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Latheal

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  1. He was that link between the fans and the club. Being in League One, as stupid as it sounds, made me identify with the club more. Everything that was happening (Kelvin turning down West Ham, Lallana staying, Liebherr's coming in with their promises) was pretty much everything I ever wanted from my club. I never wanted a sugar daddy, I wanted it to be done the right way. Then this guy comes and just takes it to another level. At every step up, you felt that the team and fans were doing it together. 30K v Leeds and Exeter in League one. If Pompey did that, we'd never hear the end of it. He took the Championship by storm. And then at City first game away in the prem - when he scored that goal, I just remember pure ecstasy at the Etihad. Perhaps it was Le Tiss's and Merson's argument before it (about him not getting double figures) but I never doubted he would do it in the Prem. I had stayed at my brother's that weekend in Manchester who was a die hard Utd fan. I had told him about Saints and he had dismissed us. I got a text just after that goal saying "ok, now I am impressed". He, as much as everybody gave us our respect back. Too many Saints memories to mention. But the England v Scotland game, I was out on a stag do in Bristol. Literally everybody was slagging him off when he came on. I had £20 on him as anytime goalscorer. I had been bigging him up all game to people I didn't know and they were just laughing at me. I have never, ever celebrated an England goal more than that - and it wasn't to do with bragging rights, wasn't because of the bet, wasn't because he had proved me right. It was just because nobody deserved it more, you could see what it meant to him and it was the culmination of one of us doing what we all dream of. Scoring a winner at Wembley against Scotland. Truly an inspiration. An absolute Legend for us.
  2. First half they were better than us but still felt that when we did actually go forward, we managed to get behind them pretty easily although the final ball was awful. We seemed to stand well off them when they had the ball and allowed them to pass the ball around at will. Second half, jesus, what a transformation. Lemina grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and seemed to realise he was actually better than anybody in their midfield and his performance seemed to rub off on everybody else. My brother supports Utd and before the game I had said they wouldn't bully us and it would be their first real test of the season. I'm of the belief that our back 6 (especially when VvD is back and not including Forster in that) is as good as anybody but its been a while since I saw us "dominate" the ball against a genuine top 6 side. Romeu and Lemina were outstanding that second half. Yes we gave a couple of chances away on the break but that was to be expected but most of the second balls were picked up and I am sure I even saw Redmond run at his man (and beat him) at one point. I don't like one up front (well, with the players we have anyway) but felt we played some good stuff and did create chances (Romeu's scuffed shot after some lovely football, a corner which fell to somebody who blazed wide from just outside the 6 yard box), Tadic and Cedric linking up will down the right and completely nullifying Rashford from an attacking sense, Long bundled over by Jones, Redmond's shot) and felt we deserved at least a draw. Weirdly was more annoyed with this game than the EFL final as thought we controlled more of this. As then though, the difference is the striker. Not Lukaku's biggest fan but can't argue with taking 1 out of 2 chances. Should have brought Gabi on earlier and if we are putting that many crosses in the box against this side, then change Redmond/Long for Austin (or even VvD). It made little sense to keep putting those crosses in without somebody to aim at with the height they had. Seems like its been a while since I've been confident that our main midfielders will hold their own against pretty much anybody in the league. The back 6 look solid, time to play around with the front 4 and find a formation that works. I'm not even sure we need 3 in midfield with Lemina - he could be our Kante against some of the weaker teams. I wouldn't be averse to seeing 4-4-2 at some point (covers head and waits for abuse).
  3. I'd have him back just to teach Tadic and Gabbi how to take pens. He can't hurt as a finishing coach either?
  4. £50mil + Theo? That might be achievable although his wages would be an absolute nightmare.
  5. Think probably everybody would - but didn't Ox kick up a stink when he wanted to leave us himself? Can distinctly remember a full page in one of the red tops stating how he was ready to make that step up and wanted to leave - much to Cortese's anger at the time. Can't imagine either he would come back here at this stage (with Chelsea and Liverpool rumoured to be bidding). I believe in seasons gone by we have talked about him with Arsenal - but that was when his stock was a little lower.
  6. Very rusty early on and gave the ball away a hell of a lot...but grew into it, not afraid to mix it up, doesn't back out of anything and showed one or two glimpses of those bursts from midfield, something I think we have been missing (ball carrier from the centre of midfield who is willing to drive at the opponents). Looks like he has a hell of a turn of pace as well. Promising. Early days though.
