Saints 0 Stoke 0 Match Reaction

In a word Frustrating...... dull comes to mind too

Played well, but as usual we were toothless. JayRod is finished as a premier league footballer IMO.

The new Southampton Way is impotent football

We must have at least 1 signing ready to walk through the door when the window opens, unless we plan on picking random people out of the crowd to play up front.

Dull as dishwasher

Get this clown out

Only got ourselves to blame for not winning that. I'd of taken a point before hand but it does feel like a pretty crap result at the moment.

All fart no ****.

Rodriguez's miss is worse than Sundays one.

Dull as dishwasher

 

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Confession time mate..

Oh we're dull alright - combination of fatigue, missing Austin's ability to find space in the box, some dodgy finishing and Stoke defending well equals the usual stuff.

Being sponsored by Virgin sort of sums it all up for me......

In a word Frustrating...... dull comes to mind too

Not "dull", completely dominant but lacking a cutting edge.

If Boufal had shot rather than crossed for Rodriguez we'd have won that.

Played well, but as usual we were toothless. JayRod is finished as a premier league footballer IMO.

Can't believe he missed that, the 2nd open goal from a foot away from the goal line he's missed in 2 games.

Dull as dishwasher

 

Get this clown out

 

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I've cleaned up on my insurance bet. £273 :-) :-) :-)

It's infuriating to watch us at the moment. Everything is really good up until the final third when it looks like we're making it up and hoping something happens. That's not good enough. I'm bored. Bored of watching the same sideways passing so a cross can be shoved into the box at the exact moment the defence is waiting for it. Bored of players afraid to try and make something happen. Bored of watching a team who average under a goal a game.

For the money spent on the squad to end up with the three strikers we have is pathetic.

I'd be less mad if we were ****, but as a team we're really solid but in the final third it would be more humane of me to shove rusty nails in my eyes than continue to subdue them to this garbage. It's awful and anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly mental.

What's our minutes per goal stat this year? Must be up around 200

World Class in sideways passing.

Missing Pelle and Mane.

We're still in the top half of the table.

19 more 0-0 results should see us safe. I assume this is Puel and the Board's plan !

Claude will be delighted - he'll have plotted all week for a draw and that's exactly what he got. Is he completely incapable of getting these players to move into space and get between the lines? That's how you open up stubborn defences and create chances not by floating in a series of crosses when you have no forwards who carry much of an aerial threat. Absolutely played into their hands and threw away what would and should have been an important victory.

I've been critical of Puel for playing dull football but I can't fault him much tonight. For the first hour I thought we played with a pretty good intensity and tempo but we have a huge problem in that only Boufal and occasionally Redmond are willing to take players on. When a team is as well set up as Stoke were tonight then we have to take more risks and that means the likes of Davis and JWP doing more than moving the ball sideways. They have to make runs into the box, attempt more probing passes, take a few more shots. They worked hard tonight but we need more from them, and at some point you have to just accept that they will never change. We desperately need to start looking for a different type of midfielder, because we keep buying and producing boring midfielders without the ability to do something different.

The positive is Boufal is looking like a seriously good player

Shower of s**t up-front.

Diabolical.

Couldn't score with a million pounds in a debt ridden backstreet brothel.

Maybe they could put a movie on the on the screens for the next home game so the fans get something to see for the ticket price?

Played well, but as usual we were toothless. JayRod is finished as a premier league footballer IMO.

Or he could have scored twice tonight with anything resembling a bit of luck - the one that went through his legs he couldn't even see behind the defender, and had it hit anything he'd have scored. And that one against Hull that hit him in the face, yeesh.

A little more concerned about our general movement in the box, though Long wasn't much better, and the midfield and full backs cutting back and waiting too long to play through balls and crosses have to take some blame. We managed to attack for almost 90 minutes without creating much.

Still, it's hardly a surprise we're looking jaded after the 8th game in 26 days.

19 more 0-0 results should see us safe. I assume this is Puel and the Board's plan !

if only you were joking

Beforehand a point would have been an ok result.

After Arnautovic went loony and put them down to 10 men for the bulk of the game we were just dire in an attacking sense.

- Bad decision making. Boufal not shooting, davis not pulling the ball back to Tadic when he would have had time and space in box to shoot.

- A pathalogical timidity in our attacking play. No one wants to take a man on, no one wants to play a quick ball through the middle. Few people want to shoot. This means we end up slow shifting the ball backwards and widewards. I think Austin would have done nothing with that service today.

- Cowardly management. Why take off an attacker Long when opposition are sitting in for a point. Why not play Long and Jrod, are we not allowed to have more than one man in the box(as it seemed) at any point in the night.

Mom Bertrand, the one player who made runs, took men on, took responsibility to have a shot.

Awful 2nd half, same old slow dirge...even worse against 10 men. No positives to take from this game.

Puel can go on about scoring from all areas but our central midfield contribute nothing in terms of goals and the attacking midfielders do not score enough regularly. Our strikers are hopeless!

19 more 0-0 results should see us safe. I assume this is Puel and the Board's plan !

Shame then we failed to manage that against Beer Sheva in the Europa League last week then....

Not "dull", completely dominant but lacking a cutting edge.

 

If Boufal had shot rather than crossed for Rodriguez we'd have won that.

Boufal put it on a plate for Rodriguez, creating a far easier chance.

Dull as dishwasher

 

Get this clown out

 

19 more 0-0 results should see us safe. I assume this is Puel and the Board's plan !

Are you two aware we are 9th? 2 points away from 7th.

(what do you actually gain from posting endless drivel like this for the last 10 years?)

I am so frustrated with our non goal scoring midfield, a game like required Davis or JWP to push on with the ball into the box instead of us pushing it out wide and crossing it in.

Just gonna put the stats of the last 3 full seasons here for both of them.

I think we actually do need Gallagher back, the situation is becoming that dire now.

Beforehand a point would have been an ok result.

 

After Arnautovic went loony and put them down to 10 men for the bulk of the game we were just dire in an attacking sense.

 

- Bad decision making. Boufal not shooting, davis not pulling the ball back to Tadic when he would have had time and space in box to shoot.

- A pathalogical timidity in our attacking play. No one wants to take a man on, no one wants to play a quick ball through the middle. Few people want to shoot. This means we end up slow shifting the ball backwards and widewards. I think Austin would have done nothing with that service today.

- Cowardly management. Why take off an attacker Long when opposition are sitting in for a point. Why not play Long and Jrod, are we not allowed to have more than one man in the box(as it seemed) at any point in the night.

 

Mom Bertrand, the one player who made runs, took men on, took responsibility to have a shot.

We took plenty of players on all match long - Redmond, Boufal, Tadic all went past people - it's what happens after that that's the problem.

I thought the subs were a bit samey too, Didn't need Romeu on there for the last 20 minutes, especially on a yellow and surprised he went like for like instead of bringing on an extra person to try and find in the area.

4 goals in our last 8 league games. Only Boro have scored less goals than us this season.

Miserable. Dour and predictable football, going nowhere, an abject lack of quality up front. And a manager who continued to play three negative central midfielders for the whole game, in spite of facing 10 men for 70 minutes.

Why did he make like for like substitutions when bringing on Tadic and Rodriguez? Was he scared we'd be overrun with an extra attacker on?

I suppose we would've taken a point before the game, but there are worryingly few signs of improvement in the team after six months of the Puel revolution.

We're still in the top half of the table.

And we're not going down. And our defence is top drawer. A decent striker away from being a very good side. Eaarly goals, or confidence that someone will put chances away and we'd see more fluidity.

Tonight was poor again and frankly I was pleased to not suffer an ignominious defeat after all that possession.

Let's all drink in the "a point at Stoke is a decent point" Kool-Aid.

Same old story. Keep possesion and have no clue what to do with it. Only one team has scored less than us. Two wins from the last 8. God knows how we are 9th.

We have some really difficult games coming up now so I suspect we won't be there for long. Unless we can start scoring goals of course.

4 goals scored in last 8 prem games says it all.

Not unlucky, not a one-off.

Has to be down to our tactical approach. Surely we should have sacrificed a midfielder during second half rather than like for like subs given our dominance?

Are you two aware we are 9th? 2 points away from 7th.

 

(what do you actually gain from posting endless drivel like this for the last 10 years?)

We ARE currently dull and boring, irrespective of league position. It's almost certainly because the players are knackered, but even so.

