Southampton v Burnley Build-up

DT we can't drop Forster, there's nobody else to put in except the U23 lad. Both our so-called back-up keepers are a joke and worse than the Big man. How we got ourselves into this mess is anybody's guess but it makes a mockery of the claim that we have adequate cover for every position and players bust ng a gut to get the call.

 

Apart from that, Pellegrino knows he is under pressure to get results and from now on play will surely only what he sees as reliable safe options that might get him out of the hole he is in. Hence although logic says vD should not play and Hoedt / Yoshida is the partnership that we should be working with long term, MoPe will only pick players that he thinks best for him now irrespective of Saints long-term best interest, hence vD, Tadic and Redmond will start on Saturday and Boufal will be left on the bench to simmer.

I do think you're right and had Boufal not scored the goal he did no doubt he would be warming the bench for most of the next 6 months.

We need a win and we need a convincing performance too.

Burnley will be a tough nut to crack, although our record against them at St Mary's is pretty good. On the other hand, their away form is superb.

Yeh I agree that Boufal will ride the pine this time out.

I will make my weekly statement that we can't win if we don't score. We have exactly two players who have proven they can score, Austin (leading scorer last season and had 18 two years ago) and Gabbi (good scoring record the last half of last season). They have to play. How many more matches do we have to go through where we lost 1-0 or tie 0-0/1-1? When does MP admit his scheme isn't working with our players? What good is a little extra pace doing for us? I'd rather score 2-3 goals per match and have less pace, than run all around the midfield never coming close to scoring. I'm not a Puel fan, but he grasped this quicker than MP. The rest of the squad I don't really care about right now, but I guess it would be something like this:

FF

Bertrand-VVD-Yoshida-Cedric

Boufal-Romeu-Davis-Redmond

Gabbi-Austin

It's about time that MP drops Tadic to the bench and only calls on him when needed.For the past five games he's been more than an embarrassment.Put Boufal in behind the strikers and start going forward rather than sideways and back.Redmond needs a kick up the rear end too as he doesn't contribute very much.Burnley Have a big strong defence and we need to step up the pace a bit.I think this is winnable but it depends on wether we want it more than they do.

MP doesn't rate Austin and I can see why. For all this constant banging on about being a goalscorer, he's been rubbish when he has played this season, and we don't create many chances in the box anyway.

Pretty sure Puel didn't rate Austin either as he couldn't play as a split striker when we were trialling the diamond. IIRC, Claude played Austin in the early Europa match at St Mary's, think Austin got 2 goals (& I think he stayed as our No.1 striker until he got injured).

Wasn't it the game where Charlie had to fight Tadic for the penalty?

It’s crying out for us to play three at the back IMO.

---------------------------------Forster--------------————-----------------

-------------Yoshida-------------Van Dijk--------------Hoedt----------------

Cedric-----————-----Davis———------Romeu----------------------Bertrand

------------------------------------Boufal-----------------———————--------

-----------------------Gabbi-------------------Long--------------------------

It’s crying out for us to play three at the back IMO.

 

---------------------------------Forster--------------————-----------------

 

-------------Yoshida-------------Van Dijk--------------Hoedt----------------

 

Cedric-----————-----Davis———------Romeu----------------------Bertrand

 

------------------------------------Boufal-----------------———————--------

 

-----------------------Gabbi-------------------Long--------------------------

I agree with this line up as in a 3-4-1-2 formation.

Lee Probert on the Whistle for this one. Nice leisurely afternoon for him.

At home, Burnley, we should be the attacking team imho.

--------------------------------Forster--------------------------------------

-------------Stephens---------Van Dijk--------------Hoedt----------------

Yoshida------------------------Romeu-----------------------------Bertrand

------------------------Davis----------------Boufal-------------------------

-----------------------Gabbi-------------------Long--------------------------

At home, Burnley, we should be the attacking team imho.

 

--------------------------------Forster--------------------------------------

 

-------------Stephens---------Van Dijk--------------Hoedt----------------

 

Yoshida------------------------Romeu-----------------------------Bertrand

 

------------------------Davis----------------Boufal-------------------------

 

-----------------------Gabbi-------------------Long--------------------------

Is 5 defenders, Romeu in front of 3 centre backs and Yoshida as a wing back attacking? An extra centre back = 1 less attacking player.

If Burnley sit deep in numbers as they did last time they came to St Mary's, do we really need 3 centre backs and Romeu in front vs 1 isolated striker? Overkill perhaps?

