qwertyell

All about the result, of course, but sweet baby Jesus our midfield is shocking on the ball. And these are our only options there until at least January. I swear, some games Hojbjerg looks like he's never played football before. Don't think I've ever seen a player's performance level vacillate so wildly. Anyway, thankfully Ings is tuned into the game - he's really been the difference in a low quality game. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Because they are a bunch of plodders. It's been a massive issue for us for a while now. Our midfield is easily bypassed on the counter attack because Romeu, Hojbjerg and Ward-Prowse are slower than coastal erosion. Throw in a centre back pairing that would get lapped in a 100m race and we're ripe for the picking from any side with a bit of pace. Our full backs aren't even particularly pacy. With Djenepo and Adams, we've at least added a bit of speed up top, but that doesn't address all the other areas of deficiency. Plenty of sides have slow centre backs, but they compensate by defending deep and compact. Tactical genius Hasenhuttl wants us to play an aggressive, pressing style with a high line - but he doesn't have the players for it. Once the opposition beat the slow moving press, five or six players are out of the game and don't have the legs to get back. I think he's showing himself that be quite one dimensional as a coach. He hasn't adapted very well to the squad at his disposal, as opposed to the squad he wishes he had. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Manager had a shocker. Defensively disorganised to the point of negligence. Whatever his problem with Bertrand is, he needs to be told to get over himself - his ego is only hurting us. Horrific lack of quality going forward. Adams works hard but doesn't get into scoring positions. Pedestrian midfield bypassed again and again on the counter attack - and we've got no other options but those three statues. Still think this will be another grim season of scraping by. And if the manager's tactics and selections continue to be as erratic as they have been since Rohl left, we might not get away with it again. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

This is on the manager. He's playing Bednarek at right back now. What a disorganised mess. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Offside. Defensively hopeless, though. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Lack of creativity if both Redmond and Djenepo miss out. Amazing how quickly Boufal has become a key player. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Vokins starting for u23s today. So either Bertrand is fit or we're going to put another square peg in a round hole. Cedric, Hojbjerg, Yoshida the candidates, I'd guess. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Bertrand took part in that training fun day they did earlier in the international break, but I didn't see him in any pictures of their most recent proper sessions. The team are doing some running around at St Mary's today - Djenepo is among them. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Sims should be back in November after a short loan, so he'll be available to play right away, rather than having to wait until January. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Champions League club, probably with enough money to buy him if he goes well - not the worst deal in the world. Wish the midfield options we're left with weren't so threadbare, though. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Had a good game today, so it's probably harsh to be critical but what the hell. Much as I like a lot about him I find his footwork a bit concerning. It's been nagging at me since the 3-2 defeat at United last season. Pereira scored a nice 20 yarder, but it didn't go in the top corner, yet Gunny's full dive went nowhere near it. He just sort of flopped over. I'd noticed he had a bad habit of jumping up just before the ball is struck, meaning he can't actually react with a dive until he's landed again, which could be too late, and thought that the resultant lack of sideways momentum was why he couldn't dive very far - instead of taking a quick step or two to the side and then launching, he was just landing flat on both feet and then trying to spring from a standing start. But today, for James' goal (and in fairness for a solid save Gunn made from Greenwood) he pushes off from the wrong foot. To dive left, he doesn't use his left leg at all - he uses his right, and vice versa when diving to the right. The net result is a complete lack of spring from his starting position: he really goes nowhere beyond his normal reach (which is pretty substantial, as he's a big lad). It's been a long time since I kept nets and maybe the fundamentals of goalkeeping have been completely rewritten and I'm full of crap, but surely pushing off from the wrong foot when diving isn't the new and improved way. Not that he could've done much to stop United's goal today, I just thought it was a curious thing. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Defensively shocking. Wasn't the first time they let James come inside easily onto his favoured foot, won't be the last. I fear a real tonking today. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Six defenders and we ship eight. Sounds like the Southampton Way is being nicely ingrained in the next generation. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Martial and Shaw out injured for United, for what it's worth. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Thrown another hissy fit? Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Was wondering where he was lately. To my eye, he's looked a better midfielder for the u23s than Slattery or Smallbone - albeit without there being anything outstanding about any of them. Thought he might become a decent ball-playing holding midfielder. Let's see if he can shine at Gillingham. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Not great, but could've been much worse. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Absolutely shocking against Brighton. Barely looked like a footballer. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

If he's done his Achilles, that could be his season done. Not sure we can afford to lose our player of the year. Fingers crossed it's not too bad. Djenepo and Boufal, time to step up. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

That would make some kind of sense, but people are saying Hojbjerg at LB. Odd. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Big test for our youngsters against a strong team. Brewster and Elliott among others are elite prospects. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

No mention of Saints on his Twitter bio anymore. Released? Would be a shame - he's got talent, but a lack of physicality and injuries have held him back here. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

We're on the board. Bank the points, move on. Really poor performance, if we're being honest with ourselves, which raises more questions than it answers, but a win is a win no matter how lucky. The manager needs to find a way to get Redmond, Djenepo and Boufal into the XI. If it means playing them as the front three and benching the labouring Ings and seriously short of quality Adams, so be it. We desperately need their speed and technical ability. Our midfield options are woeful - functional on a good day, a bunch of cloggers on a bad day. Hope this new assistant coach has got some ideas... Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

How are we so bad against ten men? This is a shocking performance. Brighton look like carving us open every attack. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Defence looks terrible. Danso has been fine but isn't a left back in a million years - surely Cedric would be better suited. The major concern is how atrocious we've been on the ball. Once Lemina is sold, these are all our midfield options. Yikes. No remotely competent linesman should've needed VAR to intervene on the Brighton goal. Burn has been deliberately blocking Gunn on every single corner. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk