Saints 0-3 Man Utd - Match Thread

[The Cat]

48 minutes ago, Bakovnetski said:

And playing in the championship next season...not a chance

He'll obviously leave if we go down.

Being a keeper in a team which has a weak defence is no drama. Much easier for an England manager to judge how good they are than if they are playing for a team that only lets the opposition have a few shots a match 

[Dark Munster]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

Eh? He will obviously leave this summer if we go down 

Edited September 15 by Dark Munster

[davefizzy14]

For the first thirty minutes yesterday we were so dominant, totally controlling the game. Tyler was ripping them to pieces down the right hand side 😊 And he won the penalty. He was soo good. Really frustrating about the penalty miss, I don't think the delay in the lead upto taking the penalty helped Archer. Defensively we have to be more solid and compact as all three goals were avoidable. Ramsdale made some top saves 😊 kept the score down. Our next league game at home is massive and one we need to win.

Edited September 15 by davefizzy14

[Bakovnetski]

14 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

Eh? He will obviously leave this summer if we go down. 

Maybe on loan, maybe not if no-one stumps up the readies for a loan fee or transfer. 

[Lighthouse]

22 minutes ago, Bakovnetski said:

Maybe on loan, maybe not if no-one stumps up the readies for a loan fee or transfer. 

So you think he’s an England quality, international goalkeeper but there’s a chance nobody will be willing to pay a loan fee for him?

[hypochondriac]

52 minutes ago, Bakovnetski said:

Maybe on loan, maybe not if no-one stumps up the readies for a loan fee or transfer. 

They clearly will. He was a bargain to be honest. 

[Oldandtired]

19 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

If the players aren’t good enough how come we more than matched Utd for the first 30 minutes? 

You do realise that a football match lasts for 90+ minutes?

I hate to say it but when United got going there were times when it looked like men against boys. Their speed and accuracy in transition was something to behold.

Edited September 16 by Oldandtired

[Micky]

On 15/09/2024 at 11:03, Sarnia Cherie said:

Perhaps 1 point then. 😂

Yeah,  I reckon we'll get a point from Ipswich, but Arsenal and Bournemouth will turn us over fairly easily. 

[Bakovnetski]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

They clearly will. He was a bargain to be honest. 

Yup, balance of probability would suggest that he would go. But back to the original thought that there might be a tinge if regret in "losing" a year of progression or recognition if we do have a complete bollix of a season. Who knows?

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, Bakovnetski said:

Yup, balance of probability would suggest that he would go. But back to the original thought that there might be a tinge if regret in "losing" a year of progression or recognition if we do have a complete bollix of a season. Who knows?

He needed first team football in the prem. Given that there were only a few options and we clearly pushed the boat out for him. 

[Dark Munster]

2 hours ago, Oldandtired said:

You do realise that a football match lasts for 90+ minutes?

I hate to say it but when United got going there were times when it looked like men against boys. Their speed and accuracy in transition was something to behold.

No one is saying our squad is as good as their billion pound squad. But the fact we were able to match them for the first third of the match means our squad isn’t crap. With a decent manager we have the players that can compete with others in the bottom half. Look at Ipswich what a difference a good manager makes. 

[Lighthouse]

1 minute ago, Dark Munster said:

No one is saying our squad is as good as their billion pound squad. But the fact we were able to match them for the first third of the match means our squad isn’t crap. With a decent manager we have the players that can compete with others in the bottom half. Look at Ipswich what a difference a good manager makes. 

Why would you say it’s that way round though? One could equally argue that the first 30 minutes proved Russ can organise a team well and execute an effective game plan against superior players, despite a crap squad. The truth is that it’s probably six and half a dozen but to say that playing well for half an hour is proof that the manager is crap is something of a distortion.

[Dark Munster]

1 minute ago, Lighthouse said:

Why would you say it’s that way round though? One could equally argue that the first 30 minutes proved Russ can organise a team well and execute an effective game plan against superior players, despite a crap squad. The truth is that it’s probably six and half a dozen but to say that playing well for half an hour is proof that the manager is crap is something of a distortion.

The point is it’s proof that the squad isn’t as bad as some say.

