The Saints squad was ravaged by injury, some would say it was down to the bare bones, but Will Still did not make the best of it and again we saw strange selections & bizarre substitutions that ultimately cost us dearly.

There will be those that will point to the mystery illness that saw several squad members on the side lines, but given we were lacking in central midfielders especially, why was Joe Aribo not brought into the squad and for that matter Sam Edozie, two experienced players who could have done a job out there, rather than put two youngsters in with limited experience.

Earlier in the week, Still had spoken of Aribo & Edozie claiming that they had not had much of a pre season and were not ready to be considered for selection, given that both appeared in pre season friendlies and appeared to have done the preliminary fitness training back in July and have been back in the first team squad for at least a month, after training away from the team, I would say that is incorrect, both should have been at a fitness level to have played a part in this game.

Still showed the stubbornness of his predecessor Russell Martin in refusing to bring them in from the cold.

We started the game against the second from bottom side with 5 defenders on the pitch, Roerslev & Manning being employed as wingbacks, both are unsuited to this role being more in the traditional full back mode.

For a while it went well, Leo Scienza scoring on 23 minutes to put us in the driving seats and although Blackburn had some chances, so did we and in fairness we looked like we would see the game out, the introduction of Ryan Fraser for Cameron Archer looked a good substitution on the hour, but then came the moment that perhaps emphasised that Will Still doesn't seem to know what he is doing.

He brought on Jack Stephens for Leo Scienza, we now had 4 centre backs on the field, plus 2 full backs, we were top heavy at the back and now on the back foot, Stephens appeared to be playing in the centre of midfield although I couldn't be sure, not Captain Jacks fault.

Withing 5 minutes Blackburn were level, Alibiosu got the ball out wide and found that all our defenders were sitting back, he cut across and hit a fairly tame cross shot, more to try to find one of his team mates that trying to score, the ball went through everyone including Alex McCarthy, if Gavin Bazunu had let this one in then I know he would be getting the blame on this one.

When Shea Charles pulled up with a hamstring issue, Still then made 3 changes to the side, Cameron Bragg on for Charles, Welington for Manning & Jay Robinson on for Ronnie Edwards, more reshuffling and we were now a complete shambles and Blackburn sensed blood.

For me Ronnie Edwards was perhaps our best of the central 3 defenders and Scienza the best outfield player overall, yet both did not see out the game.

That came in the 86th minute and it was more chaotic defending, when the ball popped up into the area, Bragg facing his own goal tried to chest it down when perhaps he should have headed it wide of the goal for a corner, their player nipped in and prodded the ball towards goal, Alex McCarthy seems to have developed a goalkeeping style that does not involve using his hands, he did the same for Middlesbrough's equaliser a few weeks back and this was not the first time he did this at Blackburn, he rushed out with his hands by his side, perhaps to avoid getting penalised for handball in his own 6 yard box, the ball bounced back off his chest and Guðjohnsen blasted it past him from close range.

McCarthy really should have done better with both goals and indeed he frequently came and flapped at crosses.

There was no coming back from this, you could sense it, we were now an utter shambles, with little options on the field to push forward and get an equaliser.

So where do we go from here ?

I can see only one ending to this tale, we now have a squad depleted by injury, no leadership, no motivation, no confidence, no organisation and clearly frustrated as was shown by Welington's needless sending off.

I think Will Still doesn't know what to do next, when he arrived at the club we were told his strengths were his adaptability and his ability to change formation to suit the opposition, I have not see evidence of that, all I see is a scattergun approach, he has his favourites and he has those he has decided are not part of his squad, hence the fact that he did not put his priorities in winning the game, he preferred to put two inexperienced youngster on the bench who didn't even have squad numbers, indeed Bragg had neither name or number on his shirt, rather than have Joe Aribo & Sam Edozie on the bench.

This reminded me of last season with Russell Martin, the manager was putting his own agenda ahead of the team.

So where do we go next, the Saints supporters have been remarkably patient, they have still turned up in number's the best part of 2,500 where up in Blackburn and did not deserve to watch a team struggling whilst the manager stood alone on the touchline like a rabbit in the headlights.

