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Comment | Saints At Everton The Verdict
at 10:17:42
I agree with most of the views here but have a couple of other observations:
1. You can rotate players to keep them fresh if the players play in a consistent formation and to ingrained & understood tactics and style. The issue here is that Puel is rotating players and tinkering with a Diamond 442 and recently a 433, put bluntly we are all over the shop at the moment- Puels fault completely. Give the players a way of playing, coach them in that style and rotate as much as you like so long as everybody coming in knows their role. This isn't rocket science, but I worry that Puel doesn't know his best team and formation, that's scary.
2. We lack goals and it's killing our confidence. Ask yourself this how many points have we won from a losing position this season? The reality is that as soon as we go behind we look like mentally vulnerable as we lack any confidence that we can score. Clearly my first point is a major contributor to this, however so is selling mane and Pella and not adequately replacing.
Puel- go back to whatever you philosophy is and stick with it, presumably that's the diamond 4-4-2. Play your best side week in week out and coach thise coming in to slot into the role of the guy he's replacing. |
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Comment | Saints At Crystal Palace The Verdict
at 01:56:54
I think the concerning thing about this result is the fact we have to bear in mind that Palace had lost their last 7 going into this game - we just got beaten by a very average team.
The second point of concern is that our 'achievements' this season have come against very average teams - beating Inter, Arsenals B/C team etc etc. The reality is whenever we come up against a good side we look like we have gone backwards from last year. i think we are still adapting to Puels methods.
The route cause of this is the fact we are short on goals. You are right Nick,Mane and Pelle both had spells where they didn't score and they coincided with the two spells last season when we lost 5 straight games to opposition we should have beaten, we missed out on CL football by 4 points - its fine margins..
Last season both Pelle and Mane contributed 11 goals and 6 assists each - 22 goals and 12 assists, we scored 59 coals all season - 37% were sold in the summer and replaced with Redmond.
I'm hopeful that with decent game time Cederic and Bertrand can create more and that will lead to more goals - but whilst i'm an optimist by nature, we cant be blind to the fact that January is really important to the club. |
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Comment | Saints Midfielders Linked With Moves Away
at 03:59:45
All depends on Clasie's wages.
Most of the transfer activity is driven by the need to operate withing an effective wage 'cap' with players being sold to create capacity to tie down key members of the squad to longer term deals VVD, Bertrand, Forster etc etc.
if clasie is on a decent wedge, the squad can cover his role and we can get value on a sale price then its logical we'd sell him. That's why mane went - not only do we get a replacement in Redmond but there is an extra $22m plus a likely reduction on our wage bill that can be used to lock down somebody like Bertrand or free up wage to attract a replacement for Pelle.
So i think Redmond is a direct replacement, makes sense to me. The question i'm more interested in who replaces Pelle.......? |
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Comment | Graziano Pelle An Appreciation
at 17:06:52
100% agree.
I've said a few times we won't realise how good he was until he goes, he will be difficult to replace. He will need to be replaced as a strike force of long, Austin and JRod doesn't have enough games in it let alone goals.
The interesting thing though here is that replacing Pelle with a younger and better player will cost a magnitude higher than $13m. Goal scorers are the one area where you can't afford to get the gamble wrong and we've stripped out a decent number of goals and assists with Pelle and mane leaving.
That said the owners have a 7 year track record of continued rejuvenation and improvement of the team and squad and so there's no reason not to believe we'll build and be stronger again this season. |
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Comment | Chelsea Interest Could Mean Windfall For Saints
at 16:47:49
If he wants to stay, I'd rather keep him for another year. If he wants to go then let's cash in. I hope he stays, I have a feeling we'll only realise just how good he is when he goes and isn't our focal point anymore.
He's not allowed on pens if he stays though :-) |
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Comment | Can Saints Make The Champions League ?
at 20:25:25
The main issue with the possibility of us finishing 4th is that realistically as you say nick it's a shoot out between us and Man City for 4th.
Essentially it requires us to be almost perfect from now on, it only takes moments like that Yoshida penalty claim to be given and it's over, sadly I just don see it.
