 | Your
Report | Southampton v Coventry City Your Report added at 07:42:37
A good win in the end, but lucky in lots of ways. Missed Coventry penalty. Usual 2nd half let-down. Almost everyone played well enough, except Brooks was off-pace all game. And there isn't a universe where Stephens should be playing before Bednarek. substitutions were ok for a change, even though Mara was somewhat ineffective. Fraser really is a joy to watch! |
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Report | Southampton v Birmingham City Your Report added at 22:01:01
Good all round team performance, I thought. I liked that there were a few change-ups from the style of the previous game (a few different patterns and triangles, and many more longer passes, for example). KWP was unplayable (until he wasn't for their goal, but he had a great game aside from that). Deefence solid, even Bree. On the downside the two Armstrongs both had pretty weak games, even allowing for AA's goal that killed off the game. Looks to me as if the manager is getting what he wants from the squad, and it's becoming noticeable that the tactics get tweaked a little bit every game now. And credit where credit is due--never been a fan of Aibo, but when he came on today he was very effective and actually looked as if he gave a damn. |
| Your
Report | Southampton v Birmingham City Your Report added at 19:59:38
Good all round team performance, I thought. I liked that there were a few change-ups from the style of the previous game (a few different patterns and triangles, and many more longer passes, for example). KWP was unplayable (until he wasn't for their goal, but he had a great game aside from that). Deefence solid, even Bree. On the downside the two Armstrongs both had pretty weak games, even allowing for AA's goal that killed off the game. Looks to me as if the manager is getting what he wants from the squad, and it's becoming noticeable that the tactics get tweaked a little bit every game now. And credit where credit is due--never been a fan of Aibo, but when he came on today he was very effective and actually looked as if he gave a damn. |
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Report | Hull City v Southampton Your Report added at 18:01:40
Watched on SaintsPlay for a tenner. Good value for an interesting game. The two teams mirrored each other in formation and tactics, even down to playing the same kinds of traingles in the same spaces. In the first half Hull looked better at it and always looked a threat coming forward, while the Saints looked a bit hesitant in defence. But the second half it was the other way around and we played pretty well taking control for the most part. The winning goal was a treat on all levels.
Most of the team played well. I thought Sulemana had a good game with more defence from him than usual. Downes was imposing, and the CBs were excellent. it's churlish to pick out the under-performers, but A.Armstrong was pretty ineffective. And I've been tryng to keep an open mind abut Manning, but he really is rubbish. |
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Report | Sheffield Wednesday v Southampton Your Report added at 01:31:41
The possession style is going to get pretty boring, but it could well be effective in this division...and they did it brilliantly to close out the match. It relies on the full-backs, both of whom starred for me (surprised no full-backs amongst the subs tho). And then depends on Edozie and Tella running at people from wide (mixed success there, I think) or shooting from outside the box (StuA is better at that than Edozie). And then it depends on getting the ball to a striker who can put it in. Suffice to say that wasn't AArmstrong (he scored while tryng to get out of the way, which says something). But generally this looked like a well-balanced side, with JWP the lynchpin...he'd better stay! It'll be interesting to see how it all develps, but this looks solid so far. |
| Your
Report | Arsenal v Southampton Your Report added at 05:37:37
Crazy to try to shut up shop at half time. what an idiot to think we could hold off that potent a team for 45 minutes. Predictably, we didn't. Second issue, everyone else is saying so too, taking off Alcaraz instead of, say, Armstrong. Not only is the yellow card excuse stupid, but tactically it meant that there was no longer any way to push forward even when we had the chance. Stupid tactics, cost us 2 extra points. All that said, the team played a disciplined and structcured game and deserved at least the point. Alacaras was immense at both ends. But you still have to wonder how he came to the conclusion to play Armstrong, who hardly touched the ball even thoiugh he was doing a lot of running. And Ely was basically anonymous, but notably missed his assignment on Arsenal's first goal. Slightly differet team selction and very differnt half-time tactics would have got this for us. |
| Your
Report | Arsenal v Southampton Your Report added at 03:12:02
Crazy to try to shut up shop at half time. what an idiot to think we could hold off that potent a team for 45 minutes. Predictably, we didn't. Second issue, everyone else is saying so too, taking off Alcaraz instead of, say, Armstrong. Not only is the yellow card excuse stupid, but tactically it meant that there was no longer any way to push forward even when we had the chance. Stupid tactics, cost us 2 extra points. All that said, the team played a disciplined and structcured game and deserved at least the point. Alacaras was immense at both ends. But you still have to wonder how he came to the conclusion to play Armstrong, who hardly touched the ball even thoiugh he was doing a lot of running. And Ely was basically anonymous, but notably missed his assignment on Arsenal's first goal. Slightly differet team selction and very differnt half-time tactics would have got this for us. |
| Your
Report | Southampton v Arsenal Your Report added at 23:40:17
Great result, really. We have 4 decent CBs at this point--bit of a shock! And Elyounoussi had a MoM performance, I thought. But it's a pity about the Championship players we still put out there week after week--Adam Armstrong in particular demonstrated once again that he shouldn't be playing at this level.
