Goals

Where are they going to come from this season? I'm not writing Pelle and Long off (was playing RWB it seemed when he come on), but Pelle looked rather half arsed and Long did nothing.

No real danger from the midfield either apart from Prowseys free kick. Why was Taider not introduced instead of Cork. Certainly a strange one.

Hope we can get a confidence boost at Millwall as West Ham will be tough next week.

we have to hope Jrod comes back firing. AND he is used like he was last season

he was used as a 2nd striker coming in from the left mostly last year (not a left winger) and it worked very well

will RK use him like that? rodriguez always looked a little off the pace when used as a central striker for long periods

then again, after this summer, putting your hopes on rodriguez should not be happening but pelle fills me with zero confidence. its alright though, he is a step up from lambert (apparently)

Lawro called it!

I'll call it right now, there is not a player in that line-up that will exceed 5 league goals this season.

we have to hope Jrod comes back firing. AND he is used like he was last season

he was used as a 2nd striker coming in from the left mostly last year (not a left winger) and it worked very well

will RK use him like that? rodriguez always looked a little off the pace when used as a central striker for long periods

 

then again, after this summer, putting your hopes on rodriguez should not be happening but pelle fills me with zero confidence. its alright though, he is a step up from lambert (apparently)

Good analysis. We're relying on someone who has just buggered his knee....not ideal. Just no urgency, no danger, no high pressing like we're used to under Poch, everything just looked very laboured, almost like a pre season friendly.

Really hoping this is just a period of adjustment for Pelle and he'll come good.

Hope we bring in a good alternative too as i'm no fan of Long.

20M spent on that strike force is just a joke .

20m spent on our new strikers lol. Thats why I said on another thread that the people running our club are the problem they haven't a clue, you don't sell your 4 best players in the same transfer window.

This is the first season that I'm not excited about.

20m spent on our new strikers lol. Thats why I said on another thread that the people running our club are the problem they haven't a clue, you don't sell your 4 best players in the same transfer window.

This is the first season that I'm not excited about.

First season in a while. Seems to be very similar to a lot of others hence the drop in attendance.

First season in a while. Seems to be very similar to a lot of others hence the drop in attendance.

And mugging fans off with prices for an inferior product.

Could spend £100m on a new strike force, if they get no service the result is still the same.

Could spend £100m on a new strike force, if they get no service the result is still the same.

Pelle won one header today from what I could see and scuffed a decent chance in the first half.

Could spend £100m on a new strike force, if they get no service the result is still the same.

It's about the forwards movement aswell creating spaces?

To be honest, it's too early to go off on one about Pelle and knee-jerk about him not scoring any goals all year.

He was a bit of a comedy player today though, has to be said. Still needs time though.

To be honest, it's too early to go off on one about Pelle and knee-jerk about him not scoring any goals all year.

 

He was a bit of a comedy player today though, has to be said. Still needs time though.

Very rarely do you see a player so clearly not good enough. He really didn't show any sign today that there was even any potential there. He just looked incredibly poor.

20M spent on that strike force is just a joke .

I thought the joke were those in the crowd doing ironic cheers when Pelle won a ball.

I thought the joke were those in the crowd doing ironic cheers when Pelle won a ball.

This x100

I thought the joke were those in the crowd doing ironic cheers when Pelle won a ball.

I think we have been spoilt with Lambert winning virtually everything. Having said that, pelle stood out due to the sheer amount he didn't win.

I thought the joke were those in the crowd doing ironic cheers when Pelle won a ball.

This.

Our fans are morons

We could spend 100m and it still not be as good as last season, what we had you can't buy, it was a one off, that team went through L1 Champ together and had a special bond that takes time that you can't buy.

I will never forgive the board no matter what player we bring in. I loved that team we had.

In an attacking sense, the game didn't seem too dissimilar to several games last season where we were over-reliant on attacking down the flanks with no one prepared to drive forward with the ball through the middle (unless you pass the ball incredibly quickly, you still need players to run with the ball occasionally to commit opponents and create opportunities for overload). I also remember Lambert struggling more than once last season to win much in the air all game against industrial-strength CBs - more worrying was the fact that Pelle's touch on the ground looked ropey, which was very rarely the case with RL.

