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SAINTS v Spurs - Build Up


jamesfp1

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Gazza

Cedric

Fonte

VVD

Bertrand

 

Wanyama

Clasie

Davis

 

Pelle

Tadic

Mane

 

Prediction - Take a point.

 

Probably our best back-to-basics side but not sure it's enough to win the game?

 

This side with four 8's and four 9's would give most people a game but we seem to be stuck in the 4's-5's-6's at the moment.

 

Can't really see past a 0-2 but I'm always happy to be proved wrong.

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he would get ripped apart on here for saying that.

 

we are playing like a team in a relegation scrap. not much quality and alway likely to let goals in

 

Bedwetting helmet. Knowing Koeman, he's asked santa for some extra undies and bedsheets this chrimbo. Or something like that....

Edited by shurlock
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For me our biggest fault and weakness is the amount of passing that goes on in our defensive third as our opponents retreat to the half way line while we indulge ourselves and when pressed often pass back to the keeper for a long punt downfield. Especially with JWP and Davis their first inclination is sideways or backwards. They are a big part of the problem as we really need the midfielders to get the ball up to our forwards much quicker and then get into the box in support. We just cannot afford three midfielders plus Tadic who rarely score and just pass the responsibility to a colleague. The full backs and midfielders need to get their share of goals and not just leave it to Pelle, Long or Mane.

 

We have been worked out as a toothless team with about three danger players and as long as they are closed down quickly we struggle to score, not good enough by half. It's no good Koeman bemoaning the lack of goals unless he gets the team to attack much quicker, play with a quick tempo and press harder.

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Not sure I agree about Tadic. In the Villa game for example he put a couple of chances on a plate for teammates and is consistently a creator of good opportunities.

 

Those players are never going to be the most consistent or they would be amongst the best in the world.

 

Also disagree that we rely on Pelle, Mane and Long.

 

I wouldn't trust Long to take any chance let alone end up reliant upon him.

 

Do agree that we can be slow to build up though and it benefits counter attack opponents, especially as our central midfield is very slow to turn and get back. One of the biggest attributes we miss about Morgan was his stamina and agility.

Edited by Saint Charlie
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Not sure I agree about Tadic. In the Villa game for example he put a couple of chances on a plate for teammates and is consistently a creator of good opportunities.

 

Those players are never going to be the most consistent or they would be amongst the best in the world.

 

Also disagree that we rely on Pelle, Mane and Long.

 

I wouldn't trust Long to take any chance let alone end up reliant upon him.

 

I'm not talking about Tadic not making chances, I'm talking about Tadic not scoring enough. I included Long because he is Pelle's deputy especially as we play only two forwards who may score.

 

We need a forward like Austin that is lethal in the box and others to lend a hand rather than strolling up outside the box.

 

Against Villa we had five shots out of twenty three on target and a couple of those were more like pass backs a disgraceful statistic and how much slow possession? In the end a well taken scrambled goal from a corner by Romeu.

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Did you say that before the Liverpool game as well?

 

No. Before the Liverpool game I was hoping that we would at least score and maybe get a result. I'm now down to just wanting us to bloody score.

All the pressure we put other teams under, all the good build up play and whatever else means absolutely f*ck all without the ball ending up in the net. If we can't do that we aren't even going to get a mediocre season, we're going to end up in the relegation fight just like Koeman said.

 

Don't get me wrong, I still think there are three other teams in the PL who are going to perform worse than us this season and that's all that really matters but on current form it's not going to take much for us to NOT be better than those other three teams. However it's going to come down to goals. And we've scored twice since the start of November- and that simply is not good enough. We aren't going to survive on no-score draws.

 

Of all the stats you can quote, goals is the only one that actually matters. Possession, passing, whatever all means nothing without a goal. Palace had 40% possession (?) they walked away with three points, we didn't. I know I'm stating the obvious but it really annoys me when I hear 'well we put them under pressure and had good possession'- it's just an excuse for the team not doing its job properly.

 

I don't care how they are scored, this team simply must start scoring goals otherwise all the achievements since League

One will have been wasted and we will be back in the Championship wondering what the hell happened having to start again.

 

 

Once the goals start going in again, everything else will follow.

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I see even Koeman is now mentioning the relegation word, don't tell Dalek

 

I am not surprised. No club can be complacent. Our main objective is almost certainly to 'stay up', any failure to do that would be extremely costly. I always felt there was a lot of complacency, just as there was in 2004, when our slide started. Mark my words we are going to have to fight for our survival this season, forget about Cup glory !

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I am not surprised. No club can be complacent. Our main objective is almost certainly to 'stay up', any failure to do that would be extremely costly. I always felt there was a lot of complacency, just as there was in 2004, when our slide started. Mark my words we are going to have to fight for our survival this season, forget about Cup glory !

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I am not surprised. No club can be complacent. Our main objective is almost certainly to 'stay up', any failure to do that would be extremely costly. I always felt there was a lot of complacency, just as there was in 2004, when our slide started. Mark my words we are going to have to fight for our survival this season, forget about Cup glory !

 

How often do you make a post without referring to any of 'relegation', '40 points', 'main priority is EPL', or 'I'd be happy with 17th'...?!

