captainchris

Good points actually

True. These days you have to have numbers in midfield. Puel tried two up top later stages of several games - we then completely capitulated in midfield and lost control of the ball from then on. It can't be done and particularly with this squad....

No point in discussing one outfield player the problem is bigger than that....Pardon the pun !!!!

Having watched last night and several videos of pre season Saints in your. Apart from anything else - and there are lots is issues; the players look far too comfortable and 'relaxed' The pace and movement is too slow and the aggression is rather errrr pink! They deserve a rocket up their ass and double training until an improvement is seen. As for FF the fact we still evidently have no alternative to him is criminal, his 'coach' (what the hell does he do all day) should be given his cards, it's a joke that he is still getting away with FFs performances. Sorry bit of a moan but really, we are just coasting to mediocrity....

Should be our first choice now!!!

Yes results can be brushed under the carpet ( at your peril ) however the performance, playing style, tactics and organisation were absolutely woeful. What on earth we have been working on in training I dread to think ! When the player receiving the ball instantly has no one from his team with 20 yards of him literally all the time you have a huge problem. You can say 'it's just a friendly' but if it ain't all right on the night don't be surprised. Complacency will potentially make things worse... Bury your head in the sand if you like but that was seriously awful .....

Too right... So what is this method we are playing. The movement and support for the player on the ball is at a minus level! What does that do? It gives the player on the ball no one to pass to.....which leads to? Errors..... When a player receives the ball there is no one anywhere near him. Such basic stuff and one wonders what all this training has been about....

I think you will that statistics prove you wrong.....

Precisely and look where it has taken us..... I rest my case ma lord ...

Easy to say, however what you forget is this.... We will set a potentially very damaging president by letting a striking player get his way. This open up a gateway for any other player to do exactly the same. This casual regard to player power could cost us very dearly indeed in future so be very careful when you offer flippant solutions....

Whilst you have a point you your 'a' and 'b' in the wrong order just like LFC!

Not 'clueless' at all actually.....Odd thing to say given how poor Forster I undoubtedly was last year.

I actually did say that .....

Has anyone actually stopped to think that other clubs see him as not as good as his hype! Still worth 75m ( in the present market place) but not nearly as good as the papers and media would have him and Liverpool believe...

Well I'm not a fan of Les but on this he has played the cards exactly as I would have wanted him to. Fair play to Les this time - so far...

Yes yes yes yes yes but! We - the club have very steadily built this culture of, if you want to leave just say the word guys and we wil let you go. You reap what you sew..... Now we have to break the culture and the rules we have written ourselves..... Easy - most definitely not but we made the rules so what can you say ?????? For the future of the club we are now in a corner we cannot compromise on as this will lead to a further erosion of the clubs determination to hang on to any players st all and yet again will lead to further player power and exodus.... Wake up Soton Football Club, you have to stand up for yourselves at some point or you will never keep a decent player for more than one year again!!!!

Fair points... Vvd needs to know - someone comes up with 75m cash he can go. Otherwise he is in the reassies - your choice - there isn't a queue at the door after all! Agree we lose credibility selling to Liverpool at all let alone for less than the price demanded....

Every year we seem to play some very poor teams indeed in our pre season friendly games. We also don't appear to play many warm up matches.... The programme of pre season games this year looks particularly sparse... Anecdotally I'm not sure we usually start the season too well either.... I keep hearing the big teams playing what seems more games than us.... Can we not step up our pre season number of games and quality of opposition so we are better prepared to face the one big team pre season at St Mary's and then the season start... We are very complacent at times.... What is the point in playing some part time Scandinavian team at any time? Please don't say fitness anyone.... We should stretch ourselves more than that....

Please keep your personal insults to yourself. If you can't have an opinion without throwing abuse around to other legitimate posters then take yourself off the forum.

Oh come come - A 'knowledge of British Football Its not bloody rocket science !!!!! Popular with the players is also no reason to keep him.... New manager should intimate that something was wrong with previous set up.. why keep any part of it .... ??? A bad decision unless you want last year's philosophies to be a part of this year's..... Old management team still around after brining in new management team doesn't make any sense at all...

Precisely....... why do so many of our fans feel so good about underselling our players? 27m is laughable for Bertrand in today's market and given his contract too. His value is what we want and that has to be 50m plus .... We don't need to sell either so if it's too hot get out of the kitchen City.... Still laughing at the cheek of the valuation...

Well not so sure that is actually true.... Fonte was clearly declining rapidly - ask West Ham fans what they think about him!!!

Well 'what ever' now to bo honest... He's lost lots of credibility with the fans and maybe with some if his team mates too... Preferably don't sell anyone ever again to Liverpool unless they pay a 20% supplement. The word to describe their fans and Manager is conceited. Flog him to someone else and move on.... When we play against him put lots of low crosses into the box for our runner who will be instructed to exploit the glaring Vvd weakness and get across him and have a tap in or two....

Dennis Hollywood - Great call !

One of our weak points last year appeared to be set pieces where our centre backs appeared to be left wanting at times. However that may have been due to lack or organisation rather than marking or personel especially. There were issues with in play defending at times but with Romeu having so much to do in our system he was left to virtually defend on his own in some games leaving the two centre backs exposed because he couldn't do it all. I am sure we would have been more suited to 352 or certainly a three at the back as Koeman used successfully but Puel continued with wing backs virtually leaving two at the back and succeeded in somehow being outnumbered in midfield too! Hopefully as long as messrs Hunter and Black are kept away from organisation our centre backs will thrive this year...