  7. Absolutely, 100% this. Why the hell anybody has anything bad to say about her or her family is beyond me. We were down and out. She had no reason to carry on after her father's death. Fair play to her, glad her father's gamble paid off.
  8. Don't really need to do an unfair comparison to make it worse than it is now do we. Jay Rod - not replaced/Gallacher Mane - Redmond and Boufal Pelle - Austin/Gabbi Wanyama - Holberg? Fonte - Not replaced/Stephens Juanmi - Do we even need to replace him?/Sims Schneiderlin - Romeu Clyne - Cedric/Pied Cork - Clasie Isn't that a fairer way of doing it? Not saying its better, but the players have pretty much been replaced apart from this Year's departures. Whether or not they are of the same quality, is another question, but anybody who thought a like for like replacement for Mane would come to Southampton...well, go get your head tested. We help the players progress...Its kinda our entire business model...
  9. I'm in the #PuelIn camp (if there is such a thing) but it is starting to bother me how we line up against the top 6/7. We were so defensive yesterday, it just stopped our own attacking game. The tactics have worked against Liverpool, but I'm not sure its "The Southampton Way" anymore to be that defensive. I've enjoyed the majority of the football we've played up till now as personally, I actually thought the quality and type of football was better than last year. Our problem was taking our chances, not creating them, and at some point you can't blame the manager for that. With VvD's injury, it was intensified with the fact we are letting in a lot more than we are scoring - I'm still subscribing to the belief that currently we have to score at least 2 to be in with a chance of winning the game, which is never a great place to be for any team. I kind of applaud him for sticking with Stephens, even if the kid will make the odd mistake. CB must be the hardest position for a youngster to come in, especially in the Prem League when you are up against £30mil+ strikers most weeks. Still, until the end of the season, I'd rather he get the experience than somebody who may not be here next year. I think we forget that its Puel's first season outside of his own country. He's learning as well. To be fair, he has changed things around (gone is the ridiculous diamond) and we've seen massive improvements in Romeu, Redmond, JWP as the season has gone on. We were missing two of our best players yesterday and despite that, for 65mins we probably had the best chances so you could argue his tactics were working. It just didn't sit well with me how defensive we were and how much space we allowed them in midfield. The top 6, for the most part, have reacted to last season in a gigantic way. Throw Everton into the mix, and this league just gets harder and harder. However, 7 into 4 doesn't go. It will be interesting to see what happens to those 3 that don't make the champions league next season. Reed said he wanted us to be around the top teams if they slipped up so we could take advantage. This year, they pretty much haven't anyway.
  10. Still remember his dad's tweet when Cortese left - "Southampton, what have you done?". Said it all to me at the time, the players had bought into Cortese, not the club. And to be honest, I understood at the time where he was coming from, there was a lot of us that felt the same way. He should be England's first choice left back by now. Would he have benefitted from staying at Saints? Quite probably, but then we wouldn't have been able to have invest in the team as much as we have. How many of us, knowing what we know now, would sell Shaw for £30mil and buy Bertrand for £10mil? And not have to pay him £100K a week either. I'm hoping (probably stupidly) that those who have sat on the bench at the "bigger" clubs or been loaned out, now see the benefit of week in, week out football. Its why I think both Bertrand and Romeu would probably choose to stay here than move this summer, given the chance. Having said that, he left in the right way (to me) and I wish him no ill. He should be England's first choice left back by now. The vilification from Jose is bordering on scandalous; strange how he's attacked a young English left back who has hardly played this season and is coming back from a horrific injury, yet his record signing at a similar age gets a nice hug and a nice arm around the shoulder, despite having been one the biggest waste of £90mil since the Batman and Robin film. Hasn't he got that round the wrong way? And Jose, didn't you also try and buy him for £30mil when you were at Chelsea?
