SAINTS 1-2 Palace Post Match Meltdown.

[Pengi]

(Information that has been passed on starts) Not just Les Reed. We are a club with multiple departments, all of which are talented in collating and reviewing information, and making recommendations based on that information. In the past, how much attention players pay to their reviews has been a good indicator to the expected level of future commitment (Lallana). At the moment, our reviews are pointing to a number of worrying factors. We are not playing to the clubs preferred formation, despite purchasing players identified as being able to do so. Our training regimes are very segregated, and our post match analysis software is pointing to mistakes being repeated time after time. The path from the youth team to the first has been apparently shut, and those parents who advised their children to choose SFC over other suitors for reasons of development and who were already angry being misled, are now furious over Koeman's public statement on the subject.

 

SFC is not an unfeeling corporate machine, and in times of goals aplenty and top eight places there is leeway on our methods, but given that most departments have voiced concerns over the direction and atmosphere of the first team, and those who are seemingly barred from joining it, adding to Koeman's unwillingness to commit and our horrific run of results (Information that has been passed on end)

 

I would not be surprised if anything less than 6 points in the next 2 games sees Ronald stay until the summer. I am waiting on confirmation, but i enquired as to whether feelers have been put out over a new manager as of yet.

Guan - some questions:

Why is this information being leaked to a forum and not raised with Kat/Ralph etc. and what is the purpose of leaking it?

Do the Board consider relegation is probable if the slump continues?

Do the various departments & LR accept that the youngsters are not good enough?

[CB Fry]

Guan - some questions:

Why is this information being leaked to a forum and not raised with Kat/Ralph etc. and what is the purpose of leaking it?

Do the Board consider relegation is probable if the slump continues?

Do the various departments & LR accept that the youngsters are not good enough?

Where does Guan say this hasn't been raised with Ralph/Kat?

 

If Les shares these concerns then I am sure it has been a topic of conversation with the chairman, if not a formal agenda point in a meeting.

[Batman]

Where does Guan say this hasn't been raised with Ralph/Kat?

 

If Les shares these concerns then I am sure it has been a topic of conversation with the chairman, if not a formal agenda point in a meeting.

 

to be fair. The run we are on, you would hope 'things' are being discussed high up.

[Cabrone]

Alan Pardew looks to be doing a fantastic job with Palace, bet the Newcastle fans are kicking themselves.

 

Wonder how things would have been if he had stayed, always rated him myself.

[Sour Mash]

Good post. Pretty much sums up how I feel.

 

You think the current board are lining their own pockets?

 

Come on, entertain us, what figures are we talking about here?

 

And in what way did ML's vision differ to how we're currently run, as a sustainable Premier League club?

[CB Fry]

Alan Pardew looks to be doing a fantastic job with Palace, bet the Newcastle fans are kicking themselves.

 

Wonder how things would have been if he had stayed, always rated him myself.

Probably not much better than two consecutive promotions, stabilisation in the Prem, then 8th, then 7th. Pardew and Cortese were always going to fall out eventually anyway.

[sammysaint]

Positives Romeu looked quality today and bar two mistakes we looked alright vs a top 8 side.

 

Personally I would let Wanyama go to Spurs and see if we can get Townsend or someone half decent, we need better attacking options then Gaston and Junami, sadly Jay Rod looks like he's not going to be the same, I would then recommend he gets another defender a young promising one from the championship.

 

I do think injuries have screwed us and shown our lack of depth, Frazers positioning wouldn't of been that bad for the 2nd goal, Jay Rod would of been a much better impact then Juanmi and I think Gardos would be much better then Yoshi.

[Wes Tender]

Todays game had nothing to do with playing an entirely defensive team against a team with a single striker.

Considering how rarely convert our chances it makes total sense to design a formation which limits those chances .

 

I just wish we were as lucky as the teams who play us ?

 

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This would be the entirely defensive team that had two strikers up front, would it? Or are Mane and Long defensive players?

 

Which additional striker would you have put up front with them, bearing in mind that Pelle and Rodriguez are injured?

[williamthesaint]

You have to look at the other relegation candidates. Who else other than Villa and Newcastle is showing real relegation form. Saints. Sadly it's just bloody goals. If Saints score they can get the whole team believing again. Can ANYBODY tell me why we went with ANOTHER 5 at the back as we did against Midjiland?

