saintwbu

I knew as soon as Keita went down injured last night it’d be all about the need for 5 subs. He’s played 326 minutes for Liverpool this season, 50 of those last night!! Hardly a victim or over-exhaustion. Likewise Ross Barkley, injured after 2 minutes on Saturday for Villa, doesn’t play international football or European football. But as usual, the big teams will get their own way. Look forward to losing to City late on once they’ve brought on 5 £50mil+ players and we’ve brought on Obafemi, Long and Valery.

Fantastic signing, one of my favourite ever Saints players, was underwhelmed when we signed him to replace Shaw but how wrong was I! Has taken some stick in recent years but we’ve been lucky to have someone of his quality occupying that position for many years, especially considering we sell anyone decent! Hope we get him tied down to hopefully end his career here, but if not then at least a couple more seasons.

Will be a travesty if a 29 year old midfielder of his quality and character leaves on a free. But I have a feeling he will return to Spain at the end of the season. Hope i’m wrong. But regardless, what a fantastic contribution he’s made to this team in his time here. £5million and if he carries on in this form he will be in the running to collect his second player of the season award. I love the guy, and he was centimetres away from putting us in front in the cup final against United too with his header off the bar.

Man City’s squad is worth about a billion pounds, if they wanted to protect their players they could play a completely different 11 in each game and they’d still probably win most of their games. 5 subs would hugely favour those clubs. Assuming everyone was fit, if City used 5 subs yesterday who weren’t in their starting line up, they could’ve brought on Aguero, Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Foden, Fernandinho. Keep 3.

It does get frustrating to have our best players and staff picked off over the years, but I often think how lucky we are to have seen some of the fantastic footballers we have seen in recent years. Van Dijk, Mane, Schneiderlin, Lallana, Wanyama, Alderweireld, Lambert, Tadic, not to mention the managers. Bigger clubs than us can only dream of having seen such quality wear their shirt week in, week out. Tonight is another night where I feel lucky to be a Southampton fan, I am absolutely in love with this team. A mix of incredible workrate and teamwork, with great quality and a superb manager. I don't even want to pick out individuals because it is just such a brilliant team. A lot of clubs will never understand how it can be exciting to be top of the league for what we know is likely to be just a few hours. But for me it just sums up what it's like to be a Saints fan. It can be tough, but it can be absolutely brilliant.

Stephens is a right footed centre half, playing at left back having been out the team for weeks. Give the lad a break! He’s playing it safe, which is completely sensible.

Valery well out of favour, Kayne Ramsay the sub full back

It really wouldn’t surprise me to see N’Lundulu up top. Ralph always used to love chucking a kid in and seeing what he can do. Maybe he’d be concerned about the message it would send to not play a striker to replace a striker. Either way, haven’t been excited about a Saints game like this for a whole. 1-0 defeat incoming I guess!

I agree to some extent, but Swansea away the other year, and Sheffield United at home under Pearson, the pure relief and elation is hard to forget. The good thing with Saints is you never know what you’re gonna get, so we’re lucky we have had a bit of both!

Romeu/Armstrong in CM? Has been done before I think, in fact I think Armstrong going in there was the start of our resurgence last year? I may be imagining it though. Two of Djenepo/Redmond/Theo on the wing, and N’Lundulu getting his chance up top. Unlikely i’m sure, but never know!

Just be grateful he didn’t stamp on any of our players’ heads. Fell out with Eddie Howe at Bournemouth, imagine that takes some doing!

Finally a strong looking bench!

Presumably you’ve got the stats to back up the fact that Adams isn’t quick. Didn’t know Burnley CB’s were the barometer of speed.

Also worth remembering that we beat Chelsea away last year with Adams and Obafemi up top, and I personally thought they were both brilliant that day. So we do have a bit of variety up top now, if N’Lundulu can be a genuine option too I think we’re pretty well stocked.

Last time I heard (a couple of years ago) the number of black football coaches with the necessary level of coaching qualification to be a professional manager was absolutely minuscule. That may have changed now, but it’s difficult to justify complaining about opportunity when there’s no one in a position to take advantage of the opportunity. Kieron Dyer was on Sky last Saturday bemoaning lack of opportunity. Then asked how he’s finding it he essentially said ‘oh it’s okay for me, i’m at Ipswich where I knew all the coaches and that got me my opportunity’. So what you’re saying Kieron, is that you got a chance because of who you knew, just like 90% of people in your industry.

Good to see Tyrone Mings suggesting players won’t sign for clubs who don’t sign up to this code. Presumably they’ll look at us and say ‘yeah i know you’ve got a higher level of diversity than every other club in the league, but i’m going to sign for Everton because they’ve signed up to the code, although they haven’t actually fulfilled any of the criteria it’s the token gesture that counts for me’. Always good to take lessons on morality from players who have a propensity to stamp on people’s head.

As above, Saints only Prem club not to sign up, citing not enough time given to consider the proposal properly. No doubt the headline is going to generate some idiots slating us, but glad we aren’t just doing token gestures because we already satisfy a lot of the criteria already. Daily Mail Article

Almost all his games for United have been as a left back, and he seems almost completely two footed, so I guess he was seen as good cover for both sides.

Scrap that - yesterday was the best he’s played for us! I’m a big fan. You could see the confidence draining from him as the season progressed last year, and the chances started to disappear too. At Fratton Park you could see his frustration, he looked embarrassed to get the applause of the crowd at the end. He’s now looking like the striker we bought. Good movement, good hold up play, puts pressure on the opposition defence all the time and is now finding the net too. Think he’ll get better and better.

I also liked that when someone had a shot from distance (can’t remember who) he was following up incase Pickford spilt it (he almost did). Simple, but so many players don’t do it, and shows that natural strikers instinct.

Been hoping to see him for a while, think he got injured last season at a time he was probably on the brink of getting a chance. Really hope this is the first of a few appearances in months to come.

As you say, the pundits said it was a red. So why are loads of them saying Digne’s wasn’t, when it was much, much worse? (not to say Romeu’s wasn’t a red, but this was far worse)

Incredibly underrated. Normally needs a couple of games to get going when he hasn’t played in a while, but once he’s up to speed he rarely lets us down. Been one of the stars post-lockdown, and MOTM in 3 of the 6 games so far this season imo. One of the best £5mil we have ever spent.

That’s just who donated - it doesn’t mean only 1,300 boycotted the PPV

Anyone still think crowds don’t make a difference? When people say 32,000 people groaning can affect the team, I think the current results suggest they may have a point..