For me progression is an improved squad - if we still struggle because everyone else has also got improved squads - then fair enough. But I don't think we've improved our squad - the first 11 might be competitive - but I think our squad is relatively poor.

You’re talking net spend because both the scouse teams have sold players for vast amounts. Other than that they’ve both spent s*** loads more than us on new players in the transfer market. Look at Everton’s spend coming into the new season. Their quality was evident against us yesterday. Liverpool are dropping £75 million on defenders. It’s easy to play things down with net spend when they have players like Courtinho going out the door to balance the books.

Edited by Brentmiester_General (11 Feb 2018 6.02pm)

It's not simplistic in the slightest and I've listed detailed reasons over the course of years on these boards about where we are going wrong and what we can do to improve. Progression starts with the footballing culture at the club and our attitude towards improving in possession is quite frankly pathetic and hysterical when short term results don't go our way, we never stop to look at the bigger picture at all. The difference between clubs like Southampton and us is the principle and belief that their style of play will breed long term results and that will hold true regardless of if they go down or not. If they go down this season, which I highly doubt, they'll come straight back up because of their footballing philosophy & transfer policy, they have direction and a clear idea of how they want to play & what’s required to make that a reality. I'm not talking of a click your fingers and be better process, I'm talking of one that for once stops seeing short term results as the be all & end all of everything.

Southampton have had the second lowest net spend in the Premier League in the last 5 years, we've had the 5th highest. Higher than both Merseyside clubs. If that doesn't make you question why we have seemingly progressed very little then nothing will but I'd argue the "simplistic" way of looking at things is to believe that what's needed is to just keep throwing money at players & that somehow we'll end up seeing a massive upturn in fortunes. The fact we've spent so much in the transfer market and are still looking at surviving by the skin of our teeth should ring massive alarm bells and indicate behind the scenes there is something desperately not right about those in charge, and their strategies and ideas.

No one is "expecting" anything and perhaps breaking away from the medley of teams in and around it is tough but I think fans have every right to expect some form of progression in our style of play at the very least. When you look at the majority of examples, all progression results wise, long term, starts with how a team play's on the ball & in the modern game it is vital that we improve in that department. Failing to do so & like I said it's a matter of when and not if we go down. And personally I think that even if Roy does pull off the great escape this season, we are on our last lifeline of this type.

Edited by Mstrobez (11 Feb 2018 6.26pm)

Just read through this and its the same crap coming from the same doom and gloom crowd, most of the statements are based on the everton game,lack of knowledge and a sad life which looks at the negative sides because they lack any other ability to find positives.please tell me why Zaha is the only player that can save us as he has been crap lately, we have players coming back we have new players and you lot still think only one player can save us, sorry to burst your bubble we have had just as many chances to win without him as with him so if we lose the next 3 or 4 games which i dont think we will as the new signings are better than you lot think,so stop the negativity because that doesnt help the team if any player read things on this site they would never play for us again