SaintTex

I would agree with this, but VVD has put in so many minutes and Yoshida is in form that maybe you give VVD a rest for Hull and give Yoshida the start. Or am I overthinking this?

that's a great line up if we played a 4-2-3-1, but in our 15 or so games this year have we played this formation? realistically.... -----------Forster------------- Cuco--Fonte--VVD--Bertrand ------------Romeu------------ -----Davis------Højbjerg----- -----------Tadic-------------- ----Redmond------Austin----

So how many games are we going to play this season? 38 League 3 EFL Cup 6 EL 1 FA Cup 48 games minimum. Hopefully more, of course.

i think he has managed the defense and the midfield, especially, well. I still have some creeping doubt about our offensive strategy and whether we have the right players for what we are trying to do. Now, this is not all Puel's fault, he's got what he's got; but i would be interested to see what our January and next summer transfer targets are. I will trust Les and Claude will coordinate needs. I would love to see more offensive fluidity and feel that players know their roles and are working well with each other a bit better. Most goals seem to be one offs. i hope I don't come off as negative, i think we are a really good team and i think Peul is doing a fine job, but its the final third were we need the most improvement.

how crazy is it that we get worried when our players do too well. hey, fella, could you dial it down some? Were going to lose you to a big club if people keep noticing how good you are! Could you let in a goal or two, so they will look elsewhere?

yeah, there was just a slight miscommunication as to who was going to pick up Iheanacho. VvD let up just slightly and then when he realized Fonte was moving forward to cover someone else, VvD just couldn't quite get back to Iheanacho to prevent the shot. It happens. I am still concerned about the lack of goals. Tadic is still what makes the team tick, but I wish he would put a few in the back of the net.

yeah, there was just a slight miscommunication as to who was going to pick up Iheanacho. VvD let up just slightly and then when he realized Fonte was moving forward to cover someone else, VvD just couldn't quite get back to Iheanacho to prevent the shot. It happens. I am still concerned about the lack of goals. Tadic is still what makes the team tick, but I wish he would put a few in the back of the net.

Van Dijk and Romeu are going to have to play lights out.

no sympathy either. I remember a quote from him while he was on his way out of Southampton about how he wanted "to play 2 matches a week", of course alluding to European football. well, he would have gotten that at Southampton.. but with Man U.... 4 total appearances overall. - 2' Community Shield - 5' Bournemouth (PL) - 90' Feyenoord (EL) - 73' Northampton (League Cup)

4 in 7 League matches. 22% of Liverpool's goals have come from penalties. ---- Southampton on the other hand.... 0 penalties in 6 League matches. 3 penalties against in 6 League matches. (3 matches in a row, ManU, Sunderland, Arsenal) 50% our League goals against this season have come from penalties - 3 out of 6 total.

i didn't see the match, but it sounds like a plausible strategy/tactic. Maybe the Cuco and Targett were playing exactly as Puel had instructed them to do. Don't get caught up front and let's take the point.

Couldn't have said it better. My absolute favorite player. And I also noticed Tadic's reaction on the touchline to Hesketh scoring. it was genuine. and gosh, a player and manager discussing something on the touchline? what gives? It was likely tactical or a teaching moment.. as in : next time do this, not that. No biggie. will be interesting to see how Boufal and Tadic work/play together. They seem to be cut from the same cloth. Is it going to be an enhancement or it is going to get too cute, if you know what I mean? All flare and no finish or pure football magic?

Forster always looks like that, he's got a bit of a caveman thing going on.

Worried about Clasie being intimidated but suggest starting Reed and Hesketh? bonkers.

20/10 Thur - Inter (a) 23/10 Sun - City (a) 26/10 Wed - Sunderland (h) 30/10 Sun - Chelsea (h) 3/11 Thur - Inter (h) can only imagine what that line up for the Sunderland match will be like.

I don't think Boufal, our most expensive signing ever will be fighting it out for a spot once fit. If Boufal is indeed inserted in the 10 spot, the question become where does Tadic go? I think that is one of the advantages of going to a 4-2-3-1, so that Boufal and Tadic can be on the pitch at the same time (getting Redmond out on the wing is a bonus). This suggested line up is nothing new on here, but man, I want to see it in action. -------------Austin----------- --Tadic--Boufal--Redmond-- ------Holjberg-----Romeu---- Bertrand-VVD-Fonte-Martina ------------Forster----------- Cedric would work at RB. Long could work as striker. JRod could play on the left wing or striker depending on fitness. Clasie/JWP/Davis can be slotted in the defensive midfield.

-------------McCarthy--------------- Martina-Stephens-Yoshida-Targett ---------------Reed----------------- -----JWP----------------Clasie------ -------------Hesketh---------------- ------Redmond------Long---------- Both Redmond and Long need chances to get off the schneid.

I am OK with the rotations. Puel is having to manage the squad with the number of matches we are having to play this month. What is it? 7 games in 21 days?

the finishing (lack of) will be the difference between 6th and 14th place this season.

In regards to playing a strong team vs a weak team... this is a game we really need all 3 points if we want to have a realistic chance of advancing.. Sparta (H) W (3 points) Hapoel Be'er Sheva (A) D (1 point) Inter Milan (A) L (0 points) Inter Milan (H) D (1 point) Sparta (A) D (1 point) Hapoel Be'er Sheva (H) W (3 points) A total 9 points likely gets us through, but still a chance that even wouldn't be enough. So, if we don't get 3 points Thursday, the path toward advancing gets very difficult. 9 points would likely do it

the first team fought tooth and nail to qualify for the damn thing, but you advocate putting our B team in? No way, reward the first team players and show that you value what they did last season to get here. It's the first group stages game and early in the season. Let's go for it. -------------Forster------------ Cedric--Fonte--VVD--Bertrand -------------Romeu------------ ------Davis-------Højbjerg---- -------------Tadic-------------- ---[striker]-------[striker]---- honestly, I have no idea who our best pairing is at this point, any combination of Austin, Redmond, Long, and JRod, I reckon. crap shoot, really.

hmmm, let's see... Who spent the most money this summer? OK. Here is my prediction: 1 Man City 2 Man United 3 Chelsea 4 Arsenal 11 Saints Relegated: Swansea, Burnley, Sunderland

For all of saying "we don't have to sell players", look at all the misery, drama and ill will that has occurred with holding steady on Fonte. Now imagine if we were dealing with it on multiple fronts with Pelle, Wanyama, and Mane. It would be chaos in the clubhouse which would certainly transmit to the play on the pitch. Unless we can match the wages that Man U, City, Liverpool, Chelsea, China, etc. offer, we will always be losing our best, most talented players to those clubs come summer time. You would think it would dawn on most of us at this point.

To me all this angst is not really about our business this summer as it relates to the squad (boths ins and outs). I would imagine 99% of those wringing their hands right now would feel pretty good about the current squad if Koeman was still at the helm and we were sitting on 5 points instead of 2 points after three matches. I know... ifs, but really it is the Puel factor that has most worried. With the lack of charisma and the language barrier, his leash is much shorter with fans if he doesn't produce right away. As a fan, he is not an easy figure to get behind and rally around. (I wish I felt differently.)

Part of the approach this summer was to extend contracts of several key players Forster Cedric Van Dijk Bertrand Ward Prowse Davis Tadic Long I would imagine the delta in increased weekly wages for these 8 players is more than our remaining net transfer spend which is £20.36m Further, if you include Redmond, Boufal and Holjbjerg that is a lot of important players on the 1st year of a 5 year contract on the team. I can't remember ever having a summer like this where we locked down so many key current players to extended contracts.