mrfahaji

At least that's 5 points for a correct prediction on Sky Super 6. It's depressing that we are that predictable though... We allow the opposition to dictate the game. They set up how they want to play, and we oblige with our pedestrian, predictable, pointless performances.

Yep, and that’s all you need to beat us.

Sometimes you have to suck up a smash and grab, you can be unlucky in football. Lots of probing, the keeper making some good stops etc, only to be undone by the one or two chances that the opponents will inevitably get at some stage. But that hasn’t been the case today at all. It’s like we have been “managing” the 0-0, keeping our fingers crossed that at some point something clicks. We are basically playing like an away team. It’s an away team performance without a plan vs an away team performance with a plan.

Redmond moves to the right, creates a chance, then we work an attack to get Bertrand to the byline and come close again. Hope Pellegrino is noting the positive developments...!

Even though his shot was poor, that was better. However he’s still cutting inside virtually every time when there is an option to dribble or pass wide. The one time he did go outside he created a half decent opportunity. Just so predictable!

You're right, 2 up front can work if played the right way. But my opinion is that we seem to play a very similar way with 4-4-2 than with 4-5-1, so the only thing that really happens is we have an extra player isolated and contributing nothing. A few ways that two up front can work: 1) hit long balls up and look for flick ons etc for the second striker, 2) playing the ball in to feet and then letting the two forwards work with eachother to play 1-2s around the defenders (preferably joined by one or two midfield runners), 3) put both players in the box and lump crosses in, 4) look to get behind the defence and whip balls across the face of goal for the strikers to latch on to and make a nuisance of themselves. Austin and Long are ok in the air, but don't think either are good enough to warrant playing 1 or 3. 2 is possible but I'm sceptical of Austin or Long being technically good enough to play an Arsenal or Man City type approach. So that leaves 4, which I think we should be doing anyway, whether we play 1 or 2 up front. But if we play 2, we should DEFINITELY be doing this. But apart from the first 20 minutes against Newcastle, we don't seem to do it very much.

When we've played 2 up front, I don't think either striker has been noticeably mobile. Certainly not like under Puel when they were back helping the full backs out at times. I'm still doubtful that the 2 up front works, but if we are going to do that then I think Austin & Gabbiadini might work better together, especially against a team who will sit deep. I'd be surprised if we carve out many good chances against Burnley with how they set up (not like last season, unfortunately!), so we'd be better off having someone more likely to convert.

Just did a search for it and the first thing that came up was "Yeovil to appeal Olomola red card"... ? Also read this in a local match report: "The bigger risk is that the appeal will be deemed frivolous by the FA and lead to Olomola being banned for an additional game. Given his importance to the team, and the difficult run of fixtures that Yeovil have through November, it seems that this could just be an unnecessary gamble by the club. Many who have gone on to become top players fell foul of their hotheadedness as youngsters, and Saturday’s dismissal should do nothing to take away from how impressive the Southampton trainee’s time at Huish Park has been until now."

What's more embarrassing for you, having Always as a fellow supporter or Saints drawing away from home?

Just to play Devil's Advocate, why does it matter what type of person you are if you are a good supporter? Maybe your friend discovered what a great thing football was later in life, and now goes to every game and sings & shouts from the first minute to the last. What about the guy who missed the first 10 minutes of the second half because he was at the bar? Or do you get a free pass on that because Beer is on the list of acceptable hobbies of proper football fans? It probably IS true that the influx of tourists, and increase in 'middle class' families detracts from the atmosphere, but I think the question should be 'why?', and why are even the more traditional pockets of noise (i.e. the Northam) struggling to find their voice? I was sat in an admittely quiet section of the Itchen for the Newcastle game, but at 2-1 down and having chances, the atmosphere was simmering a little. The Northam started OWTS, it wasn't great but at least there was something. Thought I'd join in - on my own at first, but you can't complain about the lack of singing if you're not prepared to do it yourself - I did the entire song at the top of my lungs and couldn't believe that I didn't hear a single person in the block join in. Wasn't sure if I felt more embarrassment for myself or for everybody else I get that if we are playing terribly and/or getting thrashed, people are too depressed, but this felt like a moment in the game where we were on the front foot and the support of the crowd would help. So why are so many people so reluctant to get involved?

David Earl is great and even the storyline is quite funny, but the acting from the Saints' staff is a bit cringey and the self-congrulation/promotion is even worse... "We produce world class footballers, it's what we do"

fixed?

I agree with this, not sure that the "3 passes" can be taken in isolation as a measure. However, few would argue that City, Spurs, Liverpool and Huddersfield are the teams most known for their 'pressing' game, and they are the other top teams for both seasons (minus Hudds for last year). So there must be something in these stats. I do wonder if there's an alternative explanation though...

I think it was the right decision to get rid of him, because we regressed in the final quarter of the season rather than building on the positives that we saw January - March, and it also appeared like he had lost the dressing room to an extent. I'm not sure we've replaced him with the right person, but that's a different matter. Nevertheless, I think Claude conducted himsellf very well throughout his time here during difficult times, not least at the end of his tenure when the club acted very poorly in dragging their feet over his inevitable sacking - no doubt hoping to squirm out of paying his termination fee following interest from St Etienne. He deserved better than being hung out to dry. Furthermore, he led the team in some of the most memorable moments/matches that I've had following Saints for some 25+ years. Yes, he might not have got us into Europe, and there were a few bleak moments along the way, but I saw us outplay Inter at the San Siro for 45 minutes, beat Inter at St Mary's, 85 minutes of an enthralling cup final and of course turning Liverpool over to get there. For that reason I wish him no ill, though obviously hope to take maximum points off him and finish above him in the league! It will also be interesting to see how he goes about his job at Leicester. They are not a team set up for 'sideways' football, so it may give us an insight as to whether the issues during his time here were more to do with his philosophy, the players at his disposal, or pressure from the powers that be...

