Southampton 0 - 2 Wigan - Post Match Reaction

[Chez]

 

I can't see us scoring, let alone winning, until at least October. Happy days!

even if we are bottom, it's still two places above where we were last season

[The Kraken]

I concur, but I'd love to know Guly's stats, cos I feel he covered a lot of ground too. I bet someone like Scholes covers less ground than Morgan but does much more with the ball. At the moment, I'm failing to see what's so great about him (Morgan).

 

I don't rate Morgan as high as a lot on this board who think he's the next Premier League star in the making. I think he's accomplished but often too casual and gives the ball away too much for a player in his position. I also think he's sometimes too ponderous in his play and we lose the initiative going forwards with him in posession.

[Webby]

I don't rate Morgan as high as a lot on this board who think he's the next Premier League star in the making. I think he's accomplished but often too casual and gives the ball away too much for a player in his position. I also think he's sometimes too ponderous in his play and we lose the initiative going forwards with him in posession.

Spot on. Pretty much what I thought about Carrick 5 years ago but he's got much better (by being more efficient in his play, with and without the ball), so maybe Morgan will improve.

 

Incidentally, where can I find these stats?

[The Kraken]

Spot on. Pretty much what I thought about Carrick 5 years ago but he's got much better (by being more efficient in his play, with and without the ball), so maybe Morgan will improve.

 

Incidentally, where can I find these stats?

 

No idea actually, I think the Morgan one was posted either in this thread or on another one by ladysaint. Maybe Opta?

[Webby]

I thought opta or prozone but I didn't think they were public, so I'm surprised to hear this stat on here.

[JackFrost]

I think Cork and Lee coming back will be significant.

 

Cork is experienced at this level and Lee has always impressed me. He also has pace which we are lacking at the moment

[Legod Third Coming]

I thought opta or prozone but I didn't think they were public, so I'm surprised to hear this stat on here.

 

It was tweeted because I read it, which means it was probabably tweeted by OfficialSaints or one of the players I follow. It was something like 7.62 miles he covered?? But I can't recall. It was definitely the most of any Premiership player.

[Window Cleaner]

I don't know how accurate these stats are but if they're anywhere near the mark it goes to show just how erratic many of our fans are in their opinions.

http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/614117/LiveStatistics/England-Premier-League-2012-2013-Southampton-Wigan

 

nb Jos and José 1 tackle between them, wtf is that.

Edited 26 August, 2012 by Window Cleaner

[Jack]

Not an enjoyable return to the premiership. Loads of empty seats, hopelessly quiet in the Northam, so much for getting behind the lads. It's what I knew would happen though, too much expectation and people turning up demanding a win. Was going to be a shocker from the off, a grown man in replica shirt trying to wrestle a giant flag through the turnstiles.

 

Poor display too. Although we never really looked like conceding until we did, we didn't have much of a threat going forward. Careless in possession, slowing the ball down too much, sh*tloads of hoofball which was doing my head in.

Officials were useless but can't be blamed for the defeat.

[Rebel]

What did we learn yesterday?

 

That we move the ball to slowly and lack pace. But we already new that!

 

That we probably don't have the players to play 4-3-3. Certainly not at this level. Lambert is too slow and nowhere near mobile enough to lead the line and we have no real pace down the wings. If we are going to persist with 4-3-3 Rodriguez needs to start in the middle as at least he's bit some pace, De Ridder on the right as he's got the pace we need and is used to playing this way from his time in Belgium/Holland and Lallana on the left where he's got the space he needs to make a difference.

 

That Lambert is not a premiership class centre forward. He lacks the pace and mobility needed. That's not to say he won't score goals or be a good player at this level but we need to adapt the way we use him. He'd work better as a second striker with Rodriguez or Sharp in front of him or as the playmaker in the whole in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

 

Lallana is not a central midfielder - he needs to play out wide or in the whole where he has a bit more space - and the space he needs to make a difference.

 

Schneiderlin needs to step up - at the moment he takes too much time on the ball. I am sure he had the ability to do so - he just needs time to adjust.

 

Steven Davis was OK but we are missing Jack Cork in the middle to keep the ball moving and keep possession.

 

Dan Fox cannot defend at the level - he gives the attacking players far too much time and space.

 

Fonte needs to keep it simple at this level.

 

Guly slows the game down too much and loses possession far too much - and doesn't give us the width we need on the right. He is not a premier league midfielder!

