Saints 1 West Brom 2 Reaction

[alpine_saint]

Posters above have summed it up perfectly. Kruger et al are silent because they are on the way out and have lost interest. There won't be any investment until new owners.

 

Krueger ? He still even at the club ?

 

For me its clear; no more expenditure, liquidate some assets while on paper not fundamentally affecting business viability, sell.

 

We no longer have a board that are interested in the football.

[teamsaint]

Rotation has been necessary this season, but to leave out three of your best back four for a very winnable game is just a very bad call.

[beowulf]

It will be very interesting to see if we buy in the transfer window?

[vectraman]

Dire today ��.

Boys v men all over the pitch. We are so physically small as a team, that Puel's system is doomed to fail. We ponce about at the back/midfield going sideways, that teams just close us down, ball goes back to Fraser, he plays it long, the ball comes straight back at us because we have nobody of any size to win and then hold the ball up.

Our midfield is slow to get forward in support when we do get in good positions, usually leaving us 2 or 3 v 8 in the area. It is just so painful to watch. Claude, this is an entertainment industry, please start the team doing this. Boos at the end justified, we were terrible. One shot on target in 90 mins against West Brom at home. ������

Subs - ��

Jrod comes on - methinks finally, we are going to get two strikers up front. No. He pushes Long back. Jrod ploughs a lonely and fruitless furrow. We are losing 2-1 at home you end of a bell, and you continue to play one up front? ☹️️

Then, in a master stroke of brilliance, we take our adequate right back off and replace him with the pacy wingmeister JWP ����.

Genius. Not. Surely, against WBA at home we should have played our strongest 11, rested players at Everton. I seriously believe Claude has not got the hang of the P League. West Brom are a decent, difficult to beat side, so you go and underestimate them by playing 3 back up defenders! ����.

No no no. I hate this dull, slow, boring, defensive ****e we are serving up. Change it or go Claude. Please. If this continues, I certainly will not be renewing mine and the kids season tickets. Sort it out.

Edited 31 December, 2016 by vectraman

[austsaint]

Well that really was dreadful, boring, slow predictable and toothless. Mix in a bloody awful referee and it made for a depressing watch. Today's three invisible players were Tadic, Forster (again) and Hojbjerg, Martina wasn't invisible just plain old awful (again), such a shame Pied got injured so early in the season. People sarcastically booing Forster really don't help, but the problem is when someone is so completely inept it gives these people an easy target. To be fair to him, he did make a save today, and was a bit more active in his area and his kicking was not awful, but overall he is still appalling (where has the man gone who was playing second half of last season).

 

You do know though that things really are bad when none of the usual happy clapper crew have made an appearance on the thread. Even they would have problems finding anything positive today (though I'm sure they will try at some point).

 

I'm not a clapper but I thought Boufal was very good today but had to carry the attacking responsibility himself - he looked keen to pick players out in the box but there was no-one running the channels or driving into the box. The other positive was the cameo of Sims - his movement, eye for a pass and control look up-to-the-mark. We missed the polish and run of Soares and Bertrand and as others have mentioned, changing three of the regular back four is a high risk strategy - I'm a fan of Yoshida but he was shaky today.

[SaintRobbie]

Boufal is a ray of hope. But needs a decent coach to bring him through. Someone who has half an idea of the Premiership.

 

I agree will almost all the comments on this thread about our owner, Boardroom, manager and players.

 

We will survive- just - I said 14th and I'm sticking by that because there are worse teams than us, not because we have an investing owner, caring Boardroom or decent manager to coordinate our talent.

 

Worry if Virgil and Fonte are cashed in this January. Worry a lot and look closely at Swansea.

 

We are not well run. Our team has talent and is not well led. We don't deserve this.

 

 

 

 

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[FriendlySaint]

Rubbish boufal loads better than long. Other than his goal which is his first in 24 games, thought long was utterly woeful.

