Everything about Southampton this season

[up and away]

Everything about Southampton this season can be encapsulated in the WBA game. WBA at home lined up with a 451 formation, invited us on to them and just fed off the scraps. This from an in form mid table team against the poorest team in the premier. So simple, yet so effective it even brought sympathy for us from the rest of football. When things started to slow down for WBA they just gave us a little more space and upped the competition for the loose ball. Why were we not the side that played the 451 and why did we not try to bring WBA onto a defence and midfield set up to defend? All we did is took space given to us and opened up our own midfield, leaving the defence exposed. Any team set up defensively with half a plan has already beaten us, whether its Wigan to WBA. If our defence was set up with the midfield and denied the opposition space we would have a far better options on the attack as it would force the opposition out.

 

Our attack was easily neutered against what best could be called an adequate Premier defence, we never put a dent in them. We just don't have the players to play against such a basic system and come away with anything. Even when we were given the slightest of openings our lack of pace made exploiting that a non event. We need to line up with a 451, loading the midfield with an extra man and a single, pacey attacker. Pick the best of what's left to compliment the lone striker. And if the opposition generously give you the midfield, you don't need to accept it! Let them force the issue and create the holes in their midfield to expose their defence.

 

In my view Adkins gave in before the kick off for the first time this season. Getting confused with everything that has gone before, he decided to just pick what he though were our best players, irrespective of the problems this gives to the team. He certainly seemed to ride the pressure a lot better with this attitude although being no kind of overall answer. I am a very big fan of Adkins and can see scenarios where I would not mind him still at the club if we were relegated. When you look at the job he did at the end of last season with a poorly performing team, it was really exceptional. But if I feel he is now taking the easy route just to lessen his head aches, I don't feel that is good for the long run. Again what sort of mental impact will this leave on Adkins after a full season? I don't believe we are going to see the same manager what ever happens.

[Window Cleaner]

Everything about Southampton this season can be encapsulated in the WBA game. WBA at home lined up with a 451 formation, invited us on to them and just fed off the scraps. This from an in form mid table team against the poorest team in the premier. So simple, yet so effective it even brought sympathy for us from the rest of football. When things started to slow down for WBA they just gave us a little more space and upped the competition for the loose ball. Why were we not the side that played the 451 and why did we not try to bring WBA onto a defence and midfield set up to defend? All we did is took space given to us and opened up our own midfield, leaving the defence exposed. Any team set up defensively with half a plan has already beaten us, whether its Wigan to WBA. If our defence was set up with the midfield and denied the opposition space we would have a far better options on the attack as it would force the opposition out.

 

Our attack was easily neutered against what best could be called an adequate Premier defence, we never put a dent in them. We just don't have the players to play against such a basic system and come away with anything. Even when we were given the slightest of openings our lack of pace made exploiting that a non event. We need to line up with a 451, loading the midfield with an extra man and a single, pacey attacker. Pick the best of what's left to compliment the lone striker. And if the opposition generously give you the midfield, you don't need to accept it! Let them force the issue and create the holes in their midfield to expose their defence.

 

In my view Adkins gave in before the kick off for the first time this season. Getting confused with everything that has gone before, he decided to just pick what he though were our best players, irrespective of the problems this gives to the team. He certainly seemed to ride the pressure a lot better with this attitude although being no kind of overall answer. I am a very big fan of Adkins and can see scenarios where I would not mind him still at the club if we were relegated. When you look at the job he did at the end of last season with a poorly performing team, it was really exceptional. But if I feel he is now taking the easy route just to lessen his head aches, I don't feel that is good for the long run. Again what sort of mental impact will this leave on Adkins after a full season? I don't believe we are going to see the same manager what ever happens.

 

Apparently it's got something to do with "playing football the right way" or so Nigel keeps telling me. Now to me playing football the right way means that after 95 minutes you've scored more goals than the opposition or at least an equal number. As my old school motto says (or said when it was a real school) Respice Finem.

[The9]

I don't think I agree with any of that apart from the bits about Adkins doing a good job and keeping him in charge.

[pingwing]

In my view I don't you watched the same West Brom game everyone else did or any of the other games from this season...

 

WBA away was one of the few games we strung together 90 competent minutes of football, no stupid errors, no getting a free chance and hoofing it into our own goal, no getting sent off for nothing, no massive own goals, no getting overawed by the occasion. It goes on like that.

 

WBA just showed our back 4 need a little more confidence to press the ball and make a well timed tackle, they have been making very rash ones this season and have needed to take a step back and sort that out, but haven't applied what they have learnt fully, but it is getting there.

 

All we need to do is get a burst of confidence, a few goals, Davis and Schniderlin to push up a little more and play forward and it will work out.

 

Wetting the bed and having some sort of mini melt down as a club isn't really going to help, especially when 3 of the next 4 fixtures are very winnable and Newcastle are beatable too.

[the stain]

Wetting the bed and having some sort of mini melt down as a club isn't really going to help.

 

[up and away]

In my view I don't you watched the same West Brom game everyone else did or any of the other games from this season...

 

WBA away was one of the few games we strung together 90 competent minutes of football, no stupid errors, no getting a free chance and hoofing it into our own goal, no getting sent off for nothing, no massive own goals, no getting overawed by the occasion. It goes on like that.

