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Stoke v Saints Match Thread


ALWAYS_SFC

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I assume people realise that Stoke have the same number of defensive midfielders and defenders that they started the game with? Just because a team is one attacking player short it doesn't magically make their defence any more penetratable.

 

Not quite. It means we should be able to sacrifice a defender or get the defence to hold a higher line - all of which should benefit our attack.

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True, but we did penetrate their defence when Rodriguez missed another absolute sitter.

I'm not saying their defence is impenetrable, just that losing an attacking player doesn't make any difference to how easy it is to score against a team intent on defending a point.

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I assume people realise that Stoke have the same number of defensive midfielders and defenders that they started the game with? Just because a team is one attacking player short it doesn't magically make their defence any more penetratable.

 

No, but it damages their ability to win or retain the ball, as we've seen tonight. That means we have more of the ball, and therefore more time to attack. We tried to launch countless attacks tonight but could hardly string anything together. That is a serious problem.

 

As someone here mentioned earlier, at the start of the season it was a case of missing chances. That was a problem with individuals and their finishing. Now we're not creating anything, and that's worrying.

 

It's not the end of the world - we've always struggled to break down teams who are determined to defend - but that really was clueless.

Edited by DuncanRG
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So where does the problem lie? It's either with the board or with Puel. It's not the players fault if they're not good enough but if the squad is not up to it then it's down to Les and if they're not playing to their potential it's Claude. What is it because it's one of them?

 

Primarily the Board who are trying to do things on the cheap. Les for going along with it. Puel has only just arrived at the club and so probably give him the benefit of the doubt.

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We could have anyone up front, they will not score with the lack of imagination we have behind them. Too ponderous and slow. The only times we got in was when we played with pace and got in behind down the left, it didn't happen enough, and it was probably the easiest defensive performance stoke will have all season.

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Let the slagging continue

 

A point at Stoke under normal circumstances is a good result, but when the opposition goes to 10 men mid way through the first half, that's not a chance that comes along very often and we have to make the most of it.

 

We spent most of the game in their third and failed to create anything of note. Sometimes a team defends well and deserves credit - indeed Stoke have come to St Mary's before and done so - but this was a sickenly inept performance in the attacking third.

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We need a striker - but the lack of intent, confidence, creativity and movement is clear to see, whenever Redmond or Boufal do something decent they have little or no options, once again Boufal is our best player by a country mile, shame those around him can't muster up any ambition.
We have a striker, he just misses open goals every match.
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Puel has to go. Fed up with him and his negative crap. He set us up for a 0-0 and did nothing to change when it was against 10 men for over 70 minutes. We've had a problem creating chances and scoring for months and he hasn't shown he has the nous to change our system or alter the fact we are woefully inept going forward. Tonight we kept getting it wide and crossing into the box? Played into Stokes hands. Didn't win a header. These players haven't become bad overnight, so you have to ask questions of the clown in charge.

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A point at Stoke under normal circumstances is a good result, but when the opposition goes to 10 men mid way through the first half, that's not a chance that comes along very often and we have to make the most of it.

 

We spent most of the game in their third and failed to create anything of note. Sometimes a team defends well and deserves credit - indeed Stoke have come to St Mary's before and done so - but this was a sickenly inept performance in the attacking third.

 

A little ott but agree we could not find a way to break them down... as seems to be a pattern... lack of incisive movement

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Seriously cack. I really feel sorry for everyone that is paying good money to go and watch a dull, lifeless, boring, toothless team week in week out.

 

Puel has them playing some seriously dull football. Sidewards, backwards, cross to a team of midgets and don't get players in the box. Enough of this defensive s***e - take some chances and play attacking, entertaining football. This season, bar a couple of games, has been soporific.

 

JRod, Long and Redmond are woeful.

 

We desperately need a striker and even getting one we should recall Gallagher because our strike force is a f*****g disgrace and could not hit a barn door from 3 yards out.

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I thought it was a decent game and an improvement on some of our performances lately. We just need to be a bit braver and stop swinging the ball in. We have Tadic, Boufal, Redmond and Bertrand all capable of making low passes to players making runs into the box. Trouble is, JWP and Davis don't believe they will score and wont make those runs.

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Puel has to go. Fed up with him and his negative crap. He set us up for a 0-0 and did nothing to change when it was against 10 men for over 70 minutes. We've had a problem creating chances and scoring for months and he hasn't shown he has the nous to change our system or alter the fact we are woefully inept going forward. Tonight we kept getting it wide and crossing into the box? Played into Stokes hands. Didn't win a header. These players haven't become bad overnight, so you have to ask questions of the clown in charge.

 

Don't be silly. Puel has to improve and we have to improve, but he's not a clown.

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I don't know what Puel is training but the play clearly lacks fluidity, the players look like decent players who have no understanding between each other and very little team spirit, there's no real togetherness. I don't think the players believe in Puel as they did Koeman, that's not to say Puel should be gone or whatever but whatever they're training away from the games it clearly isn't in the way of getting the best out of our players, our players ALWAYS look for safe options, if there's a pass there's no movement after it and if there is it's only one person doing it, meaning we're so easy to mark as we're predictable and one paced. Our ambition to get the ball down the flanks doesn't work as we have no aerial presence, we'll splutter our way to a mid-table finish. Our defence is excellent but without Fonte and VVD that could change very quickly.

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