Graffito

There's a lot I don't grasp. Perhaps you can help me understand why then, when we had Hammond and Schneiderlin in CM last year we managed to score a lot of goals. What was the difference?

"As soon as the ball is hit up towards Lambert, the second striker and the wide man on that side should be running behind him anticipating the flick on and the two central midfielders should be busting a gut to get up in support." So 5 players up including 2 central midfield players. I think that's a high risk game. What happens if the attack breaks down? We get hit on the break. 1 CM maybe but not two. On Saturday Hammond pushed forward second half but he's just not an attacking midfield player and was ineffective. "Saturday was awful but the central midfield's lack of bite is the problem." Not certain what you mean here by lack of bite. If you mean getting forward then see above. If you mean ball winning, then consider how much possession we had in the second half on Saturday. No, I think you touched on the main problem, it was on the flanks. Finally, Saturday's performance suggests Fonte's needed in the back four.

".. pump your creative pistons" - is that a euphemism?

It would be interesting to compare and contrast with how he plays for France. I imagine France Under 21's play a much more fluid system than the 442 we tend to play. His technical ability is obvious but he gives the impression of playing within himself. I like watching him play and I believe you need a continuity type player in any midfield. In a way it's up to the management team to make the most of his technical ability, all assuming he wants to stay of course.

I don't agree Delldays. The main reason I visit this site regularly is that occasionally, very occasionally, you get a bit of inside information. I had no difficulty in ignoring leftback's anti Cortese bias for the snippets of information he provided. They made a welcome change from what most of us have to offer which is opinions.

He scored against Peterborough. I'd call that having an impact.

Adkins gave him plenty of opportunities. He didn't take them. Good luck to him at Millwall. I hope he does well and stays there .

I think his kicks are inaccurate and thereby ceded possession far too easily. It's a common fault of keepers in England though, partly due to the number of times the ball gets passed back to the keeper.

I agree with much of this but pace, though desirable, is not essential to moving the ball quickly. Norwich last season moved the ball quickly but had little or no pace in the side.

Maybe he's fed up because he's not scoring.

Wait 'til the grey ones start to appear on your dome. You won't like it matey.

So Clive of India was really Clive of Shrewsbury?

I hope you're right but equally it could be that the difference now (because we don't have to sell) is that we can hold out for a better price and get sell-on clauses that stick. As we know, if a player wants to go, he'll go.

He'll have assessed that in training, surely.

His name wasn't Lampard, was it? My favourite recollection of him was (said with utter venom in response to an innocent question about mending a damaged egg box in pine) "You stupid boy! Do I look like the kind of man who deals in six-inch nails?" It was Woodward.

I agree with the OP. I think he would be very effective in the hole behind the CF.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I'm sorry to say he was a disaster for Saints.

Thanks for posting that up. I fear it would simply fall on deaf ears though with most top footballers these days. There is a Saints link to the article: "Captain Edward Bell, of Portsmouth and Southampton, won an MC for conspicuous gallantry".

All the hype points to the inevitable...a 0-0 draw.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1320304/Birmingham-eyeing-3m-January-Southamptons-Adam-Lallana.html

Lallana behind Lambert. He finished there for the final 20 minutes of the final game last season against Southend, looked good and scored.

Kevin Davies' performances at Bolton have proved Strachan was wrong about him. For a "midfield player" he turned out to be a pretty good striker. I'm pleased he's been recognised by England. It will be interesting to see how his robust style goes down with international referees.

Totally disagree. You support him through the lean spell (by his own high standards) and the goals will return. He's the most important player we've got so no way should he be on the bench. Oh, and it didn't look to me that he doesn't want to be here when he ran to the Northam after his second goal yesterday, quite the opposite.

Agreed but my recollection is that the FL did not apply it's rule in respect of Saints' holding company having gone into administration and instead applied the 10 point penalty to the club.

You could argue that the pre-season fixtures, the swiss matches aside, were poorly selected and Pardew didn't, for whatever reason, give enough run outs to first teamers. However, Lambert credited his improved fitness last year to Pardew. Also I imagine the medical team that Adkins praised last week was probably in place under Pardew, so I don't agree that Pardew was lacking in the area of fitness and conditioning.