SaveloyMush

Does that rhyme with Jemima? As I wrote on another thread (and for which I was called out): ( Romeu + Lemina ) > ( Schneiderlin + Wanyama )

But we are talking about technically perfect deliveries... I would guess Sigurdsson's conversion ratio is rather higher than 3%, to give but one example.

How many goals have been scored, directly or indirectly, from his technically perfect set-piece deliveries in the last 6 years?

I do think it is important to give credit to Watford for their attacking play, it was genuinely exciting to watch at times and they will put plenty of goals past teams better than Southampton. Bit hard to comment on their defence after watching them against Saints' macramé forward play though...

Exactly, Saints don't have any midfielders who can do that, rather obviating the need for a striker who can bring the midfield into play, no? The team need at least one player who can stick the ball in the net and Austin is the best available at present. He can also be relied on to score penalties. If van Dijk ever does play again for the first team, I would have him concentrate on headers from corners and get the wingers and full-backs to play for corners off defenders, can't see goals coming any other way. Yoshi has a good go, but is usually a bit off-target, I reckon he ran over a black cat or whatever the Japanese equivalent might be, such is his lack of luck at times.

Looking at the line-up for tonight's U23 match, it seems clear that the club remains committed to a 4-2-3-1 formation. Recruitment has also been focussed on this set-up, hence our having so many so-called attacked-minded midfielders and relatively few out-and-out strikers. Shame it doesn't work...Those of us afflicted with Derryitis (including myself) look likely to remain frustrated for another season at least. Let's hope sufficient goals come out of this to keep the club in the top tier...

Watching Match Of The Day, nearly all goals are scored one of 3 ways: from a quick ball in from the wing being met by a striker moving at the right time; by a threaded 20 or 30 yard pass from midfield, picking up a clever run from a forward; or from a set-piece. No other team tries to pass it into net, having left the opposition dizzy with the number of touches all over the pitch, like Spain of the last decade. Saints' macramé football does not work, it allows too much time for the opposition to make a cup of tea, have a siesta and get back into defensive position. The worry is that the current squad can't play any other way; certainly they don't seem adept at scoring by any of the means of the other Premier League teams. As I wrote in a previous post, the squad won't be changing anytime soon. I am beginning to think that van Dijk playing up front isn't as daft as it sounds...

Does he whisper sweet nothings in his ear?

Indeed, I seem to have caught it too...

How much longer do I have read about the Tadic/Redmond/Ward-Prowse/Boufal conundrum? They are ALL hopeless. Davis just about gets a let-off, but I still don't think he is good enough any longer for an aspiring Premier League team. Long provided the only threat today, everything's relative of course. Austin did about as much as Gabbiadini, ie zero. Poor Manolo - this is an international standard footballer, what must he be thinking? It is all very well banging on about the need for better players, but they ain't coming, the squad is all Pellegrino has. So ditch the formation which doesn't suit the personnel available - why copy Puel's much-derided mistakes? If you can't score, you can't win; if you can't score and can't keep clean sheets regularly, you are going to get relegated - you cannae change the laws of mathematics. I too sense a deep discord in the ranks. Bertrand seemed to give up after 60 minutes, Redmond gave the manager a mouthful (and should be dropped as a consequence of that alone, never mind for his useless performance). Romeu had a stinker and terminators are not supposed to have feelings, so things must be bad. Is Hoedt Stephens' big brother? They look quite similar and both clearly know how to play football, but both seem to suffer the same whiff of brain-f@rt. Forster... Cedric came out smelling, if not of roses, at least not of horse. He was outstanding in defence today and added something to his inevitable price-tag, he continues to improve from an already high level. And Watford? Big, strong, fit, organised and playing for each other. They didn't weave our pretty midfield and back to the keeper patterns, but they are not paid for macramé. What they did was play direct, aggressive and successful football, some of their stuff was genuinely good to watch, helped in no small part by a schoolboy opposition. Give it time? Give it a rest! Effectively this rut is more than 6 months old and is only getting deeper; formation needs to change, non-performers need to be dropped. Someone please at least give the team a semblance of a plan, for today I saw none.

