Mowgli

The whole point of the diamond is to open up the mid table sides who come for a draw. I don't expect to see it against Arsenal to be honest. Or any other better side come to that.

I grew up in an era when few thought a manager could emulate the achievement of Ted Bates taking from 3rd to 1st tier of English football. So it's Nigel for me although Pards and Big Mac get a special mention for the silverware. Had he stayed I honestly believe Poch would have become our greatest ever manager but I suspect his short tenure will leave him a forgotten man in a few years time. We've not yet had a dud under the Liebherr era. Long may it continue

Blessed is he that expects nothing for he shall never be disappointed.... Sadly, I will be. I only see 2 extra games this year. I see two strikers capable of 30+ goals per season who hardly appeared last year. And I see a manager trying to introduce another formation (not an exclusive one ) primarily to deal with those lower table sides who pack behind the ball and frustrate our attempts of the past two seasons. We'll both be there cheering them on....

Putting the big boys to one side, it strikes me that Stoke City have had the most impressive transfer window of the 'also rans'. Everton probably the most disappointing (for them) but that's what happens when you tell everyone your budget.

So the board is only 6 games away from forking out some £12m in compensation and going through the upheaval of yet another managerial change? Doesn't sound likely to be honest. Merrington himself had a whole season even though it took him 11 games to secure his first win (3 points after 10 games). Only once in the whole season did he achieve back to back wins. Can you imagine the meltdown if the forum had been around in those days. The only vent we had then was fanzines...

Give it time. Every manager we have had introduced a new style of playing. Some more subtle than others. Koeman did brilliantly last year with the team but he was losing a few players in terms of support (Tadic, JWP, Reed and Targett spring to mind). We were also struggling against the lower table sides who just sat 11 behind the ball and played out for a drawer. Without disagreeing too much with any of the views expressed, a new formation to deal with that is definitely required (he may well revert to last seasons formation for the bigger games). So where is it not working? For me the diamond involves the central defenders going wide to cover for the wing backs as they press forward. That is one area we are not handling well. I would expect Romeu to drop back in that situation to a become a third centre back on that phase of play but he isn't as far as I can see so there is a hole to exploit. The diamond also needs us to break quickly and we're not yet doing that (didn't last season either to be fair). Even when we get forward, there are not enough bodies in the box to make the most of chances created. The opposition gets organised and we are forced to pass it back and shoot from outside the area reducing our success rate. And the diamond requires a technically gifted creative attacking midfielder at the top of the diamond. Tadic has been put there but is struggling to adapt which is a shame because he is clearly very talented. Him, Davis (a bit lost in his new role but trying hard to adapt) and Romeu are, for me, the three that are still adapting to the new system. The others seem to get it OK. Bertrand and Boufal (hopefully) will give us further options though I'd still give Tadic, Romeu and Davis more time to adapt. Maybe J Rod and Long or Austin with Redmond playing behind in the role currently offered to Tadic would work. And maybe we can get away with the lack of height in that defensive midfield role and just have someone who is good at breaking up play - Davis, Clasie or JWP. I'm not a huge fan of the diamond yet but I suspect as long as we don't stick rigidly to it against all opposition, it will eventually make us harder to steal points off.

Thank you for your patience

But the joint he damaged is in the top 5 of those 300.

I thought that was what Callum himself said last time it was rumoured. He would rather stay at Arsenal and fight for his place.

Seriously, if you're not interested in gossip, ITK wannabes, unsubstantiated rumours or pure fantasy, why the f*** would you even bother coming on a fans forum site?? ?

I thought I read somewhere that Tadic pretty much had a free role at the top of the diamond. You see him all over the place.

That's a really good article and illustrates why Saints are taking a while to master it. The fluidity should reassure the sceptics and whilst it is useful tactic to deploy, we know that teams often have to enable a plan B if required. We do have the players to make this work though.

Good to see Reed rewarded with there captaincy. Back in the fold I think.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're kidding. Both came close to POTY last season. Good footballers like these should be able to adapt to changing roles and a slight variation on tactics. For all the talk of the diamond, I still see a similar style of play as under Poch. It could just as easily be described as a 3-4-3 when in possession (using wing backs) and a 4-4-2 when defending. The only issues for me does concern though two players though. Long needs time to develop his partnership with Redmond and Davis needs to allow Hojbjerg to lead in midfield as he is, to me, clearly the new Schneiderlin. So that gives Davis a slightly different role to last year.

If it ain't broke, break it. We are constantly introducing new formations in a bid to deal with different oppositions. Gone are the WGS days of 'footballers only really understand 4-4-2". The diamond does not prevent players having a freedom to move. Shane Long did fine in the second half Saturday (pretty decent first half too). I have no idea how or why you should think any formation will not get the best out of them. Shane thrives on through balls. Charlie is more a poacher and both are served well by crosses (an area Claude thought we should have done better Saturday with more width).

For 7 years now, people come on here at the beginning of the season and predict doom and gloom. For 7 years we have shown improvement. I suppose eventually the doom mongers will be proved right - it's a statistical certainty. My only real concern is that people actually seem to get off being negative.

Not really. We knew we were losing Mane and Wanyama and by Christmas most were saying we were better without them. In reality we will miss both but with Hojbjerg and Redmond we have some class additions. Pelle was shot according to the vast majority on here.

I've not read the whole thread but get the feeling that emotions are getting a bit fraught. To write off the manager at this stage of the season is as ridiculous as saying he is brilliant, surely. Yes everyone is entitled to their views. My view is that I think he will be better than Koeman. But that's hope as much as knowledge (my footballing knowledge in all honesty could be written on the back of a postage stamp). Which makes me wonder if some people just want him to fail...? At the end of the day, he was highlighting in his post match interviews exactly the same concerns expressed on here was he not? Come on. We're all Saints fans so lets see how it rolls over the next month or two.

Even that won't tell us much. We could sign Messi and Ronaldo but if they don't buy into theSouthampton Way or the coach turns out to be crap then we are still stuffed. Likewise we could go with what we have, find Puel is a decent coach, JRod and Austin are on fire and Gallagher, Reed and McQueen step up to the first team with great success. We'll know by October (cue - ah but then it'll be too late.... ....we're all doomed i tell you....)

You will see this post in various forms on every club page not just saints. The myth about Austin being injury prone is laughable. His failed medical at Hull was down to a shoulder injury which has never surfaced. It was Shane long's form that kept him out of the line up last year more than a tight hamstring.

Some move. Some stay. I would say we are doing something right when Forster, Fonte, VVD, Davis, Bertrand and JWP all commit to long term contracts. Just imagine the meltdown on here had they been strongly linked with other clubs. Add to that we are still able to attract players of the quality of Hejbjerg and Richmond. Even the so called big clubs lose players chasing more money.

They are like Juanmi. They are all top quality (not potential) with nothing to prove. Juanmi didn't work out that's all,

Isn't the whole point that the coach is required to play the way the club wants rather than how he wants. Thought the process of recruitment took so long because they wanted to make sure they had the man that could adapt successfully without wanting to change everything.

Skipped through much of the you tube video but looked a good exercise in calmly keeping possession. Pretty good display for the first warm up match. Difficult to take too much from the match but not too much to worry me either.

Probably rubbish but I quite enjoy reading his tweets and posts. Better than the negative stuff I read elsewhere TBH. I have good mates who talk rubbish sometimes, but I really enjoy being around them.