lambtiss

Genius idea @Midfield_General, if only SR would try something like this. Although, to be fair, they have demonstrated revolutionary, out-of-the-box thinking with Downs being played as a false number 9, whilst actually being a number 9. With Bazunu, they have extended the false number 9 strategy to playing a false goalkeeper, brilliant. Playing left backs as right backs and vice-versa has also been a masterstroke, as is buying an out-and-out winger (Fellows) and playing him as an attacking right back. In the last home game, the club radically decided that 3 CBS was too normal and innovatively played 4 centre-backs for the last half an hour As Ankersen would have it, if it ain't broke, break it, and they have adopted this strategy masterfully.

I like the bit where that has failed consistently for 75 minutes, so we bring on Downs to lazily jog around the pitch whilst we swing crosses into the box which he doesn't compete for. Hilarious

Hopefully, the recruitment of Romeu is a sign that the Board has realised the lack of leaders or perhaps, more correctly, a lack of positive leaders as the lack of respect for Still suggests there are negative leaders. My fear is that the Board has signed Romeu as a PR exercise

I thought the same. What also concerns me is that the implication here is that the players were not playing to their maximum because they didn't respect the manager. I know its terribly naive but given the amount they are paid shouldn't the minimum expectation be that they give 100% on the pitch to any new manager at least until a reasonable number of games have been played and they have proven to be hopeless. Just as well the Arsenal Invincibles didn't think the same of Arsene Wenger, with his lack of playing experience and Frenchness ...

I think most fans feel the same. It seems like a bandwagon that we've joined just as teams have worked out how to counter it and it is therefore less effective.

I agree. I was also disappointed to see Bazunu return in goal; he almost cost us the 3 points against QPR.

Yep, a tactic that suits our height-challenged strikers to a tee 😂

Knowing the prowess of SR it's probably Dermot O'Leary they're talking too.

One would probably be enough.

We need her upfront as an impact sub rather than Downs

Yes, it was nice to see Saints get the new manager bounce that every other team seems to get against us 😂. The true test will come over the next few weeks as the bounce affect dies down and we face tougher opposition.

I think fans will not protest against Tonda unless the team's results and performances are poor.

Yes, but those 3 were exceptional managers compared to what we can attract at the moment and with much better players at their disposal. When we were struggling last time, we went back to basics with reliable names like Pardew. I feel that is what we need now.

I think the key thing here is relevant experience. Neither Still nor Juric had managed in this country. Again, neither Martin nor Jones had managed in the Premiership.

Definitely a bit more Azaz

Dom Ballard: Leyton Orient sign Southampton striker - BBC Sport Dumb decision to buy Downs and then sell him at a time when we were going down to the Championship. I think we will rue this one.

It wasn't meant to be cruel. But, I can see your point so I've edited it to Kryptonite. The point I was trying to make, inelegantly perhaps, was that RM seems to have a wrecking ball effect, wherever he goes

It wasn't meant to be cruel. But, I can see your point so I've edited it to Kryptonite. The point I was trying to make, inelegantly perhaps, was that RM seems to have a wrecking ball effect, wherever he goes.

He's the football equivalent of Kryptonite

You can't discount experience by one example. I could counter it with David Moyes at Everton. Most people would accept that a manager with a previous good track record at the appropriate level is likely to be a better bet than an inexperienced manager.

Probably more likely that, like the rest of us, he was on a high after we actually won a game at home

I thought the blame for that goal was the 40 yard pass from a defensive position straight to the Sheffield player who scored. Quite an assist

You smell your wife's socks?

Totally agree with @SW11_Saint Eckhart has done well,but to put in perspective he has only had 2 matches, against weak opposition, has definitely benefited from a post Still bounce in terms of player motivation and the defence still looks at sixes and sevens. Also, I have read elsewhere that he was probably brought to the club as a potential successor to Will Still. So, let's stick to that plan. He has certainly done nothing to harm his chances. Great to see him trust the youngsters too, with a solid debut from Williams

I have a real issue with this Bazunu is good with his feet propaganda that the club promotes. 1) The main requirement of a goalkeeper is that he stops the ball going in the net. Something he is not very good at. 2) Is his kicking that great? I don't see him pinging 40 yard passes out to a winger in space. He did kick a long punt straight down the middle today to nobody. Building from the back usually means a 5 yard pass to a centre back or full back, not hard? 3) Do we have a team that is good at playing out from the back? No.We have players like Stephens and Wood who are not brilliant playmakers, just typical centre backs. When we play out from the back we do it very slowly, without the penetrating pass to an attacker or to a midfielder who spins and bursts into space. So, by the time we get into an attacking position, the opposition has 11 men behind the ball Rant over. Bazunu is a failed experiment, let's move on.