Baird of the land

Not surprised really. There seemed to be pretty strict restrictions even for academy players such as reed who trained with first team. Also found it interesting that the league cup match the lack of academy players in their lineup despite him making a number of changes. Holgate who had already started several league games seemed the only one. Towards the back end of last season Martinez had the bench loaded with their youngsters and they were being talked up. Clearly he's a very good manager but it is an issue and it did bug me. Hopefully Puel will prove to be good too and with more openness to academy progression to the first team.

Great to see he sketch playing so well, every time I have seen u23's he's looked quality. Has he signed a new contract yet. From memory thought he was one of players who's contract's expire this summer.

I'd like to see at least one of Reed/Stephens get a chance. Mccarthy Martina Stephens Van Dijk Targett JWP Hojberg Reed Tadic Long Austin

Vital win got. Feeling of relief, hopefully we can push on and go on a bit of a run. We were the better team but still lots of room for improvement from us. At one point felt like the ball just wasn't going to go in the net, thankfully Austin solved that. Thought Romeu was man of the match, very good all over the pitch and covering on their dangerous counter.

As well as Martina played, i'd start Cedric on sunday. He'll be fresher and that was purely the logic of rotating as they did yesterday(which i hoped they would do). I assume we'll stick to the diamond so i think it'll probably be something like: Forster Cedric Van Dijk Fonte Bertrand Clasie Hojberg Davis Tadic Austin Redmond Subs, Mccarthy, Yoshida, Romeu, JWP, Long, Jrod, Martina

It's pretty vital that we win this to Get the season going. Afterwards we've got 2 away so we want already be on 5 points. It won't be easy, as Swansea whilst erratic aren't that bad a side. I'd start long and hojberg and use Jrod as an impact sub otherwise sat team. I don't manager abandoning the formation yet sadly.

Disagree, think complete opposite. Group stage is the time to rotate a handful of players out so they'll be fresh for the Sunday. If we make the knockout then we can decide if we want to priortise it over whatever league position we are in. I'm also hoping at some point in this european experience there will be opportunity given for likes of Reed to get opportunity to impress.

Rotate please.

Personally i think he's a perfectly capable squad player at the moment for us. Hopefully he'll kick on and be more than that.

From what i've seen so far diamond looks like it is much worse against better sides as you are left with 2 up top as well as a 10 and far less able to drop successfully into a defensive shape when you don't have the ball.

Hoping we revert 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. Dreading a re-run of the abysmal Utd game if he sets up again as he did there with the diamond. Forster/Mccarthy Cedric Fonte Van Dijk Bertrand/Targett Clasie Romeu Davis Tadic Jrod Long

Personally i'm yet to be convinced that Austin can operate effectively in any of the systems we have operated over the last year, which has always been my issue with him. Seem to be a lot less people crowing about this signing than there were last January though or arguing we should sign him before that. I'm glad to see Jrod being given an opportunity. If neither turn good we could end up having to go back into the market in January but i can see why we wouldn't have now in order to give them a fair crack at the whip.

At this point we don't need a new centre back. It's ridiculous imo to suggest a centre back who was instrumental in winning to euros and who has been by and large excellent for us in the Prem suddenly isn't good enough to play for us. If fonte stays he will be first choice and we have other decent cover options. Only if fonte leaves in Jan will we need to think about whether we need to splash out on chasing another centre back imo.

Yeah our managerial appointment and the formation he is committed to displaying despite it looking unsuited to the players currently is my big worry. Happy with all the signings and with Jrod not going anywhere. Think the defence is fine. Slight worry upfront with Austin and whether he can adapt as a sole attacker or as one of puel's 2 mobile attackers in diamond.

Getting rid of a proven premier league goalscorer that finally fit and gifting him to a premier league rival whilst at best Saints will be gambling on some unproven last minute addition lilke Haller to take his place.

Would be utter disgrace if we get rid of him.

Hopefully an opportunity for the likes of Stephens, Reed and Hesketh to impress. Wonder if any of fringe first team squad not on international duty be involved or will it in effect be the u23's.

I'm relatively happy with transfer activity even if we don't buy anyone else. The club seems to be buying talented players an approach that has worked previously. Equally i fully accept players will go if they don't sign new contracts(Mane etc) Difference to Koeman last year is he had built up a years worth of trust via the performances the previous season. A more apt comparison would be to Koeman's first season where we lost to Liverpool and endured an awful draw with WBA. We then won 4 in a row. The problem is that we now an extra game in with no sign of that upturn. If he wins 3/4 in a row people's nerves will settle. I disagree with the sentiment that performances have not been bad. We were atrocious first half against watford. We were somewhat better second half but then rather toothless against 10 men. We then followed that up with an atrocious capitulation to a strong united team, which easily could have been a cricket score. That game showed a manager more akin in approach to Martinez rather than the pragmatism of Koeman which is a definite worry to me. That embarrassment was followed up by a limp lucky escape against Sunderland. I think it's quite reasonable for people to have worries about the radically different tactical approach of this new manager. I'm looking for signs of improvement, for signs of pragmatism/adaptability/incisiveness from the manager and not seeing it so far. I hope we have picked well but there's nothing wrong with people expressing their unhappiness and fears based on the poor performances this far.

Hope it works out better than Osvaldo deal. Get a bit nervous buying injured players after Delgado debacle too. Also with him being injured he isn't going to have any influence on turning round our diabolically bad start.

Very worried now. We didn't keep to exactly the same system under poch and Koeman but there was a progression not a jarring jump. The signings have been ok but the complete failure of the formation implementation or adaptability leaves me very jittery. Listening to van dijk's interview didn't make it sound like a happy camp either. Wasn't enamoured by decision to wait till 70th minute when failing utterly against an atrocious Sunderland side to make a change. I'd like a manager who you feel makes incisive effective changes and the jury is rather out on puel in that regard. This start has been atrocious, rolling over meekly to Utd with 4 points dropped at home to bottom half teams either side. If the performances were there and not the results you'd be less worried. As things stand we now need to go from a standstill to top 10 form, which is hard(though we did it last year). Perhaps international break has come at the right time for once, though puel will have little to work with as most will be away.

Throwing extra players isn't necessarily the solution imo. Turning in hugely disappointing displays against 2 weak sides at home with a pitiful naive display against a strong United side in between is gravely worrying when he's got a squad easily good enough to be in the top 10 at least. The issue is surely about the ability of the coach to adapt tactics to players and situation to get positive performances and results from them. So if puel can't Adapt a new coach rather than new players may be should be the cure. As for playing personnel we need quality additions not panic buying extra numbers for the sake of it. Another pacy top quality attacking player would be ideal. If that's boufal great. not loaning out one of our existing good players in Jrod would be a pretty basic requirement too.

Pretty atrocious result against a very weak team. Pretty worried about results, performances, formation, the length of time took coach to actually try and change things. Not completely turned on management but massive improvement required to show the basic level of performance required. Positives, we got a point, Jrod scored which should stop this nonsense of him being kicked out on loan.

Not sure I see the particular value in this over having a youngster cover as third choice. Hopefully he'll never get an opportunity and it's a short-term stop gap whilst young keeper develops.

Personally it has to be a mixture. Hesketh, reed, Stephens etc alongside some first team players. Throwing youngsters to the wolves like Harry did would be criminal imo.

Really disappointed to see Jrod being got rid of. If he does well I doubt he'll be interested in coming back to saints after they shipped him off.