Saint Fan CaM

Thanks Saints...ruined my holiday (streaming here in Barbados so slightly joking lol). Gotta say we were pants and I've also gotta say told you so...buy too many Championship or lower quality strikers/midfield and this is the result.

Absolutely 100% agree. He is the common factor. And why the heck is Long getting instructions from the keeper coach for? The club is looking fooked up.

Come on Trousers, that's a bit below the belt...I gave a reasoned argument rather than a "it's all going to wotsit" post. Expect more from you. Time will tell and remain hopeful that the coaches find the key to unlock the goal drought.

I'm not as sure as some of you that this window could be classed as a success. Sure we brought in Lemina who I think will be a great addition and kept VVD...we're well covered at CB. However the club have not addressed the lack of goals issue - it really could be the undoing of us such is the problem. Many other clubs would be treating this issue with more significant measures - i.e. given that nothing has changed style-wise with a new manager, the root cause must lie with the players. I said ages ago that we had too many forward players that were not of Prem standard and I stick by that. Collectively they're not good enough and I'm not sure a single signing (like Boufal for example) will actually make a difference. If it were a single signing then it would need a player of a quality (that we rarely see bought) to make a difference - I'm thinking perhaps Maurez, Coutinho, Suarez or similar. Don't get me wrong...we'll be ok this season...however IMO we could very easily see a lower half squeaky bum finish.

No...not good enough for this level. Not sure what his strengths are to put it another way. Gazza got better...Forster has not improved much if at all.

AND?

Jeez...thank the fook I didn't pay to see this game. Reckon we could easily lose...too much mediocrity on the pitch and the bench is not much better.

Looks like a great signing - how long before the tapping up starts or his agent starts to get ideas I wonder? Anyway welcome to Saints Mr Hoedt.

I can't imagine the reception from certain home fans at SMS if he finally gets to play...may not be pretty and could unsettle the team perhaps?

If it were not for VVD I think we would be set for the season, but I would not be surprised in the slightest if he went late on I the window meaning we would be relying on Bednarek and...and...er, whoever. That is the Les...err...I mean Southampton way.

Unless something changes in either team dynamic or tactics we'll lose this one. Wet Sham have goals in their team...at the moment it's not obvious where ours will come from. I would give Lemina a go next to Romeu with the instruction one of them holds back if the other attacks. Save Davis for later when we need a more steady hand. I would also start Boufal ahead of Redmond who went missing 2nd half last game.

Well if the due diligence has been done half as well as the recovery Markus started, we'll be ok. Thanks to Markus and Kat - it's been a blast.

Agree it's not Gabbi that's the problem, but my issue was with Redmond. OK he had a decent shot on target, but largely went missing for the 2nd half. Tactically we are just too predictable in the final third...mostly everything goes out to the wing...no triangulated passes to cut through centrally, for example like the lovely move that had the pass from Davis for Gabbis goal in the last friendly.

Very good signing- just what we need (on paper). Good luck Mario.

An interesting thought. Does VVD have the same agent as Vardy by any chance? It would not surprise me to find some less than savoury story behind the scenes.

This is exactly the type of player we need to partner Romeu.

Interesting...I've noticed we rarely have a player peel off at the back post for a corner yet here is Stevens doing just that. Nice.

Romeu, Davis or JWP. I like a midfield captain. Preference Romeu.

Utterly utterly complacent from Les & Co so far. Of course there's still time but for a supposedly great scouting setup the club just seem to sleep walk through the transfer window.

It's not just about the individual quality of a given player...its laos about their ability and suitability to fit into what appears to be a VERY inflexible system of play. Fact is the team is not performing as a unit as effectively as the season we came up into the Prem IMO.

20th based on what I saw in the last home game. Shocking all over the pitch...nowhere near Prem standard.

Fixed.

This what happens when a club gets complacent in terms of new blood...at our level you need that to provide competition to drive up standards. We've gone backwards over the last 2 seasons and now look a less cohesive/effective side than our first season back in the Prem IMO. Poor show Les & Co.

This is dire...no invention...the Southampton way?! It'll be the way to the Championship if it carries on like this. Midfield looking decidedly league 1.

To be fair I quite liked the City itself...got some nice history and they've smartened up the place. When you think of the money in the area, Southampton's visitor attractions are quite poor by comparison. The new West Quay area is a step in the right direction, but there's so little to see to commemorate or market the City and its history. Whatever happened to the monorail system that was talked about for example - innovative public transport to connect key areas of the City including SMS would attract tourists and generate interest. I could go on.