doddisalegend

In fairness three out of those four teams are far, far better than they were last season. The Beating Chelsea of this season would be a far bigger achievement than beating last seasons Chelsea team, same with Liverpool who were very average last season, Man U have spent another fortune last summer and got rid of LVG (did you see the "weakened" team they put out yesterday a lot of those players would walk into most PL first teams). Not beating those teams are hardly a great barometer of how far we have fallen as last season they were all very poor and this season they are not.

This is spot on for me

I'm sure I saw that Puel had said his objectives for the season were set as Get out of the group stages of the Europa (which was a fail but a close run one) A cup semi-final (which he has achieved) and a top 10 finish (which he can still achieve) Seems a reasonable set of objectives for a club like us. Cup final would be great but in our current slump I think I have more chance of scoring with Beyoncé than we do of beating Liverpool. We have played some good football at times under Puel but I think its going to be a struggle for him if we are going to rely on Long and Jrod upfront for the rest of the season (our shot to conversion record must be the worst in the whole of PL) and a bunch of central midfielders who are all to similar and not quite good enough.

So blatant you are really losing your touch Glasgow...

I agree its not good but it's not something new to this manager I'm just not sure players like JWP, Clasie even Davis have the tools required I mean in their saints careers Clasie is on 1 in two seasons, JWP has scored 5 in six seasons, Davis has scored 11 in five seasons. Sadly Hoj looks like he can't hit a barn door at 10 paces either. It seems to be a combination of poor technique when shooting coupled with lack of desire to get into dangerous positions to support the attack. If you think successive managers don't seem to have been able to get much out of them in an attacking sense I'm not sure why people think Puel should be.

That's my take. I'm I happy with everything I see on the pitch? Of course not (losing to Westbrom at home being particularly ****) but stability and time are, in general, a better strategy than knee jerking. No point bringing in a manger than canning him after half a season give him time and a chance to bring in a few players he wants. Despite people not being happy from the clubs point of view Puel is probably in around the objectives they set him at the beginning of the season. Top half finish is still possible, a cup semi-final has been achieved, getting out the Europa group stages was a fail but a close run one and on top of that he is giving the youth a chance which is very important to the club hierarchy. As long as we are not starring relegation in the face the club will give Puel a chance to build something IMO.

My god WHU seem to be linked with any player with a pulse at the moment. It was the same in the summer they seem to get knocked back a lot to.

The stats don't bear that out we ranked 8th for shots last season we are currently ranked 7th this season. That obviously might change by the end of the season but it suggests we are not noticeably having less attempts at scoring this season than we did last season. The stat I want to see which I can't find is our conversion rate of shots to goals which I suspect is far lower this season than last.

So you missed Morgan's very public outburst on social media or Victor's independent interviews were he spoke openly of his desire to leave?

So despite thinking we have, in your opinion, the weakest squad in several seasons you think the manager just needs to gee the players up a bit more with some positive thinking? You do know that according to the PL official website we rank 7th for the most shots this season and 8th for shots on target https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/clubs/total_scoring_att https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/clubs/ontarget_scoring_att that does not suggest we aren't creating chances it does suggest those players taking these chances are not doing so which anyone who has watched us play could tell you. Also a neat little stat guess the team who has played the most backward passes in the PL this season so far... https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/clubs/backward_pass I bet no one accuses them of negative football....

TBF WBA only needed two attempts on goal to score two goals. 10 attempts really should be enough to get a goal or two. The whole midfield not contributing offensively is not a new thing. I've been saying for the last few seasons our CM need to get in the box more and score more goals and its been a constant criticism of our play, by posters, on here for several seasons. it's quiet an achievement that an aging Davis is still our most offensive CM it's something we've needed to address for a while but really haven't (Hoj was an attempt to do that IMO but hasn't worked out so far). Les didn't help with his hyperbole about us having one of the best midfields in the PL early in the season which was clearly not true.

Momentum I guess like a lot of mid table sides confidence plays a big part. Last season Payet was the catalyst for a good run and the rest of the team feed off that but he hasn't been as good this season and know they look much more average. Leicester are the same last season Vardy's early form just built momentum this season they are basically the same team minus Kante and the look very average.

So are you saying you don't think the likes of Victor, Lallana, Morgan and Lovern agitated for a move?

