S-Clarke

Nothing radical needs to happen other than us gambling a bit more in the final third. We're too safe, too predictable. As someone said above - shoot! Have a shot, it might go in, it might be deflected, it might lead to a corner, a handball...who knows! But it's more likely to have some sort of opportunity at the end of it than another sideways pass.

We played into WHU hands in those final 20 or so mins. They just had 2 banks of 4, very close together. We just kept trying to go through the middle and pass our way through. As Koeman was trying to say (and I saw him trying to put this across a few times) we needed to stretch it, pull those banks of 4 around the place. In reality they had 9 men and we made it too much comfortable for them than it should have been. Even though it was kind of like an attack v defense exercise, there wasn't any real stand out opportunities for us in that entire time which tells it's own story.

Generally a frustrating evening, but not much to be too downhearted by. I just want Tadic and Pelle to find their confidence again, as they're both quite clearly on the floor at the moment. They're both good players as we've seen, but they're overdoing it every time at the moment with extra touches, or flicks etc that aren't really needed. (Not sure if it's a physiological reaction, more touches, try to open up a cleaner shot, or pass up the opportunity to someone else to ''miss'' etc.) Mane and Elia needed to do a hell of a lot more last night. They did frustrate me as with their pace they should have pulled WHU all over the show, but they were so static and their movement was not good or quick enough. Pelle needs more life around him, but it just wasn't happening. We're playing well generally though, we always have good control of games and dominate the possession most of the time - but we need to do more in the final third with that sort of domination. It took Fonte in the 86th min to have the first proper pot on goal to bring a save out of Jusi - what's that all about?? We don't gamble enough in the final third at the moment, trying to be too safe - which as I said above, I think is down to confidence. We've got ourselves into an amazing position, and to play in any sort of European competition next season will be a remarkable achievement - and even though the Top 4 is and always will be somewhat of a slim chance, the Top 6 is the real target.

This is pretty much it. It's very easy to just throw a universal net over Pelle as he's supposed to be scoring the goals, but there's so much more to it than that. I think you're spot on in terms of our predictability, even I knew what we would do once we got past midfield after about 30mins - and it was just bread and butter for the WHU defenders most of the time. We need to speed it up, more movement, more fluidity. We just seemed all too static last night in the final third. We're full of pace up there with Elia and Mane but they didn't use it. The midfielders struggled to make the forward passes because the front 3 weren't making good enough movement to open it up. The too many touches thing was the most frustrating aspect of last night. I personally think that comes from confidence. Tadic and Pelle are the 2 most guilty at just trying too many touches to make it 'easier' for them, rather than just taking it there and then. Obviously, WHU condensed the play a bit and defended well - but it's in those situations where you need speed, width, variation in play. If you're playing a well organised and condensed team then you'll never score if you try the same every time. Backwards, Sideways, Backwards, Sideways etc. Need to see a hell of a lot more life from Mane and Elia in those sorts of games.

I know, I was just making the point that this seems an incredibly unbalanced side. But let's see...!

Adrian, Jenkinson, Tomkins, Kouyate, Cresswell, Song ©, Amafitano, Downing, Valencia, Sakho, Cole No offence, but where the hell is their midfield??? Song is the only central CM in their lineup, what with Kouyate playing as a CB.

Noble and Nolan out for them.

The stuff I stated above was not justified what so ever. This place is guilty of it every season (probably most over football forums to be fair). Fans just snapshot a little group of games and decide on that that player A isn't good enough, player B isn't good enough, we'll get relegated etc. Sometimes it's worth just looking at the entire picture before jumping on the criticizing bandwagon. I'll say what I said a few days ago - how any of our fans can be so vocal against any of our lads who have played a big amount this year is beyond me. They're all playing out of their skins, they'll have ups and downs, but given that we're still 3rd, I'd say they've had many more ups. Enjoy this period, I wish people would stop trying to find reasons to criticize or search for a scapegoat. There really is no need.

See, I don't think half of the stick he received was anywhere near justified. ''He's another Ali Dia'' ''He's not a footballer'' ''He's not even fit for L1'' ''Sell him ASAP'' - that's just pitiful waffle. If it's acceptable to post **** like that when any player loses a bit of form then god help us all. As the sensible lot on this thread pointed out - he showed his quality at the start of the season. You could see his class. That's why it was pitiful and pretty embarrassing to write him off and now why we see certain people who were so vocal against him not posting since.

They were. Not sure what point you're trying to make. They were ****, Liverpool were ****, and 99% of Saints fans took great delight in watching it whilst we rode high.

So our chance for the top 6 isn't over now then? (Heck, I'm sure you even said we had no chance for a top half finish a few weeks back!)

You usually comment on the fact that our ''top 6 chance'' is over, or our ''season is over'' - so I guess this game doesn't really matter for you anyway?

Cannot wait for that game.....exciting to be involved in games like this at the top end of the EPL.

Cracking game that, 2 teams full of life and confidence. But a win tomorrow and we're closing in on securing that Top 7 spot, given that we'd be 11 points clear!

Morgan doubt for tommorow, Targett out for sure.

Lol that is genius, that face is a picture! I just cannot stand that bloke. I think we've easily got the best dutch manager!

Yes he did, when our options for good players were severely limited mind! He wasn't even here a full season before he ran off to Stoke! He was alright, very injury prone though. That's what's killed his career in the end and why he's now in L1.

It's alright, it's about Ibe now, apparently. ''The next'' sterling, after 1 game. That lot never fail to make me want to puke.

I think the fact that we're still 3rd suggests no one has really under performed. I just don't some of the strong criticism of any player this season really, or why people feel the need to search for problems. In my opinion they've all been absolute legends to put us into this improbable position.

You are crazy.

Could you ask him to have a word with his mate, Deepay, in order to get him here in the summer?

In recent weeks he's looked like he's been having a bit of a breakdown, a case of the pressure becoming a little too much I think. More was expected of Leicester it has to be said. I liked Nigel when he was here, but I don't think he can have any gripes about being sacked. As well as having a poor record this season, he's acted like a bit of a mentalist. Still the timing is tricky - not sure who Leicester think they can bring in now. They are a few weeks late I think.

Forgive me, but I'm utterly speechless at this debate. Are people actually saying that they have a problem with JWP's set pieces? Is that actually happening? My gripe with him is around his lack of imposing himself on games, not strong enough - but he's absolutely pivotal when it comes to delivery. He is the most likely to score form a direct free kick from the edge of the area, but you also need to take account of the fact that we don't really win that many outside the box as we used to. He's not far away from scoring a stunner from a direct free kick if we get one again. His technique is spot on and takes as good a set piece as I've seen for a good while. Beats Lallana's fluffy floaty efforts. His delivery from deep free kicks and corners are second to none, some of the best deliveries in the PL. He has a decent haul of assists this year, most of which have come from set pieces. At the end of the day, we sit here in February in third position of the EPL. I honestly don't think there's a great deal to moan about or be unhappy about. So why feel the need to focus on a non-issue such as JWP's free kicks is beyond me. Enjoy the position we're in and live the moment.

What's that got to do with it exactly? Do set pieces only count if you score from them? If you want to criticise JWP, go for it, but to criticise his set pieces is absolutely ludicrous and up there with the most stupid things I've seen posted on this site.