Brumsaint

People say: "Ralph has no plan B". Ralph tries plan B (playing three at the back). Everyone says: "Please don't ever do that again!" Desperate times, but not so bad that we should play 3 CBs.

Watch the highlights of the U23s match against West Ham and tell me if you think Ferry is a good enough back up LB to play in a top half premier league side: https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2021-01-29/b-team-highlights-west-ham-united-3-1-southampton-fc-premier-league-2-2020-21 He looks decent going forward, but dodgy defensively - hence us conceding 3 and it could have been many more!

Highlights are up on the website https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2021-01-29/b-team-highlights-west-ham-united-3-1-southampton-fc-premier-league-2-2020-21 Ferry looks good going forward, but not sure LB is his best position. Anyone think he has potential as left sided number 10? Overall, the defence didn't look too solid, but hard to judge on 5 minutes of highlights. What has happened to Ledwidge and Olufunwa? I thought they were supposed to be highly regarded, but haven't seen either feature this season.

From this article it sounds like we were pretty close until Koeman stepped in: http://sportwitness.co.uk/southampton-bid-for-la-liga-defender-saints-moving-closer-for-player/ - he also fits the bill of being versatile! No idea how quickly he'd adapt to Premier League, though. AMN definitely has the advantage on that front. If we could get both of them, that would provide more squad strength! I know this won't happen, though.

I hope both full backs come in and prove the doubters wrong. I'm more concerned about missing KWP because he's been so excellent this season. Valery should be hungry for an opportunity to show Ralph that he can trust him, or to another manager that he would be a good investment for their team. This will be a big test. He needs to come through it. I've been impressed with Vokins every time I've seen him play, so let's hope that continues. As others have said, our team is about systems, so if they have been listening to Ralph and get their positions right, we have strong midfield and CB partnerships to support them. I still think we can win this!

It's hard to believe that the last B team match was against Leicester! This was the team that day: 1 KINGSLEY LATHAM (GK) 2 YAN VALERY 4 DAVID AGBONTOHOMA 3 JAKE VOKINS 5 KAYNE RAMSAY 11 WILL FERRY 6 ALEXANDRE JANKEWITZ 8 WILLIAM SMALLBONE BENNI SMALES-BRAITHWAITE (76′) 10 CALEB WATTS 7 NATHAN TELLA (C) KGAOGELO CHAUKE (72′) 9 TYREKE JOHNSON Smallbone and Tella are both out injured. Johnson's gone to Gillingham, but I wonder how many of those others are in contention for Shrewsbury. I reckon at least half of them will be. I reckon we'll see something like: Forster Valery Ramsey/Tchaptchet Stephens Vokins Diallo Jankevitz/Chauke Walcott/Armstrong Ferry Long N'Lundulu JWP & KWP have played every minute this season and although they are incredibly fit, I'd like to see them given a rest ahead of a punishing schedule over the next month or so. I'd definitely have Che Adams on the bench, but our options are going to be very limited!

Shame it didn't work out, but ahead of him in the thoughts of the manager for a CM role now (based on who's been on the bench) are: JWP Romeu Diallo Smallbone Jankewitz Chauke That's a lot of players when there are only two spots in the first team. I wish him luck at Gillingham and hope he secures a permanent deal somewhere in the summer. I guess a minimal fee and sell on clause are the best we can hope for now.

Walcott's versatility gives us options, but if Adams is fit, it's safe to assume that he and Ings will start up front. That surely then means Theo and Armstrong as number tens with Romeu and JWP playing while Diallo misses out very unluckily. Unless there are any more injuries or positive Covid tests, we should only be missing Vestergaard from our strongest 11. I can see us winning in Leicester for the second season running, so long as no-one does anything silly (including the ref).

