES, like Ronnie Edwards, will return from a very beneficial loan spell, this time at Sheffield Wednesday and that could be more significant than we know right now given the rumours around the current Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl being the next man in the St Mary’s hot seat. Sheffield Wednesday’s Player of the Year should certainly be a regular starter next season and will be a hell of a lot better than the last time we were in the Championship where Russell Martin didn’t seem to trust him.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 80%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Potentially
2024/25 Season Highlight – Performances on loan at Sheffield Wednesday
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Having to play at Fratton Park.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a

If I could keep one player who is likely to be linked with moves away, it would be MATTY FERNANDES.  The only diamond unearthed by the summer transfer window from hell.  A midfield three of Charles, Downes and Fernandes would absolutely boss the Championship and that’s what we should be aiming to set up next season. It is really hard to know what’s going to happen with Fernandes because there’s been no agent talk and he’s just got on with churning out decent performance with the shambles all around him.  I wonder if he is he the sort of player that one of the big clubs is going to drop £40 million on because I’m sure we would demand around that much as a fee? We really should be trying to get him to commit to next season and it will be very disappointing if he doesn’t, and he will be very expensive to replace.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 50%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes… but I am half expecting it.
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Starter
2024/25 Season Highlight – Proving he’s a good level Premier League player
2024/25 Season Lowlight – The shitshow all around him
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 8

WILL SMALLBONE has been exactly what I expected him to be in the Premier League. Too slow, not athletic enough and injured a fair amount. He will probably be here next season as a squad option, but he doesn’t get in the midfield if the three I’ve already mentioned are all here.  If we are ever promoted back to the Premier League then there’s no place for Will, so any decision on him staying or going for this season has to bear that in mind.  This year he’s been not good enough to start and doesn’t add enough energy to come on as a sub.  Not his fault he gets asked to play in a two-man midfield – you might as well put him in goal.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 70%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  Bench
Prem Level? No and never will be
2024/25 Season Highlight – Goal at Anfield
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Injuries, sprint speed.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 3

Same goes for JOE ARIBO really who I can see leaving with just the one year left on his contract. He’s been pretty regular in the team for the last three years and to be honest, that shows how we’ve fallen with regards to recruitment.  Has had a better Premier League campaign than last time but he’s still had too many games where he’s barely raised a jog and always arrives where the ball was two seconds ago.  He will be a decent option in the Championship if he stays, but I’m not bothered if he doesn’t.
Do I want him to stay? No
Chances of him staying: 30% – one year left on contract and you wouldn’t offer another.
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  Bench
Prem Level? Bench at best
2024/25 Season Highlight – Three goals
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Playing centre back from the start of a game and general ambling about.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 4

ALBERT GRONBAEK arrived on-loan with no real plan of how to use him from Ivan Juric and looks like a more lightweight version of Fernandes. If Fernandes goes then we may revisit trying to sign Grønbæk but though not entirely his fault, he’s not done enough to make anyone really want to go and buy him and if you can’t get a game for a team that’s this bad, then it’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.  Will be the answer to a quiz question in the future – “Who did we sign in January 2025?”
Do I want him to stay? Not really
Chances of him staying: 10%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  Squad player.
Prem Level? No
2024/25 Season Highlight – Half promising debut away at Ipswich
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Juric deciding that his one signing was never going to play
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a

ADAM LALLANA should retire after a season that has seen him play 45 minutes a couple of times and then no more than 10 minutes for the vast majority of the time. Entirely predictable from the start of the season but you always hope that a player who seems to have been permanently injured to see was 23, would be able to stay fit but no. Great career but it’s over now.  Coach or nothing.
Do I want him to stay? Not as a player
Chances of him staying: 20%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  U21/First Team Coach
Prem Level? Not unless we rewind time
2024/25 Season Highlight – Getting a playing contract
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Getting injured getting off the bus at Eastleigh in pre-season
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – 3 (Decent when fit which wasn’t often)

LESLEY UGOCHUKWU has been decent this season in a number of games and certainly not drowned in the sea of shite that has been the first team this season, whenever he’s been called upon. Russell Martin clearly didn’t rate him but one of the few good things that Ivan Juric did was to give Lesley more game time. Good luck for whatever comes next as I’m sure it won’t be at Chelsea, given that they have about 700 players in his position. I’d happily take him in the Championship but as Chelsea paid over £30 million for him, that’s not going to happen.
Do I want him to stay? Yes, but it’s not happening
Chances of him staying: 0%
Bothered if he leaves?  No, loan player at end of the day
Championship Level?  You don’t get £30m players in the Championship
Prem Level? Would be good in a good team.
2024/25 Season Highlight – Late goal at West Ham.
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Getting frozen out by Russell Martin
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – 6 (Good second half to season)