 

Another one that lets past performance cloud judgement.Long worked his socks off. He was shoved wide left second half and out of position there. He was the only player that looked like scoring all game and a good goal. Utterly woeful? **** off

 

He got no service either and Rodriguez got none either other than the difficult left foot chance near the end

Edited 31 December, 2016 by FriendlySaint

[forever a red and white]

Uninspiring and boring. Need to add some freshness and inspiration with a couple of signings. But, watching Swansea, Sunderland etc tonight, makes you realise it could be significantly worse.

 

Can understand the rotation for today, as we have three games in six days. At least the suspension will give VVD a mini rest, recharge his batteries.

 

Tadic looks well below par.

 

Romeu is the one real positive at the moment. Even if he doesn't always get it right, he always puts a shift in.

[Lighthouse]

Another one that lets past performance cloud judgement.Long worked his socks off. He was shoved wide left second half and out of position there. He was the only player that looked like scoring all game and a good goal. Utterly woeful? **** off

 

Long has always worked hard but rarely looks like scoring. Today was no exception, the goal came from a corner and as well taken as it was, he offered little threat from open play.

 

Boufal was better today IMO.

[Roger]

Boring interviews, boring tactics and boring transfer speculation. Is this the Southampton way? So disappointing, got to be more ambitious to stay in this league.

 

Another one that lets past performance cloud judgement.Long worked his socks off. He was shoved wide left second half and out of position there. He was the only player that looked like scoring all game and a good goal. Utterly woeful? **** off

 

He got no service either and Rodriguez got none either other than the difficult left foot chance near the end

 

Another one who is blinded by someone running around like a headless chicken. Mind your language too.

[Rory Peepa]

I think Long will run all day long and Jay Rod had massive potential but has been hobbled by a significant injury and a lack of game time subsequently. I think the reason Boufal, Tadic and Redmond are so hesitant around the opposition box is because we've either got no bodies in there quite often or they don't have any faith that Jay, Long etc will get on the end of it. Result is they delay and the opposition regroup.

 

Usually managers address problems from the back forwards but I genuinely don't think our issues are with Forster, the back 4 per se, rather we are slow in attack (in thought if not if foot), predictable and play a safety first, keep some shape style rather than risk getting additional support up. Therefore playing us at home has become easy. I predict we will limp to 40 ish points and be safe but it dies remind me of 2004 when our decline was noticeable but a handful of quality players papered over some cracks. Lose those without adequate replacements in the summer and we will be in the poop. You cannot keep getting away with shredding the team every year and to think so would be unbelievably arrogant and negligent.

 

 

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[Supersubpuckett]

Dire today ��.

Boys v men all over the pitch. We are so physically small as a team, that Puel's system is doomed to fail. We ponce about at the back/midfield going sideways, that teams just close us down, ball goes back to Fraser, he plays it long, the ball comes straight back at us because we have nobody of any size to win and then hold the ball up.

Our midfield is slow to get forward in support when we do get in good positions, usually leaving us 2 or 3 v 8 in the area. It is just so painful to watch. Claude, this is an entertainment industry, please start the team doing this. Boos at the end justified, we were terrible. One shot on target in 90 mins against West Brom at home. ������

Subs - ��

Jrod comes on - methinks finally, we are going to get two strikers up front. No. He pushes Long back. Jrod ploughs a lonely and fruitless furrow. We are losing 2-1 at home you end of a bell, and you continue to play one up front? ☹️️

Then, in a master stroke of brilliance, we take our adequate right back off and replace him with the pacy wingmeister JWP ����.

Genius. Not. Surely, against WBA at home we should have played our strongest 11, rested players at Everton. I seriously believe Claude has not got the hang of the P League. West Brom are a decent, difficult to beat side, so you go and underestimate them by playing 3 back up defenders! ����.

No no no. I hate this dull, slow, boring, defensive ****e we are serving up. Change it or go Claude. Please. If this continues, I certainly will not be renewing mine and the kids season tickets. Sort it out.

 

100% this....including the season ticket bit....I refuse to do a 200 mile round trip to watch utter cr4p like that....if the board won't invest or show ambition then why should they expect some of the loyal fan-base to continue to invest and commit to a season ticket

[beatlesaint]

Another one who is blinded by someone running around like a headless chicken. Mind your language too.

