What has gone wrong?

First 11 games

W6 D4 L1

Goals against 5

Last 17

W4 D5 L8

Goals against 30

Out of both cups

First 11 games

 

W6 D4 L1

Goals against 5

 

Last 17

 

W4 D5 L8

Goals against 30

Out of both cups

Cortese quit because he didn't fancy working with the ice-hockey guy, look no further. Oh yes and a few injuries, the odd training ground bust up and a couple of offers turned down for players who actually wanted to leave I expect.

Not scoring. Injuries. Tiredness plus having less to play for. All factors. Let's not forget te fixture list was VERY kind to us at the start of the season.

That would be around October then that the demise set in..........was that not when Cortese said he was off?? This has been our pinnacle season. We will now drift in to obscurity and our best players will leave.

We're still 9th.

Been a great season IMO.

First 11 games

 

W6 D4 L1

Goals against 5

 

Last 17

 

W4 D5 L8

Goals against 30

Out of both cups

Injuries piled up, run of more difficult games, defending got disjointed, our chief exec resigned and Osvaldo was a ****, and now forgotten how to score. Yet we're still in the top 10.

Saints. Success against adversity.

Yet another negative opening thread by Glasgow he must be in dreamland. Keep to your agenda

Injuries? Doesnt every club have injuries?

We just seem to have gone backwards

Whats happened to the high press btw?

Has mopo simply lost interest?

Injuries? Doesnt every club have injuries?

 

We just seem to have gone backwards

 

Whats happened to the high press btw?

 

Has mopo simply lost interest?

Of course we've gone backwards, look at the record after 11 games.

Injuries matter when you're squad is not strong enough.

High press was used today, to good effect in the first half.

Has been a good season but I feel the pressing game is not the right approach against teams in the top half of the table. Kind of need a plan b from the start of games when playing the quality teams. Looks like the players find the approach too gruelling to apply.

We were back in form after the New Year however we killed our momentum with the Sunderland game and haven't recovered since. The inexperience in our team at this level (both with respect to the age of players and only being in the league for less than two seasons) means we are very much a momentum team to whom goals and then results have a big impact.

Quite simply we messed up the Sunderland game and are now experiencing the hangover. Not in terms of overall performance as I think we're performing at a good level but when it comes to the crunch and the moments that decide games we're not on it unless we have some momentum behind us.

Osvaldo situation has hurt us. We're crying out for an alternate option to Rickie, but we just don't have that.

I agree momentum was killed by that cup game.

However I also think there is something wrong with the balance of the team.

Sir Rickie seems the focal point but when he has an off day we really lack threat up front. His game is to hold the ball up and bring others into the game but I think as the game is so fast it passes him by a lot of the time. He doesnt really get a chance to get into forward positions. It is down to Jay Rod and Lallana to do the running. It would be nice to have another player like Jay up front. Sort of like how Liverpool play. Two pacey strikers who harrass you into miatakes.

Osvaldo situation has hurt us. We're crying out for an alternate option to Rickie, but we just don't have that.

And when he was here, he seldom looked the answer.

A single moment of sublime ability v Man City, but for the rest of it he simply didn't seem to give a sh!t and was thinking of exiting.

It's just the life of a midtable side. Good spells and bad spells.

Otherwise we would be further up the table fighting for Europe which we all know is ridiculous.

Nothing to cry about but that could change in the summer.

Genuine question, is Glasgow Saint better known as the Devil's Advocate of the forum? Seems that way at least.

Always questioning absolutely everything, much of the time seemingly for the sake of it (unless he literally has nothing else better to do?!). Many contradictions I've seen in his posting too.

Sorry, maybe it's just his 'opinion', but it's clearly provocative and seeking people to bite. Boring as ****. It is a genuine shame what has happened to this place - used to love reading it, now just find myself bored as **** with all the constant pedantry and bickering.

Nothing to cry about but that could change in the summer.

For better or for worse though.

Lack of strikers killer instinct. End of.

Injuries? Doesnt every club have injuries?

 

We just seem to have gone backwards

 

Whats happened to the high press btw?

 

Has mopo simply lost interest?

all clubs have injuries but not at same time

Lack of strikers killer instinct. End of.

1000% this

We were back in form after the New Year however we killed our momentum with the Sunderland game and haven't recovered since. The inexperience in our team at this level (both with respect to the age of players and only being in the league for less than two seasons) means we are very much a momentum team to whom goals and then results have a big impact.

