verlaine1979

I quite like JWP and rate him easily as high as Davis in what he's capable of bringing to the team. However, to say that the quoted characteristics could be applied to Xavi is crazy. Xavi was the heartbeat of that Barcelona team - he ran games from the midfield and probably touched the ball more than any other player in the league during his pomp. As the OP states, JWP is largely peripheral (as suggest by that average of just 18 passes compared to Romeu's 66) and almost never seems to step up and try to run the game with his passing (an interesting contrast with Hoj over the last few games, who has seemed determined to seize his chance by showing and demanding the ball much more than ever before).

A statistical model that suggests a team with a goal difference of -17 and only 10 goals scored should actually have a goal difference of -1 and 23 goals scored would appear at first glance to have some kinks that still need working out.

This is exactly the team I'd go with, assuming Austin can handle it. Let Lemina play a little higher than the other two midfielders and join in the press. Very solid through the middle + pretty much all the creativity we have in the squad out on the pitch.

Hoj looked superb again from what I saw. Seemed to be everywhere, and looked to play it forward when the ball was on rather than always handing it off to someone else behind him.

Davis's scoring record isn't a stat I'd be using to try and win an argument. And besides, I'd be more confident in a high tempo, forward-looking midfield without Davis contributing to more team goals than I would be allowing him to sludge up possession in the hope that he'll nod in another rebound from a JWP freekick at some point this season (as let's face it, he's not going to ping another one in from distance for another five years going on previous form).

This is the Saints equivalent of 'you always get a 7 out of 10 from James Milner'. A falsehood that has been repeated so many times that it's achieved the hallowed status of cliche. How exactly does Davis link the midfield and the forward line when he seldom manages to steel himself to trot forward more than five yards, and when he's so averse to turning on the ball that he'd rather pass back to a marked defender than risk looking at the open space behind his back? Hoj's performance against Everton was exactly the kind of dynamic, determined busy linking game that everyone claims to see in SD. That so many on here took notice and declared Hoj outstanding after that game suggests to me that we haven't seen someone impose themselves on the midfield like that in quite some time.

Based on recent performances, you'd get more intensity and forward passing from Hoj than from Davis. The idea that either of them is a DM is erroneous - they're both plain old utility central midfielders, so pick the one more likely to contribute to dominating the central midfield.

Hoj was better against City than Davis was against Bournemouth.

I'm pretty sure he cut inside onto his right three times in the first half yesterday, getting caught out on the third occasion. I'm not usually a fan of hoof it defending, but if you're the last man, don't chance it unless you have much better close control than the average CB (and haven't done it so many times already that your opponent can read/guess your intention in advance). I like most of what I've seen of Hoedt so far - wins more challenges than he loses and his distribution is generally excellent over both short and long range. Hopefully cutting out stupid risk taking will be something he adapts to quickly.

Bring on Lemina and Gabbiadini. Establish some sort of foothold in central midfield, where Bournemouth's weakness is being let off by the absolute poverty of drive and intensity from Davis and Romeu, and then take advantage of MG's superior movement. Austin and Davis to make way.

Perhaps, though neither Hoj nor Lemina has played excessive amounts lately? It may well work out - no reason Davis and JWP can't dominate at Bournemouth - but on performances over the last two decent performances, rotation is the only reasonable explanation for the choice.

Dropping Hoj and Lemina for Davis and JWP had better prove to be a tactical masterstroke...

Redmond's performance wasn't dire yesterday because he was shackled and playing within himself, it was dire because he was slow to make decisions on the pitch and generally allowed himself to be crowded out before he'd decided to either run or pass. I suspect that if Pep really did have an axe to grind about our negative approach, he just grabbed the only non-defensive player he knew anything about and directed his comments at him.

Very good effort. Redmond should never start for that team again. Boufal deserves to start every game. Austin looked knackered the minute he came on. Hoj didn't disgrace himself against much better opposition, but Lemina was superb as always. There's a team starting to form, but it needs the slow-witted and slow-limbed deadwood to be set aside permanently.

Redmond isn't quick, he's got no acceleration (compare with Lemina, who absolutely burned his marker more than once in that half from central midfield). No idea why people talk about him as if he's got pace - he's never shown any at any point in his saints career.

Redmond is just unbearably awful.

He took his goal well, but that's utter nonsense. Hoj's also did plenty of the minor, unselfish stuff that doesn't always get the credit it deserves, but he also gave us drive and leadership early in the second half when it was flagging. I can't remember the last time SD demanded the ball and controlled a game like that (though as has been said elsewhere, Everton's midfield were uncommonly obliging). Put simply, Hoj yesterday played like the midfielder plenty of people on here pretend Davis to be (don't get me wrong though, Lemina is still better by leaps and bounds).

You'd have to drop Davis, a scenario many fans seem incapable of imagining.

We really should though. Well taken goal today, but in possession and defensively he looked off the pace more than any outfield player (and wasn't it his pointlessly chipped ball to Bertrand that caused the turnover that led to their goal?). When we needed leadership and drive in the second half, it came from Hoj rather than SD.

Boufal is really starting to take responsibility for driving us forward, but Hoj was the revelation today. Not just a strong defensive presence, but there was a moment early in the second half where we were looking a bit listless and he stepped up and started demanding the ball and kept us moving forward. Shame the next game is against City, as he really deserves to keep his place and build on that performance.

Trying to chip it down the line when playing out from your own box always seems dangerous - chances of mis-control and losing possession 35 yards out is just so much higher.

Enough incentive to make any new owner want to refinance and secure the debt against the club I'd say...

As long as we remain in the PL, he'll be able to use club revenue to pay off the borrowing he used to buy us, and then after ten years, he'll own a £200m+ asset outright that won't really have cost him anything, and just happens to be a nice safe distance from China.

Aren't we supposed to have the 7th or 8th most expensive squad in the league? In which case, finishing between 6th-10th with a reasonable showing in the cups is basically breaking even.

Blimey, yes - a 'positional game' would seem a good, if generous, description of our tactics. A shame his interpretation of it seems to lead to a game without movement. Contrasts quite sharply with the Poch-era directive that the team should play from positions rather than in positions.