Oldeuboi

Pellè and Mané went missing until March last season. Not sure if they would be the answer. Again, selective memory.

I agree. I don't like the "hopefully lump it into the box" when out of ideas but it seems if they don't do that, the crowd goes mental if we pass it back to recycle possession. I want us to be more patient in those positions if the opportunity for a counter has gone. Saw a lot of potential with Boufal and Redmond's link up (they played much closer to each other and had some really good 1-2s) both against Boro and Stoke that leads me to believe that combination could be the key to unlock stubborn defences. Once Tadic is back, that adds another player who has the ability to create. That was my biggest complaint about Wednesday. Our best play was through the middle (with Redmond/Boufal in the first half and JWP looking forwards more in the 2nd) but Stoke shut up shop and only really gave us the option out wide knowing they can defend anything thrown in and we just played into it. Against a defence like that, how can you be anything but predictable when they are only giving you a tiny bit of space between a solid line of 6 (Charlie Adam spent most his game at LB haha) and a bank of 3 in front? Last season we played exactly how you describe, cross cross cross (we scored the highest % of headed goals in the league). Maybe it's just taking the full backs time to adjust to a style where they can't just whip it in to a big man in the box and hope he gets a head on it. I noticed Bertrand was trying to get in the box more to open up low cross opportunities and pull backs.

I'm in the camp where I found Koeman's "long ball to Pellè and hope he does something" when we were out of form over winter much more depressing last season than any football we've played this season. At least under Puel we're playing good passing football (most of the time) even though we're lacking the final sting in the attack. Didn't even have that during our turgid winter last season. We're dominating games, dominating possession and that's the way to go. Yeh, we can move it quicker at times but keeping the ball means fewer chances for the opposition and more chances for us. Have there been many games this season where we've had fewer chances than our opponents? It's simply finding the final pass and clinical taking of a chance that's lacking. This idea that we're "boring" is a bit strange. We're lucky enough to have some of the most exciting players I've seen in recent memory. Boufal is a player that does some magical stuff already and he's not even at full speed yet. Redmond has shown time and time again he can take on absolutely any full back (despite lacking the final pass or clinical option at the end). Van Dijk making his surges through midfield and inhuman reading of the game. Romeu with his excellent mopping up, hearty tackles and keeping of the ball in tight situations. These are players that fit a system where individuality and creativity is encouraged. Puel obviously gives them that freedom. I really don't get what some of our fans want. To pepper opposition boxes with long balls and crosses? To simply create more? To press right up the pitch 3 times a week? Unless I'm using extremely selective memory here, we've almost always been team that keeps the ball (outside of a few depressing performances under Koeman) and this sort of denial of history is quite strange. One of the biggest complaints about Poch was the "lack of a plan B" and keeping possession for possession's sake. If anything it just shows that fans don't really know what they want and instead reel off the same cliché soundbites (I'm looking at you, guy a few rows back in the Northam who keeps screaming "DOWN THE LINE AND GET IT IN THE BOX"). Good football that utilises technical players is the Saints way of playing. Look at our academy. We're blooding slight, nimble technical players who are good on the ball not 6'6" pacey giants who will just win and chase long balls over the top. I like to think we're doing things the highly subjective "right" way. Maybe people were spoilt by Leicester's kick and rush last season and want Saints to play a similar way.

Now they're booing Martina instead of Boufal. They really are thick.

First time I've heard the home crowd all evening. Booing Boufal for getting studded up the thigh.

We are playing some absolutely sensational stuff here. Keep it up Saints!

Is this one of those "He's the new Ali Dia" threads? Last one turned out well, eh?

This can't be right? WhoScored have him as our MOTM.

Redmond has been decent today but typical, he's the scapegoat. Glad Puel has realised this and kept him on. Austin absolutely anonymous. Boufal had a very promising 1st half but didn't really build on that in the 2nd. Good changes.

