Can we be truly successful with Morgan AND Lallana

[derry]

But why is the team constantly changing ?

I dont know what our best formation really is

 

Worse still neither does Pardew and yesterday's team was nowhere near our best. Balance and pace, Balance and pace we don't have either.

[Andy_Porter]

Worse still neither does Pardew and yesterday's team was nowhere near our best. Balance and pace, Balance and pace we don't have either.

 

We had plenty of pace on the bench - you could see the impact Antonio made in the short time he was on the pitch.

 

Waigo and Antonio aren't the most elegant footballers but at least one of them has to start every game. I would have played Both of them instead of Holmes and James with Waigo upfront and Antonio wide right.

 

Hopefully Millwall will be the last time James and Holmes play together.

[benjii]

Anyone who thinks Schneiderlin or Lallana are to blame needs to give their head a wobble.

 

The only midfielder in this league who I'd swap either of those for is Hoolahan at Norwich.

 

Why single out Schneiderlin as a luxury player? He's head and shoulders above James, Hammond and Wotton as our other midfield options.

 

If you honestly think Schneiderlin is one of the best two or three midfield players in the division I suggest you need to give your head a wobble.

[John B]

Worse still neither does Pardew and yesterday's team was nowhere near our best. Balance and pace, Balance and pace we don't have either.

 

Yes I agree but pace with skill

[channonball]

Adam isn't a striker, we saw that yesterday. We had no creativity in midfield with him upfront. Once Hammond went off we didn't have a central midfielder prepared to get into the box.

 

Schneiderlin IMO needs replacing. He doesn't create a huge number of chances, he doesn't score, nor does he break up the oppositions play, so I'm not quite sure what his role in the team is? He simply doesn't boss the midfield at L2 level which you'd expect.

 

We are also in need of a new right winger. Lloyd doesn't have any pace to beat a player, so his crosses generally come in from deep of when he cuts inside. Antonio and Papa just don't cut it when they start a game. Plus they don't offer the right back and protection, which is vital if we are playing with Otsemober, who didn't overly impress me yesterday.

[70's Mike]

Good midfield players make a team tick

Morgan needs the team to tick before he looks like a good player

He does not make the team play

[NickG]

been really disappointed in Hammond, after frist few games thought he would be really good for us but seems to have gone off the boil.

 

Think worse midfield performances more down to him that anyone else.

 

Hopefully just a blip in form

[shurlock]

We had plenty of pace on the bench - you could see the impact Antonio made in the short time he was on the pitch.

 

Waigo and Antonio aren't the most elegant footballers but at least one of them has to start every game. I would have played Both of them instead of Holmes and James with Waigo upfront and Antonio wide right.

 

Hopefully Millwall will be the last time James and Holmes play together.

 

Yes Antonio looked good when he came on but only because the teams were tiring, the game was being stretched and they were holding a high line as they pushed for a winner. Otherwise he's looked poor recently.

 

If anything, he's a better centre-forward- at least, he can keep it simple and get his head down and run, esp from knockdowns and bit and pieces whereas coming from RM, sometimes, he struggles with the technical aspects, the need to check back, pass and link up with other players (Papa would seem to have that ability).

 

James is not a RM but you along with others think he was the difference at places like Walsall and Hartlepool where he started there.

 

Of course, Waigo and Antonio have played together - they did against Luton where Waigo played on the left but it didn't work. Pace wasn't the issue. The problem was the midfield and Hammond and Schneiderlin who stayed too deep. They were happy to play infront of the opposition and not move behind them. That made it harder to release either Papa or Antonio.

[saintsmike25]

Morgan/Lallana/Lambert/Davies/Harding.

 

Without those 5 I don't feel our team would be very good at all this season, of course Jaidi is important but those are the spine of our team.

[Andy_Porter]

If you honestly think Schneiderlin is one of the best two or three midfield players in the division I suggest you need to give your head a wobble.

 

That's not what I said.

 

I said I wouldn't swap Schneiderlin for anyone but Hoolahan. More potential in Schneiderlin than anyone i've seen in a Saints shirt for a long time. I think people forget he's still a teenager.

 

Yes Antonio looked good when he came on but only because the teams were tiring, the game was being stretched and they were holding a high line as they pushed for a winner. Otherwise he's looked poor recently.

 

If anything, he's a better centre-forward- at least, he can keep it simple and get his head down and run, esp from knockdowns and bit and pieces whereas coming from RM, sometimes, he struggles with the technical aspects, the need to check back, pass and link up with other players (Papa would seem to have that ability).

 

James is not a RM but you along with others think he was the difference at places like Walsall and Hartlepool where he started there.

 

Of course, Waigo and Antonio have played together - they did against Luton where Waigo played on the left but it didn't work. Pace wasn't the issue. The problem was the midfield and Hammond and Schneiderlin who stayed too deep. They were happy to play infront of the opposition and not move behind them. That made it harder to release either Papa or Antonio.

