captainchris

Wtf really.... Where is Sims? Not a look in and yet Ralph persists with Elly who is diabolical???? Elly must be Ronaldo in training, how can he persist with him - for what? Ralph seems to have ‘issues’ with many players which is starting to be alarming ..

Actually they played out from the back a lot in that game. I did not mention Everton or Leicester.... We did not press Cardiff.... We could have done but didn’t. We have have pressed less and less as the games have passed. Whilst you can say Cardiff got plenty behind the ball (much of it forced by our right back playing far too high) They did not kick it long all the time. You have to watch the game and just tar a team with no football brush... We allowed Cardiff to play quite a bit of football in that game.

Cardiff played out from the back most times and there was no press at all...!

Certainly agree - why has Ralph stopped the pressing - just odd....

Admittedly we have a very mediocre squad but.. Ralph did do well, however now he has dropped away.... We are not pressing any more, that has virtually stopped altogether, tactics and team selection have been odd too of late... It’s ok starting well, however it’s where you finish that matters and performances have certainly tailed away .... Why has Ralph also allowed himself to let his guard down for his own performance has dropped off too.... It’s time for Ralph to step up to the mark again, be bold and sort it out. I know the squad is poor but he has chosen to leave out our consistent, experienced players and most potent striker and been less than convincing in his justification. For me Ralph has dropped the baton and needs to pick it up again quick ...

No point in playing three at the back with Valery because he is no wing back/midfielder - in fact he cannot do it at all. For me Bednerak was poor against Cardiff and was evidently poor against Arsenal so he is by no means a sure starter. I would agree agree bring back Yoshi for definite. Armstrong flatters to deceive and needs to be much more agressive and make himself available more. In a more solid midfield we can accommodate him perhaps but definitely not with a three at the back. Maybe time for a fresh approach and Sims certainly comes to mind, he needs to be at least on the bench if not playing otherwise we have zero pace and even less creativity unless Armstrong is performing well. Bertrand needs to be back in with Targett used only in a wide forward midfield role where he is best suited. What we cannot do is press the ‘repeat’ button again because that will produce the sum total of F all and another Cardiff debacle where Ralph was left seriously wanting....

Slight exaggeration!

Yes certainly you would have to say that Elynoussi has been useless and question why Sims has been cast adrift ..... This picking Ling over Austin picking Elynoussi ever and dumping Gabbi make me think - hang on a minute is this guy really as good as I thought he was.... Add to that some quite suspect tactics against Cardiff and I am looking for a very strong performance this weekend ....

A good point. I think most of us can see that Watson has has a negative effect on all our goalkeepers. Doesn’t he do of the defensive coaching too which is also dire.... He should have gone in clear out.

I am one her constituents. Wtf does she think she is doing ... She does does the sum total of nothing in her own constituency and finds time to waste talking to a foreigner in another constituency- typical of her incompetence. What about the massive pollution in Hamble lady? What about looking after some important issues on your own patch like planning on the overcrowded over polluted Hamble peninsula just being waved through and wrecking the environment and quality of life??? Leave Saints alone ...!!!!

This is a very good point. However to compound the problem our full backs are too advanced and in particular Valery which leaves our midfield bare with no width and their full backs are then pushed too far back leaving no room for our forwards to make runs in behind. What also happens is our forwards end up coming deep to help the midfield and just to search out the ball which meant that on the odd occasion we did get it wide there was no one in the box to cross to. The three at the back system requires attacks to be built with full backs giving the midfield width deeper than they are so that you build the run in behind or the overlap.

Agree very promising indeed but needs good coaching and if it is Ralph’s specific instruction he is working to then Ralph needs to look at himself and get this right because it is seriously messing up our whole flow.

I like the way you study the game in some detail Mr. Whilst Valery may have been left isolated on the ball a couple of times he was dreadfully exposed to either poor coaching or being very poor out of procession himself. He was constantly too far up the pitch and therefore marked by their left back which effectively blocked off the run into the channel from our forwards and also ensured Valery was not available to pass to all in one bag..... Valery really only did two or three noteworthy things in the whole game and people are noticing that and nothing else. Long was poor and this wasn’t the game for him but pushing Valery so far forward really hampered Long’s game and come to that Redmonds too. I was a bit concerned by Ralph’s lack of attention to detail in this game and his apparent inability to change things for 75 mins. Ralph saying it’s not tactics that affected the game is also concerning. Ralph was poor and culpable in this match against a very poor Cardiff.

Not sure which game you were at? He was always far too advanced to overlap or receive a pass.

Apart from one run he was/is dreadful! Has no positional sense at all. Spent the whole game ‘marking’ their back when we had procession and needed him to be showing for a pass. Terrible end of.

The main reason we couldn’t get it wide on the right was Valery who was too advanced and doesn’t show for the ball. He spent the whole game apart from one run ‘marking’ their left back - hopeless player... Or maybe decent if coached properly!

This is very true !

Ralph was completely out thought by old Neil Warnock today. Three at the back was a tragedy and should have been changed after 20 mins of repeat repeat tippy tappy between our Centre backs and not enough numbers in midfield. Width was none existent particularly on the right where Valery is completely out of his depth. He was far too advanced and sat right in their left back. This meant there was no outlet from the midfield on the right hand side of the pitch as he didn’t drop 15 yds to be available for the pass. Additionally this pushed their left back back towards their back three leaving no space in behind for the ball into the channels. Valery is not intelligent enough to drop and receive. Ralph was too slow to see what was happening and change it which is very concerning indeed. Hodge was all over the place and his foul in injury time which lead to their winner was a very poor mistake to compound a very poor day at the office for him. Long has now shot his bolt and cannot be tried again. This game was made for Austin - another poor decision from Ralph. JWP played well despite being outnumbered in the middle and Rom was decent. Heard Ralph’s interview after the game where he said we didn’t lose because of tactics - Well I have news for you Ralph we did lose because of tactics and coaching and you are at fault for that.

Surely not another minutes silence...

This. Very uncomfortable about the personal mourning of celebrities. The emotional over reactions for people who are not personal acquaintances or relatives and have died is baffling.

Some of us want to be self employed and are not ‘entitled’ so leave out the self employed violins please. No one is forced to do anything !

Emphasis on not turning your back on shots would be good to fit in somewhere..... How about turn your back once and your training with the under 10s for a month.... ?

Have to agree there... Worrying without Hodj but hey we had him against Palace and struggled so positive thinking....

Imo Gallagher is just not up to our standard. He’s so far been too much of a ‘plodder’ He doesn’t make things happen where as Chaz does. Between the two I’d choose Austin all day long unless Ralph thinks he can change Gallagher significantly then best to sell him as another loan is pointless. Of course if we can sell both great but then we need at least one striker in.