Nine months ago we thought things could not get any worse after a 3-0 debacle at Brentford, here we were again and it was a case of deja vu as Saints crashed to another defeat, so why has nothing changed ?

Their was not much celebration pre match when the team line ups were announced, it was good to see the two deadline day signings on the list, but why were they not in the starting line up ?

At the back it was another strange one, Bednarek a player who wanted nothing to do with the club 6 months ago walked straight back into the side and was paired with Salisu whilst Caleta-Car who had been playing well up to his red card and one game suspension and Bella Kotchap joined Orsic & Djenepo playing in the B team on Friday, either of the latter two would have been a better option off the bench than Theo Walcott.

Likewise why were the likes of Alcaraz and even Adam Armstrong left on the bench, whilst underachievers such as Elyounoussi & Edozie started the game

The stats showed Saints competed, even if the performance didn't and for much of the first half we stayed in it, albeit hanging on, Brentford are always going to get chances on the break and set pieces we just had to weather them, as we did at Everton

With 4 minutes to the break it looked like we would get into the dressing room on equal terms and be able to regroup in the 2nd half with some timely substitutions, but as at Goodison Park we failed to mark our men and gave away a free header and we were a goal down, that in itself was frustrating but to give away another goal only minutes later was unforgivable.

The game was all but over now and it was going to take a comeback of epic proportions to drag things back.

The two new boys came on at half time and showed some good touches, but ultimately we struggled to get them into the game.

For the first 20 minutes of the second we showed more industry, but on 65 minutes came the moment the fans turned on the manager, off went Lavia and the chants of you don't know what you're doing sparked up.

Jones excused his decision by saying that the player wasn't exactly bossing the midfield, that again is unforgivable you don't throw a youngster under the bus like that as a manager, what the fane were complaining about though was the Welshman's management of Lavia's game time, playing him against Blackpool and then leaving him out at Newcastle.

Theo Walcott coming on at the same time only served to rile the fans up more, nothing against Theo, but his form this season doesn't merit a place on the bench let alone coming off it.

The goal on 80 minutes saw a mass exodus and like last season unrest in the away section, but who can blame the fans.

Abuse in the first half was not called for but was there long before the goals went in, a singing "we are going down" etc is showing a lack of pride in the club and is embarrassing, other club's laugh at us, you don't get that at many other places.

No one can dress this up in any other way than as a debacle, it was a team with no organisation and no leader in the back four and that is where it has to start, just how many free headers do we have to give sides, teams know how to exploit us, stick a cross from a dead ball situation into out box just outside the six yard box and it's a free header.

I truly do not see how anything other than Jones leaving will save the situation now, his comments after the game were bizarre, he blamed everyone including himself, he showed that there is no unity in the team and what little there may have been and it did look like he had turned it round a few weeks back, will now have dissipated, throwing Lavia under the bus was deplorable.

In the meantime we have to do as Everton fans are doing, they are focusing on protesting before and after games, but getting behind their team during the game, this should be nothing new to older Saints fans, it is what we did 29 years ago when we protested against Ian Branfoot.

We should not descend into the scenes that we saw at Brentford both this and last season, we should back the team, even if we do not back the manager, if an individual cannot do that, then they should stay away or better still protest outside the ground for the duration of the match, that would make a point to the board.

The season is not over yet, there is a long way to go, Saturday made it a lot tougher, but if we get the right team out there all things are possible, but as was shown on Saturday, we have a manager who by his own admittance does not know what his best team is and is not in control.

Photo: Action Images

PezzaSaint added 15:50 - Feb 5 Nathan Jones is showing himself up to be a complete clown!
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Peterx added 16:48 - Feb 5 Can't understand why we didn't start Alacaraz, Lavia and JWP in midfield, that has to be the way forward in midfield surely? Let's at least see them operate together. Criminal that we have not tried this. If we do start Diallo he needs to be closer to 10 so that it does not cost us the game when he gets caught in possession (like he does often in every game when he plays). in times we over commit to the press with too many players it looks like to me, but if the press is beaten we are over exposed. JWP needs to play in Defensive Midfield more, we don't have the luxury of him playing further up the pitch, we need him part of the DM screen at least in the first 60. Don't think we would have conceded all of the headed goals if Lyanco had started and don't understand what Car has done to be left out. I would be starting Car and Salisu at CB and find a role for Lyanco when we are playing a side who are good in the air like Brentford. AA to me has to start for now, just his effort keeps the opposition honest and I would try him up front with the big lad. Another player I would rather see before some others is Moussa simply because he puts in the effort and I think you will find we have done OK when he has been on the pitch. Start with the harder working players and then we may still be in games after 60. Kamaldeen looks like a prospect. Can't say the Manager is filling me with confidence right now.