It does feel our songs have got less and less creative recently. It's not just Saints though, the entire Premier League has lost a bit of the spark. Look at how many teams tried to rip off Will Grigg is on Fire. Lots of "player" songs are just ripped off other clubs. OWTS is the only song I can actually feel like is "ours" and even that is ripped off by most other English clubs. I think we need more identity here. Some more songs that actually represent us as a club and don't just stick around as long as a player is here until the next player comes along and we use the song for them instead. I know it sounds a bit cringeworthy too but other clubs have what can only be described as a "songs committee" that comes up with and gets new songs going. Abroad, songs are usually born through the "ultra" culture and then assimilated into matchday crowds. It needs to be organised imo.

I've stood with "Ultras" in many stadiums at many games and one thing that is extremely consistent is the organisation of the fan bases and how the atmosphere is actively encouraged and allowed by the club. I'm not even talking things as extreme as flares or fireworks. I've seen clubs that put lyrics for complicated club songs on the screens (and while you would think this would be a bit contrived, it meant people like me could join in instantly) etc, but one of the most consistent things that leads to the electric atmosphere are fans dedicated to getting the crowd going with megaphones and drums. Of course catchy songs that aren't just recycled versions of the same chants heard everywhere help. I think it's just an issue with English football. Too much clapping, not enough noise. It's a bit sad really whenever I come back to St. Mary's after travelling. I think it's only really when OWTS resonates round the whole stadium that even comes close.

The way I see it, Tadic had the freedom to find the space. It took Swansea until well into the second half to actually realise we were destroying them down the right flank. Tadic consistently picked the ball up on the right and played it through to our other two forwards in the channels. Cedric was the player making overlapping runs down the right to give us the traditional width. Puel's system isn't a rigid formation (apart from the base of the diamond). The heatmaps for every game are different as its fluidity up top allows players to pick up space anywhere from one side of the pitch to the other. Tadic exploited Swansea's weakness down the right flank but that definitely does not mean we set up with a formation different to how we played in any of our games this season.

I'm a ST holder in the Northam and would say the atmosphere there is best. Anywhere from halfway up in blocks 42/41/40 is good. Kingsland/Northam corner is also decent but my only experiences there have been cup games where most of the Northam has been closed off to accommodate away fans. Itchen/North Corner is apparently quite good as you're right next to the Away fans. Never been in the corner though so someone else may have a better idea of what it's like.

For these polls, it would me nice to choose more than one option! Think everyone would take Emery in the unlikely event he'd want to join us, but I'd be more than happy with 3 or 4 of the managers on that list.

This is the same "Football Observatory" who had Dejan Lovren as the Premier League's best Centre-Back last season. Make of that what you will.

Think he's shown so far that he's much better through the middle playing just behind Pelle. His link up's been excellent so far too. Maybe he just can't play down the wing in our system?!

Liverpool fans I know were convinced that Lovren would be the GLORIOUS LEADER of their defence, despite me saying otherwise. He just seemed to run anywhere he wanted against Ham. Feeling pretty vindicated.

Also, EA now update ratings weekly due to the BPL partnership, so it's likely these will get bumped up if we play well!

J-Rod is only a 75 because his Position is LM. As a striker, his rating is much more realistic.

Agreed. Toprak was on of the best defenders in the Bundesliga last season (Bayer were rock solid title contenders until an implosion) and yesterday was no exception. If we got a defender like him, I'd be massively surprised, but delighted. Was a shame to see Son Heung Min fail to really impose himself on the game, he's usually explosive and one of the best marksmen with both feet. Clyne and Bertrand did a really good job on one of the hottest young prospects in world football.

He always wanted the ball and was quick to play the pass. Made an excellent tackle tracking back too. Thought he was our best player after he came on. Really dynamic.

I thought Tadic, Bertrand, Victor, Jose and Taïder all had really good games. Thought Maya and Mayuka were our weak links. Pelle was hit and miss, but the link up between Tadic and Taïder in the second half was excellent.

I think a fairer punishment would be fining Legia for failing to register the player for the 2 games he "sat out". I would hate to be a Celtic fan. Imagine the smashing they'll receive in the next round!

Saphir Taïder.