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Saints 1 Sunderland 0 - Arsenal away in the quarter-final


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MotM vs Sunderland (EFL Cup R16 2016)  

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  1. 1. MotM vs Sunderland (EFL Cup R16 2016)



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oh and Yoshida was immense tonight!

Agreed. Now Claude has stopped trying to use him at FB, he's getting back to his best and not much to choose between him and José.

 

We need Gardos or someone to progress in the same way so we have two solid CB pairings

Can someone tell me whether that was basically Sunderland's first choice team? If so, then they really are in trouble.

 

 

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Has McQueen jumped ahead of Targett in the pecking order at left back?

 

Be interesting to see how Puel plays it if all three are fit for a long stretch.

Not much in it, IMO. We may see one of them tried in midfield - converted like Bale.

 

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Not much in it, IMO. We may see one of them tried in midfield - converted like Bale.

 

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Given McQueen has already been converted from LW to LB I'd be very surprised if they chuck him back up there. Especially as we don't play wingers.

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Just seen highlights on Ch5. Definitely should have been a penalty from Yoshi's challenge - not given, so hey-ho, they even up over a season (apparently).

 

Great goal from Boufal.

Any win is a good win.

 

Arsenal next. COYS!

I disagree on the penalty. Yosh reached for the ball and the Sunderland player ran over his leg.

 

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Yoshi MOTM, Boufal great goal some good touches but still needs time to adjust to the English game. Stephens and Isgrove woeful, JWP not far behind.

 

Dire game overall, very pleased for that piece of magic.

 

How does Puel keep changing the team and producing competitive performances? It's almost as if Les Reed knew what he was doing when he made the appointment!

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Give it a rest. Our midfield last night was Reed, JWP, and Højbjerg. Average age of what, 22? And we had 57% possession. They all played their part.

 

No they didn't - you have to call a spade a spade. JWP has shown improvement this season but his game was abject last night - go back and watch a replay if you need convincing. Reed and Hojbjerg were very good in a poor scrappy game - but JWP did not play his part. I know people want him to live up to the hype and this is probably his best season for Saints so far, but he was extremely poor last night.

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As has been said already a bit of a messy game, but going back to the Sparta game when Claude started shuffling the pack, when I saw the team on the wall at the back of the bookies under the Chapel. My first reaction was "that looks ok". Then saw the Sunderland team on the TV screens thought, they are taking this pretty seriously.

I think the overriding thing Claude has quickly achieved is togetherness in the full squad, Jermaine Jenas mentioned something about it some weeks back on TV, when talking about rotation, in that as a fringe player you want to feel included. I don't think there is any doubt that all the players on the squad list right now feel wanted and have a purpose.

Harrison Reed summed that up perfectly as every time he has taken to the pitch he has (to my knowledge) never let us down with his performance, last season he seemed to have vanished into a dark place that had fans asking what's happened to him. Then he popped up in the Palace cup game and played really well, getting right under the skin of Cabaye especially, after that game he said in an interview that he likes playing under Puel and that when he came in he had spoken to him and told him not to be so aggressive. Last night I thought he was immense playing in the Romeu role up against a Wardrobe and an American Fridge freezer without any trepidation and constantly showing for the ball regardless of who was bearing down on him. I think his performance also shows why Clasie has upped his game in recent weeks......... Last season under RK Clasie could have one leg hanging off and an eye patch over one eye and he still would have been on the bench ahead of Reed.

Sam McQueen is looking an old hand at it now, Stephens I think was trying a little too hard, and second half after a couple of miscontrolled balls just seemed to let his head drop, which was a surprise. Disappointment for me was Isgrove, the lad has had a couple of great seasons out on loan playing week in week out against monsters in lower leagues and acquitted himself very well. last Last night first half there were flashes, but the moment that summed up a poor second half for him was when the ball came to him up front in acres of space enough to turn and run at goal like he has done out on loan, he didn't even think about doing that but just playing the ball back to where it had just come from..... And backwards. Young Olomola was twitching to go with him in support if he had turned.