I agree with resting players. I don't want to risk Ings from the start, but would have him on the bench. Forster Valery Stephens Bednarek/Salisu (if fit) Vokins Diallo Smallbone Armstrong Tella Long N'lundulu Subs: Lewis, KWP, Ramsey, JWP, Chauke, Walcott, Ings

More than anything, I want us to show that we can score goals. All the clean sheets are great, but we are relying on marginal penalty calls, or JWP's free kicks as pretty much the only way we look like scoring at the moment. Ings is a big miss, but we mustn't rush him back. Long looked awful yesterday. Every run he made in behind was offside and I don't remember him collecting a pass and finding a team mate once in the whole match. I would either play N'Lundulu or Walcott up front, but if whatever RH goes for isn't working and we don't look like scoring, I would like him to try using substitutes this time. Diallo has shown he can be trusted, but Romeu will come back tomorrow. Am I right in thinking Prowsey's 3 yellow cards will be wiped come the new year, so we don't need to worrying about a possible suspension unless he's booked in both the next two matches? Fingers crossed that something clicks in attack and we get to celebrate a win!

I was concerned that it would be a worse result when I knew we'd be without the key players. Stephens didn't do much wrong, although he didn't dominate as much as Vestergaard, obviously. Diallo also didn't do a bad job and improved as the game went on. I suggested Long from the start. I was so wrong when I thought he might get into the game better in that case and I found it so hard to believe that Ralph didn't change things earlier. As many have already said, the subs were a joke. Long should have been taken off around 55 minutes at the latest, with Djenepo coming on and Walcott playing up front. N'Lundulu should also have been given a chance if we hadn't improved, so that he got at least 20 minutes, rather than coming on in added time! We can score without Ings, but not if we don't learn from our mistakes! I hope we put up a better performance against Wet Sham and get back to scoring ways at the very least, because three games without scoring would start to be very worrying.

I would like to see this team: McCarthy KWP Bednarek Vestergaard Vokins JWP Diallo Armstrong Walcott Adams Long Subs: Forster, Stephens, Salisu, Bertrand, Smallbone, Redmond, Djenepo, Nlundulu, Tella I just have a feeling that if Long is given a chance from the start, he might come good and create more space for Che. Bertrand looks like he needs a rest and there are two games in three days. Let's have another look at what Vokins can do before the window opens. Hopefully, Armstrong will come back stronger after being tested. I know this is unlikely to be the lineup that Ralph selects, but it feels to me that it would be good to rotate a little, but without losing too much "automatism".

Theo was fantastic yesterday, and I thought he still looked full of running at the end - his chasing back was superb. KWP also had one of his best games and that made the contrast with the left wing even starker. I was rooting for Redders to start, but when he replaced Moussa, I couldn't quite believe my eyes that it was the same player who came on and scored last weekend. Che did brilliantly in the middle of the park battling to keep and win possession, but he had no service where it hurts and we seemed to be relying on luck - for the ball to bounce kindly, rather than creating any clear cut chances. I thought City defended very well, but we lacked a cutting edge at the end of some very good build up. Danny hasn't looked himself, even before the injury, so I hope they look after him and get him properly fit, rather than rushing him back again. Jannik was almost faultless once again and his passing was fantastic. I just wish we had a couple of other players who could pick a forward pass nearly as well as him. It was really disappointing to get nothing from the game, but if you don't even test the keeper, you can't really expect too much. Onwards to a couple of very winnable games that will show whether we can sustain a push for European places.

I saw that we were linked to Zinchenko, but he looks more likely to go to Wolves, so that may just be agent talk to make it look like there's a bidding war. I am disappointed that Ralph doesn't trust Vokins, as I've been impressed with him whenever I've seen him play, but obviously Ralph has seen more. If we can get Williams, or someone else in on loan, that would be good, but I reckon any permanent signings will wait until the summer. As well as most of the team played yesterday, we didn't really look like scoring, despite all the pressure around their box. Redmond had an absolute mare when he came on and if teams have worked out how to stop Vestegaard getting on the end of Prowsey's set pieces, there's nobody else who seems able to. I really hope a lack of quality back up strikers doesn't become an issue.

I would like to see Redmond and Walcott playing as the number tens. Much as I would like to see Diallo given a chance, I don't think this is the right game. The only other position I would question, assuming that there are no injuries, is whether Ings should play from the start or come off the bench. I just hope everyone has the legs to be on top of their game at the end of a busy week!

