SaintTex

Here in the US, Southampton is on TV more than FC Dallas. Not to mention, I can watch the official TV broadcast of every Southampton PL game on the NBCSN streaming site. Not sure you can with MLS. Have never looked into it. This pretty much sums up my experience with the MLS. MLS is trying, but I just cannot get into it. It's mostly a bunch of players I have never heard of (and that is partly my fault). It's impossible to manufacture passion.

I think it is more this. and less this. I don't hold any illusions they will find the next great Southampton player 15 years from now, but I like the idea of expanding the brand, getting the clubs name in the public consciousness. How else are you going to do it? Promote and offer what the club does well. Training young talent. I could even envision instructional videos for sale (in every football shop), instructional camps for coaches, summer camps for kids that offer the "Southampton Way" of training/instruction in major cities throughout the U.S., etc. Grow it into a "thing". I like the big vision. OK, I am an American, maybe I am going overboard here. I can certainly see why some might think that is a terrible, awful, gross idea. I can understand the comfort of the supporting a small club that is close knit with all out passion. It's a bit like the cozy small band you like and just a handful people really know about and then they hit it big. Then, you give up on the band, saying they sold out and they suck now and their fans suck now. I get it. It's a tough one, but I really love supporting this club, and I get so frustrated that every time I mention them in passing, no one has heard of them. It would be nice if there were more of us around. anyway.. my perspective. Just a wee lone supporter from Texas. COYS, beat Stoke.

His passes are crisp and usually spot-on target. Pelle, I think it was, on two occasions didn't trap the ball very well and lost possession on two scorching passes from Clasie. (Pelle should have handled them cleanly). Conversely, I saw several passes from JWP today, although not cut out, where errant and stopped the flow of attack, particularly on the left side. Clasie, at least today, put the passes where they need to be. His best game in stripes, err.. green sash, so far this season.

this is a really good line up if Sunderland decides to place the goal they are defending at the half-way line.

Tadic is the only player with any creative guile on this team and the talent to pull it off. We need Tadic on the pitch and on the left (Koeman!). However, this is not meant to imply that Davis, Mane, and Pelle aren't doing their jobs brilliantly. It's hard to imagine anyone other than those 4 in the squad breaking into those four starting positions right now based on current form. And I have been a 'meh' on Davis in the past, but he is having a really, really good season and has earned a starting position. on a side note, I would like to see what Clasie could do in the central AM position at some point this season; maybe as a 70' substitute when a game is in hand. However, I don't think having Tadic and Clasie forward at the same time makes tactical sense as they both seem to think "pass first, shoot second". I really would like to find away to get Clasie a bit more involved on the offensive side of the pitch. Last Saturday's 1st goal gave us a little snippet of what he could be capable of when he threaded that thru ball to Pelle. we have the luxury of time with Clasie, so that is good.

Davis Mane Pelle Tadic Davis, Mane, Pelle and Tadic are all better players this year than they were last year. Therefore, stronger squad this year.

If we had the team in August that we have now, I have no doubt we would have beat Midtjylland and made it into the group stage. The squad was quite unsettled back then and Koeman was tinkering to try to figure out what would work. It was miles apart from the solid and stable line-up we have now.

haha. right? Look, we all thought Wanyama was carrying a bit of an injury the last few weeks. Some even thought he would be rested for the League Cup game Wednesday. He probably needed a bit of a rest anyway. Sunderland is a good one to take a game off. The Stoke game is 20 days away.

Wanyama's sending off not that big deal. He was already on plenty of yellows and on the verge of suspension anyway. Plus, we should be able to handle Sunderland with Romeu, Classie, JWP. More importantly, Romeu didn't pick up a yellow after he came on, as I think one more yellow, he goes on suspension. So he is available next week. So expect a yellow from Romeu next week at Sunderland when he plays. Then he misses Stoke, but we'll have Wanyama back. Then, we have both Romeu and Wanyama available for City. I think 7th in the table with only 2 losses after 11 matches is something we all would have taken in August. Lineup has stabilized which is great. I hope Fonte was just taken off as a precaution. Yoshida to me, despite his brilliant goal last Wednesday, is like a curse. We seems to always play worse when he is in the lineup. (even if he is not directly responsible for it)

I think this is our best line-up and formation going forward for the rest of this season. I might entertain Romeu instead of Clasie depending on who we are playing, but IMO, this should be the line-up every match (if fit).

much weaker than what I was expecting. keeping fingers crossed.

