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Comment | Southampton V Liverpool The Verdict
at 12:17:58
We have the players to keep us up if we acted right now and got a skilled but pragmatic manager in. In my opinion we have as good if not better squads than 5 others.
RM is frustrating, because some of the football we have played under his guidance has been top draw, but his stubbornness and unwillingness to compromise along with some strange subs is what is costing us.
ABK, Sulemana and Tall Paul (basically our most expensive signings) are probably the recipe to keeping us up, but all seem to have issues with the manager or supposed attitude problems - that could just as easily be the Manager's inability to understand and manage marquee players.
In hindsight, not replacing Jason Wilcox was also an issue from the club as you don't have that footballing voice of reason with the authority to stop the nonsense.
He needs to go pragmatic now, while maintaining the essence of his style.... or he needs to leave. Nothing wrong with Flynn Downes letting the ball run and conceding a corner if he is under pressure, nothing wrong with our CBs hitting row Z if the %'s are against us playing out. Nothing wrong with hitting long balls into Tall Paul in the centre circle from the gk, it almost worked on the weekend.
Hugely frustrated. |
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Comment | Southampton At Manchester City The Verdict
at 10:40:10
It's clear we have to start with the class of Lallana for all games that he is fit. It's also clear that Fernandes has the engine to last the game so leave him on. Aribo for Lallana should be the midfield sub after 60 barring injury in future in the PL...please!
Also despite Fatawu giving a masterclass against Manning, he (Manning) is definitely an option if we play a back 3 and if opposition don't have a Fatawu class wing, as he seems effective in a slightly more advanced role and where he is not an out and out defender. So in summary I would suggest we keep that back 5 for at least the start of the next PL game with Downes, Lallana and Fernandes in midfield. |
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Comment | Southampton V Nottingham Forest The Verdict.
at 12:32:04
We went from an impressive midfield against Newcastle to one that looked dire on the weekend. Forest worked out our standard midfield passing lanes and did a great job of closing us down.
Our players should learn from this and improve.
However, to be critical there was little urgency and very few risks taken. A point could have been invaluable for momentum and only Dibling and to some extent Fernandes bought urgency towards the end. |
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Comment | Southampton At Newcastle United The Verdict
at 12:19:39
Love the way we were playing against 11, but to take off Sugawara our best player along with KWP in the first half was misguided and Tall Paul would have been perfect for an ariel assault in the last 20.
Also Alacaraz looked more direct and added quality when he came in along with Amo.
Tyler Dibling was adequate but against 10 men he should have taken and chance had a go with his trade mark runs - if not in this game then when? I understand it was his debut and he is a great prospect but I just wanted him to run at them and take a potshot.
Also so many chances are made in the Prem when players have a go and a poor clearance or deflection causes an opportunity, I would have liked to see some speculative shots and if they got on the counter that opened it up more for us anyway. We always try to score the perfect goal and we don't need to. |
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Comment | Southampton At Millwall The Verdict
at 08:28:04
Edozie was lively but missed a real sitter. If only he could find end product he would be gold. Dibling hugely promising. |
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Comment | Southampton V Oxford United The Verdict
at 15:28:19
Was depressed after this, but in hindsight the 1st half was our second team and they are still largely learning the system (especially at the back) and the second half was better.
We looked a different side against Montpellier. Well played to the Oxford coach who went in with high paced pressing which we were not used to. After seeing that Oxford will do OK this season.
I think losing Kamaldeen made us worse, I'm here for his redemption arc, hopefully a year into the Russ reign he can come right - for sure we need him to. |
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Comment | West Brom Striker On Southampton Radar
at 08:34:57
Looked good last year in a very defensive team with limited creativity. He is also at the age where he will be hitting his peak. He could do a lot better in a more forward-thinking system and Russ thinks he can fit in. Squad player though only please, would be happy with Benneton Diaz in addition to. Unfortunately, we are probably not a club who can buy Ferrari's but Benneton Diaz could be an Audi and Assante could be a VW. |
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Comment | James Ward Prowse Future At West Ham Said To Be Uncertain
at 07:46:03
We need to get Downes as priority, but JWP would definitely help us survive if the money is right.