Regarding RM, yes at times he does get it right. The playoffs for example. But getting your players to do well for a third of the match clearly isn’t enough. He keeps making the same tactical mistakes and has a terrible defensive record with every club he’s managed. 

[verlaine1979]

On 15/09/2024 at 02:05, Whitey Grandad said:

What is it about our defensive back line? Yesterday first Stephens and then THB dropped back several yards playing the opposition onside. This cannot be a coincidence after these players have been together for more than a season. 
 

I think it’s a consequence of our obsession with playing it out from the back at all times. We have lost the ability to keep a solid straight back line with all players in touch with each other.

Interesting - wonder if they're always half thinking about creating an angle to receive the ball even when we haven't got it.

[verlaine1979]

19 hours ago, davefizzy14 said:

For the first thirty minutes yesterday we were so dominant, totally controlling the game. Tyler was ripping them to pieces down the right hand side 😊 And he won the penalty. He was soo good. Really frustrating about the penalty miss, I don't think the delay in the lead upto taking the penalty helped Archer. Defensively we have to be more solid and compact as all three goals were avoidable. Ramsdale made some top saves 😊 kept the score down. Our next league game at home is massive and one we need to win.

So dominant? Are you sure? We got at them and put some nice moves together, but they created multiple chances and stretched us every time we lost possession. We were competitive, but let's not lose perspective. We did well for half an hour against a united team who played themselves into the match and then comfortably beat us. It's not the second coming.

[Viking Saint]

On 14/09/2024 at 18:27, RedArmy said:

Probably a threesome with captain shoehorn

Got to squeeze him in somewhere

[BarberSaint]

I won't repeat what most have said about many things e.g. Archer's look of petrification before he had to take that penalty - someone should have seen that and told him to step aside - but talk about a few other things.

 

At the risk of repeating things you all should know because they were discussed last year before RM's appointment: he's been known to get shitty in interviews when he can't spin his bullshit.

 

That midfield of Downes, Fernandes, Ugochukwu and Dibling is a good midfield. A good mix of different styles and strengths and talents. I'd like us to stay up so I can keep on watching good players play in Southampton shirts - it's entertaining and satisfying. 

Archer could be a confidence player. As a forward he has to build his own confidence and self-belief because that's what good attackers do e.g. Shearer.

 

I can't remember his name, but I had forgotten how much I dislike the muppet in charge of the opposing team and, indeed, the team and club.  About 8-10th, I reckon.

It looks like it might be a season where only Man City and Arsenal really put it together.  So if we can, we'll survive. 

 

Defensive coach, if not Pulis, then Puel. But he's not allowed to look beyond the half way line and he can't insist we keep twelve behind the ball.  We need someone who can understand players, their strengths, get the team to play to them - so keep a settled side, play ABK and have some tactical nous: adapt parts of your game to nullify the opposition's strengths and exploit their weaknesses. Basic stuff.  Really, defence and defenders should first and foremost be aware of what they have to do defensively and always recognise that and have good positioning (so no Bednarek or Stephens). 

Someone said they wondered if Harwood Bellis would be exposed because of his lack of pace. That might be true. I'm starting to get the feeling he's a static, low-block defender only and he's mentally slow. The likes of Fernandes and Dibling not only are aware of what's happening in the game before they receive the ball but during their possession of it and afterwards. They think ahead and adapt. 

I agree with those who say that if it's no points after Bournemouth then I see RM going. We don't appear to have anyone in the club who actually has a clue about proper recruitment, however, not this data-driven bullshit which simply means you don't know what you're talking about but it's on a computer so it must be good.  Someone once said that Carlo Ancelotti was such a good manager, and a successful one, because he made players feel good. Like it or not, Saggy shitface also had that skill. Of course Ancelotti has far more in his locker but that's a hard thing to measure and measur0e the success of. Goal attempts isn't a metric when they're 40 yard hopeful punts because there's nothing in front of you, you panic and you otherwise don't know how to change the play.  

Fingers crossed for Ross Stewart. Let's see him get back to full fitness (gradually) and hope he's the instinctive, quick-minded finisher we need.

[Whitey Grandad]

3 hours ago, verlaine1979 said:

Interesting - wonder if they're always half thinking about creating an angle to receive the ball even when we haven't got it.

I can’t think of another reason.