southernmag

The one thing I can't stand more than these performances is those who refuse to acknowledge the predictability of them. It's like we can't have a great team/manager that have some major shortcomings. You just get shot down for even mentioning it.

Winless in our last EIGHT at this ground against opposition almost always below us in the league table. This is Brighton not bloody prime Barcelona. If we can't compete with this lot we can kiss goodbye to our delusions of CL, 2nd place etc.

This isn't about individual performances so much as it is a team-wide mental issue that's not being addressed.

We've got some kind of demented mental block playing at the AmEx.

For one of the world's best strikers, Isak sure goes missing in a lot of games.

If this game costs us CL we'll have no one to blame but ourselves.

Also everyone banging on about the benefit of us having 8 days since our last game. Matters for jack if you don't show up for the game.

Questions have to be asked about why we just don't show up for certain games/against certain teams.

Agreed, I'd just be inclined to find someone else this summer and then go for Guehi next. That way no money for Palace/Parish.

I'd hold off another year and get him for free.

I watched him closely when he came on against Ipswich and thought he looked quite quick and mobile. I'd still like him sold but didn't think he looked that slow tbh. Maybe I need my eyes checked.

I'd like to see a mixture of domestic and non-domestic shopping. Find the best deals in each area.

Because it's massively exacerbating financial inequality in the game.

Ok then, thanks.

Huijsen would very likely strengthen our squad but I really don't like throwing 50m at players that were available for a quarter of that just one year ago. Bournemouth will be laughing all the way to the bank and it makes a bit of a mockery of our supposedly super clever transfer dealings.

To be fair, we've delivered some dire performances after week long breaks between games in the not too distant past, so I don't put too much weight on that. But 8 days rest is better than half that, and we're in good form. So what could go wrong...

There definitely seems to be a fear element among match officials, even at lower levels. But if the refs, and the FA etc, had the balls to boldly and consistently implement certain laws, the players would soon cotton on and come into line imo.

He looked hungry today, which was good. Seems to me to be a slightly moody player. Sometimes looks miserable and not up for it, whereas days like today he had a point to prove, which made him much more dangerous.

Thought the ref had a poor game and I'm not detracting from that. But I'm still dumbfounded by how football continues to allow players (and coaching staff sometimes) to surround refs, scream things at them, wag fingers, and other cynical/nasty things. In rugby, it's not tolerated, there's actual consequences for it, so it doesn't happen. That's respect. Football could stamp it out in 5 minutes if it wanted, but my theory is that the powers that be view the players as their hallowed cash cows and don't want to upset them, even if it's clearly for the good of the game. It grates me virtually every game I watch. Don't let the players behave like morons. Book them for surrounding the ref for example, even if you book half the team at once, and I bet they'll stop it pretty quick. It's not rocket science. There are obviously many other issues affecting refereeing standards, but could we actually try treating them as human beings? Might help them be better.

I don't think he's Newcastle level, and particularly not Juve level, but he's not a rubbish player either. Truth is somewhere in the middle. Agree we've got a good deal here though.

I believe so, according to Football Manager anyway. We need a certain number of players trained at our club before they turned 21 (or something).

Watch them spend quarter of a billion this summer to try and fix it.

Would rather an ancient Vardy than an immobile Wilson tbf.

Came through Derby's academy for 10 years, then onto City. So no links to Man U and they're about as bad as it's possible to be these days. He'd be mad to go there, mad I tell ya. Watch it happen.