washsaint

Really starting to repay the faith shown in him by Puel and starting to look a very classy, Premiership level CB. Proving beyond doubt that it has been far better to blood him and see if he can develop than play an on-loan guy who will be gone in the summer. For me, Stephens has been our best defender in recent games and I believe he will be a truly outstanding playing alongside someone like VVD. His reading of the game has improved enormously as has his defending. Overall I think we have a gem on our hands and hope he is given a chance next season.

What a bunch of utter, utter t***s on here. Saints gave it a good go but Chelsea are just a far stronger side (lets not forget they beat Spurs by the same score at the weekend). Defensively we were poor (although thought Stephens was pick of the bunch back there), Boufal was awful second half after a promising first half and I thought Romeu had a poor game giving the ball away in dangerous areas (not for the first time this season). We looked fairly dangerous going forward and JWP played some fantastic balls in. I really think davis slows our play down and gives the ball away cheaply. Any team (including Chelsea) would miss VVD in the center - I actually think a Stephens/VVD pairing could be very, very strong as Stephens is classy on the ball and his reading of the game is improving all the time. But what a surprise....the hysterical tarts on here claiming the sky is falling in. Utter, utter w*****s.

Well that was poor. Every time I am back in the Uk and catch a game we lose badly! Puels tactics were too negative today and we paid them too much respect. Felt for Clasie - Hojberg and Davis were terrible. can';t believe someone said Hojberg was MoM! Most worrying was Boufal. From the time he came on it was like watching Ali Dia - he'd lose the ball and half heartedly track back and his passing was abysmal. Zero confidence but I hope he is better next season or we have another expensive flop on our hands. There was 1 player I thought was magnificent and that was Stephens. His passing and last ditch blocks were very impressive - especially as Bertand and Soares were woeful today. We deserved nothing from this game and a 6 or 7 - 0 scoreline would not have flattered them. Very, very poor but take nothing away from City - their movement and pace was sublime.

What an utter load of ******. We played some lovely stuff today and had enough chances to bury them n the 1st half but without Gabbiadini we lose so much (not just the goal threat). Thought JRod was OK to start today then went off the boil and Long's pace makes him a threat until it comes to finishing where he is woeful. Add in tadic disappearing completely in the 2nd half and bottling challenges and we lacked real threat. In terms of improving players.........JWP, Redmond, Cedric, VVD, Stephens, Yoshida all spring to mind so that is complete pony too. We were missing our 2 best players today - VVD and Gabbiadini but some of the stuff we played was sublime *****il the finishing which has been our problem all season).

That was a display similar to those we witnessed before Gabbiadini. Absolutely shocking up front and Tadic was abysmal. Then we got overrun in midfield and were lucky not to concede. We need to take our chances...Tadic, Rodriguez and Long very wasteful.

What a bunch of thick t**ts that inhabit this forum. Mentalists - rather than actually digest and listen to what Puel says you're too busy taking sly digs because his English is not perfect and claiming, despite not spending any time with him, how uninspiring he is. I'm sure that most of you are all so wonderful you can't do anything wrong. I am with always-sfc on this one. Thanks for posting the summary Shroppie - it is clear what he wants to try and do and we have seen that with time on the training ground the players are improving. JWP and Redmond in the England squad are proof of this. We could have a very good season next year without the distraction of Europa League and Euros.

Pointless trying to have any kind of reasonable discussion with you........your avatar sums you up.

Why? Because we didn't have the players up top to play that system. Austin is immobile, JRod and Long were incredibly wasteful and you and your kind who have whined and cried about the diamond haven't actually accounted for the fact that his style of play is to be fluid and interchangeable and not a rigid formation. He started Tadic in the #10 role at the start of the season but we didn't have the strikers to make that effective. We still rely on crosses into the box but the difference is we now have striker who can create space, anticipates, etc. SO the reality is that I don't think Puel's preferred tactics have changed much at all - it is simply that he can now have confidence we have the players to play his preferred style. While some of the play earlier this season was dour and poor, how much of that was down to the fact our strikers could not score for toffee so he had to tighten up at the back? Koeman did the exact same thing last season and we ground out results until confidence returned and the front 3 came back to form. But still, that won't fit with your warped agenda that seems to be to moan and whine about anything to do with Saints.