ALSO a 5 year plan, all I bloody heard about at the B.S meeting on YouTube via Solent FM was strategy this confidence that 5 year plans here expert staff there but the mother trucking wheels came off so early in this season! Where the hell is Les Reed and Kruger now? I think Koeman is the right man having said that, look at every club he's managed. He's only ever spent two seasons at a club and left them in a worse state!

Here's a slightly worrying point, DID WE NOT SPENT BUCKETS IN THE SUMMER? Yes we did! We bought in well I thought and even with our injuries I think we've still been a threat up front and we've dominated large parts of matches and yet we still switch off like freakin kids in a play ground. Where does that come from? Concentration is something you can train. There are only two players being tapped up and only one of those played yesterday so how is it the entire team switch off, drop off and allow teams to dominate? How? Because we haven't built on anything. Season after season we sell sell sell the ever increasing revolutions from the swing doors of this club means we don't bond anymore. Our centre back pairing has changed so much in two seasons nobody knows anybody else's game! Fortunately there is enough in our club to hold us together. Two recents promotions and last seasons achievements still leave us all with a sense of pride but alas that was then and this is now.

Koeman all the way but how long can I say that or any of us when defeats to west brom and Watford would more or less consign us into our first relegation battle in what 8-9 seasons?

 

 

 

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[david in sweden]

Clause never plays 90 minutes. Presumably he doesn't have the fitness to last the whole game.

 

or ....he's facing two more games in the next 6 days....Midfielders have more to do than any other position on the pitch.

[david in sweden]

Positives Romeu looked quality today and bar two mistakes we looked alright vs a top 8 side.

 

Personally I would let Wanyama go to Spurs and see if we can get Townsend or someone half decent, we need better attacking options then Gaston and Junami, sadly Jay Rod looks like he's not going to be the same, I would then recommend he gets another defender a young promising one from the championship.

 

I do think injuries have screwed us and shown our lack of depth, Frazers positioning wouldn't of been that bad for the 2nd goal, Jay Rod would of been a much better impact then Juanmi and I think Gardos would be much better then Yoshi.

 

 

I think I agree with most of that EXCEPT.....(I don't know about the rest of you, but personally).... I don't rate Townsend as being even " half decent".

 

He can't get in Tottenham's start side and they are (reputedly) asking £10 million for him, and goodness knows what his salary must be?

 

His entire reputation has been built on a good " half season" - and a few England outings when Roy had an injury crisis - where he scored a couple of goals.

[derry]

I watched the highlights this morning which of course clarified what I saw live yesterday. Fonte just assumed the ball was going out and allowed his mark to freely retrieve the ball, and feed Puncheon whilst Stekelenberg just turned the ball anywhere away from goal a poor goal to concede all round.

 

Yes I am a self confessed critic of Davis mostly because I hate players that lack courage and if they can, avoid physical contact, especially being clattered while pulling out as happened twice yesterday but hurt in neither. Davis nearly closes down, rarely letting himself get near enough to have to tackle. Pulls out if a physical tackle is needed and often just unloads the ball usually to a marked colleague, or worse to an opponent if he is too near an opponent. The first Spurs goal is an example, unloaded the ball to an opponent, tracked back, in the best position to clobber Kane but pulled out and left Soares unable to challenge on the wrong side of Kane and only VVD left who messed up. Yesterday Yoshida passed the ball to Davis who instantly unloaded it as he didn't want it, straight through to Puncheon who was clean through to put in Ward for the goal.

 

Davis is a liability who for some reason along with JWP is a manager's favourite. Both players do nothing for us and their scoring record is appalling. Romeu a defensive midfielder who has scored two similar goals in his few appearances recently and looks comfortable and courageous when he is in attacking positions and has a good shot yet the other two get picked in preference. IMO he was our best player yesterday.

 

Koeman is doing himself or the team no favours by persevering with his favourite failures. Seager was on the bench, a goal a game record in the U21's, surely worth a go over the ill fitting Juanmi. Reed surely worth a go over JWP/Davis.

