Watford 0-0 Saints Post Match

[saint_ed]

For people talking about needing a creative midfielder - we have Clasie due back in the next few weeks. Him sitting in front of Romeu + Wanyama could be a very good combination for us, so lets wait and see on that one..

 

I was working during the game today so can't comment on the result too much, but a point away from home is never a bad thing. We should really be beating Watford but our squad is still a while away from full cohesion and we're missing a few players so I wouldn't read into it too much at this time. 2 points from 3 games is a bit disappointing considering all 3 were winnable but I fully expect us to spank somebody in the next few weeks and then go on a run like we usually do at some point in the season.

 

Clasie isn't a creative midfielder in that sense. We still haven't replaced Lallana.

[Saint Charlie]

He has trained in that position with Saints before his injury. FACT

 

Cool, I hope he is quality there and his composure and passing ability will help, but Im not overly convinced Clasie has the attributes Davis and JWP lack when playing as an advanced midfielder.

 

He has played most of his career as a deep lying playmaker, so will be something of a role change although Koeman obviously knows his capabilities.

[david in sweden]

clean sheet and one point ..... about right today. I think that Watford will struggle against more mobile teams who can run them around more than we did today.

 

Defensive set-up with 3 CB's looked better than prev. games. Cedric looked better than his last game, and Targett had more time/space .

 

We are still lacking creativity in midfield, and although Victor dominated in tackles, his final passes were often poor. Strikers had few chances because of this.

 

Overall.....some signs of improvement, but right now....a top 10 finish would feel good...unless there is a dramatic improvement - we won't equal last seasons placing.

[Appy]

Genuinely one of the worst matches I've ever witnessed live.

[Chez]

If you were looking for a positive frame of mind, then coming on here was a terrible idea.

 

I came to get a few things off my chest. Having done so I now will move on and hope for improvement.

[Whitey Grandad]

Genuinely one of the worst matches I've ever witnessed live.

 

There was a midweek home game against West Ham at the Dell a long time ago that finished 0-0. That was really bad.

[teamsaint]

I came to get a few things off my chest. Having done so I now will move on and hope for improvement.

 

Always appreciate you well considered comments, Chez.

 

although I disagree with your assessment of Shane Long !

[Ampersound]

Today looked like two championship quality teams slogging it out. The guile of recent years has been extinguished and unless we get the next few days right and get in the players we need or get the likes of Classie fit and adjusted to the Prem.. we are in for a very difficult season.

[sotonjoe]

Utterly poor performance.

 

I think staying up will be the aim this year

 

You have become such a poor imitation of Alpine. Do you really have nothing better to do than troll this site all day long?

[Saint IQ]

Genuinely one of the worst matches I've ever witnessed live.

 

Villa away 2014?

[Jonnyboy]

Match of the Day saying we sold off £134m worth of players in the last 15 months.

[Appy]

Villa away 2014?

 

Good about, unfortunately I was there as well.

[tajjuk]

I really don't get why the club gets blamed for these players leaving, Morgan wanted to leave, Lallana wanted to leave, Lovren wanted to leave, Clyne wanted to leave, Toby wanted to go to spuds.

 

etc etc. Not much they can do but get the best amount for them, they can't force them to sign new contracts and we can't offer players £100k a week.

 

Get the best price for the players, sign the best replacements we can, get used to it, that's modern football. The ONLY way we'll break into the top 4 is if we splurge like Chelsea and Man City did, which isn't happening and Fair play rules means that it's even more difficult.

 

Unless they being in wage and spending caps, this is the Premier League, 3-4 clubs with all the money that kick down anyone that dares to challenge them.

[S-Clarke]

Match of the Day saying we sold off £134m worth of players in the last 15 months.

 

I don't get their point though, along with what posters are trotting out on here. We know we sold those players last summer, we dealt with it and moved on and did better. So what has the relevance of those guys going got to do with now? It's just pointless sensationalist ******** really.

 

Keown summed it up really. ''Well, they can't keep losing players like they have done. They lost Clyne, and Bertrand, umm, is injured''

 

Yeah, nice one.

[Saint George]

What a very good point. I suspect RK is currently beyond criticism, but his team selections have been suspect this season so far.

 

Not from me....His management style seems to much in the mold of Harry Rednap for me (without the dodgy dealings and brown envelopes)

 

The apparent lack of fitness training and dropping our pressing game right from the start were the first alarm bells...After a full season under RK we're now playing like a group of 11 individuals just left to get on with it. We seem devoid of any cohesion, style, or belief.

[S-Clarke]

Not from me....His management style seems to much in the mold of Harry Rednap for me (without the dodgy dealings and brown envelopes)

 

The apparent lack of fitness training and dropping our pressing game right from the start were the first alarm bells...After a full season under RK we're now playing like a group of 11 individuals just left to get on with it. We seem devoid of any cohesion, style, or belief.

