Kingsbridge Saint

If Pellegrino would stop picking Tadic every week that would be a great help. Replace Redmond and Tadic with De Bruyne and Sane and we would be top 4. Those (constantly selected) two are the main reason our possession based football goes nowhere in the final third. It's their job to create things but all they do in trying to do that is repeatedly give the ball away, either getting tackled, falling over, or with poor passes, woeful crosses, or duff shooting.

Puel was terrified of the counter attack. The fear of it paralysed him completely and filtered through to the team. Pellegrino seems exactly the same. Why we got rid of Puel to replace him with this Chump is a mystery. We were all led to believe it would change when he was appointed, but nothing has changed at all. Maybe some of it is down to the players - our creative midfielders are so poor that when trying to be progressive they give the ball away repeatedly and that leads to even less risk taking as the expectation is that we will concede possession as soon as the ball goes to them. So how we have played nearly every minute of this season with either or both Tadic and Redmond in the side is the biggest indictment of Pellegrino I can put forward.

Whilst Barcelona have been successful I have always found their keep ball style hard to watch. It bores me rigid. To me, to you, to me, to you, rinse and repeat. Now it seems to be the template for 'controlling the game' - Pellegrino's only strategy. It's dire, turgid stuff. There is a place for keep ball, but we need to be able to mix it up. Down the wings, through the middle, lump the odd one up to a big number 9 and support with 2 up front. It's just the same old same old every week under Pellegrino and whilst, through easier fixtures, we seem to be doing OK, in the longer run not scoring goals and having FF in goal is going to lead us to our worst league finish in many years with the bonus of boring us all to death in the process. He needs to change or clear off. Too many of our so called supporters too weak to make the hard calls.

What exactly is the Southampton style of play under Reed though? We saw a great style under Koeman, Poch and Adkins, but Puel and Pellegrino have changed it completely - so there's no consistent Reed methodology in evidence. Pellegrino's post match interviews consistently dwell on 'controlling the game', which is another term for holding on to the ball but doing **** all with it. He won't change - he needs to go or its another lost season of Mogadon football. One up front and Redmond and/or Tadic virtually every game. The bloke simply refuses to learn or change.

One up front again. How many minutes have we played this season with neither of Tadic or Redmond on the pitch. Utter rubbish from the new manager.

Great, another negative possession obsessed Gimp managing in the Premier League. The game is at a tipping point as an entertainment vehicle (see 'losing interest' thread). I wonder if anyone will cross the halfway line on December 13th?

Everton fans. How did that go for you? Thanks for the money btw. It seemed a lot at the time, it seems an absolute fortune now. Just love taking wheelbarrows of cash out of Merseyside.

Boufal in for Tadic. Tadic on the bench with Redmond. No other changes.

BT Commentary Fail - Lemina is about a foot taller and wider than Boufal, and has white hair. Unbelievable error, unless the 'tater has not done his homework outside the big clubs. Pathetic really. And he will have to relive it all again when they run their BT Sport Goal of the Season.

If that's Aguero or Rashford it's a penalty 9 times out of 10. We just want some consistency. There was a pull on his thigh, the degree is irrelevant. 100% stonewaller.

Boufal is everything the UEFA Coaching manual advocates despise. He takes players on, does not value possession and shoots from the wrong places. Which is exactly why he should start every game from now on, and probably exactly why he will be back on the bench next week under Pellegrino.

Same starting line up next week, except Boufal in for Tadic.

I foresee a low risk team selection: Forster Cedric Yoshida VVD Bertrand Lemina Romeu Tadic Long Redmond Gabbi We will have 60% - 70% possession and 1, maybe 2 shots on target. West Brom will score with their only chance. Probably JRod. 0-1. Nice and safe.

This thread and general rumblings in the media are bound to be putting pressure on Pellegrino to change things so we are more progressive, Anyone know why he was repeatedly waving Lemina back against Newcastle? Does he get nosebleeds if he goes near the opposition penalty area?

Maybe the club could contract in a new specialist goalkeeping coach, just for that position, to work with him. It does seem that he has gone downhill over the last year or two, whilst that issue has been neglected.

There is a clear disconnect with what Reed has publicly stated regarding the way we want to play, and the turgid dross being served up every week by Pellegrino. On that basis alone, he must be on borrowed time unless there are some major changes in either or both tactics or midfield personnel.

Starting both Tadic and Redmond again this weekend Pellegrino was pretty much sticking two fingers up to the fans. If he wants a war, he can have one. Stubborn old goat.

Has to be sacked this week after yet another brainless selection of Redmond and Tadic in the Mogadon one up front formation. We are all losing interest.

Stayed up late last night to watch Liverpool v United over here in Brisbane. United were shuffling it back and forth across the back and middle for long periods so having endured several long minutes of such play I thought I would just close my eyes for a bit when they were doing it and wait for the commentary to pick up. Literally fell asleep within about 5 minutes. That is what possession football, the 'one up front' philosophy, has done to the game.

I posted elsewhere that I can't be bothered to stay up and watch Saturdays Saints v Newcastle game over here in Oz. The football we are dishing up at home is just terrible. How people pay to watch it is mind blowing. Saints til I die but there comes a point when enough is enough.

No way am I getting up at 1am to watch another impotent home performance. Hope we win, but won't be posting any comments on here regardless as I won't be watching it. Kudos to those of you still rocking up and shelling out for this garbage. Saints till I die, but there is only so much you can take. Prediction - if no changes to the lineup or tactics 0-0. If Redmond and/or Tadic dropped we might win it 2-0.

I am judging Black's input on our results and performances since he joined. I think that's fair. On that evidence he has taken us backwards, which is completely in keeping with his CV. He needs to go.

If I was allowed to do three things to attempt to fix up Saints woeful football one of those three things would be to fire Eric Black. He still has the stink of Puel on him and DOES NOT get the benefit of the doubt.

The dead hand of serial relegation specialist Eric Black is a common thread across both recent Managers

I have thought this for a while now. It's colour by numbers football and its killing the game. Sides are being coached to retain possession and work the ball into 'zones'. I won't be paying to watch this sh_ite much longer.