 

It's not as if we are winning games regularly. Every team has a natural formation that suits it and raises it's performance, whilst picking a formation and shoe horning players into slots only works if is the formation that suits the players on the day. 4-4-2 worked against Arsenal and in the second half yesterday except for the Kamikaze winner but the negative 5-3-2 and for us 4-2-3-1 neutered our attacking. It's not the formation that counts it's the natural shape and blend of team work that the team selected produces naturally that counts. Select an ill fitting team in a set formation at your peril, it just won't work.

[simo]

This would be the entirely defensive team that had two strikers up front, would it? Or are Mane and Long defensive players?

 

Which additional striker would you have put up front with them, bearing in mind that Pelle and Rodriguez are injured?

 

I said earlier we played 5 defenders and 2 defensive midfielders at home ffs

[Wade Garrett]

You think the current board are lining their own pockets?

 

Come on, entertain us, what figures are we talking about here?

 

And in what way did ML's vision differ to how we're currently run, as a sustainable Premier League club?

 

You are like a broken record. Not necessarily the board, but the club. My opinion is that we don't seem to spend even what we generate in transfer revenues, and are the only club in the Premier League that operate in such a way. Are they all wrong?

 

You are doing a very good job of getting on my tits.

[derry]

I said earlier we played 5 defenders and 2 defensive midfielders at home ffs

 

Or even three defensive midfielders because Davis isn't any use as an attacker. Two forwards only.

[Window Cleaner]

You are like a broken record. Not necessarily the board, but the club. My opinion is that we don't seem to spend even what we generate in transfer revenues, and are the only club in the Premier League that operate in such a way. Are they all wrong?

 

You are doing a very good job of getting on my tits.

Want to give us your mathematical estimate of how we don't spend the amounts received for outgoing transfers ?

[stknowle]

Just seen the goals. Why on earth didn't Steklenberg just tip that over for a corner? Absolute madness to push it out.

 

Because he is sh!t. The fact he can kick a ball more than 30 yds in it's intended direction was enough to make him appear the required antidote to the joke options of Davis and Gazza whilst FF was injured. However as the season has worn on it has become abundantly clear that he is somewhat lacking in the save-making department, so much so that Gazza now genuinely looks like a better option. You couldn't make it up really.

[SFKA South Woodford]

Reed did OK running around a lot at the end of a few games, but from what I have read he hasn't shined at under 21 level this season. If he looked the best midfielder in training and practices matches don't you think he'd get games?

 

Targett is woeful. Would you prefer we didn't sign Bertrand to let him get game time? Blimey. I don't see your logic. If Shaw was coming through right now do you think Koeman would ignore him?

 

Seager isn't ready. People calling for him to get in the side just sound desperate to me.

 

You clearly didn't see the Everton or Arsenal games at St Mary's last season then, where Reed played from the start and was hugely influential in both victories to the extent that Koeman was singing his praises in his post match press conferences. Then Koeman goes and drops Reed to the bench only a game later then only gives him the odd few minutes in a few games for the rest of the season.

 

Reed has shown enough to suggest that he should at least be given a chance at this level. I've seen a he'll of a lot more from him in his limited games than JWP has contributed in ten times the number of appearances.

Yet JWP gets chance after chance and has only impressed against a woeful Norwich team and then only when they went down to ten men.

[Wade Garrett]

Want to give us your mathematical estimate of how we don't spend the amounts received for outgoing transfers ?

 

Just look at the fees we receive and subtract the fees we pay. If there's a plus figure (which there is) then we make a profit.

 

It really isn't that complicated.

[JRM]

You are like a broken record. Not necessarily the board, but the club. My opinion is that we don't seem to spend even what we generate in transfer revenues, and are the only club in the Premier League that operate in such a way. Are they all wrong?

 

You are doing a very good job of getting on my tits.

 

 

Oh I wish we spent loads more money waah waah waah. Do you think the state of the art complex at Staplewood came for free?

You do realise the club were lumbered with two highest earners in Osvaldo and Ramirez who were duff signings?

 

Never mind that, let's send our bank balance the same colour as our shirts!

[Fitzhugh Fella]

I watched the highlights this morning which of course clarified what I saw live yesterday. Fonte just assumed the ball was going out and allowed his mark to freely retrieve the ball, and feed Puncheon whilst Stekelenberg just turned the ball anywhere away from goal a poor goal to concede all round.