 

i know what you are saying but nobody runs around like a headless chicken in this team......a trot or a brief jog but not much running, it's far too slow for that sort of thing

[beatlesaint]

Dire today ��.

Boys v men all over the pitch. We are so physically small as a team, that Puel's system is doomed to fail. We ponce about at the back/midfield going sideways, that teams just close us down, ball goes back to Fraser, he plays it long, the ball comes straight back at us because we have nobody of any size to win and then hold the ball up.

Our midfield is slow to get forward in support when we do get in good positions, usually leaving us 2 or 3 v 8 in the area. It is just so painful to watch. Claude, this is an entertainment industry, please start the team doing this. Boos at the end justified, we were terrible. One shot on target in 90 mins against West Brom at home. ������

Subs - ��

Jrod comes on - methinks finally, we are going to get two strikers up front. No. He pushes Long back. Jrod ploughs a lonely and fruitless furrow. We are losing 2-1 at home you end of a bell, and you continue to play one up front? ☹️️

Then, in a master stroke of brilliance, we take our adequate right back off and replace him with the pacy wingmeister JWP ����.

Genius. Not. Surely, against WBA at home we should have played our strongest 11, rested players at Everton. I seriously believe Claude has not got the hang of the P League. West Brom are a decent, difficult to beat side, so you go and underestimate them by playing 3 back up defenders! ����.

No no no. I hate this dull, slow, boring, defensive ****e we are serving up. Change it or go Claude. Please. If this continues, I certainly will not be renewing mine and the kids season tickets. Sort it out.

 

this is a superb summing up of the match, thank you :toppa:

[benjii]

Do people not think we played well in the first half then? We murdered then and should have been a couple up. Even with their dire, time-wasting, park the bus crap, we carved out several decent chances.

 

Then, as soon as our players see the other team score with their first shot yet again, heads drop.

 

I don't blame Puel for today at all really. Maybe could have picked Cedric but that's about it. When the players did what they were supposed to do for the first forty minutes we played some great stuff.

 

Then individual mistakes and an absence of players willing to take responsibility cost us. Those are issues of form and issues of squad composition and I don't think that's Puel's fault. 10 shots today and only 1 on target. That's not the managers fault.

[Graffito]

Do people not think we played well in the first half then? We murdered then and should have been a couple up. Even with their dire, time-wasting, park the bus crap, we carved out several decent chances.

 

Then, as soon as our players see the other team score with their first shot yet again, heads drop.

 

I don't blame Puel for today at all really. Maybe could have picked Cedric but that's about it. When the players did what they were supposed to do for the first forty minutes we played some great stuff.

 

Then individual mistakes and an absence of players willing to take responsibility cost us. Those are issues of form and issues of squad composition and I don't think that's Puel's fault. 10 shots today and only 1 on target. That's not the managers fault.

 

Yes we played quite well first half and were dire second half and yes there are players in the squad who have character and are winners and others whose heads drop far too easily. Van Dyke, Romeu, Davis today, and a mention for young McQueen who I have complete confidence in but too many of the others are flaky. There are others in the squad who didn't play today who don't lie down, Fonte, Bertrand, Suarez, Austin. I'd rather see them play for that reason, even if they do lose a bit of edge through fatigue.

[saintroyt]

From my personal opinion I think the board players manager have lost passion not sure if internal politics have taken over ,we are unlikely to be a top 4 club but it would just be good to some commitment and belief meant QUOTE=benjii;2437432]Do people not think we played well in the first half then? We murdered then and should have been a couple up. Even with their dire, time-wasting, park the bus crap, we carved out several decent chances.

 

Then, as soon as our players see the other team score with their first shot yet again, heads drop.

 

I don't blame Puel for today at all really. Maybe could have picked Cedric but that's about it. When the players did what they were supposed to do for the first forty minutes we played some great stuff.

 

Then individual mistakes and an absence of players willing to take responsibility cost us. Those are issues of form and issues of squad composition and I don't think that's Puel's fault. 10 shots today and only 1 on target. That's not the managers fault.

