In a run stretching back to the tail end of last season, suddenly there are no goals at either end of the pitch !

One thing you have usually been able to say about Saints, not just in recent times but over the years, is that you are never short of a goal or two at either end of the pitch, Saints started last season leaking goals left right and centre, indeed in the opening four fixtures last season they conceded a grand total of 8, however they also scored 5 themselves.

This term however its the polar opposite, Saints have scored 2 and conceded 2 for a grand total of only 4 goals, less than were netted in last term's opener at Man City alone.

But this barren spell hasn't just started this season, it's roots can be traced back to the tail end of last, in the final 6 games of 2012/13 Saints scored only 3 goals, there total conceded of 7 isn't a bad ratio, but the picture is blurred slightly when you consider that 3 of those were scored in 1 game against West Brom at home when we were taken to the cleaners.

So what has suddenly changed that has made us so tight at the back, yet so lacking in fire power up front, certainly the form of Rickie Lambert would be one factor, his goalscoring record seems to have a very definite line through it, pre Pochettino arriving and since, last term he hit 10 league goals in 22 games under Nigel Adkins, after the change of manager he hit only 5 in 16 although it has to be said that initially he maintained his ratio scoring 4 times in Pochettino's first 8, but managing only 1, in the final game against Stoke in the final 8, that drought has continued with Rickie netting only once in 4 this term, that being a penalty.

The point of this is that our lack of goals this season is not something that's due to a change in style this term, its something that's been on the cards for a while now, yes Saints have tightened up at the back, but why have the goals dried up so dramatically ?

Its even more of a puzzle in that like Sunday's 0-0 draw against West Ham, Saints have often played a number of attacking players, in this case three strikers and in Adam Lallana an attacking midfielder.

But perhaps this is the problem at least in scoring goals, the balance isn't there, its fine having three forwards, but you have to supply them and on Sunday the outfield players were either defenders, defensive midfielders or essentially attackers, leaving the only true creative player as Adam Lallana.

Last season Saints had a purple patch where in an 8 game period they scored 15 goals and in the process earned 14 points, but the downside was that they were conceding goals, 10 in that same period although in fairness 4 came in that rout up at Newcastle, after the win at Reading though something changed, even up at the Madjeski although we kept a clean sheet we could have been 3 down before we scored, luckily Reading squandered 3 easy chances and that maybe made Pochettino think, certainly in the final half dozen games we tightened up in the main, but at the same time we were never the same going forward.

Now we should be ready to go back to attacking more and in the process scoring more, Lovren at the back has certainly helped in cutting out those errors that were costing us dearly last term, so we should have the confidence to get forward a lot more.

So having succeeded in shoring up at the back, the manager now has to start getting it right going forward and we haven't done that yet as our goals tally attests, playing attacking players doesn't mean goals, you have to get the balance right and we haven't done that, indeed I think our balance has gone in the wrong direction as we strive to shoe in Osvaldo and Lambert with the result that we don't get the best out of either player.

Im sure Mauricio Pochettino will get it right, his reputation is one of playing a formation and making it work, he isn't playing his preferred formation at present, he is playing a version of it, but to be blunt there are too many square pegs in round holes at present, Im sure he will re focus and get Saints back into scoring mode, if he does then we have a squad capable of a top 10 finish, if he doesn't and this run continues then we could be dragged into a relegation battle.

Photo: Action Images

brady100 added 12:49 - Sep 18 We seem to be lacking fluidity and quality going forward at the moment, particularly in our passing and decision making in the final third. This season is a big one for Lallana in my opinion, I think he needs to prove he has an end product t his play, often looking good in games with neat turns and touches. However these touches never seem to end in an assist or a goal.

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simmo400 added 13:01 - Sep 18 I agree with the above post. The final ball in the last 3rd is a joke. Corners the same and free kicks. If we do get onto a pass it we loose possession due to our lack of control. We need to sharpen up in the last 3rd...........were guilty of being too wasteful.
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slynch added 13:13 - Sep 18 Saints don't let in so many goals cos they have better players playing and a better coach telling them what to do. Not so many goals are being scored has a random element ie in the last match 3 could have been scored. However, the main problem is certain midfielders pass it sideways which gives the opposition time to get organized. Nick, I'm not sure what this round hole square peg is all about? All the defenders are defenders and all the midfield players are midfield players and all the strikers are strikers (barring injuries) Talking of round pegs square holes I would try Shaw and Wanyama together in midfield, I think that would add a bit of forward punch in the centre.

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SaintNick added 13:28 - Sep 18 slynch, we play only one up front, even in this formation, in Lambert & Osvaldo we have two strikers, we also have Rodriguez, primarily a striker playing out wide, on Sunday one of Lambert & Osvaldo had to be out of position at any given time
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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 13:55 - Sep 18 We've been creating the chances, just not putting them away. Lallana can't seem to score in this league, J-Rod is good when in a purple patch and Osvaldo has yet to adjust to the Prem and hit form. Lambert has been pulling out wide and playing deep and not being in the box on the end of anything where he can score. Maybe that is where the problem is and Nick is right? Square pegs - round holes. Lambert is our best finisher, but under Poche he has been the one creating the chances for others to miss. Maybe Lambert should stick to playing up front centrally where he can convert the chances? Osvaldo would then have to take the J-Rod role of coming in off the wing. At the end of the day it comes down to who you can rely on to put the ball in the back of the net. At the moment, until Osvaldo proves himself, its only Lambert who we can trust to put a chance away. So therefore he should be playing the number 9 role where he'll get the most chances.

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slynch added 14:46 - Sep 18 Hey Nick, thanks for clearing that up. But that's a bit retro; it's all flexibility in the work place nowadays. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/flexible-workforce.html
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smiffdub added 14:49 - Sep 18 I think the article diagnoses the problem, but more questions need to be asked to solve it. I've said in my last couple of posts that I think the issues are two. 1) Why does Rodriguez get an automatic start? 2) Is Lallana good enough to be the only 'creative' midfielder? For the record, my answers are: 1) Can't imagine. Drop him and play another midfielder (Davis, Cork, Ramirez, Ward-Prowse). 2) No, but not sure there's anyone on the bench who's any better; espcecially with Ramirez being essentially a disappointment, this needs to get addressed in the transfer window I think.

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SaintNick added 15:29 - Sep 18 In the case of Ramirez, I don't think any of the players mentioned have got what it takes to play out wide, all are lacking something be it pace or the ability to cross etc
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ExiledSupporter added 16:07 - Sep 19 Blimey slynch, you've surpassed yourself...play Shaw in midfield in the place of Schneiderlein (who you have often in the past made unjustifiably negative comments about and quite unwarranted with reference to the statistics for last season)! Aside from the many reasons that make this idea one for the loony collection, you would have to play Fox at left back...a player that you have been highly critical of in the past.

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Waylander added 18:22 - Sep 20 Back down in League 1 and the Championship we used to have a lot of routine for corners and free kicks and, as I recall, we scored a lot of goals fro mthem. Now we don't seem to do anything other than lump it into the box. Maybe it is time to revisit some of these ideas.
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