 

James can play right wing and would have been fine if we had Waigo or Antonio on the pitch somewhere to give us a bit of pace. Two slow wide men didn't work. I like James as a footballer and think he'll come good for us but having him play right wing is just negative imo.

 

Agree about Antonio playing better through the middle, on the other hand Lallana looks far better in midfield. We miss him when he plays as a striker, would have been nice if he dropped deep to get the ball more often then he could really hurt teams.

 

I think it's unfair to say Antonio only looked good because the team was tiring, if Waigo had started and spent 70 minutes attacking their full back and then Antonio was brought in he'd be even more effective.

[Graffito]

Anyone who thinks Schneiderlin or Lallana are to blame needs to give their head a wobble.

 

The only midfielder in this league who I'd swap either of those for is Hoolahan at Norwich.

 

Why single out Schneiderlin as a luxury player? He's head and shoulders above James, Hammond and Wotton as our other midfield options.

 

Seconded.

[Channon's Sideburns]

Think that the end of the season will be the time to judge.

 

I made my feelings about Lallana clear at the start of the season, but have been impressed with his input up until now.

 

The key with him ansd Schneiderlin is rest. If they go off the boil, which they both are, don't play them for two or three games.

[modern matron]

Adam isn't a striker, we saw that yesterday. We had no creativity in midfield with him upfront. Once Hammond went off we didn't have a central midfielder prepared to get into the box.

 

Schneiderlin IMO needs replacing. He doesn't create a huge number of chances, he doesn't score, nor does he break up the oppositions play, so I'm not quite sure what his role in the team is? He simply doesn't boss the midfield at L2 level which you'd expect.

 

We are also in need of a new right winger. Lloyd doesn't have any pace to beat a player, so his crosses generally come in from deep of when he cuts inside. Antonio and Papa just don't cut it when they start a game. Plus they don't offer the right back and protection, which is vital if we are playing with Otsemober, who didn't overly impress me yesterday.

 

FFS we've lost 3 of our last 21 games! This whole thread is ridiculous! Perhaps we should sign Rooney or Torres? Things are going well so stop trying to undermine things like you're Sir Alex Ferguson....

[channonball]

Sorry modern matron I take it all back, we were brilliant yesterday and totally dominated against Leeds, Colchester, Exeter and Luton. Is that better;)?

[Saint Fan CaM]

To answer the OP, I've been saying for ages that Hammond and Schneiderlin do not compliment each other. Both too defensive when the opposition are in attack meaning that the defence is put under more pressure due to us playing too deep. Rarely will a play be broken up in midfield. If Hammond is to be the holding/defensive man, then we need someone better equipped than Schneiderlin frankly who is not living up to his price tag - what was it we paid for him - £1m I think?

[John B]

FFS we've lost 3 of our last 21 games! This whole thread is ridiculous! Perhaps we should sign Rooney or Torres? Things are going well so stop trying to undermine things like you're Sir Alex Ferguson....

 

I do not think things are going well at the moment they were going better a few weeks ago.

 

At the moment things are OK but the team is not playing particularly well and we need to be playing better if we are to be promoted either this season or next which is a concern to some posters.

[Torres]

Schneiderlin frankly who is not living up to his price tag - what was it we paid for him - £1m I think?

 

Nobody has ever been able to conclusively show how much we paid for him.

[benjii]

That's not what I said.

 

I said I wouldn't swap Schneiderlin for anyone but Hoolahan. More potential in Schneiderlin than anyone i've seen in a Saints shirt for a long time. I think people forget he's still a teenager.

 

 

Don't think he is.

 

Anyway, I agree he has potential but we need better players than he currently is if we're going to finish in the top 2 next year.

[Andy_Porter]

Don't think he is.

 

Anyway, I agree he has potential but we need better players than he currently is if we're going to finish in the top 2 next year.

 

Fair point, I thought he was still 19. 20 is still very young for a midfielder with a fair bit of responsibility.

 

I think we will just have to disagree, I think he's class and only going to get better next year. Much rather have Schneiderlin in the middle than Hammond, Wotton or James.

[saintwarwick]

We had plenty of pace on the bench - you could see the impact Antonio made in the short time he was on the pitch.

 

Waigo and Antonio aren't the most elegant footballers but at least one of them has to start every game. I would have played Both of them instead of Holmes and James with Waigo upfront and Antonio wide right.

 

Hopefully Millwall will be the last time James and Holmes play together.

 

Don't think Antonio is the answer for starting every game, has made more of an impact coming on rather than starting a game.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Nobody has ever been able to conclusively show how much we paid for him.

 

 

You may be right - I am sure this figure was the accepted one though. Even Lowe bandied it around I think.