KURYU MATSUKI is an interesting one to think about. Signed last season and immediately loaned to Goztepe in Turkey, where he has been a regular as they’ve had a decent season in the Super Lig. Could he be an example of the multi-club system actually working in our favour and him now being ready to make his mark for his parent club. I doubt it but you never know. The most likely scenario is that he spends another season on loan at Goztepe.  Has been linked with moves to German clubs and if that happens, you have to question the whole multi-club model as either Saints have signed him to play for Goztepe and then move him on, or we’ve signed a player who was nowhere near good enough, even for the Championship.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 70%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes – because it would make me question the whole multi-club model and it’s benefit to us as the main club.
Championship Level?  Probably bench
Prem Level? Impossible to tell
2024/25 Season Highlight – Goztepe general performances and contribution
2024/25 Season Lowlight – None
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a

Attacking Midfielders / Wingers

SAM EDOZIE has spent the season out with Anderlecht in Belgium and has apparently done pretty well and should certainly return to play a prominent role in the Championship next season. Was a bit unlucky last time around when he got in the team, started playing well and was then the victim of a dreadful tackle from that arsehole from Norwich.  Sam certainly has something persevering with.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 80%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Bench
2024/25 Season Highlight – Escaping this shitshow for the season
2024/25 Season Lowlight – knowing he was better than what we signed / kept.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a

RYAN FRASER was decent in the Championship and it was absolutely fucking stupid to sign him for the Premier League in a jobs-for-the-boys move by Russell Martin which just meant that we were spunking wages out for a year for absolutely no reason at all. He’s got one year left on his contract so he’s definitely going be here next year because that’s what he does – sees out his contracts.  If he gets himself fit and on the pitch however, than the Wee Man will definitely contribute.
Do I want him to stay? Yes, decent squad option next year
Chances of him staying: 100%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  Bench
Prem Level? Not any more
2024/25 Season Highlight – Signing a two-year jobs-for-the-boys contract
2024/25 Season Lowlight –Leicester at home – red card and attempts to mark Fatawu.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – 1

KAMALDEEN SULEMANA has been the very definition of all fart no shit. At least he kept himself fit for a while and played a few games this season and has on occasions looked very very good until it’s time to pass the ball or cross it or shoot. He has put in enough eye-catching performances this season to mean that he will get attention from other clubs and I fully expect him to go, which is what he would’ve done last time we got relegated had any offers come in.  I feel that he would be unplayable for a lot of defenders in the Championship but his decision making would still be dreadful.  I just can’t see him still being here.
Do I want him to stay? No – want someone to give us £20m for him
Chances of him staying: 20%
Bothered if he leaves?  As long as money is half decent - no
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Impact sub
2024/25 Season Highlight – Man United away against Leny Yoro
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Any time he had to pass it or cross it or shoot
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – 5

TYLER DIBLING has had a remarkably good season for an 18-year-old playing in a shit team in his first season in men’s football in the Premier League. The hard of thinking have been given him a hard time in the second half of the season because his performances haven’t been as good as they were in the first half of the season.  Maybe it’s the tiredness, maybe it’s the pressure or maybe it’s the fact he’s only fucking 18.  If you think he’s the main contributing factor as to why the team is shit, then you’re really looking in the wrong place.  Much I would like him to stay, he will be sold and £100 million price tag that we’ve put on his head, whilst not realistic, at least stops time wasting clubs like Spurs bidding £25 million. As far as we are concerned, the good news is that Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea have all been credited with being interested in Tyler so there’s no way that we are going to get lowballed by a Daniel Levy piss take offer.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 10%
Bothered if he leaves?  A bit though it’s inevitable, so no point. Hope he goes to a team where he will play.
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? Starter – but not every game
2024/25 Season Highlight – Giving Diogo Dalot and Andy Robertson twisted blood
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Being worn down by the shambles around him
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 7

The loan move of SAM AMO-AMEYAW to Strasbourg would’ve been fine if it was just a loan, but the fact that it’s an obligation to buy with a pretty small fee guaranteed in there, is one of them more shit decisions made at football level prior to the appointment of Johannes Spors, who I don’t think, would’ve sanctioned that move.  I wonder who did sanction it?  Sam of course still has a lot to prove about moving him on for about £5 million doesn’t on the face of it appear to make much sense. Rumour has it though that he was point-blank refusing to sign an extension of his contract and if that’s the case, good luck to him in the future.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 0%
Bothered if he leaves?  No – it’s done and dusted unless Spors can somehow undo it and he signs a new deal.
Championship Level?  Bench
Prem Level? Not for a few years at least
2024/25 Season Highlight – First goal in the Carabao and being loaned to Strasbourg
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Seeing Fraser, BBD and Cornet brought in to play his position.
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a

