Graffito

Yes. I've thought for a long time that he'd be perfect for Saints, but £20m and wages of £150k...and why would he ever come to Southampton?

The stats bear out what we see. I'd add that the build up is often slow so that by the time we get crosses in, the penalty box is defended. With a slow build up we need better quality on the ball to open teams up in and around the penalty box or we get some pace in the side and have the option of breaking at speed. Man City have both better quality on the ball and pace.

Denmark?

Lallana's cross was a sand wedge. Shaw looked born to it.

There are enough Skates on here these days to make up the opposition. I can think of a few I'd like to kick the **** out of.

The theory is that players are less tired when in possession and more tired when chasing after the ball. If this is so, then our high possession stats suggest that we'll have greater endurance than we might have had were we chasing round after the ball for 65% of a match. If the players are tired at the end of the season this may be more because we cannot, without increasing the risk of losing more games, rotate the squad as much as teams drawn from stronger squads, as well as to any number of variables.

Drop an England centre forward for an 18 years old kid or a midfield player? Bobbins.

I would have to subscribe to get access but from what you have kindly copied and pasted it would seem the academics are telling us what we know already, not to pay too much attention to possession statistics (arguably you could broaden that to any statistics). Nonetheless the table does show that the better teams tend to be those that have more possession and the weaker tend to be those that have less.

Whose possession? Which matches? I'd be interested to know how they did that analysis and arrived at that conclusion.

Take your point. First time I've ever quoted him. And the last.

I'll bear that in mind next time we go 1 up. Thanks.

"That a side of Liverpool's calibre should change their formation is a tribute to Southampton's talent and high tempo style. Arsenal, for one, have struggled to cope with the pace and fluent passing of the Saints...". This is from the Sunday Times reporter at the match. Some of us may quibble with the reference to pace, though I take it he's referring to moving the ball quickly which is something we can do, but he makes a good point. Despite Liverpool changing formation to a diamond, playing two up front the whole game to occupy our defence and despite England's captain being detailed to do a job on Lallana, we played well in the first half. Take a look at Liverpool's forums and see what they think. Only on here do you get witless comments like those in the OP.

I know. I was there. Are you saying that will always happen when we go a goal up away from home? Of course not, so what's your point?

Palace, like West Ham and Liverpool, a team with much to play for. An early goal and we'll beat them. Concede early and it will be a struggle to break them down.

Oh yeah, sorry. Goals scored.

Shall we let this one just hang in the air for a while.

This is what I think too. Don't have any stats but I attend the matches.

Post 25 plus the league table.

Joint 6th highest goal scorers and good to watch.

Goals scored PL Liverpool 73 Man City 69 Arsenal 52 Chelsea 52 Man Utd 43 Everton 38 Southampton 38 Joint 6th.

I've watched Saints all season. On the rare occasions we break quickly we don't get enough players in the box. When we do get enough players in the box it's after a slow build up so the box is defended. Our delivery then isn't good enough. The final pass generally isn't good enough. When Lallana is shackled (was Gerrard really doing this?), we don't create. They had a right back playing left back. He was rubbish when he had to use his left. We didn't have the means to exploit that by going on the outside.

Two teams that play in a similar way. What's the difference? They have quick, lethal strikers. It would have helped though if our CBs had been on their game today. Lovren not match fit.

Correct. The problem is inadequate supply.

Doubt it. Hodgson's going to be there.

Recognition is nice. Cash from a sell on clause would have been nicer. Let's hope we get one when Shaw goes.