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JoeEgg added 16:54 - Feb 5 Well no point repeating all that has been already written above. I feel sorry for the fans, and especially sorry for those players who have just joined us - most will have had second thoughts anyway about joining the BOTTOM club in the Premier League and fearing relegation. What will they be thinking now? Our new signings must be totally bewildered. For Onuacho it was a dream come true. We need to get behind these players because if we lose them we are done. Take Salisu on Saturday who gave everything and more for our Club and deserves his own personal standing ovation when next he plays - assuming he doesn't get dispatched to the 'B' team. Somebody at the Club needs to stand up and explain why Nathan Jones was chosen in the first place. His post match comments about 'pandering' to the fans and others was just incredible and correctly slammed by Ian Wright and so many others. Now apparently he will choose the team he wants and play the way that suits HIM. Not if he's replaced before the end of the week he cant!!!!

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Farlow added 17:50 - Feb 5 I agree with Mattlegod the one bit that was looking more solid waere the 3 central defenders.Then he recalls Bednarek who was never tough enough and sticks him straight in the team.He didn,t recall Tella because he said we had Adam Armstrong a real underachiever Nick.We also did not need a championship standard right back.The final straw to me was bringing on Walcott who duly missed a sitter.We have to get rid now to give a new manager a chance NJ is not up to it.

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sandywelsh added 18:53 - Feb 5 Poor team selection and a Poor manager. He had 5 weeks during world cup to sort these players out. Sean Dyche has less than a week in charge and they beat the top of the league! They say get a Championship manager you will get Championship football and get a Premiership manager you will get Premiership football that says it all . We are Doomed to the Championship!!!!!

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landsdownsaint added 18:54 - Feb 5 theirs many that didn’t like RH on here but I never heard that man pass the Buck he did hint the likes of Che Adams should hit the target a bit more , we saw him break down after beating Liverpool & u could see what it meant , this guy is ain’t ain’t a saint and never will be even if he pulled a few results in , RH was one of us.
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Farlow added 19:39 - Feb 5 I agree with Mattlegod the only positive was that the 3 central defenders were beginning to perform as a unit.So we recall Bednarek who was never strong enough and Nogood Jones puts him straight back in the team. We dont recall Tella because Jones says we,ve got players like Adam Armstrong.Now theres an underachiever Nick.He still plays Direallo in stead of Alcaraz.To bring on Walcott was an absolute joke.

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Colburn added 20:49 - Feb 5 Not sure that starting 2 strangers in attack was ever on the cards having only been in the door for 2 days and couldn't train until they received work permits. Lavia had to come off as he was on a yellow and we don't want another Livramento scenario. That said, the post match comments were a bit odd, sounds like he is feeling the pressure.. Understandable really, inheriting a sinking ship of depressed players and a board who fail to see the significance of doing the business 4 weeks ago which might have seen us 4 points better off and in a cup final. However, I thought we looked better with Lyanco and Valets Car at the back and what the hell is Walcott doing still wearing a Saints shirt..? These decisions along with the strange comments are making me now think twice about Jones. Bednarek left because he wasn't as good as the others so why isn't he a back up, rather than starting? We must beat Wolves or we haven't got a hope, so he needs to get the team selection bang on.

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Saintaxidriver added 22:06 - Feb 5 OK here is an idea to chuck in the mix. How about make JWP player manager with a couple of old pros like Big Sam and Dean Smith to assist?
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blubberboy added 09:25 - Feb 6 I was one of those calling for RH to go and I stand by that - we had a year of poor results under Ralph and that was too much. I don't even entirely blame the board for appointing NJ; while his CV might not have been exactly stellar there was enough in there to suggest he might have something to offer. Unfortunately, it's now clear out he's totally out of his depth, stubbornly sticking with bewildering team selections, losing matches by half-time then claiming 'we we're better in the second half' after the opposition had the game in the bag. Above all, his constant bitching about the players gets my goat: blame ALWAYS stops with the manager, and Jones has as good as said that if the players can't play to his system he'll just keep doing it until they get it right. Yes, that might eventually happen but by then it'll be way too late to save our season, if we've not already passed that point. The test now is how SR deal with this. They have shown that they're prepared to chuck money at a problem so are they prepared to cut ties now and break the bank to get the manager we deserve? Personally I would rather have seen that 50 odd million spent on a decent manager than on players apparently brought in to warm the bench. I am convinced this squad is better than results suggest, so where now Sport Republic..?

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JoeEgg added 14:35 - Feb 6 Here's an interesting thought. Any new manager is a gamble, but the Brighton owner Tony Bloom is a professional gambler. By comparison, the owners of both Bournemouth and Southampton look rather like mug punters."
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Farlow added 15:28 - Feb 6 He has to go now
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