put down the crack pipe. 01) Our League position is safe, we aren't going to get relegated. 02) our next League game is at home against a reeling Bournemouth, who also play this Wednesday. you put your strongest team out there, in my opinion. We are trying to win the Cup, right? Who are you saving them for? Bournemouth at home next Sunday? Why risk fielding a weak squad? -----------------Stek---------------- Soares--Fonte--Van Dijk--Bertrand ----------Romeu-----Clasie--------- ---Juanmi-------Davis------Tadic--- ----------------Pelle----------------- would be nice if Long or JRod were fit. I worry about goals. Presumably you would have JWP, Gaston, and Wanyama as your likely subs. I really don't want to see Yoshida out there again. Even when it is not directly his fault, as a team, we seem to falter when he is on the pitch.

fairly even match/squads. and yes, I am bored, so.. check this out. Saints starting line up today ( transfer fees in parenthesis) Stek (loan) Cedric (£4.7) Fonte (£0. VvD (£11.5) Bertrand (£0.0) Wanyama (£12.5) Clasie (£8.0) Mane (£10.9) Davis (£0.0) Tadic (£10.9) Pelle (£8.0) TOTAL (£68.2) Liverpool Benteke (£32.5) Firmino (£29.0) TOTAL (£61.5) add Lallana (£25) TOTAL (£86.5) another interesting comparison Our Front Starting 4 Davis / Pelle / Tadic / Mane = £29.8 |||| Firmino = £29.0 Our Back Starting 4 Cedric/Fonte/VvD/Bertrand = £17.0 |||| Lovren = £20.0

01)Was Tadic playing on the right again? why?! 02) VvD played well, wish he had put that first half header to the far post, Andy Carroll style. Minolet was already leaning near post, would have never gotten there. 03) Cedric continues to improve. He has cemented his spot at RB 04) Clasie acquitted himself well; solid, if unspectacular. 05) Pelle seemed to be more engaged with the referee than the match at hand. 06) Davis was quiet. 07) Stek didn't have much to do. Nothing could have been done on that Benteke header. Kicked well. 08) Inspired substitutions from Koeman - very positive. 09) Mane out for Villa is hopefully not a big deal. They are in disarray. 10) Romeu starts on Wednesday?

Liverpool played 53 minutes against a 10 man tea far, far from home and still couldn't get the goal to win.

I hope it was just S. Davis was just knackered for the international break, because the tide turned when he went out. Terrible strategic move. And the JRod substitution for Tadic made absolutely NO sense. Romeu was the choice there for JWP. What JRod has to offer was not what we were needing.

that great one-on-one opportunity Mane had earlier looming large. that would have ended it.

What is your internet go-to source on how many bookings players are currently holding? So I don't have to ask again. thanks.

I think you are close. Steklenberg Cedric - Fonte - VvD - Bertrand Wanyama - Romeu Mane - Davis - Tadic Pelle Leicester can score goals. I think you come out defense in the back 7. And although this really only leaves 4 in-play offensive playmakers, all 4 are in really good form right now. Romeu hasn't travelled, so he should be well rested. How many more yellows for him before a suspension? 1?

Soft spot? The comment is insulting and patronizing if you ask me.

Cedric and Fonte play for Portugal v. Denmark - clean sheet.

I liked the article, but the press' repeated narrative that Van Dijk had a nightmare dealing with Martial has been greatly mischaracterized.

What I would like to know what exactly is the 5 year strategy of the club. So far, it's fairly obvious, you invest in players with potential, buy them inexpensively, watch them grow, sell them for a profit, reinvest that into the team, build a stronger team. That's GREAT! Good strategy. However.. What do you do at the point where you hit the ceiling with this strategy and are merely treading water? This strategy gets you comfortably as a Top 10 club every year, but not really a Top 4 contender. What next? So, a scenario....Is Mane worth more to the club if he fulfills his 4 year contract, but you lose £40m by not selling him, and he moves on? Do you achieve more by keeping him Saint for the full 4 years or do you achieve more by selling him when his value is at his highest? What if having Mane on the team those 4 years enables the Club to win 2 trophies and earns a Top 4 spot? Is losing that £40m worth it? Are the 2 trophies worth more than £40m? Does going for it hurt the club in the long run? Do the trophies and CL provide more cache for the club and attract better players? All interesting questions, but at some point you have to keep your best players on the team to reap the rewards. If not, it is just an endless cycle and you spend years spinning your wheels but not going anywhere. This doesn't even factor in what other motivations the Board might have beyond football: ie: guarantee the organization is a profitable venture, the brand, etc. I guess that is why they pay Ralph and Les the big bucks - to figure it all out.

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and we have him signed on a 5 year contract. I know that doesn't mean much these days, but at least we can expect him to be hanging around for a few years.