 

Yes I am a self confessed critic of Davis mostly because I hate players that lack courage and if they can, avoid physical contact, especially being clattered while pulling out as happened twice yesterday but hurt in neither. Davis nearly closes down, rarely letting himself get near enough to have to tackle. Pulls out if a physical tackle is needed and often just unloads the ball usually to a marked colleague, or worse to an opponent if he is too near an opponent. The first Spurs goal is an example, unloaded the ball to an opponent, tracked back, in the best position to clobber Kane but pulled out and left Soares unable to challenge on the wrong side of Kane and only VVD left who messed up. Yesterday Yoshida passed the ball to Davis who instantly unloaded it as he didn't want it, straight through to Puncheon who was clean through to put in Ward for the goal.

 

Davis is a liability who for some reason along with JWP is a manager's favourite. Both players do nothing for us and their scoring record is appalling. Romeu a defensive midfielder who has scored two similar goals in his few appearances recently and looks comfortable and courageous when he is in attacking positions and has a good shot yet the other two get picked in preference. IMO he was our best player yesterday.

 

Koeman is doing himself or the team no favours by persevering with his favourite failures. Seager was on the bench, a goal a game record in the U21's, surely worth a go over the ill fitting Juanmi. Reed surely worth a go over JWP/Davis.

 

It's not as if we are winning games regularly. Every team has a natural formation that suits it and raises it's performance, whilst picking a formation and shoe horning players into slots only works if is the formation that suits the players on the day. 4-4-2 worked against Arsenal and in the second half yesterday except for the Kamikaze winner but the negative 5-3-2 and for us 4-2-3-1 neutered our attacking. It's not the formation that counts it's the natural shape and blend of team work that the team selected produces naturally that counts. Select an ill fitting team in a set formation at your peril, it just won't work.

 

 

Surely when you are 2-1 down and chasing the game you brink on an attacker (Seagar) not a defensive midfielder who is clueless in front of goal?

[Window Cleaner]

Just look at the fees we receive and subtract the fees we pay. If there's a plus figure (which there is) then we make a profit.

 

It really isn't that complicated.

 

Well yes I'm pretty aware of the basic arithmetical process that's involved but it's the figures that you're using in that mathematical model that interest me. There is no plus value in reality but you seem to think that there is so your (gues)estimates interest me that's all.

[Wade Garrett]

Well yes I'm pretty aware of the basic arithmetical process that's involved but it's the figures that you're using in that mathematical model that interest me. There is no plus value in reality but you seem to think that there is so your (gues)estimates interest me that's all.

 

I don't think we've spent the money from the sales of Lallana, Lovren, Shaw, Lambert, Chambers and Morgan.

[Goatboy]

If Clasie played so well why then why do you think the manager gave him the hook - I didn't spot any injury. As for JWP, after watching the rest of the team overhit everything for much of the match it came as something of a relief (to this fan at least) to see someone come on and do something useful with the ball for a change - indeed I seem to remember that his accuracy very nearly led to a equaliser on more than one occasion.

 

Mane was disappointing perhaps, but certainly not ''shocking'' in the negative sense of the expression - unless you are of the easily shocked type I suppose. As for describing young Matty Targett's performance yesterday as ''pants'' ... well that comment is itself pants methinks.

 

We all see it differently I suppose CEC. I thought Targett's positioning was poor. Reluctant to get in behind his opposing fullback, not creating any angles to receive the ball (particularly from Mané in the 2nd half), woeful lack of pace leading to 2 hideous fouls/pieces of obstruction for which any vaguely competent ref could have booked/sent him off. Awful delivery when he did manage to get in the final third. That said, I thought he improved with each game when covering for Bertrand at the beginning of the season.

Clasie has fitness issues, agreed. Class player though imho.

Mané has been underperforming for at least the last 5 games. It's like he's borrowed Carlton Palmer's legs for the end of the season.

[DuncanRG]

Lol at the thought of delusional parents being angry about their kids not being good enough for Prem footy.

 

Can imagine it now.