Maybe you can explain the relevance of league position to entertainment value?

We're not going down, we're safe, but he's f*cking boring.

Our central midfield won't contribute goals as they're all the same sort of player. Some of our main issues right now:

- Midfield is too much of the same. Players happy in possession but not risk takers

- Lack of pace and direct running in between the lines.

- The build up is too slow, which enables the opposition to get themselves set and defend the spaces.

- No one taking risks, players too cautious (not just the CM's). Happy to play another pass rather than taking attacking responsibility themselves.

I'd buy an attacking central midfield player and play one of those in midfield, someone who is happy to burst between the lines and take risks and gambles. The calls for a striker is obvious as we don't score goals, but that's not just because we're missing chances. It's more to it than just not having a 'striker'. We could do with a focal point though, someone who we can build the play around in the final third.

I mean it's not all bad, as we're still top half, very good in defense, but you do pay to watch football and be entertained. We are so pointless to watch. the GD says it all really.

I'd start Olomola on Sunday. Massively untested and very raw but he can't be any worse than the other 2 clowns we have.

Shame then we failed to manage that against Beer Sheva in the Europa League last week then....

We save our best for the league ! LOL

We looked more likely to win before the red card. We started off well but once Stoke went down to 10 men and sat deep we had no ideas. We really need to work on what we do in around the box. Endless crossing seems pointless.

Are you two aware we are 9th? 2 points away from 7th.

 

 

(what do you actually gain from posting endless drivel like this for the last 10 years?)

Oh do be quiet you odd ball.

I've cleaned up on my insurance bet. £273 :-) :-) :-)

But back to his point. It's hard not trying argue is it.

We ARE currently dull and boring, irrespective of league position. It's almost certainly because the players are knackered, but even so.

How can they be knackered? 8 games in 26 days or whatever it is but how many individual players have actually played 8 games in 26 days?

4 goals in our last 8 league games. Only Boro have scored less goals than us this season.

 

Miserable. Dour and predictable football, going nowhere, an abject lack of quality up front. And a manager who continued to play three negative central midfielders for the whole game, in spite of facing 10 men for 70 minutes.

 

Why did he make like for like substitutions when bringing on Tadic and Rodriguez? Was he scared we'd be overrun with an extra attacker on?

 

I suppose we would've taken a point before the game, but there are worryingly few signs of improvement in the team after six months of the Puel revolution.

The overriding theme of this season is that we are just incredibly boring to watch. I almost feel ripped off watching a free stream.

Suspect Charlie would have had a field day...Boufal and Redmond creating plenty of chances...Bertrand on fire, another clean sheet...there are pluses out there, would have been nice to take all three points but give Stoke some credit for their ten man tenacity too.

Roll on Sunday...

We are FECKED when Boufal goes to the Afcon and when Virgil tells his agent

Puel is a **** and the cherries will rip us a new one at the weekend

So painful to watch now.

Well done les

Our central midfield won't contribute goals as they're all the same sort of player. Some of our main issues right now:

 

- Midfield is too much of the same. Players happy in possession but not risk takers

- Lack of pace and direct running in between the lines.

- The build up is too slow, which enables the opposition to get themselves set and defend the spaces.

- No one taking risks, players too cautious (not just the CM's). Happy to play another pass rather than taking attacking responsibility themselves.

 

I'd buy an attacking central midfield player and play one of those in midfield, someone who is happy to burst between the lines and take risks and gambles. The calls for a striker is obvious as we don't score goals, but that's not just because we're missing chances. It's more to it than just not having a 'striker'. We could do with a focal point though, someone who we can build the play around in the final third.

 

I mean it's not all bad, as we're still top half, very good in defense, but you do pay to watch football and be entertained. We are so pointless to watch. the GD says it all really.

This for the last 2 summers has been my dream

Simply not good enough, we lost points tonight for no reason. I just dont get it, does Puel know he's allowed to put on more then 3 attacking players on the pitch? Why not keep Redmond or Long on the pitch and substitute a defender or a defensive midfielder instead. Put at least some more players in the box and change something ffs...

Again, i dont get it.

Why will the cherries rip us a new one by the way? Interested in why people think this. We're very good defensively and are clearly setup to nullify the opposition. Nothing this season has suggested anyone will rip us a new one, we just can't rip them a new one.