What is the point

[ivangolac]

Of spending all season trying to qualify for a competition and then not playing our best side when we do ?

 

No wonder our better players always want to leave for more ambitious clubs ..

[niceandfriendly]

You'll no doubt get hassle for making that post, but you're spot on. We may still qualify, but 0 goals in 3 European away games is f'in pants.

Edited 24 November, 2016 by niceandfriendly
for civility

[Saint_Donovan]

Yep, can't really argue with that based on the away results so far

 

 

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[Saintsteve7]

What is the point in playing our strongest 11 every Europa game and getting relegated?!

For all prem clubs in this competition it's about getting the balance right. I'd say Puel has done a pretty decent job so far.

[Dalek2003]

Of spending all season trying to qualify for a competition and then not playing our best side when we do ?

 

No wonder our better players always want to leave for more ambitious clubs ..

 

I called this last season. Basically we are limited in our ambition to doing enough to stay in the PL. Do it on a budget and coin in the profits.

[bangkoksaint]

Yep and we will follow that up on Wednesday and go out to Arsenal because we'll play a different side again. I for one am fed up to the back teeth with rotating players and hearing they need a rest. These are young fit men being paid a kings ransom and between games doing very little. I don't have those excuses in my job and am expected to perform week in week out. It is no different for them but this attitude has Krept in to the game and now it's in vogue.

[Lighthouse]

It sure sucks that we have to play both games against Hapoel away from home.

[Saints foreva]

We will get embarrassed if we make it through to the next round. The three teams we have played so far have all been dog****.

[Dalek2003]

We will get embarrassed if we make it through to the next round. The three teams we have played so far have all been dog****.

 

Perhaps the Club know this and are ensuring that our European adventure is coming to an end.

[OttawaSaint]

Perhaps the Club know this and are ensuring that our European adventure is coming to an end.

 

If you really believe this then you should take a break from football...

[Katalinic]

If you really believe this then you should take a break from football...

 

Or life.

[Saint_clark]

We will get embarrassed if we make it through to the next round. The three teams we have played so far have all been dog****.

 

Inter when we played them away and Prague at home yes, but other than that they've been perfectly capable, good sides. Prague played some good stuff in the second half today.

Worth taking note of the celebrations of Beer Sheva and Prague when they beat us as well, English teams are always a huge scalp and much more effort is put in from opponents in these games.

If we get to the knockout stages you'll see Bertrand, Cedric, Romeu, Tadic, Austin all starting IMO.

[badgerx16]

Of spending all season trying to qualify for a competition and then not playing our best side when we do ?

 

That line-up was perfectly capable of winning tonight, they just completely failed to perform. I think the same can be said for all 3 away EL games, but also several of our prem matches, ( eg Hull ). There seems to be a lack of motivation and inspiration, especially away from SMS.

[Saint_clark]

We should remember that it's still in our hands. Look at our Prem fixtures coming up as well - on the 1st of january we could conceivably be into the knockouts of the Europa, the semis of the league cup and back in the top 8 of the Prem pushing for the top 6.

[ART]

We should remember that it's still in our hands. Look at our Prem fixtures coming up as well - on the 1st of january we could conceivably be into the knockouts of the Europa, the semis of the league cup and back in the top 8 of the Prem pushing for the top 6.

I wish I had your optimism. I have reached a point where Puel's failure to have us scoring goals compares to his past results in the French League.

I can only see the opposite of what you post.

We cannot score, therefore we can't win games. Hopefully we can sign a player or two to rectify Puels way of playing. Personally I can't bear watching the endless left, right, back, failed ball into the box for 90 minutes.

With the games we have coming up, considering we are 4 points off the bottom three, we may find ourselves right down there come the 1st of January

[adrian lord]

Of spending all season trying to qualify for a competition and then not playing our best side when we do ?

 

No wonder our better players always want to leave for more ambitious clubs ..

 

 

It is truly bizarre. Makes the club's existence seem futile.

[Dalek2003]

It is truly bizarre. Makes the club's existence seem futile.

 

But there is no money to be made from the Europa league and with our form in the PL form suffering the business needs to look after its bread and butter.

 

A very rational business decision to play a weak team in Europe and the Cups.

[mrfahaji]

We will get embarrassed if we make it through to the next round. The three teams we have played so far have all been dog****.

 

I really don't think we would, but pretty confident we wouldn't score in the away leg.

[Saint in NZ]

But there is no money to be made from the Europa league and with our form in the PL form suffering the business needs to look after its bread and butter.

 

A very rational business decision to play a weak team in Europe and the Cups.

 

Why all the hoo-ha to finish high enough up the league to get into Europe then? If you want to support a team that has only ambition to finish mid-table at best and do nothing in any other competition, you may as well change teams. The players should be fit enough to play more than one game a week so we should be fielding a strong side in every competition. God knows they're paid enough!