I would say this, if Russell Martin had seen out last season and either started this season like this, he would now be sacked, if he had been sacked in the summer and Still appointed I would say that we would now be sacking him, the only thing that is keeping him in a job at the moment is that having already having had 4 managers in the last 10 months, we are loathe to make it a 5th, so Johannes Spors & the board are desperately hoping that Still will turn the tide.

But the truth is we are going backwards, a month or so ago we looked to have turned a corner, a good point against Middlesbrough followed by a win at Sheffield United looked to be a springboard, but since then we have gone backwards, the squad are now clearly confused, bemused and are not confident with the manager, of course they say the right things in interviews, they are contracted to do that, but that is not the message they are sending with their performances on the field.

This is going to be a crucial week for Southampton FC, if Will Still survives it and leads the team next week, you are going to see plenty of empty seats at St Mary's and you are going to have a toxic atmosphere.

Has this gone past the point of no return for Will Still, I was truly hoping that we would win at Blackburn and he would show that after the debacle at Bristol we could kick start the season, sadly I saw things getting worse and not better, yes there were injury & illness issues, but that is when a squad that has leadership and discipline knuckles down and finds an extra gear, I did not see any of that at Ewood Park, either from the dug out or on the pitch.

Once what surrounds a football club becomes all about the manager, that is never a good thing.

All Photos Via Reuters

kingolaf added 09:14 - Oct 26 It shouldn’t even be up for debate, Still has to go. He is arguably the worst manager we have ever had. Time to end this experiment and appoint someone who is not another left-field clever bollocks appointment by the board.
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davidargyll added 09:14 - Oct 26 Oh come on Nick. You know it is the end of the road for WS. The players are clearly not playing for him, we can all see that his game-plan is at best vague and in reality incomprehensible, and we are undoubtedly heading for disaster. There is no coming back from this. If he is around on Saturday, I hate to think what the reception will be like. HE MUST BE SACKED NOW…

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Bawdrip added 09:26 - Oct 26 Foolishly I watched this on the club website from a hotel room in Majorca. Should have stayed on the beach! Awful performance. Despite being in front the first half had been a dreadful man match with both teams looking clueless. We clearly needed the second g ok al but once again poor finishing let us down. The substitutions were bizarre and completely handed the initiative to Blackburn who took full advantage. Rather than press for a winner we backed off and the inevitable happened. Blackburn were dreadful and lower in confidence than us. The fact they won is very worrying. I felt for the travelling fans who were badly let down again.

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A1079 added 09:35 - Oct 26 I can't see how WS can survive but for the life of me I can't see how as a club we go from here. I have zero confidence in those supposedly steering the ship to do the right thing whether or not they dispense with Still. They have made one bad mistake and error of judgement after another and most of those mistakes and errors of judgement have proved costly in some form. The reputation of SFC as a well run club is in complete tatters. It is hard to imagine who (of any recognisable ability and skill at managerial level) would come to us at this time. The players - I don't think they are blameless, I don't think they have been for a long time. There is something fundamentally wrong in many of their attitudes and that has not just been under Still but under several managers now - even going back to the dying days of Hassenhuttl. For some reason, too many do not play with any heart or commitment or desire to do well not just for the club but even for themselves (except when they think they are in the shop window when they play a Liverpool or someone like that). Even under Branfoot - as bad as that period was, there were players who fought for the team and club. Many teams above and around us arguably have weaker squads than us, but they have something we have not had for a very long - team spirit, fight, the will to not give up. It is not something I would ever have advocated before but I honestly believe fans need to seriously think whether to keep turning up helps the club. Generally I would have said it does not help to stay away (the need to support the team always came above and beyond anything else for me), but in our current situation and malaise that seems to prevail in the club, I cannot think of how else we can collectively send a hard message to those that run the club. A Sheffield Wednesday similarly type of response appears needed - ironically who we will be playing at home soon. I am not sure though, we can afford to wait that long. I can see no way back now for Still. The problem is, I cannot see a way forward any more.

