vectraman

100% agree. No point in doing all the hard work in getting to the group stages and then not taking it seriously. We won't go down, let's go for it. Let's go for it in all the cups. If not what is the point? I'm really looking forward to Thursday, my first ever European game, what's not to like!

If Arsenal score early on the heads will drop, 4-0. If we can battle away and keep it goalless until half time, we have a chance as the pressure will be on them. 0-0. Fingers crossed!

Hope the club are right...

Double posted - can't delete it!

1. Man City 2. Man U 3. Chelsea 4. Spurs 5 Liverpool 6 Arsenal Relegated - Hull, Burnley, Bournemouth Saints 14th if we persevere with the diamond Saints 8th if we throw the diamond in the bin!

I totally agree with your observations regarding playing the ball out short constantly from the 'keeper. It, when it worked was incredibly boring watching it go across the back four and back to the keeper, sometimes via a midfielder, who then played it backwards. My thought whilst watching us methodically plodding it across the pitch was this - what happens against a high pressing side who don't give you any time on the ball? What is the plan B going to look like then? Can't go long as the players are too small to win & keep the ball upfront. What then Claude? I think half decent teams will very quickly cotton on to our one dimensional system, and stop us playing keep ball. Several times against Sunderland Fraser played short balls out and we did not look at all comfortable dealing with it. Clearly it's the new system they are being instructed to play, but currently it looks so limited and limiting! Thoughts?

But 5 points down on the same three fixtures last season...

I'm at the game and I couldn't wait for half time. Puel needs to motivate this team for a big second half. Tap tap across the back, slowly inch forward, then back again. It's the formation that's to blame, not the players. Atmosphere dead, as there is nothing to cheer. Get Redmond wide right, tadic wide left and Austin in the middle. Some limited booing at ht, aimed I believe at the manager rather than the team. Has got to get better. Ps can we sign Defoe please, he is the best player on the pitch!

Anytime that England are playing in a tournament, the inevitable 1966 references start to be spouted out. Motty is the worst for this. For christ's sake it was 50 years ago, move on.

Hojbjerg may be 6'1" tall, but Vic was 6'1" wide... That's where his physical presence lay.

Apart from we'd lose probably every Europa game, making the whole excitement of making the group stage irrelevant. I want us to do well in the competition...

It would be nice to sign a couple of players who have proven Premier League quality. Gambling on cheaper foreign imports with no PL experience, just because they may be value added in a couple of years time, is, in my opinion getting more risky. How about YaYa Toure on loan - sorts DM out, Berahino up front - definite improved options up front. Both would be exciting too I know it won't happen, but I can dream... I think WBA signing Everton's Galloway on loan is good for them, he looked mustard against us at home last season. It is concerning how physically short our side has become this season. We'll be getting bullied in games constantly because we have no size or physical presence. I hope whoever we get in hits the ground running though, we sure do need an on field boost. Beat Sunderland on Saturday and things will seem so much better. Hopefully Puel will relent with the diamond obsession and get some wingers out wide , Austin and Long in the middle and get back to doing what we can do, crosses. Tadic left, Redmond right, happy days. Charlie Austin needs to play in the middle with Long off of him, so both can be allowed to do what they do well. Austin is a very good striker - if we play him in the right place! How many chances to start has he has since he joined us? Played in his best position he would be like a new striker, we must give him a decent run in the side I believe. I was genuinely excited when we signed him, I still believe he can do it for us.

He would be great. However Puel has ruled out signing a striker in an interview when he stated our striking options were fine, and we wouldn't be signing one. We will be looking at attacking midfielders, but not strikers.....

Blast from the '80's Five star System addict...

No goal threat. Didn't work their keeper at all

We are looking very decent so far. Come on Saints f**k them over

Yes, Exactly. Leave it late, maximise profit. Sell early, no competition. Weird. Now we are wait, can't sign anyone, don't want to pay the going rate, can't sign anyone. We sold too early, too readily. Now need to pay a premium to get anyone. To me, crap planning. In demand product, hold on to it. We need to be hard arsed about things. Mane is a player well worth his price tag. Liverpool ultimately have a bargain, even at £30 million. Game changer was Mane. Redmond will get there, will take several years. Next year it will be vvd. Long contracts haha. He will be gone, we all know it, and he is better by far than 42 million Stones. £50 million or no deal. But no. We will roll over first week and sell. Pi**es me off how soft we are selling. Get some balls les. We have the product they all want. Play hard ball, or forget it. Dare I say it as per stones and lukaku. Pay up or F off ?