We played 4-2-3-1 vs them last time at St Mary's... won 3-1 and had 34 shots & 65 % possession! That was a very attacking game.

Perhaps a game to play Austin, not Long.

Burnley will be sitting back, so there won’t be much space for Long to stretch them. And, by comparison, the rest of his game is pretty much garbage.

Is 5 defenders, Romeu in front of 3 centre backs and Yoshida as a wing back attacking? An extra centre back = 1 less attacking player.

 

If Burnley sit deep in numbers as they did last time they came to St Mary's, do we really need 3 centre backs and Romeu in front vs 1 isolated striker? Overkill perhaps?

 

We played 4-2-3-1 vs them last time at St Mary's... won 3-1 and had 34 shots & 65 % possession! That was a very attacking game.

Yoshida is quick, can play on the right, can cross the ball, and can score! I was going to have McQueen instead of Bertrand imo, that would make us more attacking!

Yoshida is very very far from a wing back.

JWP might be able to play there to be fair if you want a more creative/attacking option, though he is not the fastest he still has the stamina and work rate to do it.

But not sure exactly what Cedric has done wrong, he's one of our more consistent players and has been putting in way more of a shift than Bertrand has, not to mention Tadic has been pretty much a dead weight in front of him. The look on Cedric's face when he ran about 70 yards to overlap Tadic and then Tadic overhit the pass into touch.

Burnley will sit back and hit us on the break, would love for us to go back to the 4-2-4 of old!

Pretty sure Puel didn't rate Austin either as he couldn't play as a split striker when we were trialling the diamond. IIRC, Claude played Austin in the early Europa match at St Mary's, think Austin got 2 goals (& I think he stayed as our No.1 striker until he got injured).

 

Wasn't it the game where Charlie had to fight Tadic for the penalty?

Yes, just like MP Puel wanted more pace but wasn't scoring. He saw Austin start to score in in Europa and made some small changes to put him in. He scored something like 6 PL goals before he got hurt. This is what MP needs to do, unless he wants to keep "drawing" his way to relegation.

When we've played 2 up front, I don't think either striker has been noticeably mobile. Certainly not like under Puel when they were back helping the full backs out at times. I'm still doubtful that the 2 up front works, but if we are going to do that then I think Austin & Gabbiadini might work better together, especially against a team who will sit deep. I'd be surprised if we carve out many good chances against Burnley with how they set up (not like last season, unfortunately!), so we'd be better off having someone more likely to convert.

He won't play two up front until Lemina is back and it makes little difference anyway.

Two up front isnt the answer to us being more of a goal threat.

I don't really agree with this "teams need to play 1 striker now" philosophy. Teams played 2 upfront for decades and it worked. I think it all depends on the players you have. Its my belief, after watching this team with Puel and MP, that we don't have the players to score in a 1 striker approach. So I advocate trying something different, going 2 or even 3 (gasp the horror) upfront. Something needs to change. All systems can work and all systems can fail. There is no absolute.

I'm going to this one. So 0-0 or 0-1.

In that case you owe me for an extra pint of pain numbing anaesthetic. ;-)

I don't really agree with this "teams need to play 1 striker now" philosophy. Teams played 2 upfront for decades and it worked. I think it all depends on the players you have. Its my belief, after watching this team with Puel and MP, that we don't have the players to score in a 1 striker approach. So I advocate trying something different, going 2 or even 3 (gasp the horror) upfront. Something needs to change. All systems can work and all systems can fail. There is no absolute.

You're right, 2 up front can work if played the right way. But my opinion is that we seem to play a very similar way with 4-4-2 than with 4-5-1, so the only thing that really happens is we have an extra player isolated and contributing nothing. A few ways that two up front can work: 1) hit long balls up and look for flick ons etc for the second striker, 2) playing the ball in to feet and then letting the two forwards work with eachother to play 1-2s around the defenders (preferably joined by one or two midfield runners), 3) put both players in the box and lump crosses in, 4) look to get behind the defence and whip balls across the face of goal for the strikers to latch on to and make a nuisance of themselves.

Austin and Long are ok in the air, but don't think either are good enough to warrant playing 1 or 3. 2 is possible but I'm sceptical of Austin or Long being technically good enough to play an Arsenal or Man City type approach. So that leaves 4, which I think we should be doing anyway, whether we play 1 or 2 up front. But if we play 2, we should DEFINITELY be doing this. But apart from the first 20 minutes against Newcastle, we don't seem to do it very much.