Also, JWP did show us loyalty by staying for years when he was not even a regular and there was interest from among others Fulham if memory serves us correctly.
I would even be looking at Target as an option for LB.
Much better getting know quantities than taking gambles with serious cash like with Kamaldeen, Carillo, Big Paul etc. that hardly work out. |
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Comment | Saints Can Now Start Planning Their Transfer Strategy For The Premier League
at 12:55:00
To me before we do anything we need to sort out the DM. We got relegated because we could not call on Lavia (injury) / Romeu (sold), we looked totally different this last season when we had quality in DM with Flynniesta.
She Charles is OK and could come good this year but probably needs to be third choice for the position with hopefully with Downes and one other hopefully older grizzled no nonsense tough guy to call on. |
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Comment | Southampton V West Bromwich Albion The Play Off Preview
at 11:24:36
Hoping Che is ready to go...The question is if RM is not confident in getting 60 mins out of Che and the remainder including possibly Extra Time from Ross Stewart what do we do?
I would say then it is between Sulemana or Mara down the middle for those extra minutes. I think playing AA down the middle just does not work but he is a revelation off the right so let's leave him there.
Pros and Cons
Mara is bigger which helps defending set pieces, hold up play and work rate average to poor but he can finish.
Sulemana is probably more suited playing on the break as opposed to the deep block which we are likely to get, but might just get us a pen or some pull backs followed by cards and you never know when we might get that Liverpool form he showed fleetingly.
Will be a tough choice, if we setup with Jack at LB then I would feel we have enough to defend set pieces with effectively 3 CBs on the pitch then I would put Sulemana in'as we probably dont need Mara's presence. If Jack is not on the pitch I would play Mara simply because we don't want to get stung from set pieces and he can do a basic job at 9. (Remember this last para is only given neither Che or Ross ready to start). |
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Comment | Southampton V Watford The Verdict
at 17:42:59
We are excellent in most games for about 60 minutes, some opposing Managers seem to be sitting off us and then going for it in the last 20/30 minutes when we are running out of gas and this tactic is often successful.
RMs plan seems to be to load the subs with attackers and then bring them all on with the view that attack is the best form of defence.
Where we seem to fall short with this approach is that Sekou can't hold the ball up as well as Che and defensively after 60/70 the defence starts leaking on the break.
I would rather see Shea Charles to stiffen up midfield for Smallbone after 60/70 as he still has some attacking capability and do a regular Manning for Bree or visa versa after 60/70.
In the start of games I think he needs to play Jack or Bedders but not both.
Would rather he left Che and AA on for 90 for next few games while we still can get automatics.
Then the next two subs would be a combination of Fraser / Kamaldeen / Sam / Rothwell / Brooks on for Aribo or Stu if they started. (I would start Stu before Brooks).
That leaves one sub in reserve for eventualities.
To sum up put Shea Charles on the bench otherwise we load with more attacking players and they don't get on anyway. Rothwell, Edozie, Kamaldeen were the unused attackers for Watford, one of those should not have been on the bench giving us the Shea Charles option which I think would have made a difference is this game and many others. |
| News
Comment | Russell Martin Admits He Won't Change Tactics Or Drop Jack Stephens
at 08:49:55
To me we were terrible going forward because we didn't play Che up front to start and Stu was not available.
Some of the football we have played under Martin has been the best to watch since Koeman days, but he does unfortunately seem to suffer overthinking and trying random solutions to problems that don't exist. |
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Comment | Southampton V Sheffield Wednesday The Preview
at 12:21:17
Potential banana skin with Danny Rohl doing a great job for Wednesday. Also makes me think back to when Rohl left as it seemed strange at the time and we never quite got to those levels again under RH, wonder if there was more of a story there. |
| | Peterx
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