[Whitey Grandad]

Do people not think we played well in the first half then? We murdered then and should have been a couple up. Even with their dire, time-wasting, park the bus crap, we carved out several decent chances.

 

Then, as soon as our players see the other team score with their first shot yet again, heads drop.

 

I don't blame Puel for today at all really. Maybe could have picked Cedric but that's about it. When the players did what they were supposed to do for the first forty minutes we played some great stuff.

 

Then individual mistakes and an absence of players willing to take responsibility cost us. Those are issues of form and issues of squad composition and I don't think that's Puel's fault. 10 shots today and only 1 on target. That's not the managers fault.

 

No I don't. That first half was depressingly dismal. One ball got driven right across the West Brom box and they had seven players in there. We had none.

[Give it to Ron]

Do people not think we played well in the first half then? We murdered then and should have been a couple up. Even with their dire, time-wasting, park the bus crap, we carved out several decent chances.

 

Then, as soon as our players see the other team score with their first shot yet again, heads drop.

 

I don't blame Puel for today at all really. Maybe could have picked Cedric but that's about it. When the players did what they were supposed to do for the first forty minutes we played some great stuff.

 

Then individual mistakes and an absence of players willing to take responsibility cost us. Those are issues of form and issues of squad composition and I don't think that's Puel's fault. 10 shots today and only 1 on target. That's not the managers fault.

 

You don't blame Puel for that performance? Who picked that team?

Whose motivating them? Whose tactics mean we have one in the box 80% of a game?

Can you name me any successful side that changes 3 of its back 4 regularly?

So Romeu and VVD can play every game but Bertrand and Cedric international players can't?

Players take the responsibility on the pitch yes but the rest is down to the management to give us a chance if winning we had 1 shot on target!

 

 

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[saintstr1]

I very rarely post these days but feel obliged to tonight. The problem is all down to Puels rotation of players, he does not know his best team and this continual changing 5 or 6 players every game will never work. I don't understand why Puel thinks it will, I read today that he said players cannot play 3 games in 7 days , what a nonsense, he should look at the top sides they don't have this silly mass rotation that he is so fond of. Play the best 11 as much as you can. Having said that the squad is not strong enough.

And by the way Boufal is a lazy prima dona, we need workers not highly paid wasters like him?

[Kingsbridge Saint]

Puel will continue with his rotation policy as he is a stubborn old goat. Rotation policies are a recipe for failure as the team never gels. Knew we would lose when I saw the number of changes and then looked at the consistency in the Albion line up. Because he won't change, he must go. Appoint anyone that will select a consistent side and play attacking football, really don't give a toss who - must be hundreds out there. This dross can't continue.

[SaintMB]

We started the season poorly, sleepwalked out of the Europa League with some awful attacking displays and now our league form has taken a hit too (and it wasn't great to begin with).

In each game we take any opportunity to stop, pass sideways and allow the defence to set themselves. It's painful to watch and just not entertaining at all.

Against WBA it was painful to see how often we chose to take the ball wide and then not have anyone actually enter the box for a cross. The attackers would make runs, but we always look for a safe sideways pass instead of taking a chance.

We've been woeful in attack all season, but at least the solid defensive display has done something towards making it more palatable. Now that's gone too, there is little positivity to be had.

 

I fear for the players involved in the LFC semi-final. I think they're going to be on a rough end of a mauling.

 

I'm not quite in the Puel-out camp yet, but there are few signs that he's able to fix this.

[Andy Durman]

Yesterday was not good enough and if this continues heads will roll.

 

Seriously VVD worth £50 million? Cash him in. I think he's reading the newspapers instead of doing his job.

[offix]

I haven't posted for over a year, but I feel the need now. Puel has got to go. That damn diamond has to go with him. No wingers = no crosses = no chances = no goals. Puel still thinks he is in France where they are used to this boring and uninspiring crap. Please Mr. Puel, leave!

[kermitsaint]

It was an unfortunate quote and has hampered Redmond.