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dirk_doone added 09:55 - Oct 26 "Alex McCarthy seems to have developed a goalkeeping style that does not involve using his hands" lol He is one of the worst professional goalkeepers I have ever seen. His reflexes are slow, his positioning is terrible and, above all, he lacks the bravery required to be a goalkeeper. It's no surprise he has cost us countless points over they years. We probably would have won and at least drawn this game and many others if we'd had even an average Championship goalkeeper.

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SaintsLondonWest added 10:23 - Oct 26 Age matters. Football management is about experience - and sometimes a bit of luck thrown in the mix. Running an under 14,15,16 side is for young dads and guys without too much experience. By contrast, UK Premier League and the Championship are high level with serious standards and need management skills to fit in. I find it hard to believe that at the age of 32, albeit now 33, Will Still has the knowledge of the league and ability to face up to guys his own age and younger too and spell out what they have to do. I would add in that on the touchline he is so quiet which mean his motivational impact is small. It was always unrealistic to think Saints would be at the top now challenging for promotion but being so close to the bottom means a quick review by the club is needed and if it's another manager, older and more experienced, then few will complain. Will could head back to France or Belgium and gain a few more years experience there.

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saintmark1976 added 10:34 - Oct 26 Firstly, a very fair report Nick and pleased to see that you’ve stayed true to your principles and have not been influenced by the response of the Happy Clappers to your Bristol City Verdict. Secondly, commiserations to our fans who made the long journey and spent their hard earned. It was painful enough listening to Solent, what it must have been like watching the shambles in person I can’t imagine. Finally, as I posted yesterday on the forum section of your site, I beginning to wonder if the aspirations of Sports Republic and us long suffering fans are now simply incompatible and beyond repair. In my opinion Sports Republic appear to want to primarily run a Player Trading ( buy short/sell long) Business first, and a Lesiure ( events, club shop, hospitality, fans zones, the Dell Pub and level one ) Business second. Their interest in our football team appears to me to be purely now restricted to getting fans to attend to fund these two business objectives whereas we want to be able to watch a competitive football team. Clearly Sports Republic show no signs of departure and It occurs to me that the only way of removing them is to perhaps stop funding their business objectives ?

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Boris1977 added 10:42 - Oct 26 We're in a right old mess. Sports Republic are the issue, bad management decisions, scatter gun approach to transfers, not buying a solid GK, CB or striker, not having a director of football for 9 months. If I was a conspiracy theorist I'd suspect that the issues mentioned above were a deliberate ploy to hide some kind of financial shenanigans. As others have said, after yesterday where do we go. Huge credit to the loyalty shown by our incredible fans. You'll be there long after the clowns have packed up and left, you're the heartbeat of the club and you particularly deserve much better than the rubbish you're being served. COYRs

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BigbadBarry8myboat added 11:28 - Oct 26 Hahaha I've seen posts calling McCarthy the worst professional goalkeeper yet he's 1000% better than Bazunu so what does that say? Another game where we seem "ok" then the subs come and it all falls apart. I think it's no surprise that "captain Jack" comes on and we lose a goal or 2. He's shocking as a defender and even more shocking as a midfielder. WS has caught the Saints curse of always taking off our best performers just when we need them most. We saw this with Hassenhuttl, then Jones, Juric, and now Still. Strange that all our Managers do it, or is this a SR thing as it didn't happen before they came in...

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SanMarco added 11:30 - Oct 26 I suppose I was a 'happy clapper' after Swansea. One thing I disagree with is the comments about player attitude. All clubs at all times have such players but this has being going on for years. To be fair to players their attitude will always be tied into to what is going on at the club. I must be honest and say I haven't been to any games this year and my only evidence is TV, reports and TUI. I was saying after Swansea, like the majority were (and getting double-figure thumbs up) that WS needed to be given more time. I still think the overall problem is with the owners who, after all choose the manager and the players, but if we don't beat Preston I worry that the 'toxicity' will win the day. Should it? I really don't know - I do wonder whether it matters while the appalling SR are the owners. Are they actually going to pick a decent manager if they sack WS? History suggests the most likely answer too that question I'm afraid...

