benjii

Neil Allen writes like a slightly dim, supercillious 15 year old who is trying to show off to younger children. Absolutely awful.

---------------------Forster-------------------- --------Fonte-------Gardos-----Yoshida----- Clyne---------------Big Vic-------------Bertrand --------------Davis--------Tadic---------------- -----------------Pelle ----Long/Mane----------- Otherwise, it would be: -------------------Forster-------------------- Clyne-------Fonte---Yosh/Gardos-----Bertrand -------------Wanyama--------Davis---------- ----------------------Reed--------------------- Mane/Long----------Pelle---------------Tadic I think that first set up looks much more solid. Without Cork or Morgan to get stuck in, I like the idea of Big Vic staying deep in front of a back three. Would mean that Davis wouldn't have to curtail his high-energy game too much and might allow us to get Tadic on the ball in more meaningful positions behind the front two. I think Pelle might appreciate having Long or Mane a bit nearer to him and our attack has looked a bit blunt recently so the 3-5-2 has the added advantage of freshening that up a bit. I think it would also make us less reliant on him and a front two or Long / Mane could also be effective if he had to come off. Long up front on his own wouldn't work that well IMO. The worry with 3-5-2 is that you end up with a skilful forward who plays the channels isolating a centre back in a one-on-one dribble more often. If van Persie or Rooney is dribbling towards the corner of the box I think we would rather have Bertrand or Clyne fronting them up than Fonte or Yoshi. Anyway, we know Koeman has apparently been willing to flex things at other teams so I wonder if it's something he is thinking about.

It's not even necessarily "depth" that is the issue IMO. We are deep at CM - it's just unlucky that loads of them are injured at once. We are pretty deep in defence too. Gardos and Yoshida are probably the strongest 3rd / 4th choice centre backs we've ever had. We are thin at centre forward but once Gallagher and Jay Rod are fit we will look much better. The thing that makes it really hard to climb into the very top level of the league and stay there is the lack of one or two really top-level offensive players. In terms of midfield and defence there is very little difference between us and the top sides. Our midfield and defence units would do absolutely fine in the Champions League against the majority of opponents. What the real problem is, IMO, is that it is almost impossible for a club like Saints to have the game changers that the "Big" (ie. rich) clubs can afford. The last few games our attack has looked a little blunt. That happens to all teams at times during a season. The difference is that Chelsea (Hazard, Fabregas, Oscar), City (Aguero, Silva, Toure), Arsenal (Sanchez), Man U (van Persie, Di Maria, Mata) have players who are worth £35million or more who can bring home the points even if the rest of the team is not playing well. We have players who will score a screamer or two throughout the season but we don't have the players who can terrorise a defence on their own. For a club like Saints, signing that sort of player is just not a feasible option and so you need the collective to be on its game that much more to progress - which is hard. Absent another MLT folk-hero type it's hard to see how an attacking unit that can compete with the very top consistently can be formulated. If Arsenal were without Sanchez right now, or City were without Aguero they would be a heck of a lot weaker. Liverpool without Suaraez is the obvious case in point.

League One standard, f'sure.

Most of them have BT now. Varsity, Marshalls, Alex etc should all show it.

If we avoid defeat tonight, I fancy us to beat United, and then Burnley. If that happens we will probably have a little cushion over fifth again. I think first goal will be key tonight. We need to get Pelle into the game more. I've got no problem with us knocking it around to take the sting out of the game strategically but when we attack we need to find him a bit sooner IMO. We also need Tadic, if he plays, to up his game a bit. He seems to have lost some precision since the international break. I presume he is tired so I would consider resting him tonight - in an away game the pace of Long and Mane could be pretty handy.

He hasn't been any worse than Tadic in the last two games. Personally, I would bench Tadic on Weds and start with Pelle, Mane and Long.

Cork must have a late knock to not even be on the bench. Two up front for City - will that make it easier to cut off the supply to Aguero at source? Probably.

The tennis example is flawed. No woman would be a regular in the top 500 in the men's game and actually a decent county/regional level male would give the Williams a decent match. Google Karsten Braasch. He destroyed them ranked 203 and he was probably half-cut. In fact, given the short matches and the poor standard, equal grand slam prize money in tennis is a complete sham. I have my own views on the reasons why women's tennis gets coverage:

I've seen him, in person, score twice against Hamburger. FACT. Not convinced his all round game is that good but he's a tidy finisher. Sort of like Billy Sharp.

Rogers, Lovren, spade face, have some of that you ****s.

Aguero is great but it was three howlers from Munich really.

In fairness, Lee Holmes is probably much better than any of their other midfielders.

Sportsnation HD iPad stream completely seamless at the moment.

Assuming Mane is not fatigued, I would start him. I like Long but Mane gives you more dimensions. I also love having Long to bring off the bench after 65/70 mins - he is a complete nuisance to play against. Of course, if Morgan and Davis are out, there is a case for playing Tadic centrally and having Long and Mane on the pitch.

Thanks both, will investigate!

Bookies have us odds on to win, so it's not as though you can accuse him of being sensible.

Hi Saintsweb! Would anyone be able to recommend a double glazing supplier and installer in the Southampton area? I know from prior experience that some of them are proper Many thanks!

I recall Saints fans singing "No surrender to the IRA" on the bus from Cardiff Walkabout to Ninian Park.

Bilic just congratulating Thatcher on stamping out hooliganism. Typical night on ITV 4.

This all assumes it goes ahead. Could be a right mess. http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/11/after-stepping-down-as-hosts-due-to-ebola-fears-morocco-banned-from-acon/

Because he was offside.

Wanyama was brilliant today. Pele was also excellent. Their centre backs couldn't cope with him. If we'd gone a bit more direct sooner we'd have probably scored sooner.

We live in a global economy, deal with it (or some such needlessly aggressive idiocy).

That's not reciprocal, is it? You've posited a forced repatriation as being equivalent to a reduction in entry rights.