Tbh I don't think anyone found it anything but laughable anyway . It was common knowledge that he was a very average player .

I'm still convinced the Henry quote was Reeds idea rather than Puel

 

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[Pilchards]

This time last year we were calling for Koeman's head and yet Puel has got us into a higher league position and a semi final.

Is it really because the guy has no charm and can be boring to listen too?

[Fitzhugh Fella]

This time last year we had just beaten Arsenal 4-0 and were soon to sign Austin. We were about to turn a corner but frankly I don't currently even see a corner coming under Puel. The squad and the club in general need a lift. But going by the noises coming from the manager's lips and the silence from the Board there is little on the horizon in terms of positive news. Perhaps we are being greedy - after all we have come a long in 6 years!!!!

[SKD]

I haven't posted for over a year, but I feel the need now. Puel has got to go. That damn diamond has to go with him. No wingers = no crosses = no chances = no goals. Puel still thinks he is in France where they are used to this boring and uninspiring crap. Please Mr. Puel, leave!

 

Seems like you haven't watched a game in a year either.

 

1. We don't play a diamond and haven't done since the first couple of games this season. We play 4-3-3 / 4-5-1

2. Generally not many teams play with wingers these days, but lack of crosses isn't our issue (didn't we score from one yesterday?), it's midfield runners getting on the end of them (and sometimes the appalling crosses we've put in).

3. Generally we have plenty of chances, its just putting them in the back of the net. We desperately need a creative cm and hopefully Claude & les can see that.

 

I agree that Claude's style is negative, boring and uninspiring at times, but give home time! Like everyone my patience is wearing thin, but not right for him to leave, just yet anyway. Give him the January & possibly next transfer window to get players to suit his style.

[Saint Billy]

This time last year we were calling for Koeman's head and yet Puel has got us into a higher league position and a semi final.

Is it really because the guy has no charm and can be boring to listen too?

 

No, it is the quality/style of football we play under Puel.

[Batman]

This time last year we were calling for Koeman's head and yet Puel has got us into a higher league position and a semi final.

Is it really because the guy has no charm and can be boring to listen too?

 

Koeman was about 2 games from the boot. that was from the resident ITKers

we went on to beat arsenal 4-0 and we signed Austin to complement the squad.

then we had a brilliant 2nd half to the season

 

so, a sign of doing well is to be on par at a time when the manager was apparently fighting for his job?

[Convict Colony]

Undefeated this year what's not to love

 

Seriously looking back on the match my thoughts are:

 

As a team I thought we played well in the 1st half and both their goals had an element of luck (deflection off our guy again on the through ball for the first after again losing it cheaply and 9 times out of 10 Kanu's shot ends up in the stands)

 

Anyway the only plus point for me in that game was Boufal, tracked back, won the ball and tried to make things happen but was often asked to try and do too much.

 

Midfield was terrible, Pierre and Davis are great at running to the final third and then turn back and passing it back to the CB's, everything is too slow, when was the last quick through ball to a forward to run onto from this team.

 

The fullbacks didnt get up far enough, compare how far forward Rose and Walker were for tottenham, they were augmented midfielders basically, our guys did nothing and Martina had a terrible game, he can't beat a man, he has 2 options the 1-2 with the forward to run onto it or just pass it back or inside for someone else.

 

The main fault I can see is tempo, everything is too slow as soon as it gets into midfield and opposing teams can get back into shape givning our forwards no chance

 

Can we not pass it quickly and keep possession ? I am happy for our % stats to drop (look at leciesters last year) and win more as we don't get any points for our stats !!!

 

I feel like dalek as I have been saying this for 6 transfer windows now but we need the shuttling midfielder positions who can score goals maybe 5+ a season each or designate 1 as the AM to go forward when we have the ball and try to get 10 over a season.

 

Premier League Stats:

 

Pierre - 871 mins - 0 goals

Davis - 1371 - 0 goals

JWP - 571 Mins - 1 goal (90th min at west ham apparently)

Jordy - 677 mins - 0 goal

 

So in roughly 58 hours from our shuttling midfielder we have had 1 goal, that is the crime of our season, as a comparision WBA have had 7 goals from their midfield this season.