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I've never thought we were in any danger of being dragged into a relegation battle but as the loses start to build up confidence goes and the players become more nervous. Koeman is quite right to recognise we are very close to being dragged into a relegation scrap.....too good???.....i bet Chelsea fans never thought their multi million pound team would be 1 point off a relagation place just before Xmas.

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I've never thought we were in any danger of being dragged into a relegation battle but as the loses start to build up confidence goes and the players become more nervous. Koeman is quite right to recognise we are very close to being dragged into a relegation scrap.....too good???.....i bet Chelsea fans never thought their multi million pound team would be 1 point off a relagation place just before Xmas.

 

You are right and a club like Southampton is never far from a relegation scrap. I have been astounded at both the arrogance and complacency of the vocal minority over this subject. I am afraid it is all too reminiscent of the Spring of 2004 when the vocal few blocked the appointment of Hoddle.

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Pulls made an interesting comment about Spurs on the radio last week. He noted that since Tottenham press the ball, they can become very narrow and concentrated on one side of the pitch so WBA practised all week on switching play as quickly as possible to the opposite side of the pitch to exploit the space. Well,we don't move the ball quickly and we don't have Scheneiderlin's long diagonal passes but I think there's probably some merit in the tactic.

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Pulls made an interesting comment about Spurs on the radio last week. He noted that since Tottenham press the ball, they can become very narrow and concentrated on one side of the pitch so WBA practised all week on switching play as quickly as possible to the opposite side of the pitch to exploit the space. Well,we don't move the ball quickly and we don't have Scheneiderlin's long diagonal passes but I think there's probably some merit in the tactic.

 

Agree. The fallacy, repeated in the past on here, is that the MP's system is susceptible to the long ball that bypasses the press. That's never been a huge problem; a bigger Achilles heel, as you say, is the quick switch from one flank to the other. MPs teams do get quite lopsided as wide players are aggressive to join in and pin the opposition to the touch line where the probability of regaining possession is statistically highest.

 

Remember Swansea doing it to us at SMS in 2013/14 to very good effect, though we somehow won the game with a Jrod bundle. That day, they had the benefit of Shelvey to switch play but also pace down the wings to exploit the resulting space. If you accept this argument, it's possibly a game made for Clasie as well as one in which Mané has more joy on the wing than down the middle, otherwise his best position.

Edited by shurlock
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I know Dalek has been banging on about 17th blah blah but he makes a good point about complacency. You can never stand still in this division and whilst our rivals have been strengthening, we have regressed. We have too good a team to get relegated this season but the board's lack of investment is worrying and, especally with the new TV deal, there's no excuse to not get the chequebook out.

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I know Dalek has been banging on about 17th blah blah but he makes a good point about complacency. You can never stand still in this division and whilst our rivals have been strengthening, we have regressed. We have too good a team to get relegated this season but the board's lack of investment is worrying and, especally with the new TV deal, there's no excuse to not get the chequebook out.

Also worth considering that most teams currently below us will strengthen in January, especially Newcastle, Villa and Bournemouth whilst Chelsea will surely pick up more points soon.

Hopefully we can win one of the next two home games and start looking upwards but you are spot on that complacency in the PL can be the start of your downfall.

Edited by Saint Charlie
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I've never thought we were in any danger of being dragged into a relegation battle but as the loses start to build up confidence goes and the players become more nervous. Koeman is quite right to recognise we are very close to being dragged into a relegation scrap.....too good???.....i bet Chelsea fans never thought their multi million pound team would be 1 point off a relagation place just before Xmas.

Koeman is not that clever! We don't press and don't work hard enough. We play long to Pella and don't support him! We played JWP on the right - he did well - we never played him there again!

Koeman needs to up his game but is he capable ??? X

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I think the apathy of the St Mary's crowd has well and truly got through to the players now. If ever they needed a lift...

 

Koeman's apathy has well and truly got through to the crowd now. If ever they needed a lift it is now!!!

How on earth you could twist this situation to be the 'crowd's' fault is quite beyond me!!!

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I'm currently having my breakfast before driving to my Nippers for the start of our 400 miles round trip. Our enthusiasm never wanes. We are going to stuff the Spuds today and the drive home will be fantastic.

COYS[/quote

 

 

Good man and fair play to you, the pair of you sound like loyal partners to have in a trench but is your admirable conviction based on logic, hope or desperation? I am guessing the latter two.

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Ronald Koeman's persistance with his " regular " starting side has gone by the board now, partly due to injuries but mostly because of a drop in form (by some).

 

Spurs have been our "bogey team" for a decade..(it used to be Arsenal), and so we await the announcement of the side today with some trepidation.

 

Fortunately, Gazzaniga wasn't the disaster that many of us expected prior to last week's kick-off, we can only hope the three season wait for him to hit form has finally arrived.... but I'm wondering what the midfield will look like(?). The strike force (such as it is).... will pick itself, and the only bright spot on the horizon might be the chance for Ryan Seager to be selected in the 18, and get more than 5 mins. game time near the end of the match.

 

A good win against Spurs is long overdue - let's hope it's today.

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It's not the talent within the team that is the problem, it's the spirit, passion, togetherness and drive they clearly lack - we just don't seem to play for each other anymore. It's koemans job, as the manager, to sort it out but he's clearly not having much success and looks very frustrated. As many have said before, something is not right within the team at the moment and until it is fixed I believe we are going to continue on this dreadful run of results and performances.

 

An easy win for spurs today, 0-4.

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