Austin

[thorpie the sinner]

Didn't get to watch game last night, but I have been an advocate of Charlie Austin for ages now and am delighted he got on the score sheet. Did we play to his strengths last night or is he just looking sharper. The games I have seen, he just looked a bit out of place. If we can utilise him to his strengths, he is def a 15 goal a year striker, is it too early to predict that within Claudes diamonds? Appreciate any thoughts from those at game? Also how did Jay look again?

[BARCELONASAINT]

for what its worth these are my thought on Austin's performance last night. He is paid to score goals and he got two and so almost had a hat trick. Austin is a poacher, I don't think he works well if he is told to chase the opposition defence all over the place (that is LONG's strength)Austin got service last night, some great crosses into the box and he was there or thereabouts.He was blowing out of his arse by halftime.If we choose to play Austin then Claude needs to play to his strengths.....personally I believe Austin is a natural goal scorer and we should be adapting our game to suit him...or whats the point of having him.Considering Jrod had only been on the pitch a few minutes he took his goal extremely confidently and it will do his confidence the world of good.

[striker]

Austin needs to play. The guy is a great goal scorer, who else on the team has scored 18 goals in a PL season? Puel's system devaluates strikers in place for midfielders. Austin is a traditional striker, in the mold of Pelle, Carroll, etc. He is what we need. Puel needs to adjust.

[Viking Saint]

He got on to and very close to some decent quality service last night, as did Shlong, though he did seem to find himself wide out left too often. If chances had been taken, it could've been five. Couldn't tell from where I was sitting but was Austin's disallowed goal offside?? If we keep getting balls in the box like we did last night, Austin is a big enough unit to get on the end of them. He did look absolutely bushed after half an hour mind and didn't seem to run particularly smoothly when chasing.

[Shance]

If Shlong can get his shooting boots on then we will be fine for goals.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

At one point appeared to be playing left wing which was bizarre. Needs to work on his fitness too, faded badly after a bright start.

[saint77]

At one point appeared to be playing left wing which was bizarre. Needs to work on his fitness too, faded badly after a bright start.

 

Another target for the old dinosaur

[Saint Billy]

Another target for the old dinosaur

 

Oh give it up will you.

[HKsaint]

Austin and Jrod must play more often then now. They are natural goalscorers and can each easily score 15+. Redmond and Long are not goalscorers and cannot score 10+ at most.

[Miltonaggro]

Another target for the old dinosaur

 

The 'old dinosaur' was right about Austin's fitness and positioning, though.

[notnowcato]

The 'old dinosaur' was right about Austin's fitness and positioning, though.

 

Hard to criticise Charlie on his positioning last night, I thought he worked well with Long and Tadic.

[beatlesaint]

Needs to be played down the middle so he is always in the box when we attack, he will score goals, best finisher at the club, its a no brainer really especially given our lack of goals so far in the League.

[kelkel31]

If we play to Austins strengths as said before he can be very good for us but it was plain to see that for the vast majority of the game our style of play was nowhere near to his strengths and he looked completely out of place. He did better than expected in getting to some of the wider balls but would always pull up and lay the ball off as if he didnt want to put the ball into the middle for somebody else as it may take away his chance of being there to get his hat-trick. I thought this hindered us 3 or 4 times last night and as been said he looked well out of puff long before half time.

 

Fair play to him thou when we did have sustained pressure around the last 3rd he put it in the back of the net 2 out of 2 crosses which bodes well.

[notnowcato]

Yeah, what we need to do is change the formation now that it appears to be clicking into place.

[saint77]

Oh give it up will you.

 

No I won't

[benjii]

In my view, he's a very limited player who benefitted from some League One standard defending.

 

I would love to be proven wrong but he doesn't have the game to play in a passing side in a strong league. That said, he is obviously an excellent finisher so if we can find a way to carry him he will get goals. Perhaps when we have Boufal available the striker role might change a bit and he can play to his strengths a bit more.

 

What we really need is a cross between Austin and Long - what a player that would be!

[Colinjb]

Looked so much more comfortable with some service, Martina's crossing (although helped by Sparta's almost non-existent defending/closing down) was just what he needed.

[rallyboy]

It would be harsh to suggest he looks like an unfit Rickie Lambert without the shooting ability or the pace, because he's fairly solid if unspectacular.