 

We need a left back who can defend, two good centre backs and a right winger at a minimum to have any chance of staying up. I would add a striker with real pace and a holding midfielder who can pass to that list

 

We need to adapt our formation - perhaps playing 4-2-3-1 at home and maybe 4-3-3 away from home when we are going to see less of the ball.

[Window Cleaner]

It was tweeted because I read it, which means it was probabably tweeted by OfficialSaints or one of the players I follow. It was something like 7.62 miles he covered?? But I can't recall. It was definitely the most of any Premiership player.

 

7.62 miles in probably 55/60 minutes actual playing time means he's running at 13/14 km/h all the time. I've seen these stats for French League 1 matches on Canal + cos they're big on stats and 7.62 miles is immense even for a CM, usually goes t somewhere around 10 k for the most active. If Morgan is covering so much distance it tends to show that some other player isn't putting in a big enough shift. Try running for a hour at 14 km/h, it's not something everyone would do, let alone putting in tackles and passes as well.

[LostBoys]

Showed we were short of players.

As for the so called fans booed the team off. They are a disgrace

 

No booing from my part of the Kingsland and applause when the players came over.

[St Chalet]

The encouraging thing is that the faults are pretty clear. If we can see the issues then I am sure Adkins, Reed and the 73 sports analysts we have fawning over their laptops will as well.

 

Anything we get out of United and Arsenal will be a bonus, but I think if we play like we did for the first portion of the game and get a bit more streetwise we will be ok after that.

[Deanovski]

We were pretty damn unlucky not to get something yesterday to be honest.

[Webby]

7.62 miles in probably 55/60 minutes actual playing time means he's running at 13/14 km/h all the time.

You could've just said 7.62 miles per hour. Strange that you should mix the measurements.

[Window Cleaner]

You could've just said 7.62 miles per hour. Strange that you should mix the measurements.

 

 

 

not really, when you're on holiday in Europe or the US you probably convert everything into miles and pounds sterling to calculate the value. I live in France so it's the other way round for me

[Ex Lion Tamer]

I don't know how accurate these stats are but if they're anywhere near the mark it goes to show just how erratic many of our fans are in their opinions.

http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/614117/LiveStatistics/England-Premier-League-2012-2013-Southampton-Wigan

 

nb Jos and José 1 tackle between them, wtf is that.

Interesting. J-Rod completed 56% of passes, comfortably the lowest in the team - to give the benefit of the doubt presumably because he was out of position?

[Window Cleaner]

We were pretty damn unlucky not to get something yesterday to be honest.

 

Once again I can only stress the inestimable value of a real Premier League keeper, we don't have one and we flipping well need to get one if we're to do anything useful this season.

[Window Cleaner]

Interesting. J-Rod completed 56% of passes, comfortably the lowest in the team - to give the benefit of the doubt presumably because he was out of position?

 

 

too early to judge yet but am beginning to get the feeling that we may have paid more than his qualities are actually worth.

Koné cost Wigan about 3 million euros.

[derry]

Our whole game was just slow and predictable. Lallana's shot which got tipped onto the bar was about as close as we got. Lambert and Guly both had a good effort on target but they were from too far out and will very rarely beat a Premier League keeper.

 

Rodriguez wasn't the only player playing in an awkward position. None of the three central midfielders took a hold of the game and dictated play. That's supposed to be the point of having three in the middle, you run the midfield, but we didn't. Lambert had three Wigan defenders around him most of the time and no Saints players within 20 yards.

 

You need proper wide players for this formation to work too. People who can run at the full backs, stretch the play and make space in the middle for Lambert and the three central midfielders. Neither Guly nor Rod fit the bill at all. One paced, predictable and never tried to get to the line.

 

I'd go with Lallana and De Ridder out wide based on our current selection. De Ridder has his faults but he would at least run at them and stretch the opposition a bit. Tell me I'm wrong and SDR is crap if you want but doing what we did today isn't going to get us anywhere.

 

Having said that I'm still upbeat. We've got the talent in the squad, a good manager and a chairman with ambition and money to back it up. We will come good in the end. Up the Saints!!!!

 

I think the manager has to ask himself does he want a player like SDR that up to now has shown he can unsettle sides but has an unpredictable delivery or play others that don't unsettle defences and no delivery at all. It was crying out for SDR yesterday. Putting JWP wide right was desperation and laughable. Seven on the bench and nobody with any pace, it seems that Adkins will pick anybody but him. If we don't bring in some pace wide he will be out of a job by Christmas.

