Dusic

Updated list: July 21st - Derby County (0-3) Reason: Derby further ahead than us in pre season/ tough schedule for Chins trip 4th Aug - Borussia Monchengladbach (0-3) Reason: Hot conditions/three games in a week 12th Aug - Burnley (0-0) Reason: Burnley sharper due to EL matches played 18th Aug- Everton (1-2) Reason: Referee allowed them too many free kicks and we didn't defend set pieces well enough. Hard to get back into the game as they went down easily in the second half whenever there was contact. Low quality game overall.

Very poor and quite worrying. We can't pass the ball and keep possession in attack. The Manager has no idea of his best team or formation despite a full pre season. Poor subs also lost us momentum. More strikers doesn't mean more likely to create and score. Utterly woeful in defence. Ings the only positive today. Need to get a settled side and system. No chance of top 10 as Hughes stated is the aim.

Vestergaard travlled (is in the twitter video) but is ill according to Adam Leitch. If so, a bit odd to travel. JWP has earned a recall somehow, but good to see a back 4 and will be interesting how we setup with Ings and Austin. Tosun header inevitable though.

Hughes won't care, he just wants the most players to choose from as he can get, which he stated yesterday. Long is in the difficult situation of being too **** over a long period for any PL team to want him and too expensive for any Championship team to think he is worth buying or loaning, certainly when you factor in what you get for that money, i.e no guarentee of goals.

I thought Blackmore did a great job. You have to remember that he is balancing needing to get at the right areas but also protect his future access to the club leadership. Reed was keen to point out that Carillo is still a Saints player and therefore was hardly likely to slate him, and Hughes is too experienced to be drawn into that as well. Overall for me, Ings seems like a great character and clearly they picked him to placate the crowd somewhat. Hughes experienced at these things and says the right things to please the crowd without adding much of interest. Reed looked pained the whole time as if he has been locked in a room with Charlie Austin in full on lad banter mode for an hour beforehand. Krueger - can't trust anyone who cannot say Premier League correctly.

Reed, unsuprisingly, looks like he would rather be elsewhere!

If Moi doesn't make it as sounds likely then I think we will go with 3 CBs again due to a lack of attacking wide players, unless Armstrong could play on the opposite side to Redmond.

Exactly. Most people don't actuslly read it but just react to the thread title. Personally I think all the excuses sonfsr have been good, mostly valid ones (aside from maybe BM game). Over the season will be good to see what comes up, i.e many managers say "we started slowly", "not enough intensity" etc but rarely say the team was outplayed or I got the subs wrong. Purely observational.

Not a slight on Hughes whatsoever, but thought it might be interesting to track his reasoning when we don't play particularly well, to see if any themes emerge across the season which might indicate where any problems are within the side. So far: July 21st - Derby County (0-3) Reason: Derby further ahead than us in pre season/ tough schedule for Chins trip 4th Aug - Borussia Monchengladbach Reason: Hot conditions/three games in a week 12th Aug - Burnley (0-0) Reason: Burnley sharper due to EL matches played Not sure if I can edit so feel free to update as/when needed

IMO you should play at only one home ground in one season. If its not ready then wait til next season.

Haha, not going to this one as live too far away but have been in the past, actually to the Poortvliet one which was quite funny on hindsight. Remember him talking about converting Lloyd James to a RB because he was one of our best passers and full backs get a lot of the ball under less pressure. I do have a ST though... Always think it would be good if they had more pre-submitted questions which would be higher quality. Lots of good talking points that don't have to come across as ultra critical (which just causes club reps to get defensive). Ultimately though its a good thing that the club do these kind of things and usually you find out something interesting that was previously unknown.

This is exactly the problem. You have rare access to the leadership of the club. But Creepy Barry, a season ticket holder for 25 years from Romsey who goes with his wally of a Son will waste it with **** like this.

I would be suprised. For a start: 1. He wouldn't get in that 18 based on ability or performance so could have few arguments (since his bumper new deal he has been beyond ****e) 2. I'm pretty sure Saints would happily have sold/loaned him had there been genuine interest 3. He doesn't seem like the type

Richarlison and Walcott will exploit the space behind the wing backs, and Sigurdsson the space in front of the defence if we play similarly to yesterday. Match up their 4-2-3-1 for the best chance of points. The 5 man defence means we lose out in midfield whilst having two CBs marking nobody and two wing backs unsure of their role.

