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01 Feb 2018 21:31:42
Today's interview with pellegrino for the West Brom game
What the hell was the Handsome man with blond hair blue eyes thing all about
Talk about go off on a tangent
To be honest he looked totally pissed off today
he looked like he'd had enough and was ready to through the towel in
He spoke about board meetings till after 12 so they must be getting to the point where he's close to being relieved of his duties
To be fare he's played at a good level and must be wondering how it's got to this
But the problem that is cursing him is the fact that he's had so many opportunities to win kill off games but he has either not made a substitution or made the wrong substitution
And it's cost him.
1.) 03 Feb 2018 17:07:04
And he now has a vital win under his belt.
2.) 03 Feb 2018 20:43:25
And we deserved it.
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07 Mar 2020 20:42:03
Just have to say all though we lost today
Today's game had the best atmosphere
I can remember for a few seasons at home
Ref played his part in that as did VAR but
I go to football to get excited and to have something to talk about when I leave the ground apart from how bad the game was
But
Well done lads you showed commitment today.
1.) 07 Mar 2020 21:58:50
I felt sorry for Djenopo today. He was clearly off the pace before 'that' tackle. I've never been one to disagree with ref decisions just because it effects a Saints player; this one i couldn't make my mind up about. Yes it was an awful coming together, but the direction of travel of his foot didn't deviate. the opposing player came in one direction and Djenopo another and they came together.
Anyway, onto the game. After a not so good first half, we were totally controlling the game in the second half. The interplay between defence and midfield was exceptional. The two times we very cleverly worked an opining and were away, their player pulled us back.
Valery had flashes of his old self, but he was over complicating passes, trying to be too clever in the wrong areas of the pitch .
Effort from players and fans was amazing .
2.) 08 Mar 2020 10:01:01
I think the red was the right decision. However, we've seen them not given on plenty of occasions this season. I think the referee puts himself in an awkward position for the rest of the game as he used the monitor to make decisions (as I think the officials should) . However, he doesn't then use it for the penalty. Which, I don't think should have been a penalty as Saint-Maximin pulled Boufal in the build-up, which caused the ball to hit his arm. Justice was done as McCarthy saved the penalty. Then you had Manquillo's tackle on Bertrand, which they didn't even look at? It was late and he's two-footed him in the chest and he's late, I think that tackle was more intentional then Djenpo's.
I didn't think we were ever going to win with 10 men, but everyone put a shift in, Ings chased absolutely everything. Both CB's did a great job and even though Valery made a mistake leading to the goal, he had a very good game. It was always going to be a difficult game for him as Saint-Maximin is one of the fastest wingers in the league. I think the difference came when they brought Joelinton as that allowed Almiron to drop deeper, where he plays better. It's promising how strong our back 4 has become and how much better we defend with JWP and PEH as our holding midfielders. We missed Armstrong and Redmond today, Boufal is a good player but he gave the ball away in a lot of good areas. He's got a chance though in the upcoming weeks to make his case to become a first-team player.
3.) 08 Mar 2020 15:21:04
One person I forgot to mention was Long. When he was coming on for bit parts here and there, his effort his his inadequacies. Now he is on the pitch from the start, he just seems to fall over, argue with the officials and do very little else than be a pain in the arse to the opponents.
I think it’s time to pair Che Adams with Ings- Che is a very intelligent footballer, holds the ball up superbly and a great passer .
06 Oct 2019 16:06:13
Today's game what a awful awful game
We seem to be going backwards.
1.) 07 Oct 2019 19:20:27
There are those that are trying to put a good spin on the game. It was absolutely dreadful. Worrying was that we came out second half in an identical formation and playing style. Chelsea came out and had changed their play completely.
Even with 20 minutes to go and losing by 2 goals, we still made zero tactical changes . it was awful.
05 May 2018 11:05:44
Tonight's predictions anyone
I'm optimistic and think we could have a convincing 2.0 tonight
They don't create a lot of chances and if we
Can contain Rooney from delivering the killer balls he can I think they are there for the taking.
1.) 05 May 2018 13:31:25
Agree there, and we also need to keep tosun marked up for the whole game. he has been very prolific lately.
19 Apr 2018 22:17:34
Well what a load of rubbish that was
Saw the 3 goons in the crowd you could see the enjoyment on their faces
Watching the same boring rubbish we've been subjected to all season
Probably thinking to them selves maybe we should have given Koeman more money after all
I just don't understand why in the last 20 minutes we didn't go for it
Yes Leicester came on strong at the end but that's because of our substitutions
Davis why?
Prowes was having a good game and Davis has been out for ages
If they come out with I need him for Sunday garbage I give up
Don't they want to stay up then
Austin for long that worked didn't it Jesus as soon as long was off the pitch bang the game changed against us
Then Redmong well enough said he made a dramatic difference to the game when he came on as usual
But
Another good turn out of saints on a Thursday night and they go home wondering why the f##k did I bother.
1.) 19 Apr 2018 23:18:12
JWP substituted once again . and as you say why? he was playing well. Bringing Davis on just didn't work, was clearly not up to speed and virtually played no part at all. taking Long off again; this totally changed the game. Leicester pushed up almost immediately, knowing they didn't have to worry about his speed. Tadic was muxh better against Chelsea but this time seemed to not be in the game at all. Redmond . no value at all when he came on.
i didn't understand why we seemed to play out for a draw, so I had a good look at the table and just maybe that one point could be the decider. Swansea have Chelsea, Man City and then Bournemouth away. so potentially no more points until they play us. IF we win that game that means max points Swansea can achieve is 36 (if they beat Stoke last game) . That leaves us needing 7 points only to draw level on points. 2 wins and a draw would be enough and fingers crossed not losing by too many to Man C!
If we had lost tonight we would have needed 3 wins in a row as we would need 8 points - I have assumed we lose to Man C .
2.) 20 Apr 2018 06:16:06
I am with you mate that’s exactly how I read it.
Plus let’s hope City thrash Swansea to assist us on goal diff.
3.) 20 Apr 2018 09:11:33
Our biggest game of the season, every game is a big game. But we're now 4 points adrift and every game we have the opportunity to close the gap but we haven't managed to win. I was saying the same about MP all season and now it looks the same at MH, do they not understand the team?
We had such a defensive mindset the whole game, don't get me wrong, with RB and CS as our fullbacks 3 CB's at the back gives them the chance to attack which is what we want, but at the same time, you need midfielders who are good footballers. I don't get that for PEH and Romeu, sure they're good players but they don't have the skill to be able to control the tempo of the game. But we never once looked in control of the game, we had a few good attacking moves and SL fluffed so really good chances.
My question to MH
- Why are we setting so defensively?
- What even is our formation? Tadