Wolves arrived at Saints a struggling side and left with their 3rd successive Premier League victory at St Mary's in a game where they attacked just five times, but unlike the home side they managed to convert one of those chances.

The only surprise when looking at the stats is that Saints only had 57 % possession, it seemed like far more and highlighted how little appetite for getting forward the visitors actually had.

They spent much of the game timewasting and their game plan was simple don't concede a goal and hope they nick one at the other end,

This happened in the 61st minute and from then on they barely left their half again until the final seconds of injury time when they caught Saints on the break but Alex McCarthy saved well.

Alex McCarthy was called into action just three times, a good early save, the 61st minute goal that should have been prevented although Raul Jiminez took his goal well and that 95thm minute effort.

For the rest of the game it was all Saints pouring forward, but in the main failing to cash in and turn chances into goals. 18 attempts but only 6 on target tells you the story of the game.

If Saints had got the first goal then the game would have been far different, Wolves would have had to abandon their game plan and open up, but they didn't and the final half hour was a display of faking injury and timewasting that was purely embarrassing, just as shameful was that referee Andy Madley allowed them to get away with it and failed to show a yellow card even once.

But the timewasting wasn't the reason we lost, it came down to a lack of good chances up front and a failure to finish when we had the chance, we moved the ball well but couldn't in the main generate a decent chance.

I said in the preview we need to get one on one more often, but we failed to do that.

This was always going to be a tough game, in truth we don't like playing against sides who sit back and invite us on, we are better set up to be able to hold our own back line and then break with pace.

When we made the first change on 64 minutes I thought we took the wrong wide man off, many will disagree but Nathan Redmond looked far more likely to both create and score than Moi Elyounoussi, Redmond has some end product, perhaps he might be better suited as an impact player, but at least in most games he get a chance himself and makes them for others.

Bringing on Broja for Adams was a straight swap on 64 minutes and made sense for 10 minutes, I can see why Long came on for Walker Peters for the last 16 minutes, but if we were going to do that surely better to have left Adams on the pitch in the first place.

This was a disappointing defeat, one that now leaves us staring over our shoulders especially as the next game is at Chelsea, but it isn't a terminal blow, we can look at the game and take some plus's from it, yes there was a lack of imagination going forward, but we weren't outplayed we controlled the game and just got caught out the once.

We seem to have solved the issues we had at the back last season, but at the expense of scoring goals, we need something different at times, getting Stuart Armstrong back will be a big boost, he can drive at sides and score, too often on Sunday we got down the byeline well and crossed, but this was bread and butter for a Wolves side with 9 men in its own penalty area, this was a game where we had to drive at the heart of the defence and we didn't.

But there are 32 games still left, we lost this one we just need to get that first win and get up and running.

Photo: Action Images

JoeEgg added 21:06 - Sep 27 I'm coming late to the party and reading just about every possible and different viewpoint that you could imagine! With Chelsea next things are not going to get easier for Ralph. I predicted trouble taking on Wolves and took a bet on Saints failing to score - not difficult to foresee was it? I like Nick's site and lets face it when you compare Nick's column with some of the other utter rubbish claiming to be reporting Saints news on our social media, I am very thankful th

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JoeEgg added 21:22 - Sep 27 sorry for the false start! I'm coming late to the party and reading just about every possible and different viewpoint that you could imagine! With Chelsea next things are not going to get easier for Ralph. I predicted trouble taking on Wolves and took a bet on Saints failing to score - not difficult to foresee was it? I like Nick's site and lets face it when you compare Nick's column with some of the other utter rubbish claiming to be reporting Saints news on our social media, I am very thankful that he provides an honest reflection of the club's activities progress albeit with a rather rose-tinted viewpoint! I see Ralph as a very lonely figure out there who I think was spoilt by that fabulous run midseason when he seemed to be able to do no wrong. After the Liverpool 'beating the ground' performance everything - and I mean everything- went wrong. I firmly believe that he lost the respect of both Ings and Vestergard, and in return was confident he could progress just as well without them. Well Vestergard maybe - though he was always a great target man from set pieces - but Danny Ings was the goal scorer and constant threat to the opposition that is almost impossible to replace. So Ralph is floundering, playing players out of position, adopting strange tactics that dont seem to suit the style of Armstrong and Adams, and still uncertain of his best team. So who does he talk to or consult? The backup team he has looks very lightweight to put it politely, and the B team results suggest he isn't receiving much assistance there either. It may only be temporary but Eddie Howe is available to bring in to work alongside Ralph - to give the guy someone to bounce his ideas off and listen to the advice of someone who knows the English Premier league well. Will it happen? Probably not but Ralph looks lost and needs a great deal more support than he is currently getting.

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KriSaint added 23:33 - Sep 27 I think Danny Röhl, our former assistant manager, is assistant manager for Germany's national team. He was present at the North London derby sitting next to national team manager, Hansi Flick. Ralph never got a proper assistant in for Danny Röhl, and I feel our current coach staff does not bring much to the table. I'm still backing Ralph, but he needs more help. From someone like Peter Taylor (r.i.p.), Brian Cloughs multi-talented assistant at Derby and Nottingham Forest.

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Number_58 added 09:20 - Sep 28 Pintsizedsaint: where are these 'aggressive' posts towards the author of the match reports?
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onetowatch added 09:56 - Sep 28 Just wanted to add, I'm still mystified reading so many of these comments, where there is a common theme of Redmond criticism, referring to his slowing the play down etc., when for the 2nd half of last season and the games so far in this, JWP has been the biggest culprit of having an aversion to trying to get the ball forward quickly. Last season he continually played the ball square or backwards to either JV or SA, passing on the responsibility to get the ball forward and at the same time allowing the opposition time to re-organise. I have no issue with the airing of views, that's the whole purpose of such a site as this, but how, for some reason some players are exempt for criticism whilst others, often playing better , are lambasted is frustrating to read.. Add JWPs inability to add 'presence' in the midfield, particularly in a tackle and you will see that our soft centre is at the core of our problems....

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InsideOut added 12:18 - Sep 28 First time for a while that I've been able to see the whole Saints game. I have to admit that my impressions of it mirror exactly what Nick wrote in his verdit. I hope we progress as the team settles in more. Being solid at the back provides a bit of confidence that results will improve.
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davidargyll added 13:26 - Sep 28 Sorry to post again but I do agree that JWP looked very lethargic. I wonder whether he might have a slight injury? And his free kicks were moderate as well, including the one in H2 which was easily saved. Conspiracy theory: with SA injured, RH cannot afford to have them both out at the same time, so JWP plays at half throttle and is left out of the league cup game against SU…

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pintsizedsaint added 13:31 - Sep 28 Number 58 - there are a small number of posters who regularly start their post by accusing Nick of various things, including have an agenda against certain players etc. alongside personal criticisms (writing styles, presentation or spelling etc). I have also seen times when the same posters have accused Nick of being employed by SFC or having an “apologist” agenda. These have been getting steadily worse, and amount to a passive-aggressive sledge regardless of what Nick has written. As I say, whilst people have the right to disagree with the author on his view of the game (and how SFC is set up etc) they have no right to continually have a dig at the author, who (I suspect) spends a considerable amount of his own free time putting this site together and supporting his team. If you don’t like his site - or how he states his opinions - go set up your own. Personally, whilst I sometimes disagree with Nick on his view of the game or players, he has always put across his view reasonably and with evidence to back it up.

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felly1 added 17:29 - Sep 28 Pint-sized saint, are you Nicks mum?
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Block8 added 21:05 - Sep 28 Play players in their correct position, look at other tactics. Shoot from edge of box, transition more rapidly and play our best attacking options? Seems reasonable! On this occasion both defences were error strewn, both attacks were toothless. One piece of attacking skill aided by poor, poor defending decided a dreadful game. Both sides will struggle unless they improve massively!

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ItchenNorth added 23:17 - Sep 28 I don't get the negativity towards Ralph. What's he supposed to do with virtually no money to spend compared to the top half of the table, let alone the mega rich top 4-5. What do we want, a good season like Huddersfield or Sheffield Utd to make us feel better for a short period of time ? Where are they now and many other clubs who have had their season of over achievement? He's kept us in the Premier League each season he's been in charge and at times the football has been raved about. He takes the cups seriously and this has to be our primary target. If we think changing managers ever other season is a plan, forget it. Sure we all like some players, get frustrated with others, debate team selection of formation but we are a pretty stable club in the grand scheme of things who"s history has almost exclusively been in the top division now for 30 years. Get behind the manager, get behind the team. COYR.

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Peterx added 19:56 - Sep 30 Not great but we would have lost this game 3-0 last season letting in soft goals when we were chasing it. By far the most depressing result this season though. Che snatching at his shots and AA cant get power into his shots seemingly based on the amount of work he is doing. Moussa has the Boufal about him by trying to beat the same man multiple times rather than getting quick crosses in. Painful.

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