Saints 0 Hull 0 - Match & Reactions Thread

Are you kidding? In a relegation battle a point away from home is a good point.

 

Fair play to hull, they came with a game plan (some managers do have these so take not Puel) and it worked.

 

Lack of intensity from us. once again, an uninspiring, dull, poor performance.

They only got a point because of Tadic. We were very, very poor, and we still almost managed to somehow win it.

Dreadful. Would like to think Puel would improve with a 2nd season, fewer games and injuries, but not at the risk of football that poor.

Personally I can't see us going anywhere under Puel far too many of these turgid, terrible performances. We won't sack him though so we will have to wait and see if he gets it right.

Woeful. Poor season, start of a decline that needs to be arrested in the summer.

Team shape all wrong, no pressing, no shape in midfield. I wasn't a Puel out person but he has massively underachieved, no question.

Compared to Pochettino and Koeman its hard to really see what he is trying to do with this team.

To be fair to Long, he did more than Gabbiadini did. Although I don't blame Gabbiadini, because the service to him was dreadful.

Long did **** all and has scored 4 in 53.

That was beyond dire. Absolute dross.

Why the hell would you want Marco Silva? With 10 minutes to go, he made two defensive substitutions when we were there for the taking. And they went and conceded a penalty. A better manager would've won that for Hull IMO.

So a team hanging by a thread, and the manager has reacted to that to gain a very important point, a point that could earn them 150m next year, that's what a proper manager does, so many clueless idiots on this forum

I don't think we're a good enough side to hold our shape defensively whilst offering attacking movement and flair. We then end up with either an exciting, goal scoring defeat or a dross 0-0.

Don't see why so many on here are having a good old moan about it. We know we're an average side who have more potential than we're showing but that's been the case since August. With nothing to achieve except getting yourself in the shop window this season is only going to fade out into ignominy.

Bertrand straight down the tunnel at end didn't seem happy all game. Stephens and Romeu only credit today.

Biggest pre-installed season ever . Why doesn't Puel change formations just players?

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Bertrand straight down the tunnel at end didn't seem happy all game. Stephens and Romeu only credit today.

Biggest pre-season ever . Why doesn't Puel change formations just players?

 

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They only got a point because of Tadic. We were very, very poor, and we still almost managed to somehow win it.

You shouldn't have to rely on a penalty (in the 90th minute) to beat a team 4th from bottom, with about 5 points away from home this year.

They had a chance, which if the striker had taken first time, they would have scored.

We didn't win the game because we didn't create enough, we were too slow with the ball and didn't give Gabbi any service what so ever. Sound familiar? Could be one of 90% of our games this season to be honest.

Are the players playing for the manager and the fans or just themselves, only seem to play when it's a big game ! I've found myself drifting away from the Puel out camp then I get back to St Marys and we serve up that dross AGAIN ! With the attacking players we forked out for theses no way we should have the worst home record in the league only behind Sunderland and Boro and they're both problably going down ! I don't think there's any chance of Puel going so we can only hope either next year he's learnt from this season or the Chinese come in and replace him ! Saints are testing my patience this season like no other .

Cr@p game.

Cr@p subs.

Cr@ppiest we've played for a long time.

Cr@p.

i for the life of me cannot see what puel has brought to this team, another turgid, tentative, players all over the place positionally performance. I really don't know if I can put my myself through another season of this.. The substitutions didn't make any sense whatsoever and taking off your most clinical finisher and replacing with a striker who's having a mare. Why not push a striker alongside gabiadini which have given gabiadini more space. Also why are we persisting with tradic... taking pens. That comes down to the manager in my eyes. We have limped towards safety this season and there are some really poor teams in the division. Hopefully new ownership my actually force reeds hand in changing manager. It's the only way he can save face.

Bilge.

I had more fun on the way home in the car.

People keep talking about 9th, but one bad week of results and we could plummet to 15/16th. Awesome.

Boufal, seems to be one of those kids who takes pride of beating his man 3/4 times rather than in scoring/assisting goals.

Looks good retrospectively on youtube highlights I think,played to the right music of course.

We have scored 17 goals in 16 home games, i cannot recall when was the last time we had a record as bad as that, also cannot recall the last time i saw a home crowd as disinterested as our lot at St Marys, anyone in two minds whether to renew their season ticket will find it an easy choice this evening.

Nowhere near good enough, as soon as Tadic stepped up to take the pen i recalled the row he had with Austin and knew he'd miss it.

Bilge.

 

I had more fun on the way home in the car.

 

People keep talking about 9th, but one bad week of results and we could plummet to 15/16th. Awesome.

Very likely IMO.

I said before the game that the team was unbalanced. Three attacking midfielders plus a striker, but a lack of holding and carrying players.

There are those who criticise JWP week in week out, but this is what happens without him. No cohesion in midfield.

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Would've seen more entertainment if they'd wheeled on a couple of carts of horse manure and set them alight. Absolutely dreadful!

I said before the game that the team was unbalanced. Three attacking midfielders plus a striker, but a lack of holding and carrying players.

 

There are those who criticise JWP week in week out, but this is what happens without him. No cohesion in midfield.

 

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I used to look forward to seeing Tadic & Boufal together in the same team - We always look terrible when they both start!

Laborious. Ponderous. Inept. Ineffectual. The story of our season with thankfully one or two blips in the middle of hope.

I used to look forward to seeing Tadic & Boufal together in the same team - We always look terrible when they both start!

Our best attacking three is Redmond, Ward-Prowse and Tadic.

I'm beginning to doubt Boufal can fit in. Occasional flashes of brilliance but doesn't work hard enough for the team in between and sulks easily.

Almost a touch of the Osvaldo's.

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Pathetic. What a waste of time and money.

I can only put that down to an experiment to see if Boufal, Tadic and Redmond can work together.

Now we know the answer.

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Can't remember being that bored watching a game of football before. Bunch of overpaid ******s already on their holidays.

When you are out sung by Hull for 90 minutes, you know something won't right!!

When you are out sung by Hull for 90 minutes, you know something won't right!!

# Ain't right, I meant

They only got a point because of Tadic. We were very, very poor, and we still almost managed to somehow win it.

I'm sure you'd be similarly critical if Puel got a point in a match where we were playing away to odds-on favoruites

The attacking three were too deep when the ball went forward but nowhere to be seen when it was cleared from our box.

Gabbiadini did nothing by the way - the reaction to his sub was ridiculous, he needed to come off.

In other news. I decorated the spare room. Watching paint dry isn't that bad, after all.

Hi Claude and Eric lovers and especially the proper Saints fans who aren't (Claude lovers for those who need it spelt out).

I had thought we'd stuff this lot and easily make 8th ours but the way things are going; mediocre season and no silverware which we should by now have won given the amount we've spent, the spin from Les Reed, and the fact that we actually are better than the dross that fill out the bottom 8 of the PL, suggests our trajectory over the next few years might well be in the opposite direction to what it has been.

Nice to see Boufal's learned to be a team player.

Had expected we'd beat Arsenal and ManU at home but looks like we'll lose both so it's 4 point from Boro away (terrible team oop north) and Stoke to finish our season off.

On todays performance we will struggle to stay up next season with Puel

Back to the turn pass it backwards style we had when we were playing in europe , Gabba was making runs and instead of looking for him the ball was being rolled sideways and backwards , if you play 3 attackers behind one run at the defence and make space ......watch how chelsea so it for gods sake if you cant coach it puel and the FBs have to overlap ....both Cedric and Bertrand were totally disinterested today which also meant we had no width .

Technically Very very poor and worrying TBH

Plus is Stephens is growing into the more dominent of the him and Yoshi he covered Yoshis arse three times today

Funny how the Redmond thread hasn't been bumped in a couple of weeks. Maintain what I said about him from the start. A ****ing awful signing, he wasn't a consistent starter for an awful Norwich side last season for a reason.

Funny how the Redmond thread hasn't been bumped in a couple of weeks. Maintain what I said about him from the start. A ****ing awful signing, he wasn't a consistent starter for an awful Norwich side last season for a reason.

I like Redmond. Granted not playing at the top of his game but of course few are in the team at present.

i expect we could sell him for a profit this close season with being called up for England etc

A terrible performance against a poor Hull side. No positives at all for me.

Hull have conceded an average of 6 goals per game and we managed just one shot on target all game....

On todays performance we will struggle to stay up next season with Puel

Not only today's.... we could be in big trouble next year.

Hull have conceded an average of 6 goals per game and we managed just one shot on target all game....

No shots at all first half either on or off target.

Dreadful performance, it was like they weren't even trying. Pretty much summed up by a move where we broke 2 on 2 first half and the move ended with Yoshida passing it back to Forster. Such a lazy performance, no effort either mental or physical. Whenever we got possession everyone was just stood there waiting.

Won't go into individual performances because they were all sub standard, with the possible exception of Romeu.

Dreadful performance, it was like they weren't even trying. Pretty much summed up by a move where we broke 2 on 2 first half and the move ended with Yoshida passing it back to Forster. Such a lazy performance, no effort either mental or physical. Whenever we got possession everyone was just stood there waiting.

 

Won't go into individual performances because they were all sub standard, with the possible exception of Romeu.

Thought Stephen's did OK too !

Bertrand straight down the tunnel at end didn't seem happy all game. Stephens and Romeu only credit today.

Biggest pre-installed season ever . Why doesn't Puel change formations just players?

 

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Bertrand wants out and that is a fact. He's been unhappy here since we got knocked out of Europa. I fully expect him to be an opposition player at St. Mary's next season, probably for Liverpool.

Last straw for Puel.

It doesn't take a person with any IQ at all to work out that Tadic cannot take pens!!!!!!

No excuse for him being the pen taker at all.

If Puel can't work that out then get lost mate...

We have scored 17 goals in 16 home games, i cannot recall when was the last time we had a record as bad as that, also cannot recall the last time i saw a home crowd as disinterested as our lot at St Marys, anyone in two minds whether to renew their season ticket will find it an easy choice this evening.

 

Nowhere near good enough, as soon as Tadic stepped up to take the pen i recalled the row he had with Austin and knew he'd miss it.

Everyone around us said he'd miss it, so if the fans have such low expectations why on earth is Puel and Davies letting him take it!

As bad a performance as I've seen and right down there with stuff from the start of the season when we were 'managing' the players energy levels. We haven't moved on and look as disjointed as ever - the buck stops with the manager. If Koeman had this lot out there today we would have put 3 or 4 past Hull - they were shocking. All I could see with Clod was his hands on his hips looking slightly angry or slumped in his chair. Dreadful. Occasionally I think we've turned the corner and perhaps he does have a cunning plan, but then I sit through another performance like that and realise that this is probably as good as it gets.

Sack Puel and get Adkins in to oversee things to the end of the season - at least we might see some exciting attacking football.

Bloke returning to his seat during first half said to his mate how bored everyone looked. How has it come to this.....

No MOTM poll?

Yes their keeper won it

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It was an experiment worth trying, even if it ended up being a disaster. It was worth seeing how it would be with Redmond, Boufal and Tadic in the same team. The idea was sound - Hull play quite open (hence they either win or lose games) and so at St Marys there would be space for us to exploit and we could simply be better than them with more talent in the team. I had no issues with the team pre-game.

Unfortunately worst fears were experienced - Redmond, Tadic and Boufal are all chefs who like the ball to feet and to be the fulcrum of the move. They don't make that run that creates space for others or understand that if they don't get the ball then its not the end of the world. They are not combination players and do not play nicely with anyone who isn't a striker. I don't recall a single move between them from any of them. So we ended up outnumbered in midfield (as a result of the personnel) and when we had the ball we had no threat whatsoever as it was like strangers were playing. A draw was lucky, a win would have been criminal. I think it was bad enough that we need to move on from it straight away and learn the lesson that the balance of our team is far more important than individual ability.

