The actual bar for staying up might be above average. But whoever came in post Tomasson needed less than a point per game to get to 50 points due to the points we had already accumulated so yes, a low bar.

Exactly, and thats why Nixon is doing his usual routine of naming a new team a week from that category to fill his column whilst the transfer window is closed in anticipation of the window so that when he goes to one of the many teams hes linked with, he can arrogantly pat himself on the back.

Tomasson like Eustace would have had to get less than a point a game to get to 50 points. Im not sure that Tomasson would have kept us up but obviously there was a lot of baggage there with him clearly and understandably having the hump having been seriously let down by the owners, that situation had become untenable. So any new manager wouldnt have that baggage. But even relegation form over these last 15 games under Eustace can keep us up which means that it isnt that impressive IMO. Especially with the returning players.

I am saying that a point in a game described as "must not lose" coupled with a very hard game at Leeds that I think will be a struggle could see other teams make serious ground on us.

Those backups bar Carter are not the equal of our starters. Why will Preston roll over? Are they in the conspiracy that sees referees biased against us. Failure to win plus assuming we lose at Leeds could see us dangerously close come Saturday evening next week with only 3 games to go.

Hes going through a different team a week in typical Nixon fashion. If he does go, he wont be replaced so relegation will be inevitable.

Commendable? Thats strong considering we have less than 1 point per game. You can spin either the lack of wins (only 1) or the lack of losses (only 3) but its points that are important and in that regard, picking up points at the rate we have across a season would send you down in most seasons. I appreciate that he picked us up in terrible form and I know how keen you are you to go against Tomasson so I feel that you are naturally more inclined to big up the post Tomasson era because you are biased against him, and that whole situation had become toxic. But it doesnt mean that the results under Eustace are commendable. We should get over the line but had he taken us down, which he might but its unlikely now I think, it would have taken a horrendously bad set of results to do so that would have been barely precedented because of the buffer we had due to the points accumulated in the first few months. There are certainly green shoots coming through now and signs of improvement to suggest that going forward, the side can get better under him. We have only scored (admittedly 5) in one of the last 4 games in which we all seem to agree have shown noticeable improvement even though we are playing better. Leeds have the best squad at this level and I would probably suggest that Leicester have at least as good a squad as Southampton.

With Tomasson, I think our results may have picked up when players came back as they have under Eustace. Had he stayed and not kept us up, the whole thing had massively soured and he was not hiding how unhappy he was which probably didnt help the dressing room. Like I said, I felt that him going as a standalone issue aside from the real issues was a good thing. But whoever came in without the baggage that Tomasson had having been let down and the public mess that had unfolded, the task of keeping us up baring in mind that 50 points required less than a point a game and with returning players was not a really difficult one even allowing for the form we were in at the time.

Whilst obviously amidst the general shit show of the club the managerial situation felt as minor as it ever could, I was relieved when Tomasson left, so you couldnt be more wrong on that. The situation had becone untenable. I was also happy enough with Eustace as I felt he was one of the better candidates that we could realistically get. My point about the scale of any achievement keeping us up isnt even specific to any manager. Because we had accumulated enough points by November to be 7th, to drop to 22nd or below between then and May would take an incredible drop. Teams may have dropped from that high at a similar stage but I bet its very rare. Our form since then has been absolutely horrendous yet even then, we still arent in the drop zone. Eustace's overall record though is of less than a point per game which is relegation form. You mention grinding out results but it cant be escaped that over his full short tenure, his results arent that good hence that poor points return. Those hailing potential survival as a big achievement are presumably assuming that Tomasson's terrible last 8 games would continue at the same rate for the rest of the season. If 50 points secures survival, and it might not even be that, then the task coming in was to get 15 points from 16 games. I think even with Tomasson in charge, we would have been more likely than not to get them. Especially with a number of key players having recently returned from injury. I mentioned that I have now started to see genuine clear green shoots under Eustace so hopefully we can continue to progress. Obviously the problem is that he will have his work cut out working under these owners.