 

"Ere Koeman, you know naafffing you caaahnt!! My tyro league team won the league playing 4-4-2 and players full of passion and commitment when I was a nipper!! Harry Reed's mum says he's the bee's knees!!"

 

Giving teenagers public criticism like that is pretty poor. Koeman's entitled to believe they're not good enough but shouldn't say so publicly to support what appears to be his goal: a larger transfer kitty.

[Saint Charlie]

Surely when you are 2-1 down and chasing the game you brink on an attacker (Seagar) not a defensive midfielder who is clueless in front of goal?

Surely we did that sub not for tactical reasons, but because Clasie had done his minutes and needed subbing?

[derry]

Surely we did that sub not for tactical reasons, but because Clasie had done his minutes and needed subbing?

 

You posted at 5.02 pm yesterday, were you at the match?

[DuncanRG]

I'll always remember Paul Lambert's subs when Villa were losing to Bradford in the league cup a few years ago. He piled about six strikers onto their back line but forgot that he'd need someone to pass to them.

[Whitey Grandad]

Just look at the fees we receive and subtract the fees we pay. If there's a plus figure (which there is) then we make a profit.

 

It really isn't that complicated.

 

It's nowhere near that simple. The fees quoted are not the fees that we receive, the payments are not all guaranteed and are often linked to future performances, percentages paid to former clubs, you cannot ignore the wage element, there are agents' fees and if we do make a profit, Corporation Tax.

 

When the papers say that somebody has left for 'a deal worth £...m that money doesn't all go to the selling club and may even include the player's future earnings.

[derry]

Surely when you are 2-1 down and chasing the game you brink on an attacker (Seagar) not a defensive midfielder who is clueless in front of goal?

 

My comment was," Jesus, no goals in four years, this is going to work!" I would have thought leave Clasie and give Seager a go. Later they shoved VVD up front.

[Wade Garrett]

It's nowhere near that simple. The fees quoted are not the fees that we receive, the payments are not all guaranteed and are often linked to future performances, percentages paid to former clubs, you cannot ignore the wage element, there are agents' fees and if we do make a profit, Corporation Tax.

 

When the papers say that somebody has left for 'a deal worth £...m that money doesn't all go to the selling club and may even include the player's future earnings.

 

Is that the same for players we buy then...

[Saint Charlie]

You posted at 5.02 pm yesterday, were you at the match?

Not yesterday, no. But called it 5mins before that our last sub would be JWP for Clasie because he doesn't do full games.

 

Would have been better surely to have another forward option, maybe Seager in the last 5mins.

 

But effectively we only have 2 tactical subs and used them at HT.

[simo]

Not yesterday, no. But called it 5mins before that our last sub would be JWP for Clasie because he doesn't do full games.

 

Would have been better surely to have another forward option, maybe Seager in the last 5mins.

 

But effectively we only have 2 tactical subs and used them at HT.

 

I called it when the team was announced what subs would be used every man and his dog knew Segar and Reed wouldn't get any minutes

[Saint Charlie]

I called it when the team was announced what subs would be used every man and his dog knew Segar and Reed wouldn't get any minutes

Its not really about them specifically. At 2-1 down after 75mins you wouldn't bring Reed on.

[derry]

Clasie was still going strong when taken off and we were battering Palace. JWP added nothing apart from corners and a free kick as usual off target. If we were changing Clasie it should have been for Reed, a poor substitution. Juanmi doesn't fit and looks out of place at the moment. Seager instead of Juanmi at half time for me.

[Sour Mash]

You are like a broken record. Not necessarily the board, but the club. My opinion is that we don't seem to spend even what we generate in transfer revenues, and are the only club in the Premier League that operate in such a way. Are they all wrong?

 

You are doing a very good job of getting on my tits.

Good. Stop posting never ending s***e then.

[Sour Mash]

Clasie was still going strong when taken off and were were battering Palace. JWP added nothing apart from corners and a free kick as usual off target. If we were changing Clasie it should have been for Reed, a poor substitution. Juanmi doesn't fit and looks out of place at the moment. Seager instead of Juanmi at half time for me.

Apart from corners? That we very nearly scored twice from? How are we more than likely to score with Reed on the pitch than JWP?