RH did his best to make the day difficult by starting with a 422, but at least he changed it quickly after we conceded. But that might have been too late and it's hard to fathom how he thought that our lightweight midfield was going to succeed 4 against any Arsenal 5. Crazy decision to start the game that way. And then when everything was looking pretty rosy again, and when it actually looked possible that we could snatch the winner, RH decides this is a good moment to bring on Walcott. I didn't see him smoking anything on the sidelines, but he must have been! |
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Report | Aston Villa v Southampton Your Report added at 00:59:49
if you pick a team and choose tactics that aren't even trying to score a goal, you're not going to win many games and you're probably delusional. And if you choose defence against a team that is as desperately poor as you are, you're also cowardly. Ralph really has to go. Depsite the waves of enthusiasm that arise every time we get a point, the simple fact remains, we don't get many points when he is manager |
| Your
Report | Aston Villa v Southampton Your Report added at 00:59:42
if you pick a team and choose tactics that aren't even trying to score a goal, you're not going to win many games and you're probably delusional. And if you choose defence against a team that is as desperately poor as you are, you're also cowardly. Ralph really has to go. Depsite the waves of enthusiasm that arise every time we get a point, the simple fact remains, we don't get many points when he is manager |
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Report | Aston Villa v Southampton Your Report added at 00:06:08
if you pick a team and choose tactics that aren't even trying to score a goal, you're not going to win many games and you're probably delusional. And if you choose defence against a team that is as desperately poor as you are, you're also cowardly. Ralph really has to go. Depsite the waves of enthusiasm that arise every time we get a point, the simple fact remains, we don't get many points when he is manager |
| Your
Report | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Southampton Your Report added at 00:44:17
we seem to have a central defence pair that is at least not embarrassing. But RH's tactics put them at risk in that the FBs push forward too far and leave gaps, and Diallo is no Romeu to do the fortifying. But most of all this f'ing manager, why can't he start his best 11 as a matter of routine every week. The strategy of playing possum will most often make the possum roadkill. |
| Your
Report | Leicester City v Southampton Your Report added at 18:56:47
i can't be bothered to do the ratings. I was at this game and I think I'll not attend any next season unless we get rid of RH. We all know the central defence is pretty rubbish, but that's no excuse a) for putting Stevens in over anybody else who's fit, b) not improving any single CD in 3+ years in charge, c) never having a consistent, or sometimes even sane, tactical approach, d) picking the starting IX from a hat.
And it's not as if there's much of an argument against getting rid of him. The old question of "who would we get" is pretty irrelevant. If we stick with this bloke, consider this....Our form over the last third of the season would project to the lowest but one premiership points total over a season. 5 points in 13 games is less than 15 over a season. |
| Your
Report | Leicester City v Southampton Your Report added at 18:44:35
i can't be bothered to do the ratings. I was at this game and I think I'll not attend any next season unless we get rid of RH. We all know the central defence is pretty rubbish, but that's no excuse a) for putting Stevens in over anybody else who's fit, b) not improving any single CD in 3+ years in charge, c) never having a consistent, or sometimes even sane, tactical approach, d) picking the starting IX from a hat.
