McCarthy (7) came and missed one cross. Saved well from a low cross and came out brilliantly to deny Murphy...and that was about that. Unlike just about everyone else, he couldn't be blamed for goal.
Valery (4) looked off the pace, tired or not quick enough. Those that know him better will tell you which. Deserved his booking and the manager couldn't trust him to come out for second half. Stephens (6) looked assured and much stronger when replacing him, using his strength to force Murphy up blind allies. Murphy disappeared as a result.
Bednerek (4) looked slow to me. He's not huge and dominant in the air, so what facet to his game did attract our scouts to him? His mistake in the first half should have cost us a goal but he got away with it. I don't think he is better than Stephens. That is not a ringing endorsement.
Vestergaard (3) also looked slow. Slow on the ball too and Cardiff sensed it and chased him harder than the rest. Premier league players smell blood. He is a weak link. He did win some headers, but the error for the goal is worse than Hoedt. Who the hell scouted this guy?
Target was Target (5). I'm tired of saying what he can't do at this level. For years and years Saints struggled. We got two strong pacey fullbacks and added a centre back or two that were winners and we had the best defence around. Weak, slow full backs paired with try hard CBs equal relegation fodder again,
Redmond (5). Complete non entity in the first half. I want to blame the change in shape and him being asked to play more central, but who knows if it was formation or player. In the second half he offered much more, mostly for wider positions. Was there a slight change is shape or did he move out there to find space. Still didn't do quite enough though. We lack flair and he's the only flair player. If he doesn't do anything we are ****ed. He doesn't do anything I hear you say. Well we are ****ed.
Armstrong (4). Less of an entity than Redmond in the first half and thats saying something. Not a lot in the second half either.
Hoj (6), Lemina (6) and Romeu (7) all seemed to get in each others way a little. Lemina looked lost in the first half. The formation did nothing for him. Do we need three holding CM against Cardiff? . Romeu was or best player in the first half, Lemina the second, but none offered the quality of forward pass required. Lemina beat a man now and then but it never led to a fast break, just a little more room for him to pass it to Target who then crossed to nothing.
I thought Austin (3) was another level of uselessness today. The best thing and only thing he did all day was chase back and win a tackle. That only occurred because he had yet again lost the ball, which he did all game...all ****ing game. His link up play is terrible. We created nothing today and one of the main reasons for that is every time we got it forward to him he lost it. Every single time. You cant have one up front that cant hold the ball up. I have no issue with the fella. He tries his best, they all do, but he's simply not up to it at this level.
JWP and Gabbi didn't make any difference really. How much did we spend on Elyounoussi again? We create nothing, we need a goal and yet no one is calling for him to come on. Says it all.
I honestly don't see a way out of this hole. We need new players, but need to sell players to get them. Who is there left to sell?