A moment that summed up Claude and the nippers up well was when Olomola came on, and instantly decided to chase the ball across the Sunderland defence (much to the crowds enjoyment) Claude was out on the touch line telling him to calm down.

Moyes was all of a lather re the penalty, he should be lucky he still had 11 players on the pitch at that point as baldy who took out McQueen 1st half should have been in the showers as that was full studs up and agricultural but both ref and Lino (who were crap) saw nothing in it, matey who had committed the foul knew he was in trouble and was very quiet at getting away with it.

Overall it wasn't a crackerjack cup tie, the game was decided by a lovely goal scored by our most expensive player, who you would hope would score goals like that by default, but what the game did show is right now under Claude Puel the club is in a good place.

Edited by John Boy Saint
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Crap game but we never looked like we were going to lose this, Boufals goal was world class from the first touch to the finish.

 

Honest assessments from me.

 

I am not moaning or dissing but Stephens and Isgrove for me are not good enough to ever break into the first team match day squad on a regular basis.

 

McQueen and Reed both looked good and the young lad up top looks like he may turn out to be a good 4th choice 3rd choice striker over the next 18-24 months.

 

Downside was Jay Rod getting a knock when this was his game to get 70-75 mins under his belt and get him fit for Sunday and Thursday, good news he should be okay for Sunday.

 

One more positive is Puel, he is using the rotation well and keeping players happy and playing some good stuff at times without looking dodgy at the back.

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No they didn't - you have to call a spade a spade. JWP has shown improvement this season but his game was abject last night - go back and watch a replay if you need convincing. Reed and Hojbjerg were very good in a poor scrappy game - but JWP did not play his part. I know people want him to live up to the hype and this is probably his best season for Saints so far, but he was extremely poor last night.

 

Yeh agree- I don't think JWP is ever going to be a star, but he's a good rotation option, someone who works hard and knocks the ball around a bit, almost like saints Mark Noble. The fact that he's already made so many appearances for the club suggest managers see his quality though.

 

After last night I think the youngsters are going to have a tough time breaking through- Reed and McQueen were solid but Isgrove & Stephens were poor, and although Olomola looks lively his ball control wasn't great and he looks really heavy footed.

 

I'm quite happy with the draw personally- gives us a chance to make up for that undeserved defeat at the Emirates earlier this season. (Obviously would of preferred Leeds at home though.)

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No they didn't - you have to call a spade a spade. JWP has shown improvement this season but his game was abject last night - go back and watch a replay if you need convincing. Reed and Hojbjerg were very good in a poor scrappy game - but JWP did not play his part. I know people want him to live up to the hype and this is probably his best season for Saints so far, but he was extremely poor last night.

 

I thought Hojbjerg was extremely poor in the first half, although admittedly he improved in the second. Olomola and Stephens did absolutely nothing to enhance their credentials sadly and McQueen looked knackered - although the fact he was playing in the first place suggests they are confident Bertrand will be ok for Chelsea. Isgrove needs to start looking for a new club.

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I just wish our squad was a teeny bit bigger.

We are doing very well but can't help feeling we are down to our bare bones now.

Maybe so, but it's not that long ago that the number of injuries we have now would have prevented us from competing in one game a week, never mind two.

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Just watched the highlights again. My (second) favourite moment in the match was at the end of the game where McQueen, Boufal and Redmond swapped about 10 short passes in the space of 10 seconds leaving c.5 Sunderland players bamboozled in no man's land. Exquisite.

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Yeh agree- I don't think JWP is ever going to be a star, but he's a good rotation option, someone who works hard and knocks the ball around a bit, almost like saints Mark Noble. The fact that he's already made so many appearances for the club suggest managers see his quality though.

 

~

My Goodness. JWP has been a Saint since he was 8 and 13 years later aged just 21 he still is. He captains the best England under 21 side England have had in ages and won the Toulon trophy as Skipper, takes all the free kicks, corners and penalties for England. One of the best in the country if not the very best in his position and role for his age ~ and you say he's never going to be a star! He IS a star already mate and is a credit to Southampton Football Club. We should be so lucky as to have a great bloke and a great player like him at the club in this day and age of the traveling mercenary. If you don't think having a home grown player of his international stature in the team makes him a REAL star unlike those so-called badge kissing "stars" you've got your priorities wrong.

