Forester

I feel that there is a hell of a lot of unfair stuff on here. A few thoughts from me, having been at Swansea and all booked up for Sunderland Saturday that feels like a really big game now: - Some comments that have been made don't actually reflect the match. Rehashed quotes on boring sideways football. But that wasn't what happened yesterday. We had twenty odd shots, created a lot, and I thought looked much more threatening across the front three, including when Redmond (who was woeful at Swansea) came on. - Linked to this, Manolo looked a class act. Very rarely gave the ball away, looked bright off the ball too and can hold it up. Very promising - The fundamental problem was our centre back and holding midfield position. I am a supported of Reed, who has done a great job over six years. But he has messed up in January, not Puel, having publicly stated that Fonte would NOT leave unless replacement was lined up. He has failed to do this and let Puel down. If you read the usually ultra loyal Puel press conference comments in the run up to the window closing its obvious he was angling for a new centre back. - Puel has taken us to a cup final, if we had won yesterday we would have been top half and so calls for the sack are mad. But now we have limited centre back resources until VVD returns I think he will have to consider a change in formation. Option one is 4-2-3-1. Like most I rate Romeo highly, who is much more of an attacking force and technically gifted than Wanyama. However, he doesn't shield the centre backs as well as Wanyama did. And I think we need to switch to two holding midfielders, logically that would be Clasie as the second one. Alternatively, we go 3-5-2 with McQueen and Cedric as wing backs and use Bertrand as third centre back which we know he can do well as unde Koeman. So overall there were some positives, it wasn't a boring sideways passing affair, but unless we change our defensive formation we will carry on leaking goals

Tickets purchased! Logged on at 9am and finally finished at 925am. Hope everyone else navigates the website ok

Agree with this. Jay Rod has taken months to begin even resembling the player he was. Unfair to judge Gardos until the end of the season.

News may not have reached you, but we are at Wembley in the League Cup Final....

You must be gutted today. We all feel for you, and I hope you get through it ok

Been watching Saints since 1987 when my dad took me for first time, watched us up and down the country through two relegations. League one games at Dagenham, Exeter etc etc. This season we have had San Siro and now Wembley. It doesn't get much better than this. A plea to all our younger fans to really enjoy the moment. As per previous posts I have made throughout the season, Puel has been doing a good job with the limitations up front we all knew. He has showed in three clean sheets against the highest scoring frontline this season was an outstanding coach he is, with different back lines. Four clean sheets in last five games. And here is the best bit.....by rotating he has enabled players to be fresh and crucially by believing in younger and so called squad players,having usied them in earlier rounds, when they are really needed they aren't cold and out of form but are ready. Think Stephens and Yoshida. This quiet, humble and dignified Frenchman is a class act. McMenemy....Strachan.....Puel

Assuming VVD is fit I would make two changes. Long in for Tadic (expecting we will be counter attacking) and Clasie in for PEH

He looked very assured coming on at Everton and playing out of position at right back in what was actually his debut in the Premier League

Three wins out of the last four games, one goal conceded all without Fonte. Well done Claud Puel, the quiet dignity that he shows contrasts massively with some of his ill informed critics. Yoshida and JWP greatly benefitting from having been given regular football throughout the season. Along with McQueen, Sims and Stephens coming through the ranks it's the upside of rotation, which has become almost a swear word for some fans. Still think we could finish eighth, and make a Wembley. The bigger picture......

You are seriously proposing to leave out VVD, Bertrand, Cedric and Romeo? HMmmmmmmmmmm.........

Spot on

What a weird comment. What makes you say, to quote your quotation, that we haven't "a replacement lined up"?

Not sure if you are being ironic. But I think it is a fact that VVD, Cedric, McQueen, Yoshida and Romeo have all improved under Puel. And Bertrand remains superb

Only the second game of the season that I haven't seen so won't comment, albeit it sounded dull on the radio. However can we all celebrate the fact that we had six academy graduates in our starting line up and still progressed. Surely that is a big positive, and we have rested senior players ahead of a gruelling three games in six days starting Sunday

Yes, and I think when we reflect on the business we have done it has usually been a very good deal for the club. The money we received for Shaw, Lambert, Chambers, Clyne, Wanyama and Lovren has been well used. Bertrand, Cedric, VVD (via a loan spell for Toby), Romeo and Pelle were as good or better players and with the exception of Pelle cost considerably less money. The only one I think that has really moved his game on since leaving us is Lallana who has justified his transfer fee.

Spot on, refreshing to read

You seem a bit conflicted Futzhugh. You chose to start a thread moaning about people attacking others. Now you are leading the charge old boy!

I mentioned on the thread a day or two ago that a loan deal with an option to buy is a good compromise between doing nothing at one end of the spectrum and panic buying the wrong player now when the right one may be available in the summer. It sounds like we may hedging our bets and that is a smart move I think. Leave Sam up at Blackburn to complete his development playing week in week out and get him back in the summer as an additional option but not the man man

I agree re the focal point. I thought Austin looked poor outside of the box when we first signed him, but then I thought his hold up play was improving during the autumn before he got injured. Lambert and Pelle gave us a great outlet ball when we were under pressure, and also provided a plan B when at home and finding it difficult to play through the lines (think games against Sunderland, West Brom and Watford)

Moving away from the petty squabbles, and seeking to get back to a debate, as I have referenced on a few threads I am as desperate as everyone else to see a striker, who is a proper target man, signed to help Puel. I do though have a concern that the market is limited at this time of year and there must be a risk that we get someone who "is available" rather than the right signing in the summer. A difficult balancing act, if the club really feel relegation is a threat then you prioritise now. However if that is not the case I would rather wait to the summer and sign the best player available. I can imagine the uproar on here if we don't sign a striker this month but ultimately we should judge the club at the end of August I think. Perhaps a compromise is a loan deal with an option to buy in the summer....

This, hits the nail on the head. The match stats again show we were the better team, but only once (Bournemouth away) have we scored more than one goal in any Premier League match since we last played Burnley in mid-October. We are missing 30 PL goals from Pelle and Mane, and probably another 15 from Austin. I don't know any Saints fan who didn't say this back in the summer, it's not Puel's fault. I also think Forster would have been dropped had McCarthy been fit.

I think it's great to see the so called big clubs being rebranded selling clubs! It will make a more even Premier League....bring it on!

It will slow down as we have fewer competitions. See echo article today showing we will never had played more games in our Premier League era than this season. Great to see younger players given the opportunity at Ipswich, still in the competition, first choice players rested and then fresh to beat Liverpool. I am loving the fact that we are still in three competitions, and hooe rotation continues until February

Poor soul must be struggling. After all, an enjoyable win with great set up from the coach. What does he do now? Malfunction....

I know. I think some of the more unhinged posters are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder following an enjoyable win last night. They can't cope, and there are some notable AWOL posters that usually dominate on here during this last 24 hours. Bliss! So I would see this "let's go find a coach to sack" thread in that light