Bunch of w*****s really. The reason he has changed the formation is simply that he now has the players in place who can play the style he wants whereas previously he had to set up to play to offset our weaknesses. JRod and Long (and Austin) have proved themselves incapable of adapting but we now have Gabbiadini. If Puel is backed in the summer we could be in for a great season next year.

Jrod, Clasie, Martina, Taylor, Austin for me. With bringing in a quality CB and CDM and then we have some team. As others have said would like Seager/Gallagher to step up next season to be backup to Gabbiadini. Don't see Long being much more than backup/come on for 15 minutes as he and JRod have failed to take their chances this season. JRod has shown flashes but not enough to push himself to the front of the queue. As VFTT says, Austin simply does not fit into the fluid, fast style that Puel likes. Now we have a striker that can play the way Puel likes we can all see what that means from an attacking perspective. No way will Austin fit into this.

What do all you Puel haters think now? We are playing some beautiful, beautiful attacking football recently. Yes the defence is poor, but we effectively have our 2nd string CBs playing. What a difference it makes having a quality striker..............

Very, very sloppy from Saints. Romeu has been very poor and we need VVD back: Stephens, unfortunately, does not look like he is good enough. We have looked great going forward, not so good defensively. If we can keep VVD and get another good CB and DM in we will have a great season next year. And go Manolo!!!!!

It's you who is talking rubbish. He did not choose to go out of the Cup: we got beat and even a full strength side may not have won. You really think every other team had to play 3 games in 5 days over Christmas? They did not. Yet we now have a small number of games over the next few weeks yet our fixtures were so congested earlier this year. I believe only Man U have played more games than us this season - and yet you think we have not had it especially bad. Don't know what kind of world you live in but the real workd isn't one of them!

Yeah, and they made 6 changes yesterday. You really are bonkers if you think we could have played the same team week in week out this season. Has Puel overrotated at times - IMO yes. Has he been hamstrung by having strikers and midfielders who could not hit a barn door from 6 yards out most of this season? Absolutely. The Man Utds of this world have the squad depth to rotate and not lose significant quality. With our injuries and squad depth we have not had that luxury. I truly believe with a full pre-season (no Euros with players coming back after the season had started, jaded and straight into 2-3 games per week) we could see what Puel is all about.

This with bells on........

This season Puel has taken a ton of stick - rightly at times, wrongly at others. Today he showed why he will be an excellent manager for us: he outmanouvered Mourinho tactically and some of our attacking play was sublime. Now we have a striker that can actually convert chances we look a different team even without VVD and JWP is looking like a truly quality player and with Gabbiadini in the side Redmond is thriving. Today, Puel, the players and fans did our great club proud and I am really liking what I am seeing from Puel now. Could be exciting times ahead if we can keep VVD - only player I would not shed tears over losing is Forster. If Koeman truly wants him, fleece the Scousers and get a decent replacement in. Thank you Saints for a brilliant attacking show - much better than our abject surrender back in 2003.

You are either a Skate on a windup or completely clueless. CP has just delivered a first major Cup Final in 14 years and had the team playing amazing stuff today in a game we deserved to win. Disappointed to lose but for anyone to have a pop at the management/team today is bang out of order.

100% spot on mate. Proud to support Saints and we could not have asked for more from the team today. Hope Leicester get relegated because that c**t Vardy taking Virgil out could well have cost us the trophy.

Proud of the team and the fans there. They gave it their all and played magnificently....I look forward to Puel having a full pre-season with the team. His coaching is clear to see now he has had time on the training ground and with a striker who can actually score the future looks bright. Gutted but we gave it a right go - unlike under Strachan where we were terrible.

Get a life.....Was it Forster that gave away the free kick for their first? Was it Forster that left Zlatan unmarked? All our team played really, really well. I am greatly encouraged by what Puel has achieved on the training ground and this bodes well for next season. The best Cup Final for years.

Totally undeserved win for Utd.....Only 1 team in it for most of the game. Terrible lino, some poor decisions defensively by us and a gutting defeat. I would say all the Saints team can hold their heads up really high. They played out of their skins and should have won that game.

F88k off you t**t.....no keeper in the world saves that and he got fingertips on it.

Romeu just gives away too many free kicks in dangerous areas......quality player but he has to cut that out.

The canal was closed due to the warm temperatures.....beaver tail, really? Did go to a pub for lunch that reminded me of a Wetherspoons....all old boys supping on their pints!

Where in Ottawa are you? Was up there on business last week and again next week. Interesting place....