 

Anyway transfer window we need a midfielder who can score, a forward (i.e Haller) and some better tempo not this slow crab rubbish.

 

[austsaint]

This time last year we had just beaten Arsenal 4-0 and were soon to sign Austin. We were about to turn a corner but frankly I don't currently even see a corner coming under Puel. The squad and the club in general need a lift. But going by the noises coming from the manager's lips and the silence from the Board there is little on the horizon in terms of positive news. Perhaps we are being greedy - after all we have come a long in 6 years!!!!

 

At the heart of that win were Mane and Wanyama - who also starred in the October win against Chelsea and the come from behind win v Liverpool. The squad is weaker now.

[Batman]

At the heart of that win were Mane and Wanyama - who also starred in the October win against Chelsea and the come from behind win v Liverpool. The squad is weaker now.

 

surely that should not result in us to struggle to get a shot on target at home.

[wessex saint]

Given myself a few hours to compose myself before posting.

Uninspiring, boring, negative football yet again.

I do blame puel because tactically we are not competing.

The lack of moment up front when we do finally get in the final third is incredible. How many times yesterday did tadic/boufal etc look up and see statues? No options hence the ponderous play and ultimately go sideways or backwards.

 

I've been a saints fan for 35 yrs and a season ticket holder for a lot of them. I'm starting to wonder if I'll renew. I'm a realist.. I don't expect to win every game but I would like a crumb of entertainment. Right now I'm frankly bored. The complete lack of atmosphere this season compared to the last few suggests I'm not the only one.

Oh well.. see you all back down there for the semi where I'll start again with renewed, misplaced optimism.

 

 

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[Chez]

Boys v men all over the pitch. We are so physically small as a team, that Puel's system is doomed to fail. We ponce about at the back/midfield going sideways, that teams just close us down, ball goes back to Fraser, he plays it long, the ball comes straight back at us because we have nobody of any size to win and then hold the ball up.

Spot on. We may have only lost three players in the summer, but the three were crucial. Wanyama gave us the size and power to compete in midfield, Pelle helped to prevent all those balls you talk about coming straight back and Mane gave us a real goal threat, stretched teams and turned bad displays into good ones with his magic.

[austsaint]

Spot on. We may have only lost three players in the summer, but the three were crucial. Wanyama gave us the size and power to compete in midfield, Pelle helped to prevent all those balls you talk about coming straight back and Mane gave us a real goal threat, stretched teams and turned bad displays into good ones with his magic.

 

Completely agree, the three who left are the difference in our performance this season; not withstanding extra games and a new Manager.

[Charlie Wayman]

Let's just get rid of Puel and start again, this season is over for us.

[Batman]

Completely agree, the three who left are the difference in our performance this season; not withstanding extra games and a new Manager.

We have played what? 3 or 4 extra games so far?

[Cabrone]

The manager has to take most of the blame for how we are at the moment, he sets the tone and strategy and we are boring as hell. Yes we lack scoring strikers which may not be Puel's fault but that shouldn't stop us from still being positive and driving forward.

 

We have a manager whose instincts are ultra defensive and who constantly chops and changes the team. It's a recipe for heads to drop and morale to go down.

 

Box to box midfielder + a goal scoring striker are a real need but they aren't cheap and I don't think we'll pay overinflated prices for them, rather we'll muddle through to the end of the season. We should be OK but we are negative and look to be going in the wrong direction - it wouldn't take too much to get into a squeaky bum situation and if we did where would the goals come from?

 

Puel isn't the right fit, we need someone more positive. The football is crushingly boring and a negative air pervades.

[stknowle]

This time last year we were calling for Koeman's head and yet Puel has got us into a higher league position and a semi final.

Is it really because the guy has no charm and can be boring to listen too?

 

The reason is that the football has been consistently tedious, uninspiring, and lacking in any sort of attacking nous or flair for half a season now (with a handful of exceptions).