3 nil saints (no I'm not drunk)

Is 5 defenders, Romeu in front of 3 centre backs and Yoshida as a wing back attacking? An extra centre back = 1 less attacking player.

If Burnley sit deep in numbers as they did last time they came to St Mary's, do we really need 3 centre backs and Romeu in front vs 1 isolated striker? Overkill perhaps?

 

We played 4-2-3-1 vs them last time at St Mary's... won 3-1 and had 34 shots & 65 % possession! That was a very attacking game.

Nope! Not when you play with wingbacks it isn't. Go and look at Guardiola's Man City side. Attacking - you have two extra midfielders that push up to support the wings. Lose the ball - they race back to form a back 5 OR one of the midfielders drops back and pushes the left or right cb out wide. It's fluid and a system that I personally think would suit our side down to the ground. Although Yoshida would be nowhere near the right back spot.

That back 5 with the full backs playing as wing backs would be quality, especially against a Burnley side who are quite compact yet unadventurous.

That system would also allow Van Dijk to push up into midfield with the ball from the back when the opportunity arises, which lets be honest, is one of his big strengths.

DT we can't drop Forster, there's nobody else to put in except the U23 lad. Both our so-called back-up keepers are a joke and worse than the Big man. How we got ourselves into this mess is anybody's guess but it makes a mockery of the claim that we have adequate cover for every position and players bust ng a gut to get the call.

 

Apart from that, Pellegrino knows he is under pressure to get results and from now on play will surely only what he sees as reliable safe options that might get him out of the hole he is in. Hence although logic says vD should not play and Hoedt / Yoshida is the partnership that we should be working with long term, MoPe will only pick players that he thinks best for him now irrespective of Saints long-term best interest, hence vD, Tadic and Redmond will start on Saturday and Boufal will be left on the bench to simmer.

I'd take anyone over Forster at the moment, literally anyone. This shambolic situation has to change

We've been sh*t, why don't we at least try something else. I'd like to see McQueen given a chance to actually get a cross in...

Saint Jude in goal ( I can't be any worse than Forster)

Cedric, Vvd, Hoedt,Bertrand

Davis, Romeo

Sadly Tadic, boufal, McQueen

Gabbi Logan

Rose - he actually moves like a goalie and dives and all

VVD - fastest defender, best coverer, gobbiest

Stephens Hoedt - wide when attacking, compress when not. All 3 defenders can carry the ball

Romeu - rotates with Hojbjerg and/or Boufal if he goes forward, can also cover either full back if only one goes up

Cedric Hojbjerg Boufal Bertrand the middle 2 rotate with each other, the two on the outsides rotate with each other, the three in the middle rotate with each other (behind and in front; I like fluid teams)

Gabbiadini can rotate and float with the two behind him, can move up with Austin or move away and past him so form a normal 2 or part of an attacking 4/5 (as if MP would be so adventurous).

Austin doesn't go wider than the 18 yard box. He can do the target man role a bit if it's played right.

Not feeling confident on this one. Let's be honest, we have been poor all season.

I think Burnley will want it more so I sense a narrow, frustrating defeat or a draw at best. expecting 0-0 at HT (again), really hope i'm wrong and we actually turn up.

I still think this is the poorest side we have had since we came up and the manager so far has massively underwhelmed me.... about as inspiring as the last one.

They say a sign of madness is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. On the basis that MP see's Redmond best on the left, tadic best on the right or in the hole.....

Redmond is best (not that he deserves a start) on the right.

Tadic has also been **** for weeks. He cannot shoot so is limited as a #10. I have heard he has done ok here for Serbia, but he has always played his best football for us on the left.

Boufal is average at best on the left and needs to play as a #10 and get a run in the side in THIS POSITION. Unless he get's a shot, he will continue to be in and out of the team and be shoehorned and ultimately ineffective on the left for the majority of the time.

How the manager or his assistants who have been here a while cannot see this.....

Hope I am completely wrong and we win 3-0, but I won't be holding my breath. COYR

Very worrying article in the Echo with ROmeu. Basically saying the manager wants the other teams forward players marked when we are 'attacking' in case we lose the ball and get an attack going.

Talk about negative...........but must be wrong as we were promised exciting, attacking football when he was appointed.

Dull fest tomorrow where we will be cautious to make sure Burnley can't score

Very worrying article in the Echo with ROmeu. Basically saying the manager wants the other teams forward players marked when we are 'attacking' in case we lose the ball and get an attack going.

 

Talk about negative...........but must be wrong as we were promised exciting, attacking football when he was appointed.

