Charlie Wayman

Probably, you are right. The diamond should be used mainly to stifle mid-field and gain ball possession mainly when we are being over-run by the opposition which evidently was not the case in any of our games so far. Negatively a diamond leaves no outlets once we win the ball back. Adkins loved it but knew when to employ it and when not, against second rate opposition with little or no threat we don't need to use it. What worries me is that we are not practising 4-3-3 and not moving the ball to feet anywhere near fast enough... and not getting any better at holding the ball and taking responsibility (except VVD of course).

Probably, you are right. The diamond should be used mainly to stifle mid-field and gain ball possession mainly when we are being over-run by the opposition which evidently was not the case in any of our games so far. Negatively a diamond leaves no outlets once we win the ball back. Adkins loved it but knew when to employ it and when not, against second rate opposition with little or no threat we don't need to use it. What worries me is that we are not practising 4-3-3 and not moving the ball to feet anywhere near fast enough... and not getting any better at holding the ball and taking responsibility (except VVD of course).

What was that all about? We are frankly looking clueless in mid-filed and up front. Not a spark in 4 games and no obvious plan or creativity. Too many safe square and back passes, doesn't anybody want to take responsibility other than VVD? All very pedestrian and predictable. At least Romeu and Clasie are looking better. Where are Davis and Bertrand, leaving it until Wednesday is leaving it a bit late to say the least.

If we draw every match 0-0 our points haul will be 38, less than the target 40 that usually signals safety.

Do you not understand Irony?

But they haven't been able to hang onto Kante & Mahrez have they.

Most will pick a team that includes their favourites and excludes their own scapegoats. No doubt we mostly agree on the on-paper best starting XI but this close season has produced its own uncertainties because of Euro 16 and our manager swap in the midst of it so picking a starting XI for the first PL game will be a massive headache for Puel. Worryingly for him he has not seen 6 of the club's automatic first choices in serious match action so what does he do, take a flyer or be cautious? After all he too will be out to impress Les Reed and the Board and get off to a flying start, 3 points from the Watford game are pretty much a requirement of his job. Those are the questions. Were it me, I'd take a risk on the returning 6 doing their job, Watford is as good as a six-pointer bearing in mind the tough start we have and we cannot afford to stuff it up.

Totally agree with you, indeed that are plenty of rules in the book already protecting referees so do we really need another? Inconsistency of enforcement through poor judgement or cowardice will no doubt see this rule flouted and ignored as much as all the others. Players always excuse their own bad behaviour by saying that they "lost their heads in the heat of the moment" but let's face it there are some really bad lads out there on the pitch who are adept at doing nasty things when the ref isn't looking or is too far away to be heard clearly. On the one hand it would be nice to see a string of red cards with a concomitant reduction of refs being hassled at every whistle blowing incident, on the other we don't want to end up 6-a-side either. We wait with interest, my bet is we won't notice any difference for all of the above reasons.

This is really excellent news, there must have been quite a few Premier League clubs sniffing around for his services. As we saw last year, Dave is rather more than a goalkeeping coach and at times seemed to be the main man in the technical area re-rorganising the defence and generally voicing encouragement to the team. Perhaps the club sees potential in Dave Watson to be our first team coach one day in the not too distant future?

Can't you ever add a constructive thought rather than exist only to insult everyone else on here? Do you ever have anything useful or interesting to say?

So who gets left out of mid-field? The three playing yesterday looked settled and good with a good understanding already so on this showing will be first choice to start so where will Davis & Højbjerg fit in? If the six Euro 16 absentees do not get game time in Holland, will they be automatic starters or will they have to fight for their places and how will this affect this pre-season bonding? Wonder how we'll line up against Watford, will Puel place faith in what he has seen in pre-season or take a flyer on the returning internationals doing their stuff from the get-go? There are some big challenges ahead for M Puel.

Takes one to know one, pri.ck!

They think Jeremy Corbin is a good leader and will make a good Prime Minister....

There is some really excellent stuff on the OS but it is awful to navigate. The best bit by far for me is the You Tube space where new videos are posted more or less on a daily basis, those that can't be Rrsed to use the OS are missing out big time, how can anybody claim to be a supporter and not follow the OS everyday to keep in touch? Shane Long's interview today is unmissable if you really worry about the new season. Let's be honest most of what is written on here is speculative nonsense and if a certain type of person prefers to indulge in that without balancing it with a few facts from the OS than more fool them.

