DuncanRG

Glad I'm not the only one seeing this! Confidence is the problem, and there are a million and one possible explanations for why it's dropped. It could be fatigue, it could be the new lads not settling in on a personal level, it could be coaching, or tactics, or Stekelenburg not inspiring stability, or personal problems in the squad - anything. One thing we can probably agree has had an impact is the unsettled lineup though, especially at the back. After Stekelenburg, Fonte and Pelle are on the team sheet, our starting XI is a guessing game. Injuries haven't helped there.

West Brom at home another. We usually turn out okay. All the way back to our highest ever Premiership finish!

We were unlucky not to score early on. I can't imagine we'd have transformed into world beaters had Fonte's header gone in, but it would have settled the nerves and perhaps allowed us to play a little more. I am however puzzled by Koeman's comments that we would play direct if that's what it took. I don't see why our normal game wouldn't have worked, had we enjoyed the usual fluid movement, crisp passing and ability to move with the ball. They started the season in July, are playing two games a week and you wanted them doing Tough Mudder to warm up? They do look jaded but if we're reaching for explanations, the shorter break and fixture congestion are surely more likely. Sad thing is that of those three managers you name, Koeman has the most (only?) experience of managing European and domestic campaigns simultaneously.

You're right, in a way. I imagine it's a lot harder to buck up your ideas and get some fire in your belly when the games are coming so quickly.

If that's a spine, you may need to see a chiropractor.

We have had a blinding few years. Thanks, Les and all the scouting team. Here's to many more.

Must say I'd feel a lot more confident with that lineup if our preferred full backs were playing and one of Tadic and Mane was coming through the middle.

God, what a tour that would be though.

Can't believe anyone's happy to see a derby ruled out!

Ok, shows what I know. How many starts?

It's not doing a very good job. It doesn't mention him until the fifth paragraph. There was a lot of hype around this fella when he signed for Madrid. Hardly played since, has he?

He started reasonably well for them last season at centre half but was quite unlucky with injuries. Tough position for a young lad to come into, especially at a club that size - tonight's failings seemed mental and verbal rather than down to lack of ability.

You think? I've been impressed besides Newcastle and, I suppose, Everton, where he has to take some responsibility as captain for the lack of organisation even if he did alright himself. Couldn't watch the Watford game but he seemed to get good reviews. I think the nerviness is more about lack of cover (from all the midfielders as well as Targett/Cedric sometimes being caught) and the defence chopping and changing. Have we played the same back line more than twice this year?

Adkins played very positively in the half a season he had, and of course before that in the lower leagues. Throwing bodies forward cost us defensively in those early premiership days as much as the mistakes in the back four. I think you're confusing good defending with playing defensively. Defensive play is understood to mean putting bodies deep and behind the ball, rather than by defending from the front. Playing with two holding midfielders is of course more defensive than one, but pressing high isn't and we've always tried to pass, move and attack in numbers. Our 'defensive' style this year (Sunday aside) has been through poor passing and movement, meaning we give away the ball and get attacked more. We've still put numbers forward when possible and kept a high line. (For what it's worth I don't think many Premiership sides play defensively at all, it's a fast, attacking league)

This coming a fortnight after he played a standard back four shielded by Wanyama and Steven Davis with three forwards and Tadic? I think you're making that up. We've been a high line/possession team for years.

That's what he's suggesting we shouldn't have done.

Having good character doesn't mean never wanting to leave Southampton. They're allowed to do that.

You idiots! You go to football matches!

Go on then. Gomis to Saints. Get it spread.

It wouldn't take Reed long to take the place of an underperforming player either, this is my point! He's got Romeu, Wanyama, Clasie, Davis and arguably Ward-Prowse in front of him while Shaw only had Fox. Shaw may not have made the team at all that year if we'd signed a left back to match the quality of Clyne. His talent wouldn't have changed, but his ability to develop it would have been stifled. Whether Reed or others are that class or not I have no idea, but we'll never find out if they don't play. That said, Derby are a good side and it would be great for Reed if he could play regularly. It's also worth noting that Reed's position is one of the hardest for a youngster, while Shaw and Chambers played in the easiest.

My bad, I thought you were talking about football

I'm not sure I've ever seen this happen. Do you have an example?

Possibly, but we didn't sign anyone to push Shaw down the pecking order when he first came into the squad, which we quite easily could have done when we were promoted with Danny Fox as first choice. That gave him an opportunity to grow into the team which Reed hasn't been afforded: the 'pathway', as the club puts it. The coaches know what their qualities are better than us, but I do think signing two new central mids when only one has left locks Reed out unfairly when he's shown himself to be more than capable. Same with Sam Gallagher, who was knocking on the door of the first team under Pochettino but, albeit partly through injury/bereavement, isn't anywhere near it under Koeman. No football fan cares that much as long as the team's doing well, but it is rather a shame.

It's so important to remember this. Don't think we'll see Yoshida on Sunday, he was absolutely shattered by the end of the game last night.

A real shame the academy boys are being farmed out again. Doesn't seem as important to Koeman as it did previous managers.