doddisalegend

Hughes has clearly hung his hat on five at the back this season. I can't really see the point playing five at the back, at home, to a Burnley side that will mostly likely play with 9 behind the ball and a lone isolated striker hoping to nick one on a break or from a set piece. Most likely this game will see us camped out in Burnley's half for much of the game trying to find away to unlock a massed defence. I'd be tempted to stick with Austin for this one just get him in around Burnley's box he is the player most likely to fashion a goal in a packed Burnley area for me.

They don't support saints in any meaningful way they just come on here and fish for bites..

So after pre-season 11 scored 13 conceded?

I'm guessing Hughes disagrees he has clearly decided its the way to go. Which leaves my hoping Yoshida and Cedric are the missing pieces of the puzzle and are going to have amazing seasons...which is pretty ****ed up.

So did MoPe….

Hughes is clearly set on the system. That being the case, and bearing in mind we played it and the end of last season to, you'd assume they have spent all pre-season practicing it on the training field and getting at least competent at playing the system by now...doesn't seem to be case though.

Results mean nothing. Performances however do mean something. Last pre-season under Mope it was clear we where going to struggle even when we won games we where poor. Pre-season can tell you a lot if you are looking at more than just results.

Neither do I but that wasn't what you said. You said Vestergaard was signed just for the sake of it and I pointed why we signed him. I'm hoping Hoedt and Stephens don't play a first team game all season.

Yoshida on god I hope he has a really good season..

zzzz because next weekend the defence will just be superb and right on it despite being awful last season and all through pre-season....

What are they doing in training? Its like the whole back line just switches off goes for a wander. Holding a line, covering each other and tracking runners seem to be a mystery to our defence.

nice little run from Mo

This is a new system though isn't it? oh FFS awful

I know a lot of people don't agree but I'd rather have Romeu sitting in front of the back line than Hoj.

Hoedt is pretty quick for a CB his problem is concentration and over doing stuff in dangerous areas instead of playing it safe.

cheers

did we make any changes at half time doesn't look like it from my tiny little stream

We need both but last season we got done by high balls into the box a lot we had to try and do something about it hence we signed a big bloke as you say our budget doesn't stretch to a big bloke, who is good in air, fast and reads the game well those cost 70 million now.

Whether we did or not Hoedt was **** poor at winning the ball in the air last season so we tried to find someone who could.

Well we are certainly losing the ball a lot in the middle of the park but even when we don't we seem to be looking to feed balls through the middle rather than out wide.

Why aren't we using our wingbacks more the whole point of them is to give this formation threat from out wide and yet they hardly seem in the game.

He wasn't a signing for sake of it. He was an attempt to rectify our complete lack of ability to deal with high balls into the box last season which we couldn't deal with game after game and cost us points. On the down side he looks like he will struggle against tricky players who run at him.

A chance, but off side, at least it was three on three rather than last seasons one on four.

I haven't seen our wing backs put in a decent cross yet surely they should be getting forward and putting crosses into the box to give Austin and Gabbi a chance

jesus like a hot knife through butter.