 

Quite simply we messed up the Sunderland game and are now experiencing the hangover. Not in terms of overall performance as I think we're performing at a good level but when it comes to the crunch and the moments that decide games we're not on it unless we have some momentum behind us.

Too true.

Mid table teams run out of steam at this point in the season, regardless of whether or not they are in the cup or not.

Swansea (cup winners) and West Brom (nothing in the cups) both has similarly drab and lifeless ends to the season last year, yet still managed to finish 8th/9th as we will. Not being in the cup is not the match-winning wonder drug some on here seemed to think it was a couple of weeks ago. Basically we should have bloody tried at Sunderland. As most of us know.

We'll finish ninth or eighth whatever from here. We've got the wins in us to do it.

Let's just get some of these boys to Brazil.

The season has lost it's point and momentum, there's very little to play for now. People who weren't too worried about the Cup game need to look now, a performance like that will take ages and ages and ages to lift away.

We've lost confidence, belief, momentum from that result and performance. We should have just gone for it, and the argument that we rested players for the league has back fired emphatically.

The season has been a good year for sure, but my overriding feeling will be of frustration as this is easily the best team we've had in my lifetime and the best team we'll ever probably see down there. We should have made more of the year rather than just a 9th placed finish.

Midtable inertia..............there will be teams above and below between now and end of the season who NEED the points and have hunger and desire.

Saints are pretty much where they will be come the end of season with little to play for. Add to that those hoping to go to Brazil wishing not to get a injury and you have the current scenario which may not get any better!

Nothing to play for? Think mopo is desperate for top 8

Losing Lovren when we did and Boruc cost us dear.

We don't have a deep squad.

We need competition in a couple of places:

left back, up front and centre back.

It's a shame. We could easily have been challenging for 4th/5th this year with a bit more luck...

We didn't deserve to lose 3-0 tonight, far from it. But the difference is clinical finishing and has been for a while.

That would be improved with confidence (which would be improved by not giving up on two cups) and with more competition up front...

After 19 games, the half way point, we had 27 points.

In the return fixtures we are now 5 points worse off (although obviously home/away is not factored in).

I would expect us to rally and get around 48 points which should secure a top half finish.

Personally I agree with the Osvaldo factor thread OP, that we needed a quality striker to finish all our good build up play and Osvaldo has miserably failed us.

I thought it was when wanyama was injured that we lost that momentum.

Same as last season when we reached a certain point. We need to get away from this way of thinking and look to push on.

If we are going to stop playing 100% when we reach a certain point of the season 'safe point' then at least play some of the youth players.

It does not help that there is not to much pressure from below us, but this could change if we do not pick up some points soon, as the 9th spot could be lost and even a top half finish!

Same as last season when we reached a certain point. We need to get away from this way of thinking and look to push on.

 

If we are going to stop playing 100% when we reach a certain point of the season 'safe point' then at least play some of the youth players.

 

It does not help that there is not to much pressure from below us, but this could change if we do not pick up some points soon, as the 9th spot could be lost and even a top half finish!

We are NOT safe yet.

Genuine question, is Glasgow Saint better known as the Devil's Advocate of the forum? Seems that way at least.

 

Always questioning absolutely everything, much of the time seemingly for the sake of it (unless he literally has nothing else better to do?!). Many contradictions I've seen in his posting too.

 

Sorry, maybe it's just his 'opinion', but it's clearly provocative and seeking people to bite. Boring as ****. It is a genuine shame what has happened to this place - used to love reading it, now just find myself bored as **** with all the constant pedantry and bickering.

WHS

MoPo screwed up over the Sunderland game selection for the FA Cup, failed to admit it and we now have nothing to play for.

Pew will finish 11th or 12th IMHO.

I'm a huge MP fan, and think he has done wonders for our club, and nothing would please me more if I woke up tomorrow morning to hear that he had just signed a 5 year contract. But it is quite clear now he wants to leave, the passion is no longer there, (the FA cup game and still not speaking English to the media proves that) and he should do right by the club by stepping down now so we can plan for next season.

I'm a huge MP fan, and think he has done wonders for our club, and nothing would please me more if I woke up tomorrow morning to hear that he had just signed a 5 year contract. But it is quite clear now he wants to leave, the passion is no longer there, (the FA cup game and still not speaking English to the media proves that) and he should do right by the club by stepping down now so we can plan for next season.