Combined with his comments about Redmond and Tadic being better on the wrong sides and Boufal being better wide and it's all very worrying

Very worrying. Almost as worrying as finding myself waking up on matchday and feeling generally non-plussed about the afternoon ahead.

Very worrying article in the Echo with ROmeu. Basically saying the manager wants the other teams forward players marked when we are 'attacking' in case we lose the ball and get an attack going.

 

Talk about negative...........but must be wrong as we were promised exciting, attacking football when he was appointed.

 

Dull fest tomorrow where we will be cautious to make sure Burnley can't score

How are you supposed to score doing that? Ridiculous. Seems odd that we sacked Puel because he wouldn’t employ a more attacking style only to employ another dullard defensive manager. Whatever happens I can’t see MP lasting more than a season unless he changes things.

Time was when a match build up thread would have had ten pages of posts by now

Says it all really

Bored

0-2, a Forster error and a Forster 'could have done better'.

Time was when a match build up thread would have had ten pages of posts by now

 

Says it all really

 

Bored

Its a sad day when the happy clappy "just glad to have a club" types have given up too.

Think weve all been bored to submission the last 18 months.

Even the youth teams will send you to sleep these days.

Incredible how quickly we went from a fast, young, exciting team to..... Err this.

A club and team now mirroring Reeds personality.... Remember his nickname is Les Misérables

I might be mistaken but wasn't one of Nigel's many corporate jargon expressions 'hard work beats talent if talent doesn't work hard'?? I expect todays game may well be a mirror of that phrase and it will be very interesting to watch the commitment and togetherness of both teams, and how hard they visibly work for each other. My mind goes back to last week with Redmond cutting in on to his right foot and spraying a 40 harder straight into space with no red and white shirt anywhere near. The look on his face was one of pure 'I've just produced an amazing pass and you lot should know what I'm going to do......' Never mind, he may still turn out to be the new Henry.

As others have said, I've gone from looking forward to home games knowing whoever we play we're going to give them a battle, to a feeling of we'll be lucky to beat Burnley. All in two seasons. Having said all that, play a 352 with Boufal central and we'll provide a barnstorming 4-0 home win.......

I think if you don’t feel a sense of hope when thinking about the game on any given match day, it’s probably time to stop going. It’s been different the last two seasons though...I don’t have the same optimism about ANY game even when we’re at home. Mostly because of a distinct lack of creativity and cohesion in attack.

Today will be no different...if we score first we’ll try to defend a 1-0 lead and end up buckling to pressure. Or they’ll score first and we’ll be looking for a lucky break to claw back a point. Today will be tough...Burnley are looking good and have the team spirit we had 4-5 seasons ago. My prediction 0-2, boos at full-time and a full blown meltdown on here.

What I wish for is that something finally clicks into place and we romp home with a 4-0 win - but then I woke up.

It does not matter who we play up front I have not seen anyone with the creativity to get the ball to them I hope I'm proved wrong today.

Today will be no different...if we score first we’ll try to defend a 1-0 lead and end up buckling to pressure. Or they’ll score first and we’ll be looking for a lucky break to claw back a point. Today will be tough...Burnley are looking good and have the team spirit we had 4-5 seasons ago. My prediction 0-2, boos at full-time and a full blown meltdown on here.

Regrettably I tend to agree, although a full blown meltdown on here is entertaining as f**k.

God help my sanity, and this forum, if we manage to lose today!! I predict a riot!

I'd take anyone over Forster at the moment, literally anyone. This shambolic situation has to change

Er....we do not have a shambolic situation...?

God help my sanity, and this forum, if we manage to lose today!! I predict a riot!

Draw or lose today and lose against the majority of the top 6 as most teams do and by Christmas we will likely be bottom 6 and that means a relegation fight whether people want to believe that or not.

Today is huge.

0-2, a Forster error and a Forster 'could have done better'.

Forster normality. Weak link in a stuttering, negative team

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

God help my sanity, and this forum, if we manage to lose today!! I predict a riot!

If we do lose, I’ll officially join the Pellegrino Out brigade.

Can't seem to be able to buy tickets online? Am I missing something ?

Can't seem to be able to buy tickets online? Am I missing something ?

Probably not!.

Team is:

Forster

Cedric

Van Dijk

Yoshida

Bertrand

Davis

Romeu

Redmond

Tadic

Boufal

Gabbiadini

Redmond back in the starting 11. Tadic and Boufal both start, Hoedt dropped for Yoshi.

Odd to chop out Hoedt again. Don’t really understand that.