[Gunnery]

Of spending all season trying to qualify for a competition and then not playing our best side when we do ?

 

No wonder our better players always want to leave for more ambitious clubs ..

I thought it was the Champions League we spent all season trying to qualify for....Europa was an accident #TheSouthamptonWay

[CB Fry]

If you want to support a team that has only ambition to finish mid-table at best and do nothing in any other competition, you may as well change teams

 

You got all offended when I suggested you might want to change teams the other day, now you're suggesting it to others. Interesting.

 

PS: Ironically Dalek does support another team anyway. Well known on here as a Norwich fan on a decade-long one-gag wind up.

[ivangolac]

Last season I was desperate for us to qualify for the group stages, to me that is our pinnacle, our champions league.

 

To then treat this competition as a hindrance to our league position is ridiculous. I doubt we will qualify again for many years ...

[Lastman73]

What is the point in playing our strongest 11 every Europa game and getting relegated?!

For all prem clubs in this competition it's about getting the balance right. I'd say Puel has done a pretty decent job so far.

 

Then your soft in the head!! These guys get paid ££££££££ to play football. That's all they have to do. They are supposed to be athletes, so why can't they run about life jack rabbits for 3 hrs a week??

For gods sake it's not exactly marathon running !!!

 

 

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[sambosa75]

Whilst form recently is extremely disappointing, lets not get it twisted. Our insipid performances in front of goal, creating very little etc.. is nothing new. There were plenty of performances like this last season as well, until Mane decided to wake up 6-8 weeks before the end of the season.

[rooney]

Whilst form recently is extremely disappointing, lets not get it twisted. Our insipid performances in front of goal, creating very little etc.. is nothing new. There were plenty of performances like this last season as well, until Mane decided to wake up 6-8 weeks before the end of the season.

 

Trouble is, this lack of ability to score happens every week now.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

We should remember that it's still in our hands. Look at our Prem fixtures coming up as well - on the 1st of january we could conceivably be into the knockouts of the Europa, the semis of the league cup and back in the top 8 of the Prem pushing for the top 6.

 

Seem to remember you predicted we would spank Prague last week #cloud cuckoo

[spyinthesky]

We are where we are and all share a great sense of disappointment and frustration, especially after the insipid display last night.

 

I know we can all look at 'ifs, buts and maybe's' but IF we had taken just one of the many chances in Milan and IF VVD had put away the glorious chance in Israel the situation would be a lot brighter today.

 

That said we have been playing championship level teams in Europe with both Inter and Prague not able to play their full strength sides.

 

Add the Hull display into the bargain (and also Liverpool where the score could have been 3 or 4-0 if they had taken gilt edged chances) and we are suddenly looking a poor side bereft of confidence and an ability to score goals.

 

All that said, if I was the Manager with the priority of staying in the Prem, I would have the same rotation policy as Puel.

 

The side he put out last night (on paper at least) should really have been capable of beating Sparta.

 

They reckon the more you pay players the better chance there is of success.

 

I reckon we pay our players (and Manager) far more than Sparta, Beersheeva and Hull but it certainly hasn't shown in the performances!!!

[st alex]

Maybe many of the fans on this thread are new to football, as I've never known a team to stick with the same 11 players in every competition and manage to get the best out of them.

 

It just doesn't happen, it exhausts the players, and they pick up more injuries. To have to also consider that for away games there's the time spent travelling to factor in as well which in it's self is draining even though it's sedate. When have you ever got off a 3.5 hour coach journey or a 2hr flight and thought right, that's refreshed me enough to run 10k now.

 

Players will need time to train as well, and by the looks of it Saints could use a lot more time on the training pitches at the moment.

[Lastman73]

Maybe many of the fans on this thread are new to football, as I've never known a team to stick with the same 11 players in every competition and manage to get the best out of them.

 

It just doesn't happen, it exhausts the players, and they pick up more injuries. To have to also consider that for away games there's the time spent travelling to factor in as well which in it's self is draining even though it's sedate. When have you ever got off a 3.5 hour coach journey or a 2hr flight and thought right, that's refreshed me enough to run 10k now.

 

Players will need time to train as well, and by the looks of it Saints could use a lot more time on the training pitches at the moment.

 

It's not like they get off the airplane and go straight to the stadium is it? Normally they are there for 1-2 days before the game.

All you are doing is defending overpaid players that don't seem to have the skills or the interest .

Ok at times they can turn it on and play amazing football, but how can you go from so good to do terribly poor??