He might want his top 8 bonus 1st.... Honestly think thats all he stayed for (after NC left)

His loyalty was to NC not club, fans, players or owners

First 11 games

 

W6 D4 L1

Goals against 5

 

Last 17

 

W4 D5 L8

Goals against 30

Out of both cups[/QUOTe)

 

 

has'n't this been discussed before Glasgow?........but once more ....for good measure

 

in the first 11 games we had (arguably) our best start side, hence the highly encouraging start + a favourable set of early season fixtures.

 

Artur Boruc broke his hand in the Chelsea game (score was 1-1, but we lost 3-1 ) and he was out for 6 weeks - in which time we played 7 matches but won only ONE. No suitable replacement keeper.

Morgan Schneiderlin was injured in the same game and missed 3 following games. He was chosen for the Spurs (h) game, but we missed Luke Shaw who was ill (Fox subbed - say no more.)

Victor Wanyama was injured in the next game Villa (h) and missed the following 9 games. Although he is back he doesn't look anything like properly match fit

Nathaniel Clyne was injured in the same game (Villa) and although Chambers has done a great job whilst NC has been oput, it obviously made some difference.

Dejan Lovren was injured in the game at Sunderland and missed the following 5 league games, and he doesn't look nearly as good as his "old self " either.

 

We have scored only 4 goals in the last 4 league games and only one has been scored by a striker (Lambert) v. Stoke (h). The others seems to have "gone off the boil "- not uncommon for strikers.

 

I know (like me) you appreciate stats. but I think the sum total of these absences is the major reason behind our recent decline - or maybe you didn't agree?.

 

We have one of the smallest squads in the Prem. (Lallana stated in BBC England press conference ) that we have depended on " only 16 regulars " this season (and two or three of those are Prem standard -are they?)

 

I'd also suggest that our double-trained " super-fit players " who began the season - almost 30 games ago - have wilted a little ... as they maybe Saints' ....but they are not Supermen.

 

Whatever it is that we agree.." has gone wrong"... it's surely the factor that we have very few /almost no suitable players to choose from in case of injury / loss of form - (we see above - such things occur)

and one or two seem to be carrying injuries..... unlike Chelsea / Arsenal / Man City ....who are (apparantly) capable of changing out half the side every week without any loss of momentum or form.

There seems to be alot of sensitivity about Mopo criticism... Im not sure why? praise when things are good (like i do) but dont be afraid to question and challenge when things arent so good.

Mopos Saints career can be split into 4 parts

Part 1: his first 10 games W4 D3 L3 rating 6/10

Part 2: last 6 of the season W0 D4 L2 rating 2/10

Part 3: first 11 this season W6 D4 L1 rating 8/10

Part 4: last 18 games W4 D5 L9 (plus out of both cups) rating 2/10

Overall 18/40

You should post up your pie charts again. You know, the ones where you concluded that you make, on average, 4 posts per non-match day.

That's where 'it' went wrong I believe.

There seems to be alot of sensitivity about Mopo criticism... Im not sure why? praise when things are good (like i do) but dont be afraid to question and challenge when things arent so good.

 

Mopos Saints career can be split into 4 parts

 

Part 1: his first 10 games W4 D3 L3 rating 6/10

Part 2: last 6 of the season W0 D4 L2 rating 2/10

Part 3: first 11 this season W6 D4 L1 rating 8/10

Part 4: last 18 games W4 D5 L9 (plus out of both cups) rating 2/10

 

Overall 18/40

I think we need a more scientific analysis than this. Can you please rate each game separately, taking in to account quality of available squad, quality of opposition, home/away, fixture congestion, importance of competition and consider both overall performance as well as final result. Please also factor in the impact of a positive or poor run on team morale and how this will have affected the management skills required. Can you show all your workings, in order to demonstrate the full extent of the applied statistical rigour. Will check thread again tomorrow - thanks.

....also think that tactically we surprised teams at the start of the season... and the better teams probably didn't bother looking at our tactics as they just assumed that they would walk all over us... unfortunately think there is an element where teams have worked out how to play us (another downside in that we don't really have other players to bring on.. to vary the tactics much)....add that to the injuries.. and we're not playing with the same confidence we had before....

