doddisalegend

Generally I don't think the standing or not standing is a problem at most games. At SMS everyone knows which parts of the ground stand and which don't and chose their seats accordingly. The problem with yesterdays game would have been that the way the tickets were sold meant our standers and non standers were all mixed up. I normally stand in the Itchen north but spent most of the game yesterday bouncing up and down like a pogo stick standing when everyone around me stood up for a chant and sitting when the crowd decided to sit down having said that no one around me got upset everyone just seemed to go with the flow.

pretty good little write up on yesterday https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/feb/26/manolo-gabbiadini-southampton-manchester-united-efl-cup-final

Dead on his feet no surprise seeing as he never played full games at Napoli and that he works really hard, he isn't afraid to drop deep to help out defensively, Bringing on Long against a tiring Man U didn't seem a bad decision at the time. Plus as you say Zlatan doesn't actually do much during a match except be in the right place to put the ball away (amazing player at what he does mind) the most effort he put in all game was chasing after Stephens after that tackle.

yeah Liverpool deffo need more attacking players with such a solid defence they don't leak goals but have trouble scoring....

I always found a lot of the criticism levelled at Puel a bit unfair, goals and wins equal excitement, and he has had to go long parts of the season with no real goal scorer in the team. Peoples expectations are so much higher now as well if we make a top 10 finish having been to a cup final its a decent season but people seemed to expect another top 7 finish and a run in Europa, with arguably a weaker squad than last season, in his first season managing outside France. My gut feeling is he will turn out to be a decent manger for us with a little bit of backing from the board and some time.

Blimey I was in Block 528 it was all very good humoured around me. Only trouble I saw was after the match when some guy was laying into some kid for pushing past him on some stairs.

Davis has never been particularly good defensively his strength is carrying the ball forward and linking up the forward play which he did well enough one of the reasons he always looks ****e played as a DM..

I'm saying this as someone who can be pretty critical of our support at times but it really wasn't. I was sat up in the gods yesterday and there were numerous times that everyone young, old, blokes, birds, foam hands, jester hats and casuals were stood arms in the air singing their hearts out screaming the team on if only our support was like that ever week.

Blowing out his arse. I don't think he is full match fit enough to play 90mins yet. I would probably have been tempted to keep him on given the nature of the game. Had it gone to extra time he'd have had to come off though.

This. We were the better team they had Zlatan....

We were the better team 1st half but you can play **** and still score goals when you have ttevlikethe likes of Zlatan and Pogba in your team. Should be 2-2. Oh and new keeper next season FF is going backwards..

Who the new Chinese owners ?

Needed Puel to come out with a few controversial statements and wear a Claudio Ranieri T-shirt at his press conference to get us noticed the cult of the "special one" will be in full effect today.

Catching the bingo bus with my nipper from Eastleigh haven't felt this bloody nervous since my wedding day.

Isn't Benali just the sort of player modern saints fans would want? Loyal, never leave, local boy, Mr Southampton type.....

1-0 to us pompey born JWP to score the winning goal from an offside position resulting in the special ones head exploding during his post match rant.

I wouldn't. Centre back pairings need communication to build up an understanding together. While a fit Caceres is probably better than either of our CBs he hasn't played a single game for us (or a game at all in 6 months). Yoshida and Stephens have had a few games together and look like they are starting to form a partnership so for me they would be a better bet than throwing in a guy who hasn't played a game for 6 months and probably struggling to remember his new team mates names. You'd have to a pretty ballsy manager to throw a brand new player, who's played no games with his new team and has no match sharpness straight into a cup final no matter how good he might be.

couldn't find the 64 game did find a video of the 63 game at Villa park.

Really? If by some chance we are cruising and Puel decides to bring on a couple of subs for the last few minutes I imagine it would be for players who have been at the club a while to get a little taste of the cup action rather than the bloke who has just turned up. I reckon the only way Caceres gets on the pitch is if Stephens or Yoshida is injured.

No one can answer that unless you first set out what your definition of "succeed" means for a club like Southampton. The definition of success is different for every club in England.

Not really the case again If Everton hadn't come calling Koeman would have stayed for his final season extension or not.

Exactly look at Leicester they kept all but one of their key players and their league winning manager and they are flying...

My take was that Koeman wants to keep his stock high for the big job he really wants. Realistically he was unlikely to able to squeeze much more out of saints but improving Everton was a much easier task so he took it. My main point is the idea that Les hatched some Machiavellian scheme to offer Koeman a very good ( by saints standards) contract to make him leave as far fetched nonsense.

Hadn't seen the Telegraph article I'd be inclined to believe them more than the Express though..

Got love the press. The opening line of the Express article states Mick will be at Wembley it's like they just make **** up... ?