I think this is correct. I don't expect Bertrand to be around come February and McQueen and Targett are both better wing-backs than full-backs. I also imagine that Cedric will be gone this time next year, Pied is a converted winger anyway and, at a push and for the die-hards, Ward-Prowse could play right wing-back too. If it's 3-5-2, then the Højbjerg who looked so good in pre-season 2016 could play a role alongside Romeu and Lemina. I don't see another full-on striker coming anytime soon, I still believe that 2 from our current 3 (or even all 3 in a 3-4-3...) would work.

I hope there is a big sell-on clause in Mané's contract...

Already gone, in his own head. Time to play 3 at the back and add polish to McQueen and Targett. Cedric may not be far behind...

Can't argue with that. I don't think Southampton has the players to play 4 lines; link-up is poor, there is no directness to the play and the opposition always has time to get organised in defence without the fear of the killer pass and run into a scoring area. Play 4-3-3, 4-4-2 or my preferred option (subject to LOTS of training, after last night's shambles) 3-4-3. Romeu often looks for a forward pass, Lemina appears to have the potential as a box-to-box player, we have decent players at full-back/wing back (I think Bertrand in particular is better as the latter, though he could make up one of a back three). Boufal seems to get bored after 60 minutes, I don't see him as anything other than an impact substitute. Redmond tries hard but, again, better to come on against tired legs. Anyone fancy organising a whip-round for Tadic's flight to Italy? There is so much debate about who to play out of Tadic, Redmond and Boufal. I am with Derry in saying none of them!

Mike Reid?

Well, that's one less thing to worry about. Given the run to Wembley last year, was Puel secretly brought back to coach the Cup teams? After all, no-one seems to know where of his whereabouts...It certainly felt like 2016 at times. What was that formation? 3-6-1? I don't think the players had a clue who was supposed to be doing what. Surely Tadic's appearance tonight was his last-chance interview, prior to being shipped out? He failed, by the way. Romeu his usual one-man midfield machine; just as well, given that he seemed to be playing alone a lot of the time, both in defence and attack. Ward-Prowse should never, ever play in central midfield again. He has bulked up somewhat in the last few years, but now appears too bulky for his frame and is slower than ever. Bednarek looks a long, long way from Premier League quality. McQueen didn't look like much of a defender tonight; he didn't look great as a winger, either. Let's hope he's just rusty, he was far better last season. Pied looked good in pre-season, bar a few half-decent crosses tonight, he was woeful. Austin? There seemed to be an inert, amorphous blob somewhere near the front of the formation, was that him? And Wolves? Fair play to them, they were well drilled, stuck to their plan and had some nifty players offering proper football. If that was their second team, it's a good job Saints weren't up against their First XI...

( Romeu + Lemina ) > (Schneiderlin + Wanyama ).

I simply cannot understand why Barcelona aren't in for Virgil. I consider him good enough to play for any team in the World and I expect Koeman to be managing there in 2 years' time (unless his Everton project backfires spectacularly; I think he will succeed), at which point I would anticipate Barça making a move for a ball-playing Dutch centre-half. So why not cut out the middle-man (Liverpool/Chelsea/whoever) now? I don't think many Saints fans would begrudge Virgil this move, even if the timing and his behaviour leave a sour taste.

The manager instructed Yoshida to take the free kick.

Would you spend £70+m on potentially damaged goods? I am sure there would be interest from other top, top clubs in Virgil, had he played since his injury. As it is, both Saints and any potential suitor are spinning the wheel of fortune...

I sent a message to my absent fellow season-ticket holder a few minutes after kick-off, remarking on a clear difference in atmosphere around the ground, emanating from the pitch, the positivity was palpable. One bad apple etc...

I am convinced he was kept from playing in the UEFA league to ensure that he was not cup-tied and therefore remained more marketable; otherwise surely he would have been brought on at home against Be'er Sheva in place of a midfielder, to throw Van Dijk up front and cover defence with Yoshi? Reckon we would have won then too...Politics above performance.

With Swansea close to imploding under new ownership and management, surely this is the player that Saints should be coveting, rather than some fanciful (read unaffordable) strike weapon? Pure class, happy to play for a smaller club, as long as he is the big fish in the relatively small pond, a perfect fit at SMS.

Thanks, looking optimistic for 9am tomorrow then!

A question on semantics, if I may. Does "two domestic away games from the 2015/16 or 2016/17 seasons" mean that both games must have been attended in the same season, or would someone who had attended one away game in each of the aforementioned seasons qualify as at 9am tomorrow morning? Thanks.