£20 million for Pelle and Long - that is a real indictment of Les Reed that is. Both players at 29 and 27 should be at the top of their games - but the sad truth is neither look anywhere near good enough for the premier league.

That's 3 games I've watched Pelle play now - and I'm worried - I see nothing from him to suggest he going to score goals for us. I want him to be good I really do as we really need someone to score goals. He seems to lack the aggression needed, not too mention the pace and movement.

And he's certainly not a replacement for Lambert - he's not going to drop deep or go wide and pick up the ball and play someone else in.

And Long gives you what I expected - running and work rate but that's about it. He not going to give you creativity or score goals. He's a championship striker really.

And other than as a hard running wide forward I'm not sure where he fits in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 - otherwise it's him or Pelle to lead the line and at £8 million and £12 million that's expensive substitutes.

Right now Gallagher looks a better bet than either of them.

I have a horrible feeling we'll end up sending them both out on loan to Italy and the Championship next season to get rid of them as we massively overpaid for them and we won't be able to sell them for anything like £20 million we paid for them. A bit like Osvaldo really - oh and Gaston.

At 29 and 27 there value is only going to go down. It's a £20 million mistake we can't afford.

We'd have been a lot better off buying young strikers like Ings, Guidetti and Castaignos foe a lot less money - with the chance they improve and go up in value.

I don't think we really had a transfer strategy this summer - more that we were bullied in to selling, went for the cash and then panic bought.

Worst attacking performance since Cardiff City at home at the end of last season.

Give them time to gell.

It not just the 20m on the two strikers, 10m on a keeper when all we needed was a 3m keeper as backup and use the other 7 somewhere else. They really don't have a clue.

Pelle is the clubs new Guly on that showing,

Can't believe we played 1 up front all game hoofing balls up to Pelle and he didn't win many headers at all Olsson and the other WBA defenders bossed him all game.

Need a winger desperately and another quality striker but time is running out

What is incredible about calling a poor performance poor and wondering about where the goals are going to come from?

To me, this seems a bit extreme...

Very rarely do you see a player so clearly not good enough. He really didn't show any sign today that there was even any potential there. He just looked incredibly poor.

Perhaps you should boo him next time, that might help?

He played poorly but the service to him was awful. Give the guy a chance.

Let's remember despite not a single person suggesting him on this forum all summer, as of the minute Sky Sports News said we'd put a bid in, Shane Long is basically the only forward we could have possibly bought in this window. So we had no choice but to buy Shane Long.

And Pelle? Koeman's call, and we have to keep hoping.

Very rarely do you see a player so clearly not good enough. He really didn't show any sign today that there was even any potential there. He just looked incredibly poor.

to be honest i agree here. i know i have only seen him in three games but a player that is the focal point of our attack to show so little is a real worry.

I felt he had a really poor touch, was immobile and very poor in the air. **** i miss Sir Rickie.

Forget the service he received, the ball never stuck when it was played into him and if he did maange to hold it up he seemed unable to pick a pass for the midfield if they did manage to support him.

i really hope he grows into the role but as yet i have not seen any signs that he is remotely decent. when osvaldo joined saints at least you could see there was some ability there regardless of whether he delivered or not

to be honest i agree here. i know i have only seen him in three games but a player that is the focal point of our attack to show so little is a real worry.

 

I felt he had a really poor touch, was immobile and very poor in the air. **** i miss Sir Rickie.

 

Forget the service he received, the ball never stuck when it was played into him and if he did maange to hold it up he seemed unable to pick a pass for the midfield if they did manage to support him.

 

i really hope he grows into the role but as yet i have not seen any signs that he is remotely decent. when osvaldo joined saints at least you could see there was some ability there regardless of whether he delivered or not

Yep that's a very accurate view IMO. A shame a few posters on here find that view offensive and have to make pathetic comments.

We missed Lallana so much today.

Watching Everton beat Arsenal , how come they did not sell all their team this summer ?

Worst attacking performance since Cardiff City at home at the end of last season.

Give them time to gell.

You're not allowed to point out that a Pochettino team featuring all the crown jewels (which have been replaced by all this apparent dross), was capable of performances no better than that we put in today, especially as Cardiff beat us.