Whereas Amo-Ameyaw hasn’t signed a new deal, JAY ROBINSON has, which is good news.  Has been decent at age group level this season and made a first team debut under Simon Rusk, which was good to see.  Should certainly be in the frame for some minutes in the Championship next season and there’s a big opportunity for him, given our inability to get the top end of the pitch sorted out.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 100%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes
Championship Level?  Minutes off the bench
Prem Level? Give it time
2024/25 Season Highlight – Debut against Villa
2024/25 Season Lowlight – None
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a

Forwards

ADAM ARMSTRONG is of course a God at Championship level and scored the second most important goal in our history to get us promoted at Wembley last season. That said, he has had three seasons at Premier League level with us and been shite and now there can be no doubt for anyone that he cannot handle it at that level, so the question is, do you keep him for the Championship , knowing that you’re gonna have to move him on if you get promoted, or do you cut your losses now?  His loan move to West Brom has so far not really gone particularly well and I do wonder if he’ll want to spend another season in the Championship with Saints, bearing in mind that he will know that he’s not getting another go in the Premier League if we get promoted again. Decisions, decisions.
Do I want him to stay? Yes, I’d prefer Adam to some of our other strikers
Chances of him staying: 50%
Bothered if he leaves?  No, even though he would be guaranteed to score against us
Championship Level?  Starter
Prem Level? No chance
2024/25 Season Highlight – His crap penalty bouncing back to him against Liverpool
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Another failure to step up a level
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 3

BEN BRERETON DIAZ really looked like he’d never kicked a football before in his five months with us. No pace, no work rate, no ball control, no strength, no nothing. It’s fucking embarrassing that he was one of our main hopes at the start of the season to step up to the Premier League and give us something at the top end of the pitch.  He’s gone back to Sheffield United on loan and has done okay and as long as they cough up the £10 million option to buy, he will be gone and no one in Southampton will care.  I can’t see them buying him however so who knows?
Do I want him to stay? No
Chances of him staying: 10%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  Starter, but I bet he’d still be shit
Prem Level? Not being able to control it or run is a bit of a drawback.
2024/25 Season Highlight – Diving to get Schar sent off
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Being shit
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 1

CAMERON ARCHER, like Adam Armstrong is a striker that can only do one thing, which is to play in the channels. If he has a defender in any proximity to him then he is absolutely fucking useless, horribly lightweight and just coughs up possession. Seems prone to sulking so I’m not sure he’s the kind of guy that you want around.  Considering the not insignificant outlay to bring him in, he’s been a shocking signing so far.  We probably need to keep one of him or Adam Armstrong (I’d prefer Armstrong), but I find it very difficult to believe that you could play both of them in the same team effectively. It would almost certainly come back to bite us if we moved him on but if we get offered a what we paid for him, then I think that’s what we’ll do.  If he goes to another Championship club, he will doubtless score against us.
Do I want him to stay? No
Chances of him staying: 40%
Bothered if he leaves?  No
Championship Level?  Starter, but not centrally
Prem Level? No, too limited
2024/25 Season Highlight – Goal versus Arsenal away
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Any time a defender went near him and penalty versus United
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 3

ROSS STEWART. Remember him?  You would be forgiven for wondering what’s the point.  His first start this season away at Arsenal lasted half an hour before getting injured and being out for another four months.  He comes back, plays a couple of games for the under 21s, injured again, but he’s recently resurfaced, like the Loch Ness Monster, possibly.  That’s nearly three seasons now that he’s hardly kicked a ball, so I think you have to accept that it’s not gonna happen. However, no one is gonna buy him, so we are stuck with him next year. There is a redemption arc in which he stays fit and scores a load of goals at Championship level because he certainly good enough to do that, but let’s face it, the chances of him staying fit are small.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 100% – no one buying with that injury record
Bothered if he leaves?  No – but you know he’d stay fit and score 20 if he did
Championship Level? Starter for 3 games and then NHS.
Prem Level? Bupa
2024/25 Season Highlight – Starting a Premier League game
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Only lasting 20 minutes
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a

Tall PAUL ONUACHU certainly had a redemption of sorts this season and will finish as our top goal scorer which is something you certainly would not have put money on at the start of the season. Like with Archer and Armstrong, very limited but with a different set of skills and if you play to his strengths then he will certainly score goals at Championship level. He’s even had a relatively decent scoring level in the Premier League this season but of course, you have to use him in the right way.  If he’d played all season and scored at the same rate as he has done since he got in the side, then he would have scored roughly the same number of goals as Liam Delap at Ipswich, and he’s been touted as a £40 million player.  It could be the case that a reasonable offer from one of the Turkish clubs who were trying to sign him, will be accepted this summer though I kind of hope that he’s still around because it always gives you a different option when he’s on the pitch.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 60%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes, a bit.
Championship Level?  Starter or Plan B sub
Prem Level? Useful if used properly.
2024/25 Season Highlight – Winner at Ipswich, header against Forest
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Not playing at start of season
2024/25 Season Out of 10 - 5