[derry]

K. Davis and Fonte are a weakness. Fox is only a little better. We competed in the first half but were far too slow in our build up, there was no dynamic movement or interchange, lot's of straight lines. Wigan exploited our giving the ball away for the first goal and the second was a case of Fonte's switching off. We lack pace and dynamism and with players playing out of position and having to step up in class at the same time we are really struggling. We badly need a tall, dominating keeper, quick experienced centre back, quick skilful wide player/s and a left back.

 

Can anybody tell me what Schneiderlin provided in his 7.29 miles apart from a long stroll. He needs to sharpen up his play and get out of his comfort zone of just pass to anybody close then stand and watch or hit a showboat crossfield ball in front of the defence. He gave a hospital ball to Lallana yesterday from five yds that got him clobbered.

[pangy]

I think the manager has to ask himself does he want a player like SDR that up to now has shown he can unsettle sides but has an unpredictable delivery or play others that don't unsettle defences and no delivery at all. It was crying out for SDR yesterday. Putting JWP wide right was desperation and laughable. Seven on the bench and nobody with any pace, it seems that Adkins will pick anybody but him. If we don't bring in some pace wide he will be out of a job by Christmas.

 

 

I am not questioning NA's ability as a manager but do you think that he thinks that we can play like we did in the championship and win in the prem? We didn't have much pace in the championship but our style of passing would break teams down.It doesn't work like that in the prem at all and not with the quality of players we have

 

Playing 433 is a great formation but to do that you need 2 fast wingers and 2 full backs with a great engine that can run up and down the wings for 90 mins to overlap the wingers and put balls in.

We dont have that on the wings with J-rod/Guly so I am not sure why he persists with that.

[dellgirl]

I suspect that Morgan was promised some first rate players coming in , as were we , and he also , at the moment does not have Cork, they play wll together. It was not a good start at home ,I think all the negatives are because as yet our fire has not been lit and our passion is on hold as we were expecting a little more excitement in the window than has happened.

[buctootim]

Excellent performance at the Etihad, mostly insipid one yesterday. So far inconsistent, exactly what we should expect from a mostly very young team. Maybe put the wailing and gnashing of teeth on hold till at least we've seen the team play more than twice?

Edited 26 August, 2012 by buctootim

[Saint_John]

I think alot of supporters unestimate Wigan and their system.

 

The papers report it as a 3-4-3 system but for long periods yesterday I viewed it as 3-6-1, where they swamp the midfield (not unlike spain) and always have 2or3 players pressing the opposition player with the ball.

 

The 3 at the back is unusual in England and I have always thought as a system it has a weakness with runners running behind the wingbacks. However yesterday we could not get enough "good-ball" high enough up the pitch to hurt them. The few times we did we caused them problems, i.e. Hoover header, Adam shot etc., but in general they wanted us play in our own half and to hit long hopeful balls from deep, which we did.

 

Since the middle of April their results have been :- liverpool (a) W 2-1; STOKE (h) W 2-0; chelsea (a) L 1-2; MANURE (h) W 1-0; arsenal (a) W 2-1; fulham (a) L 1-2; NEWCASTLE (H) W 4-0; blackburn (a) W 1-0; WOLVES (h) W 3-2; and CHELSEA (h) L 0-2.

I.e. they have won at liverpool, arsenal and blackburn and have beaten Manure,Toon and Stoke playing that SYSTEM, and after yesterday I can see how. It is difficult to "play through" a 3-6-1 system.

[stevegrant]

Can anybody tell me what Schneiderlin provided in his 7.29 miles apart from a long stroll. He needs to sharpen up his play and get out of his comfort zone of just pass to anybody close then stand and watch or hit a showboat crossfield ball in front of the defence. He gave a hospital ball to Lallana yesterday from five yds that got him clobbered.

Yes, we should definitely drop one of our only players capable of keeping possession

[Ex Lion Tamer]

 

The 3 at the back is unusual in England and I have always thought as a system it has a weakness with runners running behind the wingbacks. However yesterday we could not get enough "good-ball" high enough up the pitch to hurt them. The few times we did we caused them problems, i.e. Hoover header, Adam shot etc., but in general they wanted us play in our own half and to hit long hopeful balls from deep, which we did.

 

Interesting post. The problem was we weren't able to get behind the wing backs because we don't have any natural width at the moment. Every time we tried to play it through the centre we were crowded out, and when we had it on the wing we didn't have the tricks to get a decent cross in. So we ended up passing it around aimlessly until we gave it away.

