| News Comment | Sports Republic Should Act With Caution And Not Haste at 14:23:56
I think there is something like 68 days between the end of this season in the prem and the start in the Championship. Championship clubs will already have 3 weeks of additional summer so once they knew we were down it made absolute sense to move quickly. There is a perception of Martin that he would be doing a lot better without the financial constraints placed on him at Swansea and that the pressing style we have used (with mixed or poor results) won't work and isn't sustainable for a 46 game season. Martin will bring posession in. He's not the worst appointment in the world but I can't pretend I wouldn't have been a lot happier with Potter or Rodgers! I haven't heard any rumours that he will take charge, just a bit of speculation that he may be sat in the Directors box watching. I think we shouldn't taint the new manager with the dross of this season and just let us limply bow out, as we have been for several weeks. Even if Selles spits his dummy out and walks, which would be pretty rich considering his performance this season as a coach and a manager would be pretty rich, then just let Dave Horseman do it and let Martin get started on Monday. We've got to remember we have a lot of vacancies to fill so the sooner the better probably works. If SR get this appointment wrong then they will have truly lost the fans so high stakes for them here. |
| News Comment | Southampton V Bournemouth The Verdict at 10:47:35
Last night was actually pretty bizarre. A must win game but Ruben sticks to type, safety first. Only plays one striker, who we all know isn’t good enough and plays him on the left wing. We could all see the 1-0 home defeat 5 minutes in, why couldn’t he? Ruben watched Bournemouth last week but seems he has been working on playing short corners in training, why on earth would you do that? JWP injured at half time, maybe throw caution to the wind?… no, let’s go more defensive. Change of shape clearly isn’t working and we look all over the place. Let in the softest of soft goals (standard). Keep with that shape for over 10 minutes at 1 nil down, absolutely rocking at the back and still no strikers on the pitch. When we make the change Walcott off (who has scored a few in the last couple of weeks and is in form, leave Armstrong on. When we need to throw the kitchen sink in the last 15 minutes bring on tall Paul… oh no wait, he hasn’t even made the bench. Adams scores, the law on offside has become stupid but it is consistent and by these new crazy rules he’s off. Bournemouth don’t have a better squad than us but they have a team that throw their all in, a manager who plays to their strengths. We, in the other hand, can’t even muster a save for their keeper to make. We have managed to downgrade our manager twice this season and absolutely deserve to go down. |
| News Comment | Southampton V Grimsby Town The Verdict at 13:18:29
As everone says we can't score from open play. Until the last game under RH we at least created chances for strikers to miss - now we can't even do that. I thought about Beattie and Omerod, a great strike partnership. Omerod caused chaos, Beattie was lethal in front of goal. We had a similar situation with Ings and Adams/Long but having sold Ings we have left ourselves with a team full of Omerods, and one doesn't work without the other. Hopefully tall Paul can be the finisher his spell in Belgium suggests, but he won't get goals where he is in a 4-2-2-2 and asked to press and run with the ball, it makes no sense. Let's be pragmatic for the run in. Back 4 is probably KWP, ABK, MS, RP and then play midfielders who can score, create and sheild (RL, JWP and Alcaraz). The one thing we have is pacey wingers to run off tall Paul so play Sulemana and 1 other off him. If we can't score from open play then win set pieces to attack, Free kicks and corners. Get people running the channels and winning them. It is better than watching us pass it around infront of someone elses back 4 for 5 minutes before giving it away and then falling apart defensively! Another defeat at the weekend and the confidence is shot so get some balls in the box and test a shaky Leicester defence and a very dodgy keeper! |
| News Comment | Southampton At Leeds United The Verdict at 20:27:51
It was a very frustrating day, it felt a bit like we couldn’t get into full voice as fans, nerves all round. Leaving the ground I felt like that was it, even a 0-0 would’ve have been 4 points in 2 away games but we absolutely crumbled. We didn’t create a single chance after they scored, you could see it kicked the stuffing out of the players too. The bit that drove me mad was we had a massive striker playing and barely put a cross into the box, when we did get into a crossing position we stuck it in low - give him a header to win!!! I think it’s clear that us along with Bournemouth, Everton and Leeds are probably the worst 4 teams in the league - West Ham and Wolves just have that ability to turn it on when they need to. Can we get past those 3 in 14 games? I’m not sure we can but a win at home next week is essential if we are to do it. |
| News Comment | Southampton At Chelsea The Verdict at 22:58:03
No need to confirm Ruben now, but on Monday tell him he has the team for Leeds. We may still need that “new manager bounce†later in the season. I spoke to a friend who is a Leeds season ticket holder today and there is talk of protests against the board etc and if they go behind the atmosphere will be toxic. Keep that feelgood factor going. Also our deadline day signings do add much more threat up top. My favourite moment was the Perraud block and celebration yesterday, a real sign of team spirit and dedication to the cause. |
| News Comment | Southampton Likely To Move Quickly To Replace Jones at 10:53:12
Marsch isn’t the moron a lot seem to think he is and he did actually keep a dreadful Leeds team, that we’re in disarray up last season. We have to be realistic in that great managers aren’t going to come here at the moment and there is a good chance you will have a relegation on your CV and have to start again next season a division lower. I think someone like the guy from Bodo/Glimt could be really exciting but November was the time to make that appointment and now Jones has wasted all the games against teams around us. Marsch at least plays half decent football and our players will fit into and be familiar with his formations. I wouldn’t be really excited and he isn’t top of my list but it might at least bring a realistic chance of some progress. |
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Site ScoresForum Votes: | 0 | Comment Votes: | 27 | Prediction League: | 0 | TOTAL: | 27 |
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