That leaves us with another signed and loaned to Goztepe player in the striker JUAN. I’ll be the first to admit that I know nothing about this guy aside from he has 15 career goals from 112 appearances in Brazil and Turkey, so as he was signed by Southampton, you would think that we would be the expected destination at some point? Will he be around next season and will it be a triumph for the multi club model? Yeah, whatever.
Do I want him to stay? Yes
Chances of him staying: 70%
Bothered if he leaves?  Yes – because the multi club model will need questioning
Championship Level?  Over to you Rasmus – it was your signing.
Prem Level? No way of knowing for sure but very unlikely
2024/25 Season Highlight – Nice trip to Turkey
2024/25 Season Lowlight – Being part of a Rasmus master plan
2024/25 Season Out of 10 – n/a


So there you have it.  As far as building a squad for next year is concerned - It’s guesswork of course and you can never tell who will want to leave and who we can’t get rid of.  The most telling thing for me is the number of players that I’m not bothered about if they leave or not.  Big summer ahead.

Up the Fucking Johannes Spors

Premier League Match 34 - Southampton 1 Fulham 2

 

The Point of Destiny Eludes Us Again

The natural order of things for Fulham, when they’ve been in the Premier League, is to be one of the teams bobbing around the bottom six with a very real chance of being drawn into the relegation battle. No such problems now of course, partly due to the management of Marco Silva And good recruitment of players, and partly due to the fact that they managed to stay in the Premier League exactly the right time that the dynamics changed financially and it became a League where there are 17 full memberships and three 1-year visitors passes every season.

If we just look at Fulham the team, then they are decent and deserve to be having the upper mid-table season that they are having.  Shrewd recruitment of players who have been discarded by traditionally bigger Premier League clubs has built them a squad that is very capable of sneaking into a Europa league or conference league place at the end of the season.  Their whole squad is littered with players who were at other Premier League or top foreign clubs before, so there is little risk of signing a player who doesn’t adapt. They have built a team of players who were experienced at Premier League or decent European level before they joined.  The list is long…. Leno (Arsenal), Andersen (Palace), Castagne (Leicester), Iwobi (Everton), Berge (Sheffield Utd), Jimenez (Wolves), Traore (Wolves and Barcelona), Wilson (Bournemouth), Smith-Rowe (Arsenal) and so the list goes on. It’s an object lesson to teams who think you can recruit solely from academies or from unheard of players sampling English football for the first time.  Then of course you have to make the player better.  Alex Iwobi for example, was discarded by Arsenal and then Everton and now looks the best player he has ever been in a Fulham shirt. Raul Jimenez was a bit of a gamble but he has paid back that gamble to be their top goal scorer this season. Also via Wolves came Adama Traore and whilst I still severely question how he ended up looking exactly like that, no one can deny he is a proper handful, not that you can get a handful of him because of all the baby oil on his arms.

Manager, Marco Silva has always had a streak of arrogance about him like a Poundshop Mourinho and he clearly thinks that it’s about time he moved to a bigger club because he’s just started talking up how good a job he’s done at Fulham. Fair play but careful what you wish for Marco. Everton didn’t exactly work out did it?

Such has been the woeful state of this season, there has been an air of positivity around Saints this week based on getting a last-minute draw against the team in 17th. This is a big game for Simon Rusk and for the club because of the abysmal home record that Saints have endured over the last three Premier League seasons and because of the fact that are two remaining home fixtures after this are against Manchester City and Arsenal, so realistically this is the last chance for a home win before next season and of course we need to acquire The Point of Destiny to end talk of Derby.

Team news and just the one change with Saints with Tall Paul clearly not fit as he’s not even on the bench. Into the team comes Ross Stewart, which is a redemption story just waiting to happen.  As the game starts it quickly becomes apparent that Fulham are going to have most of the ball and that most of their attacking is going to come down our right hand side with Willian trying to cut in on his right foot and Sessegnon going outside. An early warning shot is fired by the Brazilian as he cuts onto his right foot and curls it about a yard wide of Rambo‘s far post.

Twenty minutes gone and more or less from our first attack, Manning buys a free kick off of Pereira as he goes to clear and it’s about 25 yards out in line with the edge of the penalty area. Our record from free kicks this season has been spectacularly bad but lo, a fucking miracle as Manning skims over the free kick at a perfect height and Jack Stephens gets up to flick it past Leno and in at the fare post. Fucking hell, we scored a free kick.  Here comes The Point of Destiny, it’s in the fucking bag and we are massive and we will win this, beat Leicester next week to go above them and when Manchester City and Bournemouth get deducted a hundred points each, then we’ll stay up.