Agreed. We'll find out how good we are tonight. As long as we don't concede early on, we'll be competitive. Concede early, hammering...

Well it must be my time to upset many of the posters on here. I buy a season ticket because I want to watch Saints win. I know we can't win every week, I know we'll typically struggle against the bigger teams. As long as we can win against them every now and again (Arsenal at home, Chelsea away, Man U away last season) I don't think we can complain. However, the idea of in theory not buying 'good' players because they might block the academy pathway I don't like. If the academy players are good enough they'll get a chance. JWP and Targett are not good enough to be first 11 starters. They are okay as fillers to cover injury, but I look forward to Bertrand and Hojberg (Spelling!) keeping them out of the side. Why? Because they are clearly better players. I want Saints to field their best team available out for each match. I don't want 'youngsters' put in to blood them, if they are worse than our first 11/12/13. I want us to go for it in the league cup. No weak side, go for it. Try and win it. No kids, it might allow us to lose and another chance to win something will be gone. It doesn't bother me if our players come through the academy or not. Not bothered. If they are good enough to be in the first team then great, but if not so what? I don't watch the youth team, no interest in it. Couldn't name most of the players, wouldn't recognise them either. Just like I have never heard of most of the players we are 'linked' with on the transfer rumour thread. I want us to improve the team by bringing in players good enough to walk into the first team. If it blocks an academy player so what? I want us to improve, not get worse to allow youth a chance. I don't post much, but love reading the posts on here, it is a great place with some knowledgeable people on here. But I don't understand the happy clapping obsession with the youth team. Maybe I'm just a one off weirdo? Maybe others feel the same?

But more realistic would be - if Spurs offered a straight swap no strings - Romeu for Wanyama? That is how we started on Saturday.....

Mane has just scored a cracker for Liverpool. That is what he offered that we are going to miss badly - his ability to score from nothing. I believe Liverpool mugged us off at £30 million for him. We should have held out for £40+ and just told them that's the price, take it or leave it. Just like Everton have done with Lukaku. If it doesn't come off you keep a brilliant player, if it does you're better off! We're too quick to sell, too slow to buy.....

Just got home and reflecting on the action I saw.... First half - oh my goodness, just woeful. The formation is horrible to watch, very narrow, midfield is congested, no outlets out wide to play the ball to. Forwards all over the place offering no penetration, passing was awful, constantly giving the ball away. We are a physically 'small' team, half the problem was Watford bullied us, we had no substance in the middle. Davis, jwp, Romeo all had off days, and offered nothing to the attacking potential of the team. Watford's goal was just poor defending - just like Everton last year, we badly miss Bertrand, and also missed Fonte as well. I get the impression if we had been playing a decent side, we'd have been buried in the first half, fortunately it was Watford who I predict will struggle this season. Second half started similarly, possession, passing backwards, across the back with no forward penetration. Good for stats, poor at winning games when you are a goal down! Jwp going off was the catalyst for improvement - hoijberg is class and should be a shoe in starter every game. He passed superbly, not giving it away at all, quality. We started to get a bit of width, the game was crying out for it. Targett done ok going forward, and pied looked better than adequate as well. Cedric was simply awful, he made pied look like Roberto Carlos in comparison! Longs doggedness changed the game - his chasing through forced the Watford foul and the red card. That gave us the extra space to work with. Redmond needs to play out wide, he and long do not look like a strike partnership, and I don't like the weird positions the forwards take up. Just a weird, forced system that we really don't need - imo of course. Got the goal, looked like we might go on and win it, but no. Very few clear shots on goal. Gomes was pretty uncalled on for all our shots stats. Just goes to prove - stats are for reading, goals for winning! 2/10 first half, 6/10 second half. Remember, this was Watford who we easily swatted aside back in January.....sterner tests to come.

All possession without purpose Cedric awful, thank God vvd is so good. Terrible to watch, congested, getting in each other's way. We are playing as though it is still preseason..... Get Austin on in the middle for gods sake....

It'll be interesting, two new managers both unproven in the premier league, both teams with new players, and Saints without our first choice left back playing a new system which is not fluid yet.... If I was Watford's manager, I'd be giving our left back a severe workout with a pacy forward and right wingback combo. Targett looked very vulnerable to pace last season, and fonte may not be there either to help out. Mind you I've no idea what Watford's players are like - they were certainly poor back January on a cold wet night! Prediction 1-1.

I agree. Messi, Ronaldo, Aguero, Suarez etc are World class. Fonts, Cedric are good international players, but not worldies!