[hasper57saint]

Adkins got it wrong.We lost. Next time he may get it right.I'm not losing any sleep over it.

[THEVMAN]

I think yesterday just proves how far up ourselves we can be to think we are so much better than teams like Wigan,Swansea,Q.P.R etc and its going to be a hard slog to pick up points where we can.People on here that talk of top ten or twelve finishing positions need to reel their necks in alittle,but we shall all keep the faith. COYR

[hypochondriac]

I think yesterday just proves how far up ourselves we can be to think we are so much better than teams like Wigan,Swansea,Q.P.R etc and its going to be a hard slog to pick up points where we can.People on here that talk of top ten or twelve finishing positions need to reel their necks in alittle,but we shall all keep the faith. COYR

 

TBF it was the management talking of that as a target.

[Charlie Wayman]

Hate to say it but Martinez won the tactical duel, knew exactly how to stop us doing anything and made sure our best passer in the midfield couldn't do anything.

 

 

Exactly that. No Schneiderlin - no hope!

 

You knew the second half would be different to the first for the visitors, once they worked out our system of play. The disappointment was that we were well beaten at our own game by a team that we must now fervently hope are actually very good this year, rather than the poor also-ran's of last.

 

The big difference was their speed of thinking ability, efficiency of using the ball space; di Santos's goal was a sheer delight to behold although had Adam's first half effort gone in that too would qualify as a "beaut".

 

Where too now? Two more defeats and we are anchored and probably losing touch. Not perhaps time to panic as we knew the start would be tough but certainly some changes needed and probably not the time to rush the kids in. Let's just hope that Cortese was putting the finishing touches to the transfer of two stars from Serie A so that they are on-board the Sunseeker by Friday, indeed let's all pray it be so!

 

Fonte was awful; if Adkins cannot improve the guy's reading of the game and delivery to the mid-field then he will quickly become a liability. K Davies too needs to sharpen up on the same issue, it seems by the time he's made up his mind what to do with the ball once he's got it, most people have nipped out for a pee thinking i must be half-time.

[saintsmike25]

Last week everyone was so positive after the Man City display but against teams who sit back and catch us on the break we will struggle unless we have pace.

 

I'm sure we're trying to rectify that.

 

Wigan aren't a bad side and will easily finish above the drop zone.

[Saints foreva]

Played well until Wigan scored. Awful defending from Jos and Jose.

 

Not seen the 2nd goal yet but Fonte seemed to slip under pressure.

 

The defence is very weak for Premier League level.

 

Atmosphere was awful. Outsung by Wigan fans.

 

Jay Rod was terrible but I think that is down to the fact that Adkins wants to waste him out wide. This new formation is going to fail imo.

[Charlie Wayman]

 

Nigel looked a bit paralysed with indecision to me.

 

He was and it worried the **** out of me because this is only the second game; not only did he appear to have no answer to Martinez after HT but he seemed to be mesmerised by Wigan's level of skill and control - knowing they were twice as good as us at it - when it was time to use THINK about subs and formation changes. I have never seen him so indecisive before surely he cannot be out of his depth tactically? I hope not as we must rely on his insight more than ever now as the majority of players who are going to serve us this season were out there on the pitch not doing terribly well.

[Charlie Wayman]

I don't rate Morgan as high as a lot on this board who think he's the next Premier League star in the making. I think he's accomplished but often too casual and gives the ball away too much for a player in his position. I also think he's sometimes too ponderous in his play and we lose the initiative going forwards with him in possession.

 

He may be open to some criticism but who isn't and who else have we got who is anywhere near his class on the ball? You need to keep a wider perspective. Nothing that happened yesterday was remotely his fault and indeed the close marking that suffocated his second half play was a tribute to him for Martinez who quite rightly worked out that if he close marked Morgan out of the game Saints were finished.

[Barry the Badger]

Having watched the highlights back I feel a little better, certainly on another day we could have won that, and we weren't as bad as I came away feeling. Like others though, I like the 433 451 in theory, but we need better wide players if we're going to play like that with Rickie leading the line.

[CanadaSaint]

Having watched the highlights back I feel a little better, certainly on another day we could have won that, and we weren't as bad as I came away feeling. Like others though, I like the 433 451 in theory, but we need better wide players if we're going to play like that with Rickie leading the line.