Soon to be Legendary Free-Kick Combination

Meanwhile, back on this planet, the good news is that Saints are still posing an attacking threat despite going ahead and after a Fulham attack is broken up by a Big Les, KWP puts the ball in behind to allow Ross Stewart to run onto it.  He gets to the ball first before Bassey but the big defender moves across and shuts the door with Stewart being swatted away by the bigger man. There is a half arsed appeal for a penalty but that’s never getting given.

Bassey meets his match soon after though as he tries to muscle Fernandes off the ball and after an almighty tussle, the little Portuguese kid emerges with the ball and we spread it out to the left-hand side. The ball gets popped through to Sulemana and Andersen comes clattering across in untidy fashion but unlike any other winger, Sulemana stays on his feet rather than going down and then hits his usual daisy cutter straight to the keeper. Wrong decisions all round.

Fulham are having most of the possession without getting anything on target and the frustration is obvious as Tete crosses from the right hand side and Raul Jimenez nearly puts his volley out of the ground.  A few more minutes of defending and half time.

To be fair, we’ve done okay and Fulham of look limited but Marco Silva is clearly not very happy at halftime because Berge and Pereira don’t come out and instead it’s Lukic and the big sprinter/boxer himself, Adama Traore. Ryan Manning must have muttered a silent “oh fuck off” to himself at this point, when he saw what he’s got to play against in the second half.

Traore is a strange footballer, because he’s not very good but he’s so big and fucking quick that he is effective, and he barrels his way across the pitch before finding Willian about 20 yards out and his curled effort flies beautifully past Ramsdale before crashing into the post. You can see the problem straight away, that we seem to be ten yards deeper than we were in the first half and just allowing Fulham to play

We have an increasingly rare attack as Downes brings the ball forward with a diagonal run towards the left and finds Sulemana and what wrong decision will come out next?  Eventually it’s a pretty aimless chip to the back post which gets headed away and drops down, with Downes turning on it on the edge of the box and the ball eventually defects left and KWP takes and smashes it but Leno takes off to pull off a perfectly executed ‘one for the cameras’ save.

On the hour mark, it’s time for fresh legs to make our team weaker, but it’s understandable as Ross Stewart has to go off to be replaced with Cameron Archer. Archer surprises everyone who has seen him play this season by getting the ball on the right hand side and bursting past Bassey before trying to put in a cross which pings off the outside of the post and is eventually cleared.

Emile Smith-Rowe has come on for Fulham in place of Willan and it is he who bursts into the box, lost by Fernandes, to pick up a chipped ball in from Sessegnon and drive a goalward effort it defelcts off of Bednarek’s boot, high over Ramsdale and into the net. Fuck off. 25 minutes to go and now hanging on for The Point of Destiny will be all that matters.

Lucky Deflected Little Fucker

Sulemana then has to make a decision as to which way to walk off the pitch after being substituted and he successfully picks one, to be replaced on the left-hand side by Dibling. Fulham are now camped on the edge of the box now and we don’t seem to be able to get the ball away.  It’s lucky that Traore decides to take on a shot rather than pass it to someone more talented, and curls it in shit fashion over the bar. Traore is at it again a minute later, dribbling across the box before finding Smith-Rowe in the middle and his shot is brilliantly tipped away by Ramsdale.

88 minutes and what the fuck?   Two minutes plus extra time to earn The Point of Destiny and oh this is absolute fucking murder as it’s James Bree coming on for Fernandes. It looks like KWP has been pushed forward so this is going to be horrible. Meanwhile, on the other side, Traore gets down our left to the byline and hangs a ball up into the middle, which Raul Jimenez can only head straight at Rambo.

90, 91, 92 minutes and we can’t get the ball away in Smith-Rowe picks up on the right, finds Traore and his cross into the middle his met by Sessegnon, who has come from the left and is completely unmarked about 8 yards out and stoops to head the ball past Ramsdale to give Fulham the win. Fuck sake.  The Point of Destiny is snatched away.  Needless to say, after failing to attack for the best part of 45 minutes, we don’t have a lot to offer in the two minutes that remain.

Well, fuck. I should know better but I genuinely thought we were gonna win that game and that Fulham wouldn’t score but of course, once they did, via a bastard big deflection, the second goal did seem kind of inevitable, especially when we made the substitution of creeping death as the last few minutes ticked round. The obsession the managers have with making substitutions will never fail to baffle me. We’ve defended well for 88 minutes with the same five defenders and the two midfielders in front of them so naturally, change the right hand side of that defence with two minutes to go. Guess who scored for Fulham, yes, the left back who ran into the area untracked. Not only are we bringing on James Bree, who is going to make any Premier League team worse but we then reshuffle the defensive unit. We always manage to be our own worst enemies it’s not always the case but in the context of this season and with this group of players, if things are going well, then you are better off just fucking leaving it.