 

Please save us.

[shurlock]

I don't get their point though, along with what posters are trotting out on here. We know we sold those players last summer, we dealt with it and moved on and did better. So what has the relevance of those guys going got to do with now? It's just pointless sensationalist ******** really.

 

Keown summed it up really. ''Well, they can't keep losing players like they have done. They lost Clyne, and Bertrand, umm, is injured''

 

Yeah, nice one.

 

As I said months ago, our success last season arguably owed less to our transfer business and more to the parts of the team we hadn't sold off, the elements of continuity starting with the two DMs, Clyne and Fonte. Time is showing there's something in that.

[Graffito]

Not from me....His management style seems to much in the mold of Harry Rednap for me (without the dodgy dealings and brown envelopes)

 

The apparent lack of fitness training and dropping our pressing game right from the start were the first alarm bells...After a full season under RK we're now playing like a group of 11 individuals just left to get on with it. We seem devoid of any cohesion, style, or belief.

 

Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:

Follow your spirit, and upon this charge

Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

[monosaint]

We've had 6 competitive games, won 2, drawn 3 and lost 1 scoring 8 conceding 6. Feels worse than that given all the negativity around at the moment. Always look on the bright side of life, eh?

[DG]

1 league win in 9.

[CB Fry]

1 league win in 9.

Two thirds of those games featuring the players we've seen move on.

Edited 23 August, 2015 by CB Fry

[bpsaint]

What concerns me the most is that this run of form has been with us since the end of last season, and as mentioned above that includes a squad containing Toby, Clyne and Morgan. Reading these form guides from last season and this season, even the most hardened happy clapper must admit it is a huge concern.

[saint lard]

A point is a point.

1 win in 9 Premier League games......not good enough.

And that win was against a awful Villa side saving themselves for a cup final.

We are dreadful.

Forget Europe stay in this league please.

We need investment....if not,what's the point of European football anyway.

Wrong personnel in wrong positions.

Hoofball!

 

 

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[Saint-Armstrong]

Defensively sound, offensively predictable. Never looked likely to score in open play.

 

My match highlight was a photo I took pre-match. Says it all. Here it is.

 

[Vancouver Saint]

Sure, that's not a shadow of the side we've watched in the past two years ... BUT it's not a shadow of the side we'll see when the missing players (including, hopefully, VvD) are in the line up.

 

I think RK is running a bit of a low-ambition holding operation, waiting to be able to pick his real starting eleven. An away point against a newly-promoted side is seldom a bad result in the first 5-10 games of the season, especially when you're 3-4 players short of your best line up, so I'll take it.

 

Spot on CanadaSaint.

 

Did you see the look on RK's face when Mane went of injured...as if he knew on current form our chance of a breakaway goal and stealing a 1-0 win had gone as early as the 25th minute.

We looked totally disjointed with little clicking. Agree with all the other threads about performances, except perhaps was more underwhelmed with Caulker than most...looks like he's okay as a threat on attacking set pieces (that we don't get anymore without creative running and quick-passing footie in the last third)...but a bit dodgy on the defending side which is his main job...to be fair he had a couple of good blocks and needs time to settle. Targett is out of his depth. Wanyama looked like his mind was elsewhere. Long a hard-worker with an Irish-hating ref today it looked like but not the threat Mane is. Pelle had no close support. Fonte great. Cerdic will be good when he can attack knowing he's good solid CB cover behind him...Yoshida had a good game...Romeu looked good...Davis a solid workhorse we know.

 

We so lacked creativity and flair I couldn't believe Tadic and/or Juanmi weren't used. Perhaps they're being saved for Thursday?

[Appy]

It worries me that we feel we have to change formation to combat the threat of Watford, it should be them worried about us.

[Saint Billy]

You actually believe that we were capable of breaking into the top six? How, pray tell, were we going to achieve that?

 

You read into my post what you like but I can assure you I do not think we will break into the top 6 or even the top 15 for that matter.

[Killers Knee]

Yep.

 

And its because the management have ballsed up the transfers and/or are creaming off the transfer revenue.

That is not the case. The money raised from outgoing transfers is used for the purchase and salary costs of the incoming transfers.

 

So it must be the TV money getting creamed off [emoji3]

 

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[Saint Billy]

We are not going to finish higher than seventh this season. Do try to get used to it.

 

Christ you are dull, did I say we are going to finish higher than 7th?

[warsash saint]

Genuinely one of the worst matches I've ever witnessed live.

 

Jonny come lately !!

[hasper57saint]

Three games in and some of you are already writing us off.Once our 'injured' return just watch us take some big scalps.COYS

[LostBoys]

Playing very poorly at the moment.