City do have a tougher run in, and a far higher volume of games, but they also have a billion dollar squad who will be well motivated to finish top 4. |
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Comment | Saints Change Kit Supplier For Next Season
at 20:27:58
Good news, we need to up the commercial side of our game to enable greater capacity for wages.
I'm assuming this is another Ralph Kruegar initiative? |
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Comment | Koeman Demands Perfection At Manchester United
at 02:50:18
I predict that Mane (knowing he's in the shop window) will have a blinder.
I think we're well set up for this game with the current 3-5-2 formation and Long and Mane speed up top. I can see us soaking up lots of pressure with Vic & Davies working there nuts off in front of the back 4 and we'll hit them on the counter with Mane getting a brace in a 0-2 win.
At least that's what i'm hoping for anyway :-).
The only downside will be incoming bids for the aforementioned Vic and Mane.
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Comment | Gaston Ramirez Could Stay In The Premier League !
at 02:44:02
I'm interested in this notion that Gaston would be better suited to a roll behind quick strikers that run the channels, presumably a team that sits back a little and plays on the counter and could use Gaston's ability to thread balls in behind for the striker to run onto.
Isn't that how Saints are currently playing with Long and Mane up front?
I agree with the sentiment about how hes conducted himself, however I think the reality is that Gaston is a little one dimensional and that doest work in the premier league where midfielder need to be able to work, tackle, track as well as be creative. Koeman doesn't rate him is probably the bottom line.
The extra salary will be very useful in renegotiating existing contracts to keep core squad together. |
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Comment | Saints At West Ham United The Verdict
at 00:43:36
The difference between blowing arsenal away and this disappointing result is down to taking chances, that's all. Some of the comments on here are so fickle, let's not spit the dummy.
I agree we need a striker, I said as much last December too. It's the type of striker that's important, excuse the cliche but we need a fox in the box. I've lost count of the times we cross the ball along the six yard box and nobodies there to finish. |
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Comment | Saints At Liverpool The Verdict
at 03:51:37
I understand the sentiment Nick however I think you're viewing the game through saints tinted glasses.
We won the first half, they won the second, a draw was about right.
We looked solid and comfortable and to be fair chances for either team were hard to come by, as both were pretty organised. I think we pressed brilliantly in the first half and beat klopp at his own game - welcome to the premiership sunshine.
I have to say I thought Clasie was largely anonymous and is still adjusting, i trust Koeman, he'll get better with time. This performance was built on Wanyama, fonte and VVD all of whom were fantastic - other than a brilliant bit of work from Benteke Liverpool at home didn't really look like troubling us. Given they spent $100m+ last year and we made a profit you could argue that's pretty impressive.
It was also great to see us playing with width and Bertrand and Cederic bombing forward, you know you're on top when your fullbacks are so far forward and for large parts of the game that was the case.
I do agree with you Nick that this current team has the potential to eclipse the results of last years, lets hope we continue to progress and that keeps Koeman intrigued enough to extend his contract and see where this ends up. I like what I see so far that's for sure.
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Comment | Pelle Is Bologna's First Choice
at 16:22:09
Saints without pella doesn't really function, he's central to the way we transition and build, which is a worry to be honest. We currently have no back up (again a worry) so he won't be sold. |
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Comment | Rickie Lambert Set To Join West Bromwich Albion
at 16:16:56
This isn't sentimental, but when the goals dried up for pella last season how good would it have been to bring lambert into the team. Given he plays a similar style to Pelle's it begs the question why couldn't saints be bringing him in on loan this season as cover for Pella?
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Comment | How Will Ronald Koeman Use Dusan Tadic ?
at 13:43:42
I like 4-2-3-1 with clasie and VIC in the double pivot and mane and jrod out wide as part of the three, Tadic in the hole and Pelle up top.....
The Dutch grow up on 4-3-3 though which I think Davis, clasie and VIC anchor then one of jrod,mane or Tadic miss out..... Good problem to have I suppose.
I think the important thing is that we have depth with 2 games a week we'll need it. |
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