 

I'm not sure we can play the way Nigel wants to play with Rickie leading the line, and Nigel knows it - which is why he left him out at Man City. He has bought players who really don't fit with Rickie and he wants to play them, but it will take very big gonads to leave Rickie on the bench more often than he starts him.

 

We keep talking about width and pace but I think we have players who can provide that - but not if Rickie is a/the focal point of our attack. I love the guy but I just don't see how he fits, given the players we've signed.

[VectisSaint]

he seemed to be mesmerised by Wigan's level of skill and control

Feck, apart for 10 minutes their level of skill and control was bloody awful, though still seriously better than ours. I think this is part of the problem, some people, including Adkins it seems. believe the hype that skill and control in the lower reaches of the PL is so good. The only thing that really separates these poor PL teams and the best of the FL is ruthlessness in front of goal. But you are right, he didn't seem to know what to do to change things, and with due respect to JWP, replacing Steve Davis with Prowse was not a stroke of tactical genius, it was simply that Davis was ****ged out because he is not fully fit. We were a bit bereft of options on the bench yesterday, only Sharp and maybe Puncheon looked like game-changing options.

[Barry the Badger]

Feck, apart for 10 minutes their level of skill and control was bloody awful, though still seriously better than ours. I think this is part of the problem, some people, including Adkins it seems. believe the hype that skill and control in the lower reaches of the PL is so good. The only thing that really separates these poor PL teams and the best of the FL is ruthlessness in front of goal. But you are right, he didn't seem to know what to do to change things, and with due respect to JWP, replacing Steve Davis with Prowse was not a stroke of tactical genius, it was simply that Davis was ****ged out because he is not fully fit. We were a bit bereft of options on the bench yesterday, only Sharp and maybe Puncheon looked like game-changing options.

 

I did notice on the highlights that just before Wigan's goal, Crosby (I think) looked like he was talking Shaw through some tactics, I wonder whether he was just due to come on at Left Back or further forward.

[S-Clarke]

I did notice on the highlights that just before Wigan's goal, Crosby (I think) looked like he was talking Shaw through some tactics, I wonder whether he was just due to come on at Left Back or further forward.

 

He was coming on for fox, who had just been wiped out and looked in a bad way. Fox then came back on and ran it off.

[shurlock]

He was coming on for fox, who had just been wiped out and looked in a bad way. Fox then came back on and ran it off.

 

That wasn't 'just before the goal' though.

[OttawaSaint]

I thought we did well in the first half. Perhaps if Lallana's shot had gone in it might have been a very different game. It was a banana skin type game and the team seemed to get too tentative and tryong not to lose and that is what was undid us in the end. A bit more confidence and getting players playing in the correct positions and we should be ok. I am worried about Davis (K) though, I am not sure that he is good enough at Prem level...

[Bourne Valley Saint]

We had 6 players in the starting line up who played for us in League one and The Championship and got us promoted - also the same manager. FFS what do you expect? It was never going to be easy. Would you whingers prefer we got rid of the nucleus of that team and brought in foreign mercenaries like we did so brilliantly 7 years ago to get us relegated ? We've played two games, have competed in both and all most can do on here is slag the team off and cast doubt upon our manager. Give them a chance for FS. What on earth did Kelvin do so wrong yesterday? Has he got to prove himself all over again? Have some faith in the manager and the team.

 

I had one particularly obnoxious individual sitting near me in the Kingsland/Northam corner (not there the previous 6 seasons) who could do nothing but slag Guly off. In his own words Guly was a retard and a black see you next Tuesday. I really hope he isn't going to be there every week - he will surely go into meltdown if we lose at home to Man Utd!

 

Perhaps the Moderators can take this site off-line for the next three weeks so that we wont have to put up with such negativity and ill-thought through comments!!.

[david in sweden]

Once again I can only stress the inestimable value of a real Premier League keeper, we don't have one and we flipping well need to get one if we're to do anything useful this season.

 

are we the only two that have highlighted this problem, Window Cleaner.? Every time I bring up the subject people suggest Gazza as replacement !

 

I'm not ANTI-KD.....but do anyone think that Gazza (good talent that he maybe) is a good replacement / challenger for the No.1 spot.?

 

KD has stayed virtually injury-free in 5 years, but IF anything were to happen, we can't run round in panic and try to get an " unemployed Prem. class keeper " - who just happens to be free and available.