And it's not as if there's much of an argument against getting rid of him. The old question of "who would we get" is pretty irrelevant. If we stick with this bloke, consider this....Our form over the last third of the season would project to the lowest but one premiership points total over a season. 5 points in 13 games is less than 15 over a season. |
| Your
Report | Leicester City v Southampton Your Report added at 18:23:27
i can't be bothered to do the ratings. I was at this game and I think I'll not attend any next season unless we get rid of RH. We all know the central defence is pretty rubbish, but that's no excuse a) for putting Stevens in over anybody else who's fit, b) not improving any single CD in 3+ years in charge, c) never having a consistent, or sometimes even sane, tactical approach, d) picking the starting IX from a hat.
And it's not as if there's much of an argument against getting rid of him. The old question of "who would we get" is pretty irrelevant. If we stick with this bloke, consider this....Our form over the last third of the season would project to the lowest but one premiership points total over a season. 5 points in 13 games is less than 15 over a season. |
| Your
Report | Aston Villa v Southampton Your Report added at 23:32:14
If it weren't for all the rose-tinted glasses being sported here over the last few weeks, I'd say that in the context of the last 3+ years this was what you'd call a reversion to the norm
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| Your
Report | Southampton v Wolverhampton Wanderers Your Report added at 21:30:32
This dismal performnace is where all the bravado and big talk about having imporved the squad has come home to roost and has to get examined more critically.
Two players for each position? I don't think so. We've got 3 rightbacks and 1 left back (KWP isn't a LB as today showed in spades). With Stephens out we essentially have 2 CBs ready to play. For RH's two CM positions we have 3 players. Attacking midfield and striker it's all a rag bag with a lot of contenders but very little quality. But in the end on the day we bring on Shane Long when we need a goal, the lie about squad depth is laid bare. It's bad enough that Redmond gets to start pretty much every week, but bringing Long on is not just stupid, it's incomprehensibly stupid.
The sheer horror of the team's stats is getting worse and worse every week. Under Ralph we have won only 4 of our last 27 games---that's to say we've gained only 12pts out the last 81 possible pts by actually winning. This calendar year we've earned 21 points. Even leaving aside the two 9 goal drubbings, who can seriously make a case for this manager after so long?
I suspect even SFC sees the horror and I bet that the decision on him is going to come down to financial planning....at what point do we lose less by firing him than by getting relegated, is probably the calculus. |
| Your
Report | Southampton v Wolverhampton Wanderers Your Report added at 21:13:19
This dismal performnace is where all the bravado and big talk about having imporved the squad has come home to roost and has to get examined more critically.
Two players for each position? I don't think so. We've got 3 rightbacks and 1 left back (KWP isn't a LB as today showed in spades). With Stephens out we essentially have 2 CBs ready to play. For RH's two CM positions we have 3 players. Attacking midfield and striker it's all a rag bag with a lot of contenders but very little quality. But in the end on the day we bring on Shane Long when we need a goal, the lie about squad depth is laid bare. It's bad enough that Redmond gets to start pretty much every week, but bringing Long on is not just stupid, it's incomprehensibly stupid.
The sheer horror of the team's stats is getting worse and worse every week. Under Ralph we have won only 4 of our last 27 games---that's to say we've gained only 12pts out the last 81 possible pts by actually winning. This calendar year we've earned 21 points. Even leaving aside the two 9 goal drubbings, who can seriously make a case for this manager after so long?
I suspect even SFC sees the horror and I bet that the decision on him is going to come down to financial planning....at what point do we lose less by firing him than by getting relegated, is probably the calculus. |
| | JimmyMeliaPhD
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Site Scores| Forum Votes: | 3 | | Comment Votes: | 150 | | Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 153 |
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