He did okay last night against limited opposition - the only bloke on the pitch who made any effort to stop him all night was Tadic.

 

Hopefully he'll benefit from a confidence boost and get a few goals.

Let's not forget how woeful Pelle and Mane were on occasions - so let's give him time.

[FriendlySaint]

The system is wrong for him. He needs to be the main man in 4231 or 433. Ibrahimovic would be completely wasted and struggle to score in a diamond system where he is expected to chase the opposition full back. There is no use at all playing anyone over Austin. He's a proper and proven goal scorer. And he bagged 2 last night regardless of the system.

 

Martina plays at the weekend for me after the assist last night. Cedric's crossing and shooting is abysmal

[angelman]

At one point appeared to be playing left wing which was bizarre. Needs to work on his fitness too, faded badly after a bright start.

 

We are trying to fit lots of players into the team up front...

 

Tadic, Long, Austin last night, and then subs with Redmond and JRod. We seemed to be playing Long up the middle when I think Austin would be better there, not least as a goal scorer, he is likely to get more than anyone else.

[Pilchards]

At one point appeared to be playing left wing which was bizarre. Needs to work on his fitness too, faded badly after a bright start.

 

Certainly was knackered around the 40 minute mark.

When the first sub board came up I swear Austin waved his finger as he wanted to come off.

He then walked over to the bench and had a word.

Did anyone else see it like that?

[S-Clarke]

Long is the perfect foil for him, I think they'd make a good partnership. I listened to Hoddle's views on Charlie last night, stick him in the box and get the delivery right and he's a goal machine - but stick him on his own as a focal point and he struggles. He needs support around him, and Long's running will provide that.

[angelman]

Long's runs....they seem to not be being fed. All season so far the ball isn't played over the top, but passed around. One of Long's hugely important bits of play is of course his speed on the break, yet we seem to be not using it. Last night the same. All those pretty short passes in midfield. Austin and Long making the runs, but the ball not coming, and getting caught offside as a result.

[ErwinK1961]

Long's runs....they seem to not be being fed. All season so far the ball isn't played over the top, but passed around. One of Long's hugely important bits of play is of course his speed on the break, yet we seem to be not using it. Last night the same. All those pretty short passes in midfield. Austin and Long making the runs, but the ball not coming, and getting caught offside as a result.

 

Totally agree, you can see Long in particular is cutting a very frustrated figure.

 

Even on that burst from Hojbjerg where he almost backheeled in Redmond, Long was sprinting on his right side which surely should have been the ball?

[AK]

Austin was wasting far too much energy closing down their right hand side. He had to make far too many runs almost the length of the pitch in both directions. This is clearly a waste of his skills. I don't think he's unfit he's just not a box to box midfielder/ athletic player which is basically what he's been asked to do in terms of ground covered. I don't think many out and out centre forwards would fare much better. He needs to somehow be freed from some of his defensive duties.

 

He was offside for the disallowed goal but only just. I thought he was on at the time but TV proved me wrong. I think his feet were level but his upper body had broken the line.

[shurlock]

At one point appeared to be playing left wing which was bizarre. Needs to work on his fitness too, faded badly after a bright start.

 

You have a very loose definition of a left winger. First he was rotating alot of Tadic down the middle as Puel 's system encourages; second and I watched closely, he never split wider than than the edge of the 18 yard box. In other words, he was pretty tucked in.

[Dig Dig]

You have a very loose definition of a left winger. First he was rotating alot of Tadic down the middle as Puel 's system encourages; second and I watched closely, he never split wider than than the edge of the 18 yard box. In other words, he was pretty tucked in.

 

Exactly. He went wider to give Targett an outlet a couple of times but otherwise, his "wide positions" were pretty much in line with the edge of the 18 yard box.

[Lord Duckhunter]

I don't get the Austin love in after last night . He scored a pen he shouldn't have taken & a header the keeper should save . All against a championship standard defence . I dread to think how many goals Mane would have scored last night . Austin was blowing out of his arse after 40 mins , and hardly touched the ball second half . Our system clearly doesn't suit him , but he's not that good to change the system round for him .

