A re-affirming game. Jay rod is back! Great performance by saints. After the first 10min when it was even, we bossed the game. Jay rod was mobile and held the ball up well, and improvement on CA. Bertrand was on fire, totally motivated and perfect performance, Yoshida was faultless and more composed than VVD!, Boufal reassuringly gutted to be subbed. He had looked really incisive and the backheel to release Davis was exactly what we have been missing. Davis's introduction was key as Harry Reed was having a poor game.

The rotation for the Europa has served us well. There are at least 19 of the squad that can be picked from to give a team. This gives us the fundamental advantage of freshness, Bournemouth faded noticeably.

Overall all I can day is Phew! This was the performance that I have been waiting for., best of all was the return of jay rod...what a brace, the poachers strike of the type he has missed the last 2 games and the beautiful volley.

5

Bettws You are spot on with your report but you will be marked down by the prophets of doom.

I believe Claude Paul has had confidence in players like Jay and he will be rewarded in the new year. That was a wonderful attacking and entertaining game

2

Bettws You are spot on with your report but you will be marked down by the prophets of doom.

I believe Claude Paul has had confidence in players like Jay and he will be rewarded in the new year. That was a wonderful attacking and entertaining game

0

This was a decent performance against Bournemouth - a side that will always fight but not overly-endowed by lots of talent. Steven Davis brought a much-needed presence to the game. Strange to me that Boufal was substituted unless Claude is thinking of the next match. Something very wrong with Fonte. He should be playing even if his days at Saints are numbered. Jay Rodrigues did work hard and it was good to see. Whether this is the moment he displays his previously-seen talent is open to question but this was the first light for a long time, you might say. Saints are top ten but, with the current squad limitations, are we top six? Consistency would help.

2

We won but don't get to excited we still need to buy strikers in January. This win was against a very poor Bournemouth team. Redmond is still not good enough and on todays performance neither is Hojbjerg.
Today Boufal, Clasie, Bertrand, Rodriguez & Yoshida all played well. But what happened to Fonte ?

0

It was good to see JRod back in the goals I hope this is the start of the old JRod. I thought he was poor in first half but once he scored he looked more like he old self. Let's hope it's the spark that reignites him because on his day one of the best.

1

A performance to cheer us all up. I am sure we are all delighted for JRod. The goal at the end was excellent. Davis coming on for Reed turned the game. I was surprised at the Boufal substitution but he had been booked - can't surely be about the next game with such a long break. There are obviously serious issues with Fonte - perhaps he knows no one is going to pay 15m for him.

My only concern after a pleasing day is that we don't use one good performance to decide that everything is alright in the garden and that we therefore don't need to strengthen in January. Even with a JRod back to his very best (and that is a journey still in its early stages) we would still be light up front.

4

Steven Davis made a hell of a difference when he came on. His experience shone through and he was a calming influence as well as a creative one (for the 2nd goal). Hojbjerg was toilet early on, but improved a lot from the mid point of the first half onwards, you can see that he's got a good level of talent and we mustn't forget that he is still very young and it seems to me that these days the vast majority of new players to the Premier league struggle early on. I've slated Redmond on here recently and he still remains a frustrating player, but you can also see a good level of talent with him on occasions and so we can only keep hoping. Yoshi outstanding, Vinnie as ever very assured and a great leader in Fonte's absence. But special mention for JRod. What a horrible last couple of years he's had and it was nice to see the smile back on his face. Has he finally overcome the injury? COYS

4

Maybe rotation is working after all. We just ran them into the ground. Well done Jay, Ryan & Steven especially but very good all round performance despite Hojberg blotting his copy book early on. One Harry Reed will want to forget.

2

The longish period in first half when Holloway seemed to have found a midfield combination that worked proved to be an illusion. But for a while Borysiuk sitting deeper, Luongo and Cousins prompting and wide men getting the ball into the box meant we could dream. But of course we can't score.

The formation was too attacking and left the defence exposed, especially the full backs, and in the second half Brighton kept men very wide on the flanks where they found acres of space.

Why can't we defend properly? The simplest high ball into the box creates panic. Holloway is right to want a goal scorer, but we must defend better. Are Onuoha's days numbered? Why can't full backs close down wide men? Etc...

Brighton deserved winners.

0