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Yeh agree- I don't think JWP is ever going to be a star, but he's a good rotation option, someone who works hard and knocks the ball around a bit, almost like saints Mark Noble. The fact that he's already made so many appearances for the club suggest managers see his quality though.

 

~

My Goodness. JWP has been a Saint since he was 8 and 13 years later aged just 21 he still is. He captains the best England under 21 side England have had in ages and won the Toulon trophy as Skipper, takes all the free kicks, corners and penalties for England. One of the best in the country if not the very best in his position and role for his age ~ and you say he's never going to be a star! He IS a star already mate and is a credit to Southampton Football Club. We should be so lucky as to have a great bloke and a great player like him at the club in this day and age of the traveling mercenary. If you don't think having a home grown player of his international stature in the team makes him a REAL star unlike those so-called badge kissing "stars" you've got your priorities wrong.

 

Playing devils advocate, 'Junior' international stature. At senior level he is still very hit and miss.

 

I want him to come good, but he is not the first name on the team sheet by any measure. It is so easy to forget how young he still is mind.

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My Goodness. JWP has been a Saint since he was 8 and 13 years later aged just 21 he still is. He captains the best England under 21 side England have had in ages and won the Toulon trophy as Skipper, takes all the free kicks, corners and penalties for England. One of the best in the country if not the very best in his position and role for his age ~ and you say he's never going to be a star! He IS a star already mate and is a credit to Southampton Football Club. We should be so lucky as to have a great bloke and a great player like him at the club in this day and age of the traveling mercenary. If you don't think having a home grown player of his international stature in the team makes him a REAL star unlike those so-called badge kissing "stars" you've got your priorities wrong.

 

As Southampton fans it's totally normal for us to want to defend our academy players, who over the years have been mostly fantastic. However I think it's very important to be fair. Just because JWP has come through our academy it doesn't mean he's a world beater, in fact he has shown time and time again that he is an ok quality squad player only, and would probably make a half decent lower table Championship starter. But a star he is not.

 

It's difficult for many to admit this about one of your own. Imagine your son was in the school team and everyone could see he isn't good enough, you'd still desperately try and defend him wouldn't you? So fair play to the JWP defenders, not bashing you guys, you're just being good supporters and defending your boy. But unfortunately we've seen him play a few too many times to know he's not good enough.

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I think six academy boys was a step to far quality wise luckily Sunderland were truly awful and Boufal came up with a match winning moment of absolute class.

 

Totally agree, very odd team selection for a man who claimed that the EFL Cup was important to him? What a squalid, bad tempered affair this turned out to be and it even Puel was moaning all night. Yoshi outstanding and a mature performance from Sam McQueen who looked every inch a regular PL footballer, his calmness and authority were unbelievable from a guy who has made only two starts - it seems we have ourselves a star in the making and on this showing will push Targets into third choice. Felt sorry for Stephens to be asked to play his first team debut in an unfamiliar position. He looked unsettled all night. Isgrove blew what may prove to have been his last chance. Pretty sure Rodrigues had concussion from his earlier head clash from reactions of medics on the touchline in front of me.

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JWP adds nothing offensively. Reed is much better than him and should replace him. I am allowed to give an opinion as is everybody else beside yourself.

 

Give it a rest. Our midfield last night was Reed, JWP, and Højbjerg. Average age of what, 22? And we had 57% possession. They all played their part.
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As Southampton fans it's totally normal for us to want to defend our academy players, who over the years have been mostly fantastic. However I think it's very important to be fair. Just because JWP has come through our academy it doesn't mean he's a world beater, in fact he has shown time and time again that he is an ok quality squad player only, and would probably make a half decent lower table Championship starter. But a star he is not.