....also think that tactically we surprised teams at the start of the season... and the better teams probably didn't bother looking at our tactics as they just assumed that they would walk all over us... unfortunately think there is an element where teams have worked out how to play us (another downside in that we don't really have other players to bring on.. to vary the tactics much)....add that to the injuries.. and we're not playing with the same confidence we had before....

Weve only beaten a top 10 side once this season. Suggests the better teams worked us out long ago

First 11 games

 

W6 D4 L1

Goals against 5

 

Last 17

 

W4 D5 L8

Goals against 30

Out of both cups

Loving the stats.

Any chance you can break down your last 28 posts into the following:

1. General fishing/wind up.

2. Mopo bashing.

Shouldn't take too long. Feel free to split the results into 2 random samples, say around 11 posts.

Loving the stats.

Any chance you can break down your last 28 posts into the following:

1. General fishing/wind up.

2. Mopo bashing.

Shouldn't take too long. Feel free to split the results into 2 random samples, say around 11 posts.

Come on a thread named "what's gone wrong" then moan about people questioning and "mopo bashing"

Do you go to the strippers and moan about nudity?

I have little doubt if and when MP has gone he will go from a genius manager got us playing fantastic football, getting the best out of all of our players and irreplaceable. To being a clueless dago who was not the man to take us to the next level, couldn't get the best out of Ramirez, Clyne, Wanayama, Lambert, out of his depth against teams in the top half, a bit of a one trick pony, no plan b. the new guy will be the best manager we've ever had and the guy to take us to the next level, establish is as a top 6 club etc etc. take about 5 weeks I reckon. Perhaps a bit longer if it happens early in the summer.

Come on a thread named "what's gone wrong" then moan about people questioning and "mopo bashing"

 

Do you go to the strippers and moan about nudity?

So what's the solution?

Come on a thread named "what's gone wrong" then moan about people questioning and "mopo bashing"

 

Do you go to the strippers and moan about nudity?

It's not "people" questioning and mopo bashing. It's you. Again. And again. I do not think he is perfect and am all for looking at areas we can improve as a club, but do you actually support Saints? Do you actually watch us? Do you expect us to win 38 out of 38? Why is it you feel the need to constantly criticize? And before you say it, you don't have to be a clapper. Just a bit of balance would be good.

It's not "people" questioning and mopo bashing. It's you. Again. And again. I do not think he is perfect and am all for looking at areas we can improve as a club, but do you actually support Saints? Do you actually watch us? Do you expect us to win 38 out of 38? Why is it you feel the need to constantly criticize? And before you say it, you don't have to be a clapper. Just a bit of balance would be good.

Thats the thing - I do praise. But only when appropriate and not unconditionally.

If a striker scores a couple I will praise, but if they then go 18 games without scoring I will question why.

We are on our worst run of results for over 4 years - but Im a "troll" for questioning why?

Thats the thing - I do praise. But only when appropriate and not unconditionally.

 

If a striker scores a couple I will praise, but if they then go 18 games without scoring I will question why.

 

We are on our worst run of results for over 4 years - but Im a "troll" for questioning why?

First 11 games

 

W6 D4 L1

Goals against 5

 

Last 17

 

W4 D5 L8

Goals against 30

Out of both cups

Two ways of dealing with this:

#1

or #2

Make your choice.

I have little doubt if and when MP has gone he will go from a genius manager got us playing fantastic football, getting the best out of all of our players and irreplaceable. To being a clueless dago who was not the man to take us to the next level, couldn't get the best out of Ramirez, Clyne, Wanayama, Lambert, out of his depth against teams in the top half, a bit of a one trick pony, no plan b. the new guy will be the best manager we've ever had and the guy to take us to the next level, establish is as a top 6 club etc etc. take about 5 weeks I reckon. Perhaps a bit longer if it happens early in the summer.

classic SWF

Doesn’t speak English -

Now: Genius, leaves other managers guessing and air of mystery

When he's gone: Lazy, was never intending to stay, no loyalty and one of the worst win percentages of all managers in UK

you just make things fit to your agenda, a closet Skate and out to make mischief.

Our worst run of results for over 4 years - and Im a skate and a wum for questioning?

Our worst run of results for over 4 years - and Im a skate and a wum for questioning?

We're in the highest position we have been in over the last 10 years