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Staycalm added 11:34 - Oct 26 To me it is simply 40% Will Small and 40% the players that he has inherited and in some cases brought it and 20% the coaches. I am struggling to find the opposite of 'clinical' but that is where we are with strikers. Wasteful will do. They are frustrating to watch. You know they are going to either mess up the opportunity, hoof it wide/over the bar, or as so often happens, give the keeper an easy one to save, as shot straight at him! Do the coaches not see that? It has been like it for ages, by and large! So they get my 20% blame. That said, the manager is supposed to bring something to the game during the 90 minutes and mostly Will Small has messed up winning opportunities IMHO, with his ridiculous substitutions and lack of tactical nowse!

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Staycalm added 11:35 - Oct 26 Apologies for the slip there. Maybe it is because Will Still has only a 'small' chance of being here much longer!!
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Ali_Diarea added 11:38 - Oct 26 Sports Republic out…every managerial appointment has been wrong, every decision to sack a manager has taken far too long, terrible track record when it comes to buying players. They are clearly out of their depth when it comes to owning an English football club.
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SaintPaulVW added 11:51 - Oct 26 While I am in favour of giving him more time, yesterday was a disaster mainly of his own making. Fir the first 50 minutes we looked great. However, we missed lots of chances. Adam Armstrong seems to have one way of scoring a goal ATM and the keeper sussed this out. Scienza was great, lively causing all sorts of problems and a clinical finish. Roerslav also looked good. Then the fatal flaws in our squad appeared. I have to say there is a fair bit of revisionism going on with Jack Stephens, a lot of commentary in the past seems to have touted him as better as a CDM rather than a CB. uUortunately the experiment yesterday was a total disaster. Putting him on took our best attacker off the pitch, created too much space in the middle with the defenders now sitting back. Then we lost Charles, arguably our best player this season so far. Then the disastrous subs, I suspect he was picking from a reduced squad because of rifts in the dressing room. Aribo was a must for this game to add some strength into midfield. Why Robinson doesn't start escapes me. One of our best attacking players sat doing nothing for most of the game. I had hoped that a settled team was coming together but the usual frailties emerged. If Still is to survive, there needs to be a serious internal review of why he is not performing. I don't think this is unreasonable for a young coach. I'm in favour of giving him until Christmas. I really don't want to become a Watford but I definitely don't want to do a Luton. COYR

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Bowlercow added 11:53 - Oct 26 I am so dissapointed I wanted Will from the time we sacked Ralpjy and was so excited when we got him It goes to show that just like the majority of posters on here I know nothing Lets face it the crowd had turned against Ralph and he went The vast majority , including me, thought Jones was the woest manager ever Look at him now Again to most of us Juric was a joke appointment Look at him now In RM we had a manager who employed a different style with omly a plan A Despite getting us promoted a majority of fans wanted him gone My resolution is now to give support to whoever is in the job Never condem or criticise him Accept that he knows more than me End of

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underweststand added 12:04 - Oct 26 Not sure if the Board would agree with the above-comments about Will's style pf play. However, looking back at our recent managerial "failures" it must be noted that you can only employ candidates who applies for the job,(and if rumours are to be believed)..the list of names who had already bought a bargepole was impressive, but definitely uninterested. Another abrupt change may soon draw bad comparisons with frying pans /and fireplaces. Although Spors may have had some influence in the choice of WS, many of the signings were probably his choice , and Will is stuck with them. We have a mix of older players who were (in part) all responsible for last seasons fiasco, and not really good enough and the new recruits who are still adapting to this League.

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Jesus_02 added 12:36 - Oct 26 There is simply no point in sacking him. Will a new manager get Adam Armstrong to score 1 0n 1s . Will a new manager turn McCarthy into a championship level keeper? All fans wanted a more adventerous style of play Still has delivered that and bags of oportunities to score the problems we have ad for the last 5/6 years is that we dont have a decent striker . Yes his decision to bring Stephens on was awful, but wasnt that was really despeation to try and hold on to a 1 goal lead with Armstrong already having failed to score with 2x 1 0n 1s Aribo doesnt want to be here neither does Edozie. They were both 4.5 hrs away settling in to an afternoon of sky sports when Downes and Fellows reported in sick. The emergency replacement was 2.5hrs away and only just made it. Once again I feel the fans have been let down by recruitement. McCarthy and Stephens both given new contracts when we were crying out for a decent striker and Number 1. Terrible sentimental squad managenment.