I think people are being overly harsh on Djenepo. He didn't have a great game, but he gave Bertrand a lot of support in keeping Traore and Semedo quiet, as well as playing Bertrand in really well a few times when he was overlapping. More goal threat and attacking intent with the ball would make a real difference, but he didn't give the ball away any more than other players - Romeu was most guilty of that today, I thought and JWP played a lot of backwards balls when he didn't need to IMO, some of which put us in more trouble. I thought we were a bit flat overall, but Wolves did press really well and didn't give much room at all. McCarthy definitely MOTM, but I would have liked to see Diallo come on a bit earlier and Nlundulu or Tella instead of Long. Can't be too disappointed with a point away at Wolves when not playing at our best, though.

Kameron Ledwidge was spoken of as a star of the future at one time. Anyone seen him play? https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2017/oct/03/next-generation-2017-20-of-the-best-talents-at-premier-league-clubs

He still has time to get his career back, but what a horrific time of it he's had! Didn't he also have a really bad injury that held him back when he was younger? Fingers crossed for him, anyway.

These are exciting times because of how much Ralph is getting out of the players. We have a really strong first 11, but I am worried about squad depth, so need to be convinced that Ralph's magic touch is improving the whole squad and bringing them all up a few levels. If the likes of Diallo, Smallbone, Obafemi, Tella, Djenepo, Valery, Vokins and Salisu can come into the first team and play as well as the players they replace we will have an exciting season! Despite our much vaunted promotion of youth and signing of young players, only three of the starting eleven against Everton were under 25 (Adams, KWP and Bednarek), so we do have a good amount of experience to help the younger players, which is a positive in my opinion. I absolutely agree with Ralph that we don't need to fear any team and can go toe to toe with the best now. We made Everton look poor and can take a lot of confidence from that. In terms of the Digne red card, I think it was more intentional than not. He tried to take KWP down once, failed so made sure he got him the second time while holding his hands up to protest his innocence. That's why there was such an angry reaction from the Saints players.

I will hold my hands up and say I was really worried about him being a starter last season, as I didn't think he could do the high energy game required, but have been totally proved wrong. He's had good periods playing for us before, but Ralph really seems to have brought out the best in him. Sign him up for a new deal, please.

If we didn't need the game for our first 11 to build fitness and match sharpness, I'd like to see some youngsters playing, but unless there's a risk of injury, I can't see anyone apart from McCarthy being "rested".

A few things that I consider have been highlighted after that performance: Salisu will play with Stephens once he's fit enough and has adapted to the way Ralph wants him to play. Taking Bednarek off for tactical reasons at half time was a surprising move, but hints at where he sees the problem in defence being. The manager doesn't really trust any of his options off the bench to be game changers. Boufal looks likely to be sold, he left it very late to bring on Djenepo, there was no CM at all, Tella is young and lacks experience while Shlong and Obafemi can run and chase, but are unlikely to unpick a packed defence, especially when the service from midfield is so poor. Hopefully, that means reinforcements will be brought in. Tactically, the two number tens are not really wingers, so it's essential that the full backs run in behind and get decent crosses in. They were both pushed very far up the pitch yesterday, making us very vulnerable to counter attacks with fast wingers and we know a lot of teams will have been looking at that. Bertrand's crossing was also awful from what I saw, so must improve if our strikers are to thrive. The international break and one player missing through injury certainly had an impact, but this was a shadow of the team we saw in July, so why was everyone else looking so off the pace? Has some complacency crept in? The players definitely looked short of match practice and we were all surprised that more friendlies were arranged. I hope it's not going to take too long to get them back up to speed and fit.

I guess this line up shows who definitely won't be in the squad for tomorrow from the youth team: https://twitter.com/SouthamptonFC/status/1304404647105433600

Does anyone know whether Slattery might be given a chance in the team this year? I see he played for the U23s against Wycombe today and came close to scoring with a free kick. It was a shame to see him disappear off on loan after showing promise in 2018-19.

So we do have Boufal and Djenepo both playing, with Valery at RB and Ward Prowse in midfield. Ralph has gone for players in their natural positions! 3 defenders and no wide players on the bench, though, which indicates there's not anyone else who's rated very highly by the management in the U23s, I'd say.