Er... um... yes? I read a FA book of football tactics once written by Howard Wilkinson when he was their technical director and much-hailed whizz, when England played really well and one a couple of World Cups and the odd European Championship. My view of tactics and tactical formations has been coloured by that book ever since. It is all total mumbo-jumbo and utter c.r.a.p! With a few exceptions most footballers will find it a bit of a stretch to understand what a coach is talking about when formations are presented on a white board, even if they can concentrate hard enough for long enough to take any of it in. As for remembering in detail and understanding their individual roles and responsibilities in a live match situation to ensure that switching from anything other than a basic 4-3-3 doesn't end up as an on-field organisational chaotic mess is stretching credibility too far. Old generals will tell you that War Plan A ends the minute the first shot is fired in anger because no matter how detailed the planning, they have no idea what the opposition has planned or how it will respond. How often do we see in football any shift in the balance or pattern of play at any time other than sometimes at half-time when managers get 20 minutes with their players to explain a plan B, because by that time he has realised that his own Plan A hasn't worked? Sometimes they get away with it if the opposition is on top and the oppo's manger just advises "more of the same". More often than not in my experience when you get managers forever shouting instructions from the side-lines to change things around a team falls apart in confusion rather than for anything useful being achieved.

It is somewhat optimistic to conclude that KL will be around for "some time yet" based on a few obligatory kind words to preface your new book. Did you actually meet her and ask the question or was it all arranged though phone-calls and PM's? A company boss who really has a heart or a heartless politician? We'll see when the inevitable turn of our fortunes descends upon us and will fans be so keen and loyal to the owners when put to the same test? Everyone is your friend when you smile! I am less cynical about the Lambert contribution, surely your next book should be about his story at Saints, almost a biography if you will and I will buy the first 10 copies. The rise and rise of our club like the Phoenix from the flames would be nicely encapsulated by the story of Davis, Fonte & Lambert, three of the nicest guys ever to wear a Saints shirt. If we can find a non-job for Kelvin just to stand around, smile and lark around a bit, then surely we can find a role for Ricky - like explaining to our strikers and attacking mid-fielders the relationship between the ball and the back of the net and the desirability of bringing the two together more than once in a blue moon?

You can be sure of one thing, if the club does allow Matt to go out on loan it will be a clear sign that they don't rate him as good enough for us and what will that do for his morale - and loyalty - a young local lad who wanted nothing more in life than to be playing for his beloved Saints. If ever there was a one-club man in the making, Matt surely must be him. ....and, what happens when inevitably Ryan gets injured again or gets red-carded? A loan is a loan and they can't just call Matt back for a couple of weeks to help out, no team will want to be ****,ed about like that and nor will any player. Now, if both the invisible manager and the recently departed have concluded that Matt just cannot make the grade then fair enough, they know or should know a hell of a lot more about footballers than any of us then let him go but it would have to be a transfer as he could never again come back here and feel the same way about the club who he once loved but ended up shaftin'g him.

Bit of both needed really.

Forster, Bertrand, Long & Davis are all back from hols, the US jaunt is over yet no news or pics at all on OS of training at Matchwood? Seems a bit odd we usually get this stuff rammed down our throats every day with a scattering of player interviews. Sudden gagging order? What's going on up there iris too hot from them to run around a bit?

Nope to this one. I'll wait for the real thing.

There seems to be a worrying lack of momentum in this pre-season, partly it must be said because of the Euros but that is not the only reason. The Dutch tour is obviously something that was set up by/for Koeman and has a distinct 'old regime' feel about it. So far we have seen or heard little from Puel (the invisible man?), certainly no sign of the charismatic leadership that both the players and fans need to build excitement and anticipation of a bold new venture. Despite the departures of several key players from the last campaign the club have given little sign that we will replace them - it is possible of course that recruitment is far more difficult nowadays, that potential incoming players hesitate because so many others have left and we have a relatively unknown coaching team. With 20 days to go before kick-off we seem to be leaving it a little late to pull everything together in time and many must sense that we are about to enter an important new season with an engine that has not been properly maintained and is not firing on all cylinders. To me it seems that Koeman's departure was so abrupt that the club had no plan B and whilst Puel may turn out to be a super coach in his own right he seems unable to provide that big personality feel (Boris Johnson) that grabs people's attention and convinces that the impossible may be possible.

No doubt Gaston wanted to stay? No doubt Deano wanted to stay? No doubt Chappers wanted to stay? Cuts both ways. It's not one way fickle and cut-throat.

...who happens to be the mentor of our new manager, whose name still escapes me.

That's not true 'though is it? This choice was forced upon him by Wenger only. Saints could let him do both roles but come on lads, it ain't going to happen the guy's a Londoner and a superstar and probably only ever found his way to Southampton because he was on a coach to SMS.