Ultimately after 14 goals in two and a half years it looks like I am spot on and there are certainly others who are in agreement and can see the obvious. Its almost like people have adopted Austin's career history of goals and imagined he scored them all for Saints, such is the acclaim he gets. He got a standing ovation today which was quite baffling. (Imagine the contrast to if Redmond, who was actually excellent, had been subbed...it would have been muted)

Austin was woeful today. Most interested in winning fouls rather than competing for anything. Obviously the fanboys won't agree but for me he just isn't good enough outside the area and shoukd be 3rd choice. He cannot press, pass, hold the ball up, win headers, make runs to be an outlet when under pressure, link play, assist. Ings showed what a quality front player does.

Five thoughts: 1. The 3 CBs doesn't work for a variety of reasons with the defenders and midfielders we have. System was the biggest problem for the first 55mins, we were so overrun in midfield. Burnley's defence and midfield had so much time to dictate the game. The 4-2-3-1 of the second half suits our players much more, simplifies the roles of some players and allows us to play at a tempo that creates chances in the PL. Please ditch the 3 CBs. 2. Redmond was excellent second half in a more narrow position. Incisive, good passes, creative. 3. Ings really promising, showed up Austin, who was woeful. Ings was the 10 in a 4-2-3-1, versatile player. Can tell he has been training with better players for the last year. 4. Elynoussi promising. Not a lot of pace but good feet and suprisingly robust. Appears an upgrade on Boufal and a lot more of a worker. Nice corners too. 5. Austin is done IMO. Woeful today yet got a standing ovation when he went off due to a quite bizarre cult status with our fans. Offers absolutely nothing unless in the area and we can't afford passengers. 14 PL goals in two and a half years and he doesn't do anything else. That isnt worth a start and IMO he should be third in the striker order. The league is too quick for him. It is 4 years since the season he was good at this level.

Red card a bit of a shame. Jagielka probably wouldn't have played next weekend as Yerry should be fit but obviously no chance now which is frustrating.

Palacd are a good team IMO. Lots of pace and dynamic players, massive threat on the counter attack. Could push top half if Zaha stays fit.

Standard absolutely horrific. Sims nor Hesketh gain anything from playing at this level, especially in division two. Both should be out on loan playing every week in men's football.

O'Connor being converted to a CB perhaps? Overall very similar to last season. Probably a few for whom this season will determine if they really have what it takes at Saints: Sims, Jones, Slattery, Hesketh etc. You can't be a player of potential forever.

If Gallagher is loaned out now then IMO he has no future at Saints (in the PL anyway) and we should hope he does well and then sell next summer for as much as we can. Potentially if he had a great season, the sale of SG could cover the Ings fee. However, if they like him then we should keep him and try and loan out Long, whose time is surely up at Saints now. He just isn't PL quality and someone else deserves a chance.

At the end of the season Ings would only have one year left on his contract so surely available for a Clyne/Wanyama knock down fee. Loan makes complete sense, hopefully his fitness holds out. Not sure he is the profile of forward we need but he can finish and will have a point to prove. Would be interesting to know if he has been a genuine target through the summer or is a panic signing of sorts? Expect Gallagher will go out on loan, but wonder if we could ship out Long instead and keep SG as 4th choice. If he goes out on loan now then thats him done at Saints I would think.

Anyone got any idea why we have 3 x LB but only 1 x RB?

For balance, our lineup versus QPR in Sept 2014 (the game Pelle scored the overhead kick), shortly after the Aug deadline in the 2014/15 season: ---------------------------Forster-------------------------- Clyne------Fonte-----Alderweireld----Bertrand ------------Schneiderlin-----Wanyama--------------- ----------------------------Davis---------------------------- Mane-----------------------------------------------Tadic ---------------------------Pelle------------------------------ For me, none of our current players (excluding the three who played in this lineup) would get in that team. Telling IMO and in hindsight mad to have been worried about that season! The back 6 ****s on what we have now and the front 3 miles superior. It looks a proper PL side, with a good mix of pace, power and technical quality. For Hughes to keep this current side well clear of a relegation battle in a 12th - 14th position would be as good as Koeman getting 7th and 6th with these players IMO.