At least people aren't moaning we should have started Hassan and Caracas

I've waited a while to post, in case I managed to soften my reaction to the match. In my heart I knew it wouldn't make the slightest difference. Quite simply, it was the most boring match I've seen at St Mary's for some time, and not even just this season. It even makes the West Brom match seem exciting by comparison. The first half in particular was truly dire. Hull dominated the midfield, winning most of the 50/50 balls, but luckily it is their lack of quality in attack that meant that we weren't punished. Gabbiadini was largely a spectator up front, because the midfield was incapable of gaining the ball and threading through the service to him.

It must be clear to Puel as it is to everybody else, that playing Boufal, Tadic and Redmond together constitutes at least one too many flair player at the expense of a ball-winner. Also, pre-match research should have indicated that Hull is a team of brick sh*t house giants and that they would therefore dominate our comparative midgets.

Puel must have stripped the paint off the walls at half time, as we came out with a bit more conviction, but it was crying out for somebody like Hojbjerg to add muscle, but instead another midget, Sims, came on and was constantly bullied off the ball. Even Ward-Prowse or Clasie for Tadic or Boufal would have been more effective in gaining the midfield advantage. Also, the most likely striker to score, Gabbiadini, was substituted for the least likely to score, Long. To be fair, Long did well on a couple of occasions positioning himself to receive some superb passes high upfield, but then lacked the ability to do something with them.

Can we please take away the role of penalty taker from Tadic? He cost us 2 points today. Some have said that it was only fair that we didn't take all three points as a draw was fair to Hull. This is patently nonsense. The team that scores more goals than the other one deserves to win, regardless of whether the other team had the most possession and chances if they fail to capitalise on them.

I haven't been one to call for Puel's head so far, but if we put in another such lacklustre performance again this season, I am tempted to change my mind. Of course, Puel can only be blamed for the tactics and the substitutions; the players today for the most part were a complete disgrace. It was if most of them had already booked their summer holidays and that their minds were on some tropical beach paradise.

It was an experiment worth trying, even if it ended up being a disaster. It was worth seeing how it would be with Redmond, Boufal and Tadic in the same team. The idea was sound - Hull play quite open (hence they either win or lose games) and so at St Marys there would be space for us to exploit and we could simply be better than them with more talent in the team. I had no issues with the team pre-game.

 

Unfortunately worst fears were experienced - Redmond, Tadic and Boufal are all chefs who like the ball to feet and to be the fulcrum of the move. They don't make that run that creates space for others or understand that if they don't get the ball then its not the end of the world. They are not combination players and do not play nicely with anyone who isn't a striker. I don't recall a single move between them from any of them. So we ended up outnumbered in midfield (as a result of the personnel) and when we had the ball we had no threat whatsoever as it was like strangers were playing. A draw was lucky, a win would have been criminal. I think it was bad enough that we need to move on from it straight away and learn the lesson that the balance of our team is far more important than individual ability.

I must admit I was impressed with the team selection today and Tuesday for that matter , it showed a bit of adventure! All our players at some point this season have show they can be good players (Boufal included) they just need to be inspired be given the right direction and be blended into a balanced unit !

It was an experiment worth trying, even if it ended up being a disaster. It was worth seeing how it would be with Redmond, Boufal and Tadic in the same team. The idea was sound - Hull play quite open (hence they either win or lose games) and so at St Marys there would be space for us to exploit and we could simply be better than them with more talent in the team. I had no issues with the team pre-game.

 

Unfortunately worst fears were experienced - Redmond, Tadic and Boufal are all chefs who like the ball to feet and to be the fulcrum of the move. They don't make that run that creates space for others or understand that if they don't get the ball then its not the end of the world. They are not combination players and do not play nicely with anyone who isn't a striker. I don't recall a single move between them from any of them. So we ended up outnumbered in midfield (as a result of the personnel) and when we had the ball we had no threat whatsoever as it was like strangers were playing. A draw was lucky, a win would have been criminal. I think it was bad enough that we need to move on from it straight away and learn the lesson that the balance of our team is far more important than individual ability.

Surely they can and should be coached -if our most creative players aren't willing to pass and move, then something's seriously wrong. Or perhaps its just a lack of understanding which will come with time and the more games they play together.