Defence play was good the rest was utter crap. Long season ahead chaps

Some of you guys are giving Pelle the "Ricky van Wolfswinkel Award" a bit early.

Some of you guys are giving Pelle the "Ricky van Wolfswinkel Award" a bit early.

Again, where has anyone said pelle will never come good? I think everyone has commented on how poor he has been so far. Doesn't mean he can't turn it around next week, just means he has been very poor thus far.

Some of you guys are giving Pelle the "Ricky van Wolfswinkel Award" a bit early.

Norwich have bought some good strikers this season though.

We could spend 100m and it still not be as good as last season, what we had you can't buy, it was a one off, that team went through L1 Champ together and had a special bond that takes time that you can't buy.

I will never forgive the board no matter what player we bring in. I loved that team we had.

No it didn't. Some players were there and in the third division and were discarded when we started climbing. Others were either brought in to strengthen the team, or developed through the academy and were ready to step up when we reached the Premiership. Of those we sold, Lallana and Lambert were playing for us in the third division, but Shaw, Chambers and Lovren weren't.

Money can't buy players like that? Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal have just bought them, but they paid through the nose for these unique players. And I bet that you would forgive the board if we finished higher than last year. But you would have forgotten your emotional outburst at the start of the season.

To me, this seems a bit extreme...

 

 

 

Perhaps you should boo him next time, that might help?

 

He played poorly but the service to him was awful. Give the guy a chance.

Why are you talking about booing? And how does commenting on his performances so far translate to not giving him a chance? IMO he was awful today, that doesn't mean I won't be desperate for him to be great next week. Odd that you think that is the case.

how does commenting on his performances so far translate to not giving him a chance?

Err... From your quote "Very rarely do you see a player so clearly not good enough."

He may end up being absolute dogshiit, but 3 poor matches is too early to write him off.

But hey, you paid to be there so you are entitled to vent spleen.

Everyone is willing and wants him to be amazing, he's shown nothing so far, but every saints fan would rather he was amazing than not. Just looks way off the pace and not likely to influence the game. Rickie had some shockers last year also when he couldn't get in the game, but he always caused oppo's problems.

I'll call it right now, there is not a player in that line-up that will exceed 5 league goals this season.

You are very wrong. But I called it already for over 10 goals in the match thread.

Err... From your quote "Very rarely do you see a player so clearly not good enough."

 

He may end up being absolute dogshiit, but 3 poor matches is too early to write him off.

He may be great next week. Nothing from his performances so far make that particularly likely.

Why are you talking about booing? And how does commenting on his performances so far translate to not giving him a chance? IMO he was awful today, that doesn't mean I won't be desperate for him to be great next week. Odd that you think that is the case.

Was Bertrand rubbish? You made your judgement on him before he had even kicked a ball for us, so we ought to be grateful that you have allowed Pelle to play before delivering the same verdict.

Everyone is willing and wants him to be amazing, he's shown nothing so far, but every saints fan would rather he was amazing than not. Just looks way off the pace and not likely to influence the game. Rickie had some shockers last year also when he couldn't get in the game, but he always caused oppo's problems.

Yep. Was really willing him to be decent today.

He may be great next week. Nothing from his performances so far make that particularly likely.

This point I'll concede

We could spend 100m and it still not be as good as last season, what we had you can't buy, it was a one off, that team went through L1 Champ together and had a special bond that takes time that you can't buy.

I will never forgive the board no matter what player we bring in. I loved that team we had.

Post of the year, well said that man!

Watching Everton beat Arsenal , how come they did not sell all their team this summer ?

Because they pay players £60k+ a week and have European football. And they didn't beat Arsenal.

Because they pay players £60k+ a week and have European football. And they didn't beat Arsenal.

How much is gaston on?

Didn't realise the Europa league is a huge draw

How much is gaston on?

Didn't realise the Europa league is a huge draw

I don't know, do you?

It's European football which is a bigger draw for players than a team not playing European football.

Stop being such a dick.

Tbh, I'm pretty sure that if Cortese and Poch had stayed, then so would the majority of our players.

Anyway, that argument has been done methinks.