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halftimeorange added 13:05 - Oct 26 I have to admit that I was shocked by the decision to remove Scienza from the field of play. I surmise that Will Still thought he should try and hang on to a point as we were certainly under the cosh but, to extinguish our brightest spark, that seems to me to be simply outrageous. I, too, would like to hear about the mystery illness ravaging our side. If Still has lost the dressing-room he's sunk, but that seems odd after the promise of the Swansea display. If the services of Will Still are dispensed with, we really will be seen as a poison chalice by any decent manager. This reminds me of the situation when Mark Hughes came, we barely stayed up but, I bet he was happy with his paycheck. Another thing, when is Spoors going to make a statement, it's overdue. If Still is to be retained I think we should receive some reassurance that he will be ably aided in the transfer market

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PezzaSaint added 13:32 - Oct 26 After the managerial shambles of last season I was desperate for Will Still to succeed and I’ve been a happy clappers disagreeing with calls for him to be removed, but there seems to be something seriously wrong going on in the changing room. I find Will Still boring in his pre/post match interviews and if he’s like this when with the players I could understand why they might not want to play for him. I feel now that he should be removed from his post and we need to get someone in who has a bit more about them and from whom you can get enthused!

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ItchenNorth added 14:19 - Oct 26 We can keep sacking managers all the time but there comes a point where we have to acknowledge, this is not where problems are always fixed. The squad simply isn't that good IMO. We can replace Will Still, but whoever comes in will face exactly the same issues; no striker in the number 9 capable of putting games out of sight. There are several other areas of weakness of course but to me, goals come first and in winning games, breeds confidence throughout the rest of the players. Will Still was clearly at fault yesterday with his match day squad and then questionable substitutions, but we were also unlucky with illness. When performances have been poor, that was the last thing we needed. Do we really think another manager will turn it around. I'm not so sure, yet. I think as I have done right from the start of this season, before a ball was even kicked; forget promotion this season, as that's just papering over the cracks, we need to keep investing in the squad ready for the 2026/27 season. Our attention should be on pushing Sports Republic more, not accepting what we see and letting them know, to keep them focused on investing. We need to stop thinking short term and just turning our frustrations on sacking another manager, but think longer term.

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bryanK added 15:46 - Oct 26 As I have previous said this group of players do not know how to win. I like many contributors dearly wanted this Manager to succeed but sadly this is not happening. The introduction of Stephens was bizarre and no one will agree with Still. In conclusion the result driven agenda will consume us all.
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YosemiteSaint added 18:57 - Oct 26 I don't see us being promoted, so perhaps this season young Will is just learning on the job (provided he doesn't relegate us, of course).
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Colburn added 19:13 - Oct 26 We put in place a 32 year old who hasn’t played the game, has zero experience in English football and we were expecting him to manage a team with aspirations of returning to the biggest and toughest league in the world… it was madness in hindsight. I agree we shouldn’t have given new contracts to McCarthy and Stephens, we desperately needed a new keeper and a decent striker like Thomas Asante. The board and Spors have not delivered anything like the quality we need with half of the purchases. We play a wing back system with no wing backs in the squad and Still doesn’t think the issue is the system yet we are constantly overrun in midfield by inferior teams. Each game has become so predictable and the decisions become stranger and more harmful by the week. I think there are far better options out there for us than Still, he’s clearly out of his depth and it’s a step too early in his career.

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SNPMT added 22:40 - Oct 26 Re: McCarthy. If Bazunu were in the goal, they'd have shipped four in the first half. A keeper is not meant to catch close-range shots - he is meant to make himself big, take the angles away and block the shot. As for the first goal, Manning set up the perfect screen for the shooter and then ducked under the ball, Charles sat off him by yards, and Quarshie was backing in on his own goal. On the second, McCarthy made the save and five Saints pylons watched the rebound be put away. These guys can't defend and/or aren't playing for each other.

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