 

Modern goal scorers have to have more to their game, gone are the days where they can preserve their energy until chances appear in the box . His all round game is not good enough , not a patch on Rickies , who despite being as slow was never puffing like a chain smoker before half time like he was , even when Poch had him moving all over the front line .

 

Maybe he'll get a run of games to kick start the season . I hope I'm wrong but I think he'll end up as a bit part player , before moving on .

[Dangermouth]

Austin was wasting far too much energy closing down their right hand side. He had to make far too many runs almost the length of the pitch in both directions. This is clearly a waste of his skills. I don't think he's unfit he's just not a box to box midfielder/ athletic player which is basically what he's been asked to do in terms of ground covered. I don't think many out and out centre forwards would fare much better. He needs to somehow be freed from some of his defensive duties.

 

He was offside for the disallowed goal but only just. I thought he was on at the time but TV proved me wrong. I think his feet were level but his upper body had broken the line.

 

Is that relevant though? What do the referees among us think? I thought he was onside and part of his body might have been ahead of the defender based on the angle shown on the telly but really that could mean his hand was ahead of the defender and he'd be called offside. The rule is still that the player must be goal-side of the last defender and he really wasn't. The same applied to SL when he was called offside at the end from Redmond's pass.

 

While I wasn't impressed when Austin joined, having now seen him a bit it's obvious he comes alive in the 18 yard box and he's an excellent finisher - he has no doubt he'll score and he intends to. Up there with the likes of Defoe and not many others but we seem to like to leave Tadic up (at the tip of the diamond) where he does little as he's not the player who's best with his back to goal and have the other forwards drop which just means they have further to run and so e.g. SL isn't being allowed to go one on one with the last defender which would probably scare the **** out of most of them. Noticed as well how fast Yoshida is as was described in the thread on fastest players in the first few games of this season.

 

I still think the system should be tweaked to make use of our players' strengths rather than negating them and we should have gone for the kill last night, not conserved energy from the beginning of the 2nd half.

[Batman]

Swansea's record signing, Borja Baston is expected to make his debut

[The9]

Didn't get to watch game last night, but I have been an advocate of Charlie Austin for ages now and am delighted he got on the score sheet. Did we play to his strengths last night or is he just looking sharper. The games I have seen, he just looked a bit out of place. If we can utilise him to his strengths, he is def a 15 goal a year striker, is it too early to predict that within Claudes diamonds? Appreciate any thoughts from those at game? Also how did Jay look again?

 

He scored a penalty he wasn't supposed to be taking, and stuck the ball in the net from a decent cross in the air, which is something we haven't been doing. Other than that he still looked completely uncomfortable doing any kind of off the ball running of more than 5 yards and actively avoided running for a few situations when he was very obviously knackered. Not Saints fit, but a great goalscorer.

[The9]

Is that relevant though? What do the referees among us think? I thought he was onside and part of his body might have been ahead of the defender based on the angle shown on the telly but really that could mean his hand was ahead of the defender and he'd be called offside. The rule is still that the player must be goal-side of the last defender and he really wasn't. The same applied to SL when he was called offside at the end from Redmond's pass.

 

Not true, it's only parts of the body you can legally play the ball with.

[The9]

Austin needs to play. The guy is a great goal scorer, who else on the team has scored 18 goals in a PL season? Puel's system devaluates strikers in place for midfielders. Austin is a traditional striker, in the mold of Pelle, Carroll, etc. He is what we need. Puel needs to adjust.

 

He is also absolutely not in the mould of Pelle, who is better at holding the ball up, linking play, as a target man and in the air, nor is he as awful with the ball at his feet as Carroll.

 

Basically if we want to use him effectively we need to build the team around him. We won't be doing that, and we have other options, so we'll just have to accept that he's not going to be as effective as he could be.

[The9]

we should have gone for the kill last night, not conserved energy from the beginning of the 2nd half.

 

We did "go for the kill", we passed the ball around and didn't let them anywhere near it for ages, they barely had a chance to attack us as a result. There's more than one way to cement a winning position than just trying to score more goals.

 

I was quite surprised how open we still were at 1-0 to be honest.