Yeah you still haven't explained to me how you expect the current manager to deliver exciting attacking football with a squad you said wasn't good enough last season and would be a team of cloggers this season if we lost Mane and Victor.......

Ah so the club has no ambition and Dell sized mentality....

Really when did he say that? I seem to remember him saying after Clasies goal, against Arsenal, that the midfield needed to contribute more to the attack. It didn't sound like he wants the CMs to sit back. “He took responsibility to go forward to try to shoot and to give possibilities offensively for the team. “I think he can do better with his qualities, not just to defend, because he has good technique, he sees the play, he feels the play and when he brings something offensively it’s good for the team.” Puel has challenged the diminutive Dutchman, along with the rest of the midfield, to contribute more goals as Saints look to kick on from Sunday’s win. “It’s not normal that Jordy scores just one goal for Southampton. For me the midfield have to participate,” Puel added. “They need to contribute to the offensive action, to shoot, to score, to give assists. For me it’s the job of all of the team. “It was a good thing when Jordy scored against Arsenal. He got in the box and scored and this is interesting.”

That's the point. The current manager has got us further in the league cup this season than last, had to cope with proper Europa league group stages (unlike Koeman), and got us to roughly the same position and points in the league that we had this time last season, as well as blooding several youth players and all with a squad you think is weaker than last season and the season before that. The turgid football only seems to exist when we lose and you say we played exciting attacking football before Puel yet are quoted saying it was boring last season when Koeman was struggling. Seems to me you are expecting a lot from a new manger with, in your opinion, a worse squad than previous managers while remembering a glorious time when we played exciting attacking football which in reality was a six game run at the end of last season. The truth is, which no doubt you will deny, is that you and a section of saints supporters didn't want Puel and are desperate for him to fail. For me there is room for improvement from Puel and in the squads player quality but writing him off after half a season when he has done no worse than last seasons manager is ridiculous and typical of modern day knee jerk football fans.

LOL this is a quote from you last December I don't think it's much to do with koeman, it's a lot to do with the personnel we have left. Morgan is a huge loss that we haven't recovered from and we don't have enough pace to scare any teams. We've tried a few things now and most of the games recently have been depressingly similar and boring. And wanyama likely off. I know he hasn't been great recently but I still think we will miss him when he goes. We are going to be left with a team full of cloggers and ineffective players. http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?55635-Has-Koeman-lost-it&highlight=koeman+lost I figure if you thought the team was poor last season you'd give Puel a bit more time seeing as he has team of cloggers and ineffective players...

Ok I haven't seen players not giving their all this season. I have seen players who are decent (but not great) play well and play **** poorly but I can't say I ever thought any of them were giving less the 100% (even want away Fonte). What I have seen is we have a number of players (especially in midfield) who are limited in their abilities and some forwards who not very clinical never thought any of them are giving less than 100% but some times they cant perform beyond their obvious limits.

pretty much I thought he started the season well but since being kicked in the head he has looked pretty poor. I always think he is one of those players that on his day is fantastic and asset to the team but if he is not on his game (which is a lot recently) the rest of the team have to carry him because he contributes nothing. I'm not sure any top five side would consider him an upgrade right now.

Yes but no one ever complains about entertaining football when we are winning it only ever seems to become and issue when we lose. I was very entertained by Bournemouth away, Inter at home or Burnely at home. I found both Chelsea, Spurs and Westbrom at home very un-entertaining go figure

Certain posters on here have been alluding to Fonte's behaviour since the summer all low key odd posts here and there but it hasn't just started in the last couple of days.

So if we lose every game 5-4 playing exciting football and then get relegated you two will have it down as a good season because it was exciting and you were entertained. I always have a nagging doubt that when people say exciting football they mean winning football. Personally I'll admit I want to see saints win I couldn't give a flying **** how we do it or the style of football I just want us to win. I like to be able to look smug as I walk past the opposition fans after the game and a saints win sets me up for the week. If we lose even if we played like Pep's Barca I still feel ****.

very true the eternal battle between happy clappers and bed wetters rages on it may see the odd ceasefire but it will never end

yeah it seems that the two are business partners but the one with all the cash doesn't own anything at Everton and is just going to sponsor them instead deffo sounds like a FFP dodge.