[derry]

Apart from corners? That we very nearly scored twice from? How are we more than likely to score with Reed on the pitch than JWP?

 

Nearly but didn't. JWP hasn't scored since 2012 from play, once from a penalty and never from a free kick and rarely from his corners. Can't tackle, head, painfully slow and ultra careful with his passing. Reed is dynamic, nippy and needs to be brought on. JWP has had more than enough chances and hasn't delivered. We don't know what Reed could have done but we sure as hell knew what JWP wasn't going to do and as usual he disappointed..

[Saints foreva]

Nearly but didn't. JWP hasn't scored since 2012 from play, once from a penalty and never from a free kick and rarely from his corners. Can't tackle, head, painfully slow and ultra careful with his passing. Reed is dynamic, nippy and needs to be brought on. JWP has had more than enough chances and hasn't delivered. We don't know what Reed could have done but we sure as hell knew what JWP wasn't going to do and as usual he disappointed..

 

Don't really get the Reed hype on this forum but 100% agree with you on JWP.

 

He isn't good enough for the Premier League at the moment.

[Sour Mash]

Nearly but didn't. JWP hasn't scored since 2012 from play, once from a penalty and never from a free kick and rarely from his corners. Can't tackle, head, painfully slow and ultra careful with his passing. Reed is dynamic, nippy and needs to be brought on. JWP has had more than enough chances and hasn't delivered. We don't know what Reed could have done but we sure as hell knew what JWP wasn't going to do and as usual he disappointed..

But puts in a cracking corner and cross, better than all those that we wasted throughout the first half for example andwe very nearly scored from them.

 

I agree that Reed is good at harassing opponents and closing down, but how would that have be what we needed in the last 20mins of yesterday's game? We needed creativity, JWP was the most creative player we had on the bench.

[derry]

Don't really get the Reed hype on this forum but 100% agree with you on JWP.

 

He isn't good enough for the Premier League at the moment.

 

I'm not trying to hype Reed but I was impressed the way he forced Everton to substitute Barkley at half time last year and just think that compared with JWP and Davis he deserves a chance as opposed to unlimited rewarding of mediocrity.

[Window Cleaner]

I don't think we've spent the money from the sales of Lallana, Lovren, Shaw, Lambert, Chambers and Morgan.

 

And presumably Cork and Clyne, but the sad thing is that we have.

[derry]

But puts in a cracking corner and cross, better than all those that we wasted throughout the first half for example andwe very nearly scored from them.

 

I agree that Reed is good at harassing opponents and closing down, but how would that have be what we needed in the last 20mins of yesterday's game? We needed creativity, JWP was the most creative player we had on the bench.

 

Trouble is, that's where he leaves his mythical creativity because he doesn't create in play and more importantly score goals. Clasie shouldn't have been substituted and Seager given a go instead of Juanmi who just isn't fitting in.

[Badger]

Deep down I didn't expect a win yesterday, and the team announcement - playing Yoshida, Martina, and Targett - cemented that thought to be honest. Perhaps we should have stuck Caulker in as well for good measure. If going for wing backs, might Cedric have been a better option ?

 

As for the match, seemed in control until Davis (mainly) & Yoshida combined to give Palace a clean run at goal. Yet again, our biggest problem is converting chances. 12 corners, and only two near the end really created a real opening. Too many players want too many touches (which seems to be the real 'Southampton way' , as it used to be like this with Lallana & Rodriguez, but they were a cut above the present lot, in creating more and eventually taking an opprtunity).

 

Most seasons I feel its season over when we exit the FA Cup.Now I hope we have that this year, although if the current slide continues we'll have the 'excitement' of looking over our shoulder at the drop zone to look forward to.

[Sour Mash]

Trouble is, that's where he leaves his mythical creativity because he doesn't create in play and more importantly score goals. Clasie shouldn't have been substituted and Seager given a go instead of Juanmi who just isn't fitting in.

His set piece crosses are good though, they do offer creativity, more than Reed or Seager.

[supersonic]

I was going to post in here last night but decided to give myself a sleep on it to re-evaluate and get a bit more sense out of yesterday's game

 

Firstly, it was always going to be a tough game, Palace are a good side and Pardew has got them well organised and playing some decent football. Well done to them and good luck for the rest of the FA Cup campaign.

