Swans 2-1 Saints - Reaction

[kermitsaint]

Everyone keeps pointing to Puels negative tactics (personally I think we play in exactly the same way as we did under RK only now we don't have a big man up front that we can go long to and we have lessor players) and I am not saying that they are not important, but ever thought that some of our failings are down to the lack of player quality and performance?

 

We have strikers that have been ineffective, wide men that haven't done nearly enough, a relatively lightweight centre midfield, a back four that has constant injuries and an underperforming keeper. Not everything is down to Puel.

 

A change of tactic won't make Forster come off his line. It won't stop Bertrand getting niggle injuries, it won't turn Classie into Wanyama or Redmond into Mane.

 

I am totally undecided on Puel, but I am convinced that some of the players at his disposal are simply not good enough.

Do you feel that many of these players were much better in previous seasons under different managers ?

 

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[sandwichsaint]

Do you feel that many of these players were much better in previous seasons under different managers ?

 

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Improved: Romeu/JWP/Yoshida

 

About the same: Cedric/Martina/VVD

 

Less good, less consistent than previous seasons: Forster/Fonte/Betrand/Davis/JRod/Long/Tadic

 

New players: Hojberg/Redmond/Austin/Sims/Stephens/McQueen/Bouffal

 

As you'd expect, a mixed bag and prob a story to tell for each individual player eg Yoshida getting regular pitch time, JRod coming back from injury etc. Clearly we have a number of players who have under-performed against previous levels, and for a number of reasons too and this is one contributing factor to the general disenchantment. Equally there are some players who have improved, stayed about the same, and the addition of several new ones.

 

I think it would be fair to say that 'a number of players' were better in previous seasons, though it might be over-doing it to say they were 'much better'.

[Heisenberg]

Another high possession defeat. The possession in the first half was slow and negative and struggled to get out of our half. Playing seven players in a backwards and sideways comfort zone doesn't cut it because the three forwards play without support from behind and end up either losing the ball in the face of a massed defence or pass it back again.

 

Our best results have come when we have the least possession. the obsession with no object keep ball is a nonsense. We need Romeu in front of the back four but with at the most one of the negative pass it around midfielders but add Boufale plus Redmond or Sims on the right and Gabbiadini on the left with Long or Rodriguez up front. Rodriguez can score and given the right service so can Long, 3 in the last 5. I'd like to see McQueen tried beside Romeu now we no longer need to rotate and leave out the lightweight midfielders. If Tadic is going to play it needs to be on the left.

 

Discipline lost us the match last night, It looked like Bertrand was on his own to cope with the break whilst Soares made a big effort to get back off the right as did Yoshida but nobody else was in sight. If the centre backs are up then we need at least two to hold the half way line. As long as they aren't square one can attack the breaker whilst the other gets goal side. The goal side position is important as it stops the man taking the breaker being the last man as Bertrand was last night. It allows the defender to take out the attacker and only give a foul away as early as possible maybe with a yellow at the worst. Bertrand had plenty of time to take out the attacker last night but I guess the fact he was the last man even though the player probably early on wasn't a goal scoring chance. I personally think he might have stopped the player, given away a free kick but ended up with a yellow if he had done it early enough.

 

Good post mate, some v.good observations too.

[Chez]

Do you feel that many of these players were much better in previous seasons under different managers ?

 

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Tadic and Forster for sure. Both are having terrible seasons. Not sure that is Puels fault. He gave Tadic the earth, but he hasn't delivered. Not having Pelle to nod in his crosses or Mane stretching teams hasn't helped him.

 

The long and short of it is that Wanyama was better than Classie, Mane was better than Redmond and Pelle was better than JRod.

 

Add in the need to rotate because of the UEFA games and we are where we are.

[John B]

Tadic and Forster for sure. Both are having terrible seasons. Not sure that is Puels fault. He gave Tadic the earth, but he hasn't delivered. Not having Pelle to nod in his crosses or Mane stretching teams hasn't helped him.

 

The long and short of it is that Wanyama was better than Classie, Mane was better than Redmond and Pelle was better than JRod.

 

Add in the need to rotate because of the UEFA games and we are where we are.

 

Very true but I feel players like JWP Yoshi Cedric have probably improved but we have had injuries to our influential players like Austin Boufel and now VVD.

 

 

What with goals being missed it has not been the most lucky of seasons but we have done well in the Cup getting to Wembley after beating four Premier League teams

 

I always doubted that a team can continually improve but I think it will next season if we can get a CB and top class AM and keep VVD