Graffito

Just back. Haven't read the thread but quite sure many have questioned why Lambert was subbed, especially when Fulham looked dodgy at set pieces all game. A winnable game we didn't win. Normally positive about Saints but didn't like that at all. Two points thrown away.

Allow extra time if traveling from London. The usual Sunday malarkey. Anything up to 2h 44m from Waterloo.

So they're still behind us. Does this mean the club must be run on a commercial basis but they step if things go belly up?

Fair point but it's also about qualifying.

Agree the future revenue is pretty much assured but borrowing against parachute payments is a concern.

It's already happening. Against Everton, Lambert man marked Fellaini.

Go back to pre-season when it seemed the new system would involve a much more defensive approach which I assumed we'd be using away from home. The first league match against City it looked like those were the tactics being used and we were able to break from defence and cause the problems. There was a recognition in starting Lambert on the bench that there was little point in wearing him out as an isolated striker. Bringing him off the bench worked because he was fresh and he scored. Wigan was a flat performance with defensive errors that cost us though we did hit the woodwork twice. Manu - Good performance and the tactics were right. Adkins substitutions didn't come off but I would argue that Ferguson's subs and the inability to shackle Scholes were bigger factors in losing. Arsenal - game over before we got into our stride. Disaster all round. Aston Villa - No issues with tactics and good performance. Everton - only saw on a dodgy internet feed the period covering their goals (before I gave up and went down the shed!) but that together with the line up that started suggests we have moved away from trying to play more defensive and compact away from home. Recognition maybe that we don't have the players to play it. One final comment. Why don't we press the opposition more. The bit I saw yesterday we stood off and made Everton look better than they are.

I wouldn't recommend it. I was a guest of a contractor at last year's match with seats right near the director's box. Going down the stairs for a drink at half time two blokes in suits had to be separated before it came to blows. They were both West Ham so it might be wise to keep a lid on it.

Oh no the little bast@rd's in there! Bad omen.

Do what Leeds did to them.

Zonal relies on a keeper that dominates his 6 yard box. We haven't had that with Kelvin. Let's see how zonal marking goes with Gazzaniga and Boruc.

Yeah play Kelvin.

Taller fullbacks or maybe Lambert protecting the near post zone?

As with all these tactical theories which make a compelling case it's often in the execution they fail. But I believe Lambert said on the interview he did on Five Live's Monday Club that Saints used zonal marking successfully last year. So the quality of opposition is much better this season and I guess we are able to retain possession less well which means the ball is in the danger zones more frequently.

On what grounds do you exclude yourself from this description? Let me guess....you don't wear a replica shirt.

Quality first touch and great strike but tbh it was terrible defending.

They've been down as low as the Third Division.

I watched the highlights just now on Saints Player and Uncle Dave isnt keen either. I see the merits of zonal marking. It suits the kind of fluid systems teams use these days. There's a lot more man to man marking outside the PL and a lot more 442. I just think with Saints there's a case for mix and match, playing zonal with man to man marking at set pieces.

You'd stick him on the post.

With man for man marking there is a danger, I agree, that markers will be pulled about thereby isolating a shorter defender, as in the e.g. you mention against the Skates but it seems to me the zonal system allows teams to do that anyway without the need to pull our defenders around, as I indicated in the OP. Is the solution then as simple as taller players, in particular taller full backs?

The general opinion seems to be that Saints' poor defending is mainly due to sloppy individual errors but is zonal marking contributing to our defensive problems? Bent won an easy header against Fox in the build up to Villa's goal. Ok Fox didn't compete but it was a mismatch. We've seen other strikers target our smaller fullbacks, e.g Van Persie, and Lambert has done so frequently. I can see the benefit of zonal marking in keeping shape but is there are argument for man to man marking, if only at corners and free kicks?

In the Chelsea game did John Motson really say Ashley Cole "jerked it over Begovic"?

Why highlight a negative? Lallana had a really good game today.

Very impressed with Ramirez. He'll set the tempo for this team but I'm quite certain he'll be targeted by opponents.

Winning headers would be my only slight concern about him as he had a fine game. There were occasions where we appeared to let them have the headers when not in danger areas and then challenged for the second ball. Gazzaniga is well big enough to dominate his 6 yard box.