 

It's difficult for many to admit this about one of your own. Imagine your son was in the school team and everyone could see he isn't good enough, you'd still desperately try and defend him wouldn't you? So fair play to the JWP defenders, not bashing you guys, you're just being good supporters and defending your boy. But unfortunately we've seen him play a few too many times to know he's not good enough.

 

 

JWP was poor last night but one of the best players last week in Milan IMO

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Just watched the highlights again. My (second) favourite moment in the match was at the end of the game where McQueen, Boufal and Redmond swapped about 10 short passes in the space of 10 seconds leaving c.5 Sunderland players bamboozled in no man's land. Exquisite.

 

I agree that was a nice moment, excellent play winding down the clock and showed great composure.

 

it was not a great game, but we achieved our objective of getting through in the Cup while at the same time resting most of the first team ready for action on Sunday. Hopefully the next couple of games will be kind to us in terms of injuries as we are struggling on that front.

When you consider after Rodriguez went off we had Stephens, McQueen, Reed, Ward-Prowse, Isgrove and Olomola on the pitch that is amazing really against a near first choice Sunderland team. Having Boufal available now is a big plus.

 

Arsenal away is a disappointing draw but at least will be a big allocation and cheap tickets, it was £10 when we went there in the league cup a couple of seasons ago. Hopefully our injured players of Long, Targett, Bertrand, Cedric all avoid international call ups and get a couple of weeks rest in November as that will make a big difference when we go into the mad run of games , 9 in a month 19th Nov - 18th Dec.

 

Liverpool (H), Saturday

Sparta Prague (A) Thursday

Everton (H) Sunday

Arsenal (A) Wednesday

Palace (A) Saturday

Be'erSheva (H) Thursday

Middlesbrough (H) Sunday

Stoke (A) Wednesday

Bournemouth (A) Sunday

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My Goodness. JWP has been a Saint since he was 8 and 13 years later aged just 21 he still is. He captains the best England under 21 side England have had in ages and won the Toulon trophy as Skipper, takes all the free kicks, corners and penalties for England. One of the best in the country if not the very best in his position and role for his age ~ and you say he's never going to be a star! He IS a star already mate and is a credit to Southampton Football Club. We should be so lucky as to have a great bloke and a great player like him at the club in this day and age of the traveling mercenary. If you don't think having a home grown player of his international stature in the team makes him a REAL star unlike those so-called badge kissing "stars" you've got your priorities wrong.

Yeah, but apart from that...

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I just wish our squad was a teeny bit bigger.

We are doing very well but can't help feeling we are down to our bare bones now.

One purpose of the squad is to cope with players out through injury. While we have seven players unavailable through injury (Pied, Gardos, Long, Cedric, Targett, Bertrand and Hesketh), we should expect to be close to 'bare bones' although that might be a slight exaggeration. It's not surprising that options are reduced with this injury list but we still had a strong bench, the bulk of possession and won the game. If you had an even larger squad which assumed this level of absentees as the norm, it would be very difficult to keep all the players match fit and satisfied with second string games.

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...a lot of people have been saying that we will never be able to replace Mané, but recollecting how he struggled in his first matches .. .. I should say that Boufal's goal might even have made Mané gasp if he was watching....(it certainly did me)

 

For those who recall MLT's greatest goals, it looked like a text book example of his style of finishing...a goal out of nothing.....

.....it's very early days, but if that's an example of what he can do, then think that....just maybe.. in a year or so's time....?

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Think some people are missing a few points in regards to JWP and England u21. So many players around that age have already gone up to senior team. Dier, Pick ford, Stones, Keane, Lingard, Alli , Ox, Rashford, Shaw, Sterling, Barkley, Kane and so on. If we didn't rush these players into the senior team he wouldn't have played as many as he has. The truth of the matter is he is 22 in a few weeks and as of yet has not done much of note. If he was as good as some like to make out he would have been bought by one of the big fish by now. Look how many players his age or younger have been bought.