[hypochondriac]

We had 6 players in the starting line up who played for us in League one and The Championship and got us promoted - also the same manager. FFS what do you expect? It was never going to be easy. Would you whingers prefer we got rid of the nucleus of that team and brought in foreign mercenaries like we did so brilliantly 7 years ago to get us relegated ? We've played two games, have competed in both and all most can do on here is slag the team off and cast doubt upon our manager. Give them a chance for FS. What on earth did Kelvin do so wrong yesterday? Has he got to prove himself all over again? Have some faith in the manager and the team.

 

I had one particularly obnoxious individual sitting near me in the Kingsland/Northam corner (not there the previous 6 seasons) who could do nothing but slag Guly off. In his own words Guly was a retard and a black see you next Tuesday. I really hope he isn't going to be there every week - he will surely go into meltdown if we lose at home to Man Utd!

 

Perhaps the Moderators can take this site off-line for the next three weeks so that we wont have to put up with such negativity and ill-thought through comments!!.

 

I think most people are realistic and appreciate that whilst we have done brilliantly, there are clearly a number of positions that need to be improved (and perhaps should have been improved to increase our chances of a result in this game but that's a different point.) Outstanding players like Lallana, Lambert and Cork etc should be kept but we should be more ruthless and get rid of the players who aren't up to it or bring in places which will relegate the other players to the bench (as we have done with Richardson.)

[david in sweden]

I did notice on the highlights that just before Wigan's goal, Crosby (I think) looked like he was talking Shaw through some tactics,

I wonder whether he was just due to come on at Left Back or further forward.

 

 

This was at the time that Fox was injured. He was down for a while, but came back and ran off the injury..or so we suppose. Whilst he was on the ground so long I really expected him to go off and Shaw to come on.

[david in sweden]

Played well until Wigan scored. Awful defending from Jos and Jose.

 

Not seen the 2nd goal yet but Fonte seemed to slip under pressure.

The defence is very weak for Premier League level.

 

 

Fonte was actually fouled by Kone, who went on and scored.

The ref. didn't give it, but the TV commentators confirmed it straight away in the replay of the incident / goal.

 

However, IMHO Fonte has skill but he really lacks pace and playing last man (as he invariably does) he's gonna get scalped every time by a fast forward.

[melmacian_saint]

I think people are missing the point about our CBs here.

 

In case you haven't seen they're constantly being left on a 2v2 or 2v3 situation by the opposition's attack. Our midfield struggles when it comes to defensive recovery, we need at least 2 of them with a more defensive mentality. Who knows play 2 wingers+attacking midfielder behind the main striker.

 

I also question the price and need to sign Rodriguez given what appears is going to be his role on the pitch.

[Saints Warrior]

1st half was ok and Saints missed 6 good chances, 2nd half not in game at all 2 chances, 1 Fonte miss another off bar.

 

Saints need to score when they have chances, otherwise it could be Saints 0 Moan U 10 next sunday.

 

Not sure on the tactics, sort of England style, and why keep building up so slowly from back with 10 min to go when you need to get the backk in the box and with more than 1 upfront.

 

Few more players and a lot of luck needed for rest of season

[dubai_phil]

I thought we did well in the first half. Perhaps if Lallana's shot had gone in it might have been a very different game. It was a banana skin type game and the team seemed to get too tentative and tryong not to lose and that is what was undid us in the end. A bit more confidence and getting players playing in the correct positions and we should be ok. I am worried about Davis (K) though, I am not sure that he is good enough at Prem level...

 

Wow mega busy 3 days back home, no time or access until now.

 

Agree with this Ottawa. We looked OK first half but whether it was the TWO knocks that Fox took, we just seemed to run out of steam, and zing with the ball and Fox hardly seemed to get forward compared to CLyne.

 

We sortta slowed down to Rickie pace and the second half EVERYTHING seemed coached and pre meditated and lacking passion and belief - & I include the crowd in that, WHAT a change since the Coventry game.

 

We might get away with pkaying ONE out of Guly/Puncheon/JRod out wide but not with two of them. JRod looks like he has something around the box but he is NOT the solution to the 4-3-3 in the way that Marian was for Hoddle.

 

Three DREADFUL lapses of concentration by Fonte led to the two goals - a slack pass and failing to get back to cover his man for the first and "an old mans Saturday afternoon League howler" for the second.

 

Totally endorsed my opinion that he wouldn't be up to the PL and unless we get that CB & Winger in we are in for a long season. Get them and we should be fine.

 

Nice to meet St Chalet & Colehill Saint.