[bpsaint]

Genuinely one of the worst matches I've ever witnessed live.

 

Last time I saw us play in Watford we got smashed 5-2, consider yourself lucky!

[whelk]

Fck me what is this place going to be like when Norwich do us next week.

 

Don't forget to phone into Talksport. You can have your opinion validated by 'I agree you can't keep selling your best players'. Don't expect solutions though.

 

Man City are going backwards and haven't strengthened and be lucky to make top 4 eh Merson/Brazil/Durham?

Oh no now it's Chelsea had poor transfer window, no wait they have Pedro it's now Utd who can't buy the right players.

[Kingsbridge Saint]

Went defensive for the point and got it, mission accomplished per RK. The set up impacted on Pelle's performance - he had no chance with the service and support he had, not surprised he was annoyed when substituted. We need to do better with our ball movement when we are pressed - too slow and not enough movement off the ball. Lost count of the number of times I saw Wanyama and Romeu walking.

[CB Fry]

Christ you are dull, did I say we are going to finish higher than 7th?

You seem concerned about us making a "backward step".

Don't you think being nicely mid table is a backward step considering we were 7th last season?

It might help the rest of us if you define what wouldn't be a backward step in your view.

[Dalek2003]

You seem concerned about us making a "backward step".

 

It might help the rest of us if you define what wouldn't be a backward step in your view.

 

Tell us that it would be all fine if we had not sold Jack Cork, go on tell us again !

[southamptonfc]

I didn't see anything of the match but I heard that Mane might have been playing up, ie not actually injured. What do people who saw the game think?

[Give it to Ron]

Tell us that it would be all fine if we had not sold Jack Cork, go on tell us again !

 

We wanted to keep Cork we offered him a new deal as soon as we could! Part of his old deal prevented us from doing so any earlier. That from the horses mouth.

It's amazing really why Chelsea or Real haven't bid for superstar Jack who is now at Messi level on here.

Cork wanted first team selection he wasn't going to be so left.

I expect him to be in England squad or want answers.

 

 

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[alpine_saint]

I don't get their point though, along with what posters are trotting out on here. We know we sold those players last summer, we dealt with it and moved on and did better. So what has the relevance of those guys going got to do with now? It's just pointless sensationalist ******** really.

 

Keown summed it up really. ''Well, they can't keep losing players like they have done. They lost Clyne, and Bertrand, umm, is injured''

 

Yeah, nice one.

 

I think there is a very salient point here. Include TV money, and the club have cleared in excess of 200 MILLION in the last 18months. Do you think the end product yesterday reflects that ?

[alpine_saint]

 

We so lacked creativity and flair I couldn't believe Tadic and/or Juanmi weren't used. Perhaps they're being saved for Thursday?

 

F**k knows what the problem is with Juanmi.

 

Seems RK cant see further at the moment than building the entire team formation and tactics around Mane, so his reaction is hardly suprising.

 

Will be interesting to see what he does if Mane is facing a spell on the side.

[Dalek2003]

F**k knows what the problem is with Juanmi.

 

Seems RK cant see further at the moment than building the entire team formation and tactics around Mane, so his reaction is hardly suprising.

 

Will be interesting to see what he does if Mane is facing a spell on the side.

 

How come Palace are still in the market for players and we have gone quiet when it is obvious we still need a CB, creative midfielder and an 'on form' striker.

 

A lot of hopes are being placed on Bertrand and Clasie. Quite a gamble. We got lucky last year but I cannot see it this year.

[Saint Billy]

You seem concerned about us making a "backward step".

 

It might help the rest of us if you define what wouldn't be a backward step in your view.

 

After finishing 8th and 7th the last two seasons you take mid table as acceptable. You jump on people if they are too optimistic and you jump on people if they take the pessimistic route. You have this pious attitude against anyone who does not see things exactly as you do coupled with sarcastic put downs.

 

Despite the fact that you are all over this place like a nasty rash doesn't give you the right to assume the role of father figure. We all see things differently and the forum is a place to express our different views. God, thankfully not everyone on here is not like you although I do see signs of mini you's appearing making me think twice about leaving this damn place.

 

For your information, I know saints are a relatively small club and my expectations are grounded but after doing so well the last two seasons it is reasonable to hope for more of the same, we obviously have the infrastructure and resources to do that having done it already. Yes if players want to move on you cant force them them to stay albeit temporarily, my issue is the standard of the replacements.

[Dalek2003]

After finishing 8th and 7th the last two seasons you take mid table as acceptable. You jump on people if they are too optimistic and you jump on people if they take the pessimistic route. You have this pious attitude against anyone who does not see things exactly as you do coupled with sarcastic put downs.