  11. Was an excellent performance bar the finishing. That was a game that should have been out of sight, Long (pun intended) before Palace scored. I counted four one on ones for Long last night. The one in the first 40seconds (weaker foot, but surely has to hit the target), the one from JWPs amazing through ball (from where I sat, he had time to take a touch, bring it inside, knock it passed the sliding defender - anything other than screwing it towards the corner flag), the one where he tried to dink it over the keeper but managed to Arter-it over the bar, and the one where Tadic would have had a claim for assist of the season where I initially thought it was a good save (at least he got that one on target) before the guy sitting next to me made the point of "Good save, but he shouldn't have been given the opportunity to get anywhere near it). Coupled with all the other chances we missed (Off the line twice, Yoshida's free header, JWP, Cedric), at least one, possibly three penalties - and almost constant ability to get in behind them, had that ended up with us scoring 6 or 7, nobody could really have argued. It was that dominant in attack. I have literally just started laughing at the gilt edge chances we miss now. Fair play to Long to keep running in there, but he has to take one of those last night. He just has to. Thought everybody played very well last night to be fair - was a great game of football to watch. When Tadic and Redmond are like that, it must be a nightmare to defend against. Also some merit to Tadic's comments about him staying on the full 90 - he was involved in both the goals in the last 5mins. Interesting reading about people thinking Caceres (sp) should play. If we're looking at next season, should we bother playing somebody who is only here till the end of the season or give Stephens more playing time for the future? We're never going to be as solid without VvD, but IF he goes, then I trust the board to re-invest that wisely. The team is starting to look pretty good and if VvD is the only one we lose in the summer (keeping Tadic is vital for me), I can see a really, really good season when everybody is fit next year.
  12. Must have watched a different game to most on here - were by far the better side for 70 mins. The issues were there same they have been all season. We can't finish. Club sorted that by buying Gabbi. He's injured. Not much more Puel can do about that. We've got our 2 best finishers out - Jay and Shane needed to step up but didn't (tbf, both ran themselves into the ground, but we have to take the chances they were given) and our best player out in VvD and still managed to keep a clean sheet. Yes, Bourne were the better team in the last 20, we can blame tactics and subs for that, but at the time Puel brought Boufal on for JWP I would have done the same - nothing against JWP, but the game was to be won. Major pluses for me - Stephens kept a clean sheet and gets more game time, Yoshida looked untroubled against a bigger man for most of the game, Romeu just gets better and better, Redmond will be some player next season, and we have our best strikers to come back. I also thought Tadic was the best player on the pitch 1st half. Cant believe some of the comments on here...get a grip people...everybody knows the issue around goals scored, we can't do anything about it at the moment...
  13. Likewise, but I kinda understand it. When Lallana and Lovren moved, I was as angry as the next person. Not so much with any of the others (although seeing Morgan at Everton pains me). Wasn't totally convinced with Fonte this season, and for purely football reasons wasn't against him moving on - the problem was always what was behind him. Not so much Yoshi, but the depth of CB quality beyond that should VvD or Yoshi get injured (which we are now seeing). Having said that, do think it a shame that such an integral part of our rise has seemingly fallen out with the club. Whilst on the surface, it looks like Jose has wanted this since the summer (why not take the pay rise?), it does seem a bit weird why we couldn't have found some common ground if he really did want to stay. Not playing a single Europa game must have hurt him. Wish him well. I'll never boo him.
  14. To be fair, I get the irrational supporting. I'm firmly in the happy-clapper society (and by that I mean i don't feel Puel is fully to blame for our most obvious woe this season, which is goal scoring) and can see (and understand) the frustration that Redmond gets. I don't condone the booing at all. In fact, some of his abuse is downright absurd. To me, its because some of our supporters seem to think he is the direct replacement for Mane (which he never was, that's Boufal), but he's actually got the potential to be a damn site better than he is. To be that player, he needs confidence, not booing every single time. Just takes a few minutes to search past posts on what people thought of Mane when he first joined to see how fickle supporters are. I don't bother posting after we lose anymore. Most of the time we are the worst team in the world or should be challenging teams with £100s of millions more budget than us. To me, there wasn't a lot of difference between this performance and others apart from the fact we actually took some of the chances that came our way. That's been our biggest problem this year. People will blame that on the departures of Pelle and Mane but the truth of the situation is that Austin was outscoring Pelle before he got injured and Mane took a season to get to that level. Its quite absurd that Long hasn't scored more than he has to chip in and the rotation hasn't helped him or Jay Rod in Austin's absence. Redmond's not a striker, despite was Puel thought, but he seems to have realised that and moved him back out wide. He's still a threat though. Have the makings of a pretty decent squad at the moment. Missing a few key players, but we always will. On to Wednesday which is massive, and doable.
  15. Been saying this for years. Still our best player by a mile though. If he scored more, probably wouldn't be playing for us. He's so much better on the left its untrue. Its actually Redmond that frustrates me more. Has the ability to drive at the defender with sheer pace like Mane did but for some reason, doesn't. Tadic, more often than not, has an end product. Redmond could be some player if he just had a bit more confidence.
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