Even if we didnt think he would become so good. During the covid season he became a very useful one. Add in cost and a contract is a no brainer.

Again, why would protecting assets with sensible contract management be affected by what random fans might think? The time to do it was during the covid season when he became a decent player but prior to his real breakthrough as a goalscorer. Maybe it didnt happen due to the owners cutting back during covid. So plan B should have been to accept the bids that came with a year left on his deal.

A good, solid performance today against strong opposition although it seems that results out of our hands have actually meant that overall have made it a day that have left us closer to the drop. We should limp over the line which I don't think would be a particularly impressive achievement really considering the buffer Eustace came in with, he has averaged less than a point a game since he came in and won only 1 which is relegation form but I can start to see signs of development and green shoots. Defensively we did really well to limit Southampton to few clear chances and Pears had little to do. The centre backs were solid especially Wharton, Hyam was lucky to get away with a big mistake but otherwise his form has improved. Both full backs were really good too against quick and dangerous wide men. When Eustace came in we had no composure on the ball in defensive areas but now we dont just punt it up the pitch but equally dont (aside from the Hyam mistake) try and play it out at all costs. Tronstad was really good and is crucial to how we play, JRC grew into the game and although he wasnt at his best, he is our best all round footballer. Our decision making in the final third cost us a win, Dolan had a typical Dolan game, worked hard and did some good work but also his constant over elaborate showboating before turning back round is often a bottleneck to our attacks. Hedges going off was a blow, Markanday did some brilliant work going back but like Dolan was hit and misd going forward. Szmodics is always our main threat but seems to be carrying an injury, you think back to games like on Monday where he should have been wrapped in cotton wool and managed better. Gallagher grafted as always and made a big chance with some brilliant pressing but wasnt that involved in general play. The attacking players pressed well and seemed well drilled against a side that always gives you a chance to nick the ball away so it was a shame that we didnt have the quality to punish them. The lack of squad depth due to the owners is a real hindrance. Using only 1 sub with some of our players being run into the ground, we could have used some fresh quality in attack during the second half.

The comments for every under 21 selection are always outrage that Gilsenan isnt in the first team as if its Szmodics thats been dumped in the reserves.

How is it very cruel on any of them? McFadzean got sent off in his performance and in general that day highlighted his age and his weaknessess. Buckley has not hit form for quite a while and Carter himself had been in poor form prior to a long injury, as much as he is probably our best CB when fully fit.

We did get battered, and why would the ref be biased because hes a PL ref. Surely that will make him more competent, or should.

We definitely should have tried to get him signed up long term, even though it was only his penultimate season in which he went from bang average to one of the leading scorers, we should have signed him up during the covid season to protect his value, Venkys seemed to tighten the pursestrings around that time so maybe that was the issue. But even with a new deal, I dont think 20 plus was realistic. And seeing as we couldnt get him signed up for whatever reason, £8m was a substantial amount to turn down and money down the drain, a totally ridiculous decision from our terrible owners. It could have really helped Tomasson and also have left us with more of a squad longer term.

We would have never got £20m for him. £8m was a good offer that we had to take, it wasnt even as if it was mid season.

More contacts across the country and another thrashing. Another day in Mercer world.

To be fair, most of the stick was because he hadnt won a game prior to yesterday.

I think the reason that Sigurdsson and Markanday are shit out wide is not because they are in the wrong position. Neither is good enough.

I think its safe to say that players who are predominantly wide men and/or not up to the job arent much in the way of cover.

They aren't.

What has changed? Probably a string of losses that makes you realise that you need to try to rectify the mistake you made rather than compounding it. John Williams appointed Paul Ince, no one is perfect, he realised in time to bring in Big Sam.

Assuming we stay up this season, a Szmodics sale might seal our fate next season.

When Mowbray played it we went on a long winning run. That did suit us as it felt like the players knew what they were doing. When Eustace did it we looked inept.