 

Despite the fact that you are all over this place like a nasty rash doesn't give you the right to assume the role of father figure. We all see things differently and the forum is a place to express our different views. God, thankfully not everyone on here is not like you although I do see signs of mini you's appearing making me think twice about leaving this damn place.

 

For your information, I know saints are a relatively small club and my expectations are grounded but after doing so well the last two seasons it is reasonable to hope for more of the same, we obviously have the infrastructure and resources to do that having done it already. Yes if players want to move on you cant force them them to stay albeit temporarily, my issue is the standard of the replacements.

 

I wouldn't let CB Fry put you off posting, this is what he wants. An autocrat of the forum LOL.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I've admittedly only seen the MOTD2 highlights of this game - if 'highlights' be the right word - but was that Romeu really as poor a midfielder as that brief glimpse made him look?

 

It's very tempting to put our current poor form down to the distraction of the 'Ropey' league - something tells me however that this competition won't start to properly hurt us until we are further on into the season. That's something else to worry about ...

[dubai_phil]

I didn't see anything of the match but I heard that Mane might have been playing up, ie not actually injured. What do people who saw the game think?

 

You heard very wrong. Mane was breaking through, their CB whacked him in the Hip/outside thigh, he pushed the ball too far and then got flattened by Gomes. Should have been a foul given by the CB outside the area. He clearly had a dead leg or close to at that point.

30 seconds later he was kicked up in the air on the touchline, came down hard and hit his head. Tried to stand up but couldn't. He was out of it TV showed a close up of his eyes. Our bench were all up and at the 4th Official.

 

The formation worked defensively but the main flaw was that it wasn't balanced. Caulker did well pushing forward to give Cedric support on the right side. On the left, Maya did not do the same. As a result Targett was isolated much of the match and even when he recieved the ball rarely had anyone within 10 yards of him. Caulker was in the oppo box regularly Maya was past the halfway line rarely. This meant we were pressed in the central midfield area and had no tempo, no composure and none of our crisp neat passing from last season. In fact Davis was often pulled out of his forward role and again left too big a gap between MF & the forwards so lomger balls were played.

We were a team lacking confidence and composure. In the past if we found all avenues closed down we would recycle the ball around the oppo penalty area. Yesterday we tried speculative 25/30 yard shots. In fact it seemed we did that more often yesterday than in the whole of last season.

 

The 3CB formation is what we SHOULD have played in the EL game to combat their direct approach. We didn't have Caulker fit for that game. As awful as yesterday was, it was as if RK decided to try the formation out before Thursday and hope for a breakaway goal rather than to try and win the game.

 

3 CB's looked bad last time we tried it and that was with Betrand on the left. Targett wasn't to blame for being left alone, Maya should have supported him more yet Maya had a great game.

For me part of the blame for this bad start has to be down to the poor start by Tadic. We are set up for him, he was supposed to have been fully fit for the start of this season and yet has made little impact in the games he has played and has been dropped.

 

We are awful at the moment but with Betrand Clasie & VvD we will improve, and hopefully Dusan will get his act together.

 

BUT if we play like that again, the only player likely to score is bloody Caulker.

[Dalek2003]

We 'lost the race for 8th' last season with Swansea and the Hammers got the wooden spoon.

[VectisSaint]

I've admittedly only seen the MOTD2 highlights of this game - if 'highlights' be the right word - but was that Romeu really as poor a midfielder as that brief glimpse made him look?

No.

Highlights were ridiculous, Mane was already off before they showed anything of Saints. They were really just interested in Watford were doing, really don't know why anyone watches this stuff any more. Romeu was good again. I'm also not sure the yellow was warranted again (for the third time), replays showed clearly that he played and won the ball, was it dangerous? Not convinced, looked like the Watford player made it look worse. Think Romeu has a reputation that precedes him, think he should grow his hair so that he doesn't look like a thug and refs might stop picking on him :-)

[Professor]

Even with injuries limiting some of his selections, Koeman almost has too many players to pick from. Whereas we have seemed to do well in the past with a settled first choice XI, the need to rest players while playing 2 games a week adds to the disruption. Even with Mané off, we still had proven goal scorers in Pelle, Long and JRod but couldn't find a way through. RK must be wondering what he has to do to create the clear cut chances that we need. Defence did look good with the three CBs formation working well. Caulker was my MotM and Romeu seemed to me to be a good equivalent to Schneiderlin, but the five across midfield did little to provide the front two with chances. How you provide stability in the team while still trying to find your best side and your best formation can't be easy.

[hutch]

I think there is a very salient point here. Include TV money, and the club have cleared in excess of 200 MILLION in the last 18months. Do you think the end product yesterday reflects that ?

That's good info there mate. How much did you factor in for the installments on outgoing transfers that we haven't received yet?