There were many parallels with the Villa game a couple of weeks ago and that we defended well until well into the second half very well but the concentration levels required and the quality that the opposition can bring off the bench, compared to the lack of quality on ours, did for us in the end. Like with Villa, who brought three goal scorers off the bench, Fulham brought on Traore, who set up the winner and Smith-Rowe who scored the first and had ahand in the second.

Both goals were conceded were down to an untracked runner turning up unmarked in the middle of our penalty area. Smith-Rowe ran off the back of Fernandes and Sessegnon wandered in from left back.  In the first half we were decent value for the lead that we had from Jack Stephens flicked header from Manning’s cross . It just goes to show that set pieces can be undefendable if the delivery is right and it also highlights how poor our deliveries from set pieces have been in general this season.  We had one other chance of note in the game with KWP finding himself in the area and bringing a decent save out of Leno. Other than that though, it was very slim pickings and we seem to be playing with no thought of attacking in the entire second half, which against a good side, is not often going to work. You have to maintain some sort of attacking threat otherwise the opposition can just do what they like with no thought of consequence.

The starting 11, in the main did pretty well. Les and Flynn were outstanding in the centre of midfield and the three central defenders were all very solid. Ross Stewart got through 60 minutes and looked half decent I thought. I still can’t really work out what kind of player he is. There is a temptation, because he is 6 foot 3, to think of him as a target man, but he’s not really and he wants to run in behind. There was one incident in the first half where he ran in behind Calvin Bassey and just didn’t have the strength to do anything once he got to the penalty area and it’s then that you realise that regardless of all the injuries, he has never played at this level before.

Should We Make Another Sub Adam?

Positives are that Simon Rusk has identified our best starting XI and changed that as little as possible.  No one can fault the effort of the players either and there’s been plenty of times this season when that was up for debate.  He’s also worked out that Les and Flynn have to play the full 90 and that happened for the second game running.  Negatives for Rusk are the aforementioned late sub and tinkering and once again that shone a poor light on our squad, as did the fact that the best option with Tall Paul’s injury is a player who hasn’t played for nearly three years.  Stewart was the best option because the strikers we expected to rely on this season - Archer, Brereton-Diaz and Armstrong are either crap, or no longer here, or both.

A final word for today is reserved for Marco Silva and the word is twat.  Some more words are horrible entitled little shit.  How dare we set up to defend and be solid when we’ve had the season we’ve had.  Go fuck yourself you dickhead.

Onwards and it’s time for El Crappico and a trip to the King Power to play Leicester next week. They have not scored in the last nine home league games so they need a goal and we need a point, so 1-1 it is then.

Premier League Match 33 - West Ham 1 Southampton 1

 

Big Les and the Derby Equalling Moment

West Ham are currently residing in the position that Wolves were residing in when we played them a few weeks ago, namely ‘the worst of the rest’ or ‘the worst of the ring fenced 17’ permanent Premier League clubs. They’ve been pretty average this season and if we didn’t have a situation we currently have in the Premier League, where relegation is decided at the start of the season, they would be having a nervous glance over their shoulder and battling out to avoid one of the relegation places along with the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham.  No such fear though.  

In one way, West Ham are exactly the same as us in that they just can’t wait to get this season done and start a fresh next season. Their manager now and their manager at the start of next season will be Graham Potter who came in to replace the hapless Julen Lopetegui a few months ago. Lopetegui was the manager who was to take West Ham to a new level, having replaced David Moyes who won them their first ever European trophy, even though it was the Conference League.  Careful what you wish for because Lopetegui was shit and clueless and collected a bunch of players who the current manager won’t want as he has a different style.  Another similarity.

One player that the current manager does want that Lopetegui didn’t, is James Ward-Prowse, who is now starting every game when under the previous boss, he was loaned out to sit on Nottingham Forest bench.  Potter has made mention of JWP still being one short of David Beckham‘s all-time free-kick record in the Premier League and he thinks it would be “football karma“ if he scored one today against us. I don’t think you know what karma means you dickhead.  It of course means some sort of payback and I really don’t think that James has got any sort of grudge against us. As I said at the time here: https://leagueoneminus10.blogspot.com/search/label/James%20Ward-Prowse, it’s Saints / Sport Republic’s fault that James is not wearing one of our shirts today, though if we play in that fucking pink one, he’d probably be quite glad.

As it turns out we are in yellow and on paper, our team looks decent.  Last week’s one selection anomaly, Cameron Archer, makes way for Flynn Downes.   JWP starts for West Ham, as does Nicolas Fullkrug, who will be a physical handful for our defenders. The referee looks about twelve though I guess we that we should forgive the appointment of a referee doing his first Premier League game as this game is as close to not mattering to anyone as you can possibly get in the Premier League. 