 

 

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[saintant]

To say that you can't stick to the same team week in week out and must rotate is nonsense. How much rotation was there in the great Liverpool side that dominated football at home and in Europe? They played pretty much the same set of players in every game - and all the players wanted to play in every match. This rotation thing is a myth perpetuated by the over bloated squads at clubs like Chelsea. Pick your best side, get some continuity and wins. You'll pick up a few injuries and one or two cases of burn out but just get on with it - these players are supposed to be trained athletes. How do tennis players manage to play gruelling five matches every couple of days at major tournaments? Stop wrapping footballers up in cotton wool and get them doing what they are highly paid to do rather than making excuses for them.

[Lastman73]

To say that you can't stick to the same team week in week out and must rotate is nonsense. How much rotation was there in the great Liverpool side that dominated football at home and in Europe? They played pretty much the same set of players in every game - and all the players wanted to play in every match. This rotation thing is a myth perpetuated by the over bloated squads at clubs like Chelsea. Pick your best side, get some continuity and wins. You'll pick up a few injuries and one or two cases of burn out but just get on with it - these players are supposed to be trained athletes. How do tennis players manage to play gruelling five matches every couple of days at major tournaments? Stop wrapping footballers up in cotton wool and get them doing what they are highly paid to do rather than making excuses for them.

 

Perfectly put !!

 

 

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[Heisenberg]

To say that you can't stick to the same team week in week out and must rotate is nonsense. How much rotation was there in the great Liverpool side that dominated football at home and in Europe? They played pretty much the same set of players in every game - and all the players wanted to play in every match. This rotation thing is a myth perpetuated by the over bloated squads at clubs like Chelsea. Pick your best side, get some continuity and wins. You'll pick up a few injuries and one or two cases of burn out but just get on with it - these players are supposed to be trained athletes. How do tennis players manage to play gruelling five matches every couple of days at major tournaments? Stop wrapping footballers up in cotton wool and get them doing what they are highly paid to do rather than making excuses for them.

 

100% ^^^

[Lord Duckhunter]

To say that you can't stick to the same team week in week out and must rotate is nonsense. How much rotation was there in the great Liverpool side that dominated football at home and in Europe? They played pretty much the same set of players in every game - and all the players wanted to play in every match. This rotation thing is a myth perpetuated by the over bloated squads at clubs like Chelsea. Pick your best side, get some continuity and wins. You'll pick up a few injuries and one or two cases of burn out but just get on with it - these players are supposed to be trained athletes. How do tennis players manage to play gruelling five matches every couple of days at major tournaments? Stop wrapping footballers up in cotton wool and get them doing what they are highly paid to do rather than making excuses for them.

 

Do you really think Charlie Austin would still be fit if he played in every game. Would Jose , having not really had a proper break in the summer . Or Cedric . Would Bertrand have stayed fit?

 

It's not like we've even been knocked out yet, we're still favourite to go through.

 

Thank god we have professional sports science people and not you with your magic sponge looking after our players through a 50 odd game season .

[Leyton Lundekvam]

To say that you can't stick to the same team week in week out and must rotate is nonsense. How much rotation was there in the great Liverpool side that dominated football at home and in Europe? They played pretty much the same set of players in every game - and all the players wanted to play in every match. This rotation thing is a myth perpetuated by the over bloated squads at clubs like Chelsea. Pick your best side, get some continuity and wins. You'll pick up a few injuries and one or two cases of burn out but just get on with it - these players are supposed to be trained athletes. How do tennis players manage to play gruelling five matches every couple of days at major tournaments? Stop wrapping footballers up in cotton wool and get them doing what they are highly paid to do rather than making excuses for them.

 

 

Clearly you've not played much competitive football at any sort of decent level. You are massively over simplifying.

[Lighthouse]

Do you really think Charlie Austin would still be fit if he played in every game. Would Jose , having not really had a proper break in the summer . Or Cedric . Would Bertrand have stayed fit?

 

It's not like we've even been knocked out yet, we're still favourite to go through.

 

Thank god we have professional sports science people and not you with your magic sponge looking after our players through a 50 odd game season .

 

Clearly you've not played much competitive football at any sort of decent level. You are massively over simplifying.

 

Can't you guys read?! He said they are highly paid athletes, everyone knows money is a guaranteed cure for fatigue.

[saintant]

If I've over simplified it please explain how the great Liverpool side bucked the trend playing on far heavier, strength sapping pitches than the manicured surfaces today's overpaid prima-donnas perform on. Help me out - tell me how they did it. Explain how tennis players can play gruelling matches where they run far greater distances and expend far greater energy then recover to do it all again a couple of days later. Seems it's only footballers who need these long rest periods in between games yet back in the day Liverpool managed ok. You won't build understanding, confidence and match fitness by rotation of a squad particularly one as weak as ours.