Ok thanks, don't know why I spelt it like that! I always thought it meant "a misleading stat" or similar. A certain irony in using the wrong word and instead using a word that means using the wrong word... “Howler” is a bit strong though, maybe a Yoshida mistake rather than a Forster or Hooiveld. Misnomer is still “misleading” but just about a label rather than fact/statistic.

Unfortunately the fans barely sing during the game, never mind before it. It's remarkable how reluctant people are to join in, it's like the idea of singing and getting behind the team offends them. Despite this, I don't think the music volume should reach the level where because you want to have conversation you end up not going to your seat until a few minutes before kick off.

What kit will we be wearing? Don't both kits kind of clash?

Are you feeling ok, verlaine? Yes, the figures from that video that mcbendy (?) put up on here certainly didn't show him to be super fast, though after my earlier post about stats I'm reluctant to jump on it as "conclusive"... at the very least, it's open to debate.

My main problem with Redmond is his first instinct always seems to be to go back towards his own goal. I have my doubts about his pace, but if we assume he is indeed a pacey, tricky, player, then I would like to see him playing more to those strengths. He and Tadic both slow the game down, but the difference is I feel Tadic is usually waiting for a better forward option and his dallying on the ball is a result of waiting/looking for options. Of course, that doesn't mean he is always right to do it, and his delay in shooting is infuriating, but the overlapping full back seems to be the only forward option Redmond entertains. He is so hesitant about running AT defences, yet never hesitates to offload it backwards. It doesn't mean he never does anything good, of course he has his moments. When he played for Norwich and Birmingham I thought it was quite common to see him cutting in and unleashing a shot, but he doesn't do that very much now either. Maybe if he played on the right he'd take defenders on a bit more, and maybe he is simply following Pellegrino's cautious instructions. If so, that is a much more concerning issue. Just found what Alex McLeish said about Redmond after his debut: "He set it alight. I know we never had a full house, but the fans that were there warmed to him. His performance was very bright, quick, he got a couple of shots away. And it excited me. It was a really bright spark for us. Has he got a big future? It looks like it. He's electric. He's a right winger but he showed his versatility coming in off the left and going in and hitting shots. He was a handful for Rochdale. It was good to see somebody with a little bit of pace going by defenders." So many things in there suggest the player he should be for us, and a lot of it doesn't show at the moment.

I think assists are a bit of a misnoma at a low number. Sure, if someone has 17 assists in a season then they are obviously doing something right creatively. But to point to '2 assists' as a sign of being our best hope isn't much to go on. You can have an assist for passing the ball 5 yards before the receipient takes on 3 players and screams one into the top corner, and you might make a brilliant pass only for the forward to miss an open goal. Nothing wrong with stats to support an argument, but I think they need to be a bit more comprehensive - chances created, key passes, assists all together for example. I'm not saying this purely as an anti-Remond comment either - he created some good chances with crosses early in the game vs Newcastle that weren't put away.

This issue also hinders the effectiveness of playing two strikers. You need to be getting behind defences and putting balls across the face of goal for those two strikers (especially because none of our forwards are particularly strong in the air) to feed off.

I think it's wrong to say Boufal is a 'luxury' player who doesn't put a shift in. He does, I've seen him tracking back and winning the ball in defensive areas. For me, the RISK of including Boufal in the team is more that he is liable to give the ball away in dangerous areas or at an important time. Against Newcastle I thought his overall impact was good, BUT there were times when you thought "not there! get on with it!" and knowing when/where to pull out his tricks rather than direct running or making a pass seems to be the key thing he needs to work on. Having said that, he wouldn't have scored that amazing goal if he had "done the right thing" at the edge of his own box...

I wasn't necessarily equating Bellerin & Foster, merely giving an example of the 'there's contact' lunacy. However, while I do agree with your statement, just because someone is trying to commit a foul, it surely only becomes a foul once they make a significant obstruction to their opponent?

Hmmmm. Pace - I'm not actually so sure. People THINK he has pace, but I haven't seen much evidence of it. Ok, he's not slow, but I can't remember the last time I saw him chase down an opponent, or skin the full back in the way that Long does, who is genuinely fast. Dribble - yeah, he's not bad. He has quite quick feet, but he rarely bamboozles a defender in the way that Boufal or Tadic can/do. Beat players - As alluded to above, I don't think he does this very much, his approach tends to be run alongside them until he has space for a pass or shot. He rarely gets past them through skill or pace. Shoot - debatable. He's had lots of shots, but hasn't scored many. I think it's something he's capable of, and better than most others we have in the team, but that's not saying much. No-one could honestly claim he is a "long range threat". He's a decent finisher without being exceptional. Score vital goals - I don't think he has scored enough goals or enough vital goals to be able to say this one way or the other. Most goals are vital, we rarely thrash the opposition. He scored a vital goal against Liverpool in the semi final, but Long also scored in the 2nd leg, does this mean Long scores 'vital goals'? What about Yoshida? He's rescued a few points for us lately too? I admit/concur that Redmond showed some promise in the middle of last season, and I had hope that he would become a much better player than I ever thought he would. But he seems to have returned to how he was, and I don't know if that's more about how he is being coached/managed, or if it's just the average player he is. Either way he has frustrating this year.

Yep! And the comment of "there's contact" has become so commonplace with pundits that now fans seem to use it as well to justify diving, undeserved penalties etc. It's a contact sport for goodness sake. Bellerin's "foul" on Richarlison the other week a classic example. What are you meant to do as a full back when the winger knocks it on your outside, if turning and running alongside the winger towards the ball is going to end up with a penalty?