 

Onto us, tactically all wrong - 5 in defense at home against a team playing 1 up front (Frazier Campbell too!) is bad enough, but to wait until half-time to change it is almost unforgivable. I just don't get the negative tactics, yesterday was a game that we could have expressed ourselves, had a real go and not really been bothered too much if it hadn't have worked.

 

We started ok, had a few half chances but , as usual, shot ourselves in the foot. We looked relatively comfortable defensively until they score. I still cannot comprehend how one of the greatest defenders the game has ever seen, can be in charge of a team that consistently makes defensive errors.

 

I'm usually one of Targett's first critics but I felt he did well yesterday against a tricky winger in Zaha.

 

Mane looked bright, as did VVD, Clasie and Martina.

 

Big questions however over Yoshida, Fonte, Davis and Stek for me.

 

On another day we could have nicked a draw, but wasn't to be.

 

A bit of bad luck, yes. But poor tactics, poor substitutions and defensive errors cost us.

[Sour Mash]

And presumably Cork and Clyne, but the sad thing is that we have.

And how was stuff like this paid for? http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/clubs/southampton/article4485045.ece

[Window Cleaner]

And how was stuff like this paid for? http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/clubs/southampton/article4485045.ece

 

No doubt from PL+ Ticket money etc or increased debt. The transfer account for the last 2 years appears roughly balanced.

[Sour Mash]

No doubt from PL+ Ticket money etc or increased debt. The transfer account for the last 2 years appears roughly balanced.

That's my point.

[melmacian_saint]

I watched the highlights this morning which of course clarified what I saw live yesterday. Fonte just assumed the ball was going out and allowed his mark to freely retrieve the ball, and feed Puncheon whilst Stekelenberg just turned the ball anywhere away from goal a poor goal to concede all round.

 

Yes I am a self confessed critic of Davis mostly because I hate players that lack courage and if they can, avoid physical contact, especially being clattered while pulling out as happened twice yesterday but hurt in neither. Davis nearly closes down, rarely letting himself get near enough to have to tackle. Pulls out if a physical tackle is needed and often just unloads the ball usually to a marked colleague, or worse to an opponent if he is too near an opponent. The first Spurs goal is an example, unloaded the ball to an opponent, tracked back, in the best position to clobber Kane but pulled out and left Soares unable to challenge on the wrong side of Kane and only VVD left who messed up. Yesterday Yoshida passed the ball to Davis who instantly unloaded it as he didn't want it, straight through to Puncheon who was clean through to put in Ward for the goal.

 

Davis is a liability who for some reason along with JWP is a manager's favourite. Both players do nothing for us and their scoring record is appalling. Romeu a defensive midfielder who has scored two similar goals in his few appearances recently and looks comfortable and courageous when he is in attacking positions and has a good shot yet the other two get picked in preference. IMO he was our best player yesterday.

 

Koeman is doing himself or the team no favours by persevering with his favourite failures. Seager was on the bench, a goal a game record in the U21's, surely worth a go over the ill fitting Juanmi. Reed surely worth a go over JWP/Davis.

 

It's not as if we are winning games regularly. Every team has a natural formation that suits it and raises it's performance, whilst picking a formation and shoe horning players into slots only works if is the formation that suits the players on the day. 4-4-2 worked against Arsenal and in the second half yesterday except for the Kamikaze winner but the negative 5-3-2 and for us 4-2-3-1 neutered our attacking. It's not the formation that counts it's the natural shape and blend of team work that the team selected produces naturally that counts. Select an ill fitting team in a set formation at your peril, it just won't work.

 

So Clasie (who you go on to praise, I'm assuming because there's no one else) can't run with the ball past the midfield line, yet Davis (only midfielder who can) is a liability. He lost the ball yesterday, but how many players did we have behind him and in front of Puncheon?? We were playing with FIVE defenders, none of whom were out of position. And what kind of defender passes a ball straight down the middle with the front 3 of the opposition closing down?

I know it's the obvious mistake that gets punished the most and rightly so, but let's be honest about this and see that the whole minute building up to the goal is a perfect show of how the team really does not work under this abhorrent Dutch obsession of 5-3-2.