[Mr Biscuits]

There's only one thing I want to see and that's more shots that test the keeper. Playing with all this possession is fine but it is utterly wasted if it doesn't end with a shot target that the keeper has to stretch to keep out.

 

12 shots last night of which 3 were on target is unacceptable from a top ten premier league side (which people keep saying we are)

 

What is worse is that it's not just last night - it's happening pretty much every game we play. Puel absolutely has to get those strikers shooting and scoring.

[Saint_clark]

Seem to remember you predicted we would spank Prague last week #cloud cuckoo

 

Feel free to find the quote as I was pretty sure we'd lose.

[CB Fry]

If I've over simplified it please explain how the great Liverpool side bucked the trend playing on far heavier, strength sapping pitches than the manicured surfaces today's overpaid prima-donnas perform on. Help me out - tell me how they did it. Explain how tennis players can play gruelling matches where they run far greater distances and expend far greater energy then recover to do it all again a couple of days later. Seems it's only footballers who need these long rest periods in between games yet back in the day Liverpool managed ok. You won't build understanding, confidence and match fitness by rotation of a squad particularly one as weak as ours.

 

 

The great Liverpool side survived on steak and chips and 17 pints of beer and every afternoon in the bookies so probably we should bring all that back too.

[Lighthouse]

If I've over simplified it please explain how the great Liverpool side bucked the trend playing on far heavier, strength sapping pitches than the manicured surfaces today's overpaid prima-donnas perform on. Help me out - tell me how they did it. Explain how tennis players can play gruelling matches where they run far greater distances and expend far greater energy then recover to do it all again a couple of days later. Seems it's only footballers who need these long rest periods in between games yet back in the day Liverpool managed ok. You won't build understanding, confidence and match fitness by rotation of a squad particularly one as weak as ours.

 

That great Liverpool side would struggle to get into the top half these days on account the pace and physicality of the league has moved on so much. No way they could maintain the intensity of a modern PL season and European campaign, without losing form and injuries.

[saintant]

Haven't seen much evidence of pace and physicality from us this season - don't think we'd hold any great fears for the old Liverpool side. And I wouldn't mind betting that they'd have no trouble beating most of the current crop of Prem sides even with the influx of foreigners. I just feel we make far too many excuses for the players of today - you don't tend to feel tired or cry off with minor knocks if you're winning week in week out. Too many don't fancy a little hard work which, considering what they're paid, is a joke.

[Leyton Lundekvam]

Haven't seen much evidence of pace and physicality from us this season - don't think we'd hold any great fears for the old Liverpool side. And I wouldn't mind betting that they'd have no trouble beating most of the current crop of Prem sides even with the influx of foreigners. I just feel we make far too many excuses for the players of today - you don't tend to feel tired or cry off with minor knocks if you're winning week in week out. Too many don't fancy a little hard work which, considering what they're paid, is a joke.

 

I agree with some aspects of that sentiment - especially regarding the cosseting and molycodling of modern day players.

 

However, wouldn't you accept that a team with no European or domestic cup games in midweek is going to go into the weekend fixtures fresher that a team that has travelled abroad and played a game a few days before?

 

Often such seemingly small factors are crucial in deciding the outcome of close fought Premier league games. The effects become even more pronounced over a 9 month season. Leicester benefited massively last season from this scenario, compared to Spurs for example.

 

I doubt Puel actively wants to constantly shuffle the pack, however the reality is he has to.

 

30-40 years ago the professionalism, athleticism etc in the game was (even by the admission of the players from that era) light years behind where it is now, so it's wrong to make the comparison - even though I agree the players were probably mentally tougher, men were men etc...

[Lighthouse]

I'll take the opinion of the best minds in sports science over that of 'some guys on the internet'. Please don't take it personally but if the likes of Fonte, Austin, Bertrand, Romeu and Hojbjerg were capable of playing twice a week for half the season, it might have occurred to somebody by now.

[Saintsteve7]

I agree with some aspects of that sentiment - especially regarding the cosseting and molycodling of modern day players.

 

However, wouldn't you accept that a team with no European or domestic cup games in midweek is going to go into the weekend fixtures fresher that a team that has travelled abroad and played a game a few days before?

 

Often such seemingly small factors are crucial in deciding the outcome of close fought Premier league games. The effects become even more pronounced over a 9 month season. Leicester benefited massively last season from this scenario, compared to Spurs for example.

 

I doubt Puel actively wants to constantly shuffle the pack, however the reality is he has to.

 

30-40 years ago the professionalism, athleticism etc in the game was (even by the admission of the players from that era) light years behind where it is now, so it's wrong to make the comparison - even though I agree the players were probably mentally tougher, men were men etc...

 

Well said that man!