No matter how hard I try and however long ago it was, it still irritates me that the Dildo Peddlars got gifted this stadium for next to nothing in the wake of the Olympics being held here.  Anyhow, Saints as usual start the game brightly but the only chance of the first five minutes comes from the Hammers as Sulemana completely bottles a challenge against Paqueta, who then feeds it into the middle with Fullkrug poking it goalwards at Ramsdale’s near post but the keeper is equal to it.

The one worry under Simon Rusk is that we send a team out with no attacking plan but it becomes apparent that the players have some license as Flynn Downes strides forward, finds Fernandes and then on to Sulemana, who has a dig from the edge of the box and it deflects and goes wide. The comes the corner from Manning and after a bit of head tennis, West Ham clear it.

Sulemana is threatening again soon after as a good ball in from the left from Manning picks up the run from Sulemana who cuts it onto his right foot and with just the goalkeeper to beat, of course, he hits his straight at him but then the flag goes up anyway.  In a parallel universe far away, there is a version of Sulemana who can finish and he’s worth north of £50 million.

West Ham can’t deal with the version in this universe however and another decent move up the left with Tall Paul holding the ball up for Sulemana who survives a heavy touch to go through a piss-weak challenge by Soler before finding Fernandes in the middle he rolls it wide to KWP who really has to score…. but he drills it right across the goal and wide.  I wonder if that will count for him or against his in this rumoured West Ham audition.

There has been little threat from West Ham since the opening few minutes, but Emerson leads a break from left back, plays a couple of nice 1-2’s and shoots but it’s well blocked by Stephens and Saints break through Downes.   He eventually gets cynically brought down by Paqueta, who then deliberately blocks the quick free kick being taken. Paqueta is allegedly known for allegedly getting deliberate yellow cards allegedly, but the family members who allegedly had money on it are disappointed as Andrew Kitchen bottles handing out a yellow.   Unperturbed, we feed into the penalty area and after Manning’s shot is blocked, it drops down from a challenge and Sulemana has a reaction volley to take and again, manages to miss, this time flicking the ball against the angle of post and bar from ten yards.

It's not a free kick but there’s a potential “karma” moment as West Ham break and Fullkrug shows excellent awareness to lay the ball back to JWP right on the edge of the box and we all close our eyes and await the inevitable and he really has to do better than launching it into space and sending it bouncing down the long jump pit.  He loves us and is clearly still playing for us.

All West Ham seem to have is breaks after we attack. In the main it’s all Saints and some more quick play on the left and Fernandes has a race to the ball against Coufal and he gets there first and Coufal is late and catches him.  A clear yellow card foul and Coufal has already been booked but Kitchen doesn’t even give us a free-kick. I guess if he gave the free-kick he’d have to send him off.  He gets his book out though at the next opportunity as Manning brings down Bowen and Tall Paul has clearly said something about his refereeing, whilst looking tall and threatening.

Out of the way James

Another free kick given on the right-hand side this time as Fernandes gets cleaned out again by Emerson. It’s a left footers kick and of course we’ve got Ryan Manning who has never scored a free-kick in his life.  Manning‘s effort is catching practice for Areola.  Saints are still on the front foot as we reach half-time with Downes battering JWP midfield and running him off the ball and sets up an attack with Sulemana flicking the ball back to Downes and a 50-50 with the ex-Saints man and Downes wins that one as well and we get a corner.  That’s karma Graham if anything… he left us and the man we replaced him with batters him. We do nothing with the corner as usual because that’s what we do and we want to finish last in ‘goals from set-pieces’ as well, so at least we’re consistent across all categories of attacking shiteness.

Half-time in the usual concern that the good chances we have missed will come back to bite us in the second half. The misses by Sulemana and KWP are just not acceptable if you want to win football matches in the Premier League. No changes and away we go and it’s Saints who show first with Sulemana winning a corner off of the clumsy Coufal.  In it comes and another one without a goal, as it’s headed away, back in and shite and West Ham break down the left through Kudus and the ball get switched infield to Fullkrug and one more onto Bowen and Bowen turns Manning inside out before smashing it past Ramsdale. Fucks sake.  You know he’s going to go onto his left foot as he’s built an entire career on that, so sending him that way and then falling on your arse is not great defending.

So, will we collapse?  Saints at least don’t look like they are going to buckle and Manning and Sulemana combine up the left-hand side to get the latter a shooting opportunity which true to form, he scuffs straight to the goalkeeper.

There’s a bit of a worry up our end as a corner comes in and Ramsdale goes up with Fullkrug, who jumps into Ramsdale and the ball ends up in the net.  Luckily, the referee is happy making this decision as it’s a clear foul.  After the infamous incident at Palace this season, you can never take it for granted.  After that decent decision by the ref, he’s back to normal as he then allows Kilman to trash through the back of Tall Paul without a yellow card despite that tackle being outlawed at some point before this referee was even born.