[notnowcato]

I don't get the Austin love in after last night . He scored a pen he shouldn't have taken & a header the keeper should save . All against a championship standard defence . I dread to think how many goals Mane would have scored last night . Austin was blowing out of his arse after 40 mins , and hardly touched the ball second half . Our system clearly doesn't suit him , but he's not that good to change the system round for him .

 

Modern goal scorers have to have more to their game, gone are the days where they can preserve their energy until chances appear in the box . His all round game is not good enough , not a patch on Rickies , who despite being as slow was never puffing like a chain smoker before half time like he was , even when Poch had him moving all over the front line .

 

Maybe he'll get a run of games to kick start the season . I hope I'm wrong but I think he'll end up as a bit part player , before moving on .

 

Ahhh... the classic "I hope I'm wrong.." after slagging a player off.

[sotonist]

I don't want to see austin chasing the ball to the corner flag. If we play him, it has to be with players like Long and Redmond either side of him.

[notnowcato]

He is also absolutely not in the mould of Pelle, who is better at holding the ball up, linking play, as a target man and in the air, nor is he as awful with the ball at his feet as Carroll.

 

Basically if we want to use him effectively we need to build the team around him. We won't be doing that, and we have other options, so we'll just have to accept that he's not going to be as effective as he could be.

 

I hope his run of ineffectiveness continues.

[Saint_Ash]

Made the Europa team of the week. Good Lad.

[kwsaint]

The disallowed goal was offside by inches. Lino actually got it right. Agree that Austin looks like the only one of our strikers who can score goals, but we need to play to his strengths.

[striker]

I don't get the Austin love in after last night . He scored a pen he shouldn't have taken & a header the keeper should save . All against a championship standard defence . I dread to think how many goals Mane would have scored last night . Austin was blowing out of his arse after 40 mins , and hardly touched the ball second half . Our system clearly doesn't suit him , but he's not that good to change the system round for him .

 

Modern goal scorers have to have more to their game, gone are the days where they can preserve their energy until chances appear in the box . His all round game is not good enough , not a patch on Rickies , who despite being as slow was never puffing like a chain smoker before half time like he was , even when Poch had him moving all over the front line .

 

Maybe he'll get a run of games to kick start the season . I hope I'm wrong but I think he'll end up as a bit part player , before moving on .

 

We yell for players who put the ball in the net, and then we get one and we're not happy. Finishing is a skill. I don't really care about the artistic value of the goal. After seeing Long and Redmond shoot, shoot, shoot, and miss, miss, miss continually, this is refreshing. A very direct player who puts the ball on net, which gives every shot a chance. There's a difference between a goal scorer striker and a wing player or midfielder. He is what we need, so when we are wasting time passing aroudn==nd the diamond someone can be ready for the occasional attack.

[Dangermouth]

Not true, it's only parts of the body you can legally play the ball with.

 

Thanks. Which explains why he and SL were considered offside as their heads were the offending parts although they were still mostly in line and (to me) had looked to play it well - I guess in that case they're just playing on the margins as they keep it very tight.

[petts]

If he can just sort his fitness out, then he'll come good.

 

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[Sidney Fudpucker the 3rd]

The disallowed goal was offside by inches. Lino actually got it right. Agree that Austin looks like the only one of our strikers who can score goals, but we need to play to his strengths.

 

He looks like the only one of our strikers who can score goals yet we've got a manager who is talking about dropping him when we desperately need a win. If something is working then why the **** does he want to change it? Muppet!

[John Boy Saint]

Mrs JBS (cheeky girl) noted that Charlie Austin looks a bit trimmer, so maybe we are getting him into a "fighting condition", a bit like we did with Rickie Lambert who said he was the fittest he had been his whole career when with us.

The advantage Rickie had with us was he came in at bottom of league one so, could evolve with the demands of the league we were in as we went through the leagues. Like Rickie, Charlie is a natural born preditor who has done his turn in the lower leagues, but working under a dinosaur like Redknapp, and his resistance to sports science, I very much doubt much emphasis was placed on developing the Charlie Austin package further simply because his natural ability kept putting the ball in the net which was plenty enough for Arry.

Maybe the lack of overall conditioning in his career, has given him the injuries he has had, and as a result of those injuries getting him up to Southampton standards is taking just a tad longer, unlike Rickies evolution through the leagues, Charlie is probably having to evolve faster, under the stronger magnifying glass of the Premier League.