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Think some people are missing a few points in regards to JWP and England u21. So many players around that age have already gone up to senior team. Dier, Pick ford, Stones, Keane, Lingard, Alli , Ox, Rashford, Shaw, Sterling, Barkley, Kane and so on. If we didn't rush these players into the senior team he wouldn't have played as many as he has. The truth of the matter is he is 22 in a few weeks and as of yet has not done much of note. If he was as good as some like to make out he would have been bought by one of the big fish by now. Look how many players his age or younger have been bought.

 

You're right. If England fielded a team of overage players, he probably wouldn't be Captain.

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~

My Goodness. JWP has been a Saint since he was 8 and 13 years later aged just 21 he still is. He captains the best England under 21 side England have had in ages and won the Toulon trophy as Skipper, takes all the free kicks, corners and penalties for England. One of the best in the country if not the very best in his position and role for his age ~ and you say he's never going to be a star! He IS a star already mate and is a credit to Southampton Football Club. We should be so lucky as to have a great bloke and a great player like him at the club in this day and age of the traveling mercenary. If you don't think having a home grown player of his international stature in the team makes him a REAL star unlike those so-called badge kissing "stars" you've got your priorities wrong.

 

Fair point- I'm by no means saying he's a bad player, I'm quite happy to see him on our team sheet, and to do all of the above shows he has a great attitude mentally, good leadership qualities etc. But I'm never going to be convinced until he starts putting away those chances he always blazes over the bar. He needs to be more clinical, both with passing and shooting, and he'll know that better than anyone.

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Fair point- I'm by no means saying he's a bad player, I'm quite happy to see him on our team sheet, and to do all of the above shows he has a great attitude mentally, good leadership qualities etc. But I'm never going to be convinced until he starts putting away those chances he always blazes over the bar. He needs to be more clinical, both with passing and shooting, and he'll know that better than anyone.

 

Have to agree. JWP is an exceptionally talented player but despite appearing in the Saints' starting line up at the age of 17 in 2012 he has remained a first choice sub, rather than becoming established as one of the first XI. Every player has strengths and weaknesses, even those who cost obscene fees such as those paid for John Stones and Paul Pogba, so its to be expected that JWP has weaknesses in his game as pointed out by Winchy. The surprise is that given his experience at the top level, the accuracy of his attempts on goal don't seem to have improved despite the examples he must see all the time. We've heard about how he has become a dead ball specialist by extra hours spent practicing which indicates he has the dedication needed to raise his level. At 21, he is still a young player with capacity to become even better.

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...a lot of people have been saying that we will never be able to replace Mané, but recollecting how he struggled in his first matches .. .. I should say that Boufal's goal might even have made Mané gasp if he was watching....(it certainly did me)

 

For those who recall MLT's greatest goals, it looked like a text book example of his style of finishing...a goal out of nothing.....

.....it's very early days, but if that's an example of what he can do, then think that....just maybe.. in a year or so's time....?

 

Le Tiss stayed on his feet for his best goals though.

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I disagree on the penalty. Yosh reached for the ball and the Sunderland player ran over his leg.

 

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Agreed. Sunderland (Moyes in particular) have been whining about that decision, but Maya didn't stick his foot out. The Sunderland player tripped over Maya's leg. Not a penalty.

 

And I think they were lucky to get that penalty in the first home match of the season.

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Why is this an obsession for some people? Forcing your opponent to commit fouls is a good thing.

 

...like for instance getting someone angry by "nutmegging " them, or knowing that he's going to have to commit a foul to stop you.

 

It's also about a sense of balance. I recall Keith Cassels (from McMenemy era) who could fall over even with two feet on the ground.

 

He was the easiest person to foul and must have won dozens of free kicks without even trying.

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Don't think we would of won in 90 minutes without Fonte so he got my vote.

 

..especially as he wouldn't have been there to punt the ball upfield to Boufal.....for the goalscoring opportunity.

 

It really didn't look like "a measured pass", but it fell beautifully for Boufal, and his famed skill did the rest.

 

Great goal. I often feel I can sense when a goal is coming ....but that one came out of nothing.

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