[M271]

The problem is all down to Puels rotation of players, he does not know his best team and this continual changing 5 or 6 players every game will never work. I don't understand why Puel thinks it will, I read today that he said players cannot play 3 games in 7 days , what a nonsense, he should look at the top sides they don't have this silly mass rotation that he is so fond of. Play the best 11 as much as you can. Having said that the squad is not strong enough.

 

The Xmas schedule for Saints has been testing (some would say unfair) from a squad use point of view with 3 games in 5 days, I agree with your comment about being able to cope with 3 in 7 but 3 in 5 needs careful squad planning. WBA had 2 days more rest than us before yesterday and Everton will have had one more before tomorrows match.

 

I feel that they (FA / TV companies) try and add one too many matches in during Christmas week, this year having one match on around boxing day and another this long weekend would have been sufficient. I never make sense of why the games are crammed in between Sept and Feb each season including League Cup games and FA cup 3rd, 4th... round games and I notice we even have a league game against Swansea on Tuesday 31st January, yet from then on there is only one league game a week until the end of the season (a part from 5th April) and additionally at that time of year most sides are out of cups and have more 'time on their hands'. And were the midweek matches when we played Stoke really necessary, midweek midDecember no wonder away support numbers were poor.

 

Having said all of that we have not played well for long enough these last 2 matches where we have had good spells in games and managed to score 1 goal and in the period where the opposition have chances 'every eggs a bird' i.e. every on target chance goes in. We have not helped ourselves but it does feel that the footballing gods are not on our side at the moment 2 Spurs goals from kind deflections and a worldy from Robson Kanu yesterday to win the game.

[Batman]

The Xmas schedule for Saints has been testing (some would say unfair) from a squad use point of view with 3 games in 5 days, I agree with your comment about being able to cope with 3 in 7 but 3 in 5 needs careful squad planning. WBA had 2 days more rest than us before yesterday and Everton will have had one more before tomorrows match.

 

I feel that they (FA / TV companies) try and add one too many matches in during Christmas week, this year having one match on around boxing day and another this long weekend would have been sufficient. I never make sense of why the games are crammed in between Sept and Feb each season including League Cup games and FA cup 3rd, 4th... round games and I notice we even have a league game against Swansea on Tuesday 31st January, yet from then on there is only one league game a week until the end of the season (a part from 5th April) and additionally at that time of year most sides are out of cups and have more 'time on their hands'. And were the midweek matches when we played Stoke really necessary, midweek midDecember no wonder away support numbers were poor.

 

Having said all of that we have not played well for long enough these last 2 matches where we have had good spells in games and managed to score 1 goal and in the period where the opposition have chances 'every eggs a bird' i.e. every on target chance goes in. We have not helped ourselves but it does feel that the footballing gods are not on our side at the moment 2 Spurs goals from kind deflections and a worldy from Robson Kanu yesterday to win the game.

 

we had our own winter break, with spurs.

they have played just as many games as us, probably with less obvious rotation and against better sides

yet, they looked ever so much more fitter than us the other night...by some margin

[John B]

This time last year we had just beaten Arsenal 4-0 and were soon to sign Austin. We were about to turn a corner but frankly I don't currently even see a corner coming under Puel. The squad and the club in general need a lift. But going by the noises coming from the manager's lips and the silence from the Board there is little on the horizon in terms of positive news. Perhaps we are being greedy - after all we have come a long in 6 years!!!!

 

Do you remember New Years Day 1970 which was not a public holiday and this sequence of games

 

 

30/08/1969 A Stoke City 1:2

06/09/1969 H Burnley FC 1:1

10/09/1969 A Derby County 0:3

13/09/1969 A Nottingham Forest 1:2

20/09/1969 H Newcastle United 1:1

27/09/1969 A Everton FC 2:4

04/10/1969 H Tottenham Hotspur 2:2

08/10/1969 H Manchester United 0:3

11/10/1969 A Sheffield Wednesday 1:1

18/10/1969 H Coventry City 0:0

25/10/1969 A Liverpool FC 1:4

01/11/1969 H West Ham United 1:1

08/11/1969 A Manchester City 0:1

15/11/1969 H Leeds United 1:1

22/11/1969 A Sunderland AFC 2:2

29/11/1969 H Crystal Palace 1:1

06/12/1969 A Arsenal FC 2:2

13/12/1969 H Nottingham Forest 1:2

26/12/1969 A Chelsea FC 1:3

27/12/1969 H Stoke City 0:0

 