 

WBA just showed our back 4 need a little more confidence to press the ball and make a well timed tackle, they have been making very rash ones this season and have needed to take a step back and sort that out, but haven't applied what they have learnt fully, but it is getting there.

 

All we need to do is get a burst of confidence, a few goals, Davis and Schniderlin to push up a little more and play forward and it will work out.

 

Wetting the bed and having some sort of mini melt down as a club isn't really going to help, especially when 3 of the next 4 fixtures are very winnable and Newcastle are beatable too.

 

I agree with a lot in what you say, we did look a lot better in this game than in most other games this season. I then watched the game another couple of times to see why it was still a relatively easy game for WBA and it was more a case of them letting us have the ball in safe areas rather than us forcing the issue. It was not their defence who came under too much pressure but ours. Just like with Wigan, Everton and WBA, the opposition just committed that little bit more for the loose ball after we lost our shape and the result was so simple.

 

 

When we are given / have space we either stretch the team out too far or try bringing the defence up to compress the play. The trouble is this defence looks so nervous when it presses up it is just a matter of time before one of their forwards takes advantage. We can keep going down this line looking better but it is just going to provide the same results. I feel our only solution to our particular problem is to set up for the counter and break into their box with numbers at restricted intervals. Hoping to get something from the break or a set piece.

 

I have already accepted what will be will be for this season, happy in the knowledge that will not be the last of us. What happens in between will still be interesting though not necessarily enjoyable.

[CanadaSaint]

I'm with pingwing. I've watched the game a second time and confirmed my first-time view that if we traded one player - Mulumbu for Davis - we would have won. I know that's all rather simplistic but it suggests that we're really not that far away from being competitive in this division.

[Window Cleaner]

I'm with pingwing. I've watched the game a second time and confirmed my first-time view that if we traded one player - Mulumbu for Davis - we would have won. I know that's all rather simplistic but it suggests that we're really not that far away from being competitive in this division.

 

 

I've watched it twice and haven't seen Davis do anything whatsoever yet. Third time lucky maybe. In our half we seem to have an

effective midfield of one.

[CanadaSaint]

I've watched it twice and haven't seen Davis do anything whatsoever yet. Third time lucky maybe. In our half we seem to have an

effective midfield of one.

 

There was the horrendous giveaway that left Clyne stranded and paved the way for the fast-break - and killer - second goal. I still don't see how he and Schneiderlin can play in the same midfield, but perhaps that's just me. I thought he was captain material at one point but now I don't think he's even worth his place.

[Window Cleaner]

There was the horrendous giveaway that left Clyne stranded and paved the way for the fast-break - and killer - second goal. I still don't see how he and Schneiderlin can play in the same midfield, but perhaps that's just me. I thought he was captain material at one point but now I don't think he's even worth his place.

 

 

As far as I can see at the start of the half Schneiderlin is covering the right side of the defence so Davis should be covering the left. Yet Fox gets stranded with a 2 on 1 in the movement that leads to Odemwingie scoring (good striker, fast and scores a lot from outside the box, always has, hits it hard, keeps it low and gets more deflections than you'd think, take note Mr Lambert) surely Davis should be over there helping out Fox cos Gaston and Adam...well forget it.

[Didcot Saint]

Davis is ineffective, pondorous can't pass water and gives the ball away too much. As the other poster says we need a Mulumbu type midfielder, that bloke ran the game for them, he was exceptional.

[John B]

I'm with pingwing. I've watched the game a second time and confirmed my first-time view that if we traded one player - Mulumbu for Davis - we would have won. I know that's all rather simplistic but it suggests that we're really not that far away from being competitive in this division.

 

I think most people agree with you that is why I am frustrated that we have spent £20 million unwisely and not got in some more experienced players

[stardustonmyfeet]

If anyone can learn and improve from a relegation, it would be Adkins. However I have an awful feeling he will do this away from SFC, at our expense when he comes up against us with another side in a few years' time.

[up and away]

I'm with pingwing. I've watched the game a second time and confirmed my first-time view that if we traded one player - Mulumbu for Davis - we would have won. I know that's all rather simplistic but it suggests that we're really not that far away from being competitive in this division.

 

I can readily accept where you are heading here but we don't have Molumbu. We have to solve these problems by the players we have until such a point too much damage is done. And it's going to take more than the one Molumbu. That's just to get us back near parity and a bit more is required if WBA put their back into it.

Originally Posted by pingwing

 

WBA away was one of the few games we strung together 90 competent minutes of football, no stupid errors, no getting a free chance and hoofing it into our own goal, no getting sent off for nothing, no massive own goals, no getting overawed by the occasion. It goes on like that.

You only have to go back and look over the last two months of last season and you will readily see what is happening now. Players regularly making errors that today in the Premier are really costing us, but the root cause was always there. The tactics go awry in the Championship and we can still stumble through to some form of lack lustre result, not any longer. I saw the forwards get bogged down because there was no injection of pace to solve the issue or to play on the counter, again no difference.

 

We are not going to get out of this mess or be able to hold off until January the way we are going. We have to come up with a method of minimising the effect of our errors, because they will not be going away. I thought WBA really never had to get out of the blocks to deal with us, similar to Spurs. Spurs were very jaded from their European jaunts and we made things very easy for them, though they soon had a shock when they had to get back to winning football games. Just look at all the lower teams after they played us and not a lot to indicate a team at the top of their form.