Before anyone says "but he was banging them into the net for QPR in the Prem" Rickie Lambert said that until he came to us he never paid much attention to looking after his body as he relied on his natural ability to score goals.

[Badger]

If he can just sort his fitness out, then he'll come good.

 

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I suspect he could "come good" without sorting the fitness out, as he did on Thursday, but only for about 45 minutes to make an impact. First half though I thought his movement and involvement (as well as the goals) were good but he seemed pretty anonymous in the second.

 

He really has earnt the David Connolly accolade from our L1 days, that "Austin is the best striker at the club bar none, if he can keep out of the treatment room " (and stay fit).

[Cabrone]

If you don't play Austin who else is going to score the goals? I haven't seen any evidence from any other player except maybe JRod but I still think he has a way to go yet and even then I still don't see him as a 15-20 goal a season striker.

 

Pick Austin and work to his strengths, I don't care if he's 'blowing' after 45 minutes if by that time he's stuck the ball in the back of the net a couple of times. Sub him and close the gate.

 

Goals win games, not endless running with no end product.

[petts]

I suspect he could "come good" without sorting the fitness out, as he did on Thursday, but only for about 45 minutes to make an impact. First half though I thought his movement and involvement (as well as the goals) were good but he seemed pretty anonymous in the second.

 

He really has earnt the David Connolly accolade from our L1 days, that "Austin is the best striker at the club bar none, if he can keep out of the treatment room " (and stay fit).

I totally agree with your assessment of his performance of him against sparta. What I meant was he looked to be physically struggling to do the requisite running that this team/formation requires. If he can improve his fitness so he can do that for the majority of the match, then he'll be very good for us indeed

 

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[derry]

Redmond- not a Thierry Henry, one goal in eleven games career average, Shane Long, great worker, occasional scorer, Jay rodriguez on the way back and could be a regular goal scorer again but needs games and goals to build both confidence and fitness, Charlie Austin, put him in the box with the ball and he is a lethal finisher.

 

If we want to be near the top of the league somebody has to get over twenty goals never mind the managers fifteen players have to score, another fanciful ambition. Only three players have the potential to score double figures in the league and Redmond isn't one of them. Team Austin with Long and use Rodriguez as an alternative. Boufal may get goals but the Premier League is an unforgiving place and the jury is out on that one.

 

Asking Austin to act as a work horse is stupidity, get him in the box with the ball, it's a no brainer. He is probably among the best three finishers in the country.

[Dangermouth]

Redmond- not a Thierry Henry, one goal in eleven games career average, Shane Long, great worker, occasional scorer, Jay rodriguez on the way back and could be a regular goal scorer again but needs games and goals to build both confidence and fitness, Charlie Austin, put him in the box with the ball and he is a lethal finisher.

 

If we want to be near the top of the league somebody has to get over twenty goals never mind the managers fifteen players have to score, another fanciful ambition. Only three players have the potential to score double figures in the league and Redmond isn't one of them. Team Austin with Long and use Rodriguez as an alternative. Boufal may get goals but the Premier League is an unforgiving place and the jury is out on that one.

 

Asking Austin to act as a work horse is stupidity, get him in the box with the ball, it's a no brainer. He is probably among the best three finishers in the country.

 

 

I agree. Seeing him in the box you can tell he is a goalscorer and lives for it and he is one of the best English players at that particular skill (scoring) we have in the country.

[Sour Mash]

I don't get the Austin love in after last night . He scored a pen he shouldn't have taken & a header the keeper should save . All against a championship standard defence . I dread to think how many goals Mane would have scored last night . Austin was blowing out of his arse after 40 mins , and hardly touched the ball second half . Our system clearly doesn't suit him , but he's not that good to change the system round for him .

 

Modern goal scorers have to have more to their game, gone are the days where they can preserve their energy until chances appear in the box . His all round game is not good enough , not a patch on Rickies , who despite being as slow was never puffing like a chain smoker before half time like he was , even when Poch had him moving all over the front line .

 

Maybe he'll get a run of games to kick start the season . I hope I'm wrong but I think he'll end up as a bit part player , before moving on .

Agree with this. How many teams play with a striker that adds nothing else bar finishing? Great squad option to have though.