It's substitution time, which is always a worry for us and Simon Rusk then decides to play with ten as Tall Paul is replaced with Cameron Archer and as if by magic, Ryan Manning puts over one of the best crosses of the season, but of course, Paul has gone off and his replacement is hiding behind a centre back somewhere.   Saints keep the pressure on and the ball eventually breaks to Jack Stephens on the edge of the box and he absolutely leathers one through the crowd but Areola reacts well.

Dibling comes on for Sulemana who has had a good game if you ignore the total lack of end product, as usual.  Saints still look the most likely to score but it all comes down to end product and some good play by Dibling and Big Les pokes the ball out to Manning but having put over a brilliant cross a few minutes ago, hits this one into the steeplechase water jump.

We’re pushing on now, so of course more susceptible to the break, which as mentioned, as all West Ham have.  Fullkrug gets the ball and just barrels into the penalty area before knocking it right for Guillerme to smash it straight at Ramsdale. Back up the other end and another glorious opportunity as Dibling puts KWP away down the right but his cross is shit and way in front of everybody.

And another sitter...

A foul on KWP by Guillerme gives us a free kick on the halfway line and in it comes, gets sent in, THB heads down and Dibling has to score but even on his least favoured right foot, he really has to score… but lifts it over the bar.  I know the pole vault was at that end but we don’t want to clear the bar on this occasion.

Ref watch and Kilman goes smashing through the back of Dibling and that’s the second player he smashed through the back of and this time he actually gets booked for it.  Well done ref.  Kilman must be wondering where the consistency is.

Five to go and Ross Stewart and Welington are about to come on as Manning is about to make his last contribution with the free-kick and chips it straight to a West Ham defender and the situation comes to nothing as far as we’re concerned. The substitution eventually happens and it’s THB who joins Manning on the bench. At the same time, JWP goes off to applause from all four sides of the London Dildo Bowl Athletics Free Stadium. Kilman then gets beaten to the ball by Fernandes and executes an Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling move to stop him.  We await with bated breath for the inevitable second yellow that will surely be branded but no, the referee bottles it.

92 minutes and it’s all Saints pressure but it seems that we are sliding to an unjust defeat and Dibling feeds KWP through on the right hand side and he has a dart for the line and crosses and it flicks up in the air off a defender and Big Legs comes flying in with a left footed thunderbastard volley from 15 yards to smash it into the net. Get in, round the 400m track and over some hurdles goes Les.  It feels like we won a fucking gold medal or something.

Now let’s go and fucking win it… ok, let’s not, the end.

It says something about how this season has been the last-minute equaliser against the team just three places above us in the League is greeted by the biggest celebration since we got promoted last year. Not that I am belittling the moment that Big Les smashed that into the net.

We totally deserved that point and on balance we totally deserve to win the game because we played really well, restricting West Ham purely to breaks from deep and posing most of the goal threat ourselves. There is a reason that we are bottom of the league however because even when we play well, there is one part of the game which we’re not very good at and today it was finishing. The missies by KWP and Sulemana in the first half and Dibling in the second half meant that we still need another point to overhaul Derby‘s record whereas today really should’ve been putting all that to bed.

It was a good day for Simon Rusk and Adam Lallana, who got the team selection completely right And the substitutions were pretty much perfect as well. The main thing was leaving Big Les and Flynn in place in the middle of the park for the entire 95 minutes and the pair of them was still everywhere snapping it challenges as the game went into injury time. It’s not exactly rocket science but it’s been incredibly obvious ever since we started playing a two man central midfield that Les and Flynn are the only two players in the squad really capable of playing there for any length of time.

"Flynn, Les...Fucking Stay Out There!"

If Rusk got his substitutions right, then Graham Potter got his wrong, taking off his entire forward line of Fullkrug, Bowen and Kudus and replacing them with more defensively minded players, and the immobile Evan Ferguson.  West Ham had very little going on going forward anyway but taking them off meant their attacking effort just died on its arse and allowed us to push forward without too much fear of consequences and we were rewarded in the end.

A word for the referee Andrew Kitchen and the word is ‘bottler’.  I was put in mind of a referee on a Sunday morning who doesn’t want to send players off because he doesn’t want to do the admin.  Coufal and especially Kilman should both have walked and if they’re doing their job properly, PGMOL should be marking him down for that, exemplary organization that they are.  Don’t hold your breath.

Fulham at home next week before the big one against Leicester at the King Power in the already relegated “El Shattico”. With Everton away and Manchester City and Arsenal at home to follow after those two games, next week is now shaping up to be a glaring opportunity to get that one point that we need to at least get something, no matter how shit, out of this season.  Get that point next week and it’s time for a pitch invasion, pyro, commemorative t-shirts and an ‘I was there’ DVD.

Up the fucking Saints