 

20 games 11 draws no wins followed by beating Everton 2 0

 

Things have been a lot worse than today but we are not playing well which is hardly surprising with the team continually changing but the sheer number of games including those during the International is not helping a young and relatively inexperienced team with little physical presence

 

But yes you are correct we have had relatively good results for six years and only a fool would expect it to continue if we lose player like Wanyama Mane Pelle every year but lets see what happens just like when Lowe was here we really dont have the financial muscle to successfully compete with the top teams

[Lallana's Left Peg]

Things have been a lot worse than today but we are not playing well which is hardly surprising with the team continually changing but the sheer number of games including those during the International is not helping a young and relatively inexperienced team with little physical presence

 

But yes you are correct we have had relatively good results for six years and only a fool would expect it to continue if we lose player like Wanyama Mane Pelle every year but lets see what happens just like when Lowe was here we really dont have the financial muscle to successfully compete with the top teams

 

But knew at the start of the season we'd have a lot of games so I don't think we can say that its unfortunate that we have a squad who is young, inexperienced and lacking physical presence. The task at hand was known in May and we then built a squad which is inadequate in every respect (bar numbers) to deal with it. It's been a mistake.

 

I'm not expecting us to financially compete with the big boys. I think we get fantastic fees for our players. The question I have is this: Have we spent the money we have had wisely? Have we made the most of the means at our disposal? Right now I think the answer is clearly that we haven't given we have a beige midfield and awful strikeforce.

 

Forget Spurs, forget Liverpool and all those others we aspire to be like. We went backwards this summer while others below us moved forward and now we are experiencing the consequences of that. Even if Puel attacked more do you see finishers in this team - players who look remotely like being able to score a goal? I don't.

[adrian lord]

Ray Wilkins was right just now on GoS - these are ultra-fit young men, they should be able to run around for an hour and a half every few days. Puel's obsession with rotation is not working.

[Dalek2003]

We made the mistake in 2004 in buying journeymen. A big squad of mediocre players.

[adrian lord]

We made the mistake in 2004 in buying journeymen. A big squad of mediocre players.

 

I fear you are correct. And we seem to be turning prospects like Hoj into journeymen to boot.

[James]

Yesterday was not good at all, I think we all agree that. It was a stark reminder that, no matter how well we've done in recent seasons, we aren't too big or too good to go down. At the moment I see us as a season behind Swansea. Very similar praise for how both clubs were run but continually selling the family silver is eventually going to catch up with you. We won't go down this year (I don't think) but next year will be interesting.

 

As others have said, I can take losing but the style of play is awful. We don't take risks, we don't make runs and we don't commit numbers in attack. Earlier in the season we won points because, in spite of our attack, we didn't concede. Now we do concede and we can't score. Very reminiscent of 2004/5.

 

God help us if we cash in on one of Fonte or VVD in Jan.

[James]

I fear you are correct. And we seem to be turning prospects like Hoj into journeymen to boot.

 

Agreed. What has happened to him? His confidence looks absolutely shot.

[Saint In Exile]

Does anyone honestly think that with the likes of Wanyama, Mane, Pelle or even Lallana still at the club we would really be any different under Puel?? I agree that the calibre of player we now have isn't anywhere near on a par with what we have let go over the last few summers, but I just don't see how, with the turgid, pedestrian, defensive style of football Puel has us playing that things would be any different if we had retained that talent. What brings out the best in Mane & Lallana, in particular at Liverpool now, is the pace at which the team plays and turns defence into attack allowing them to showcase their skills in the right area of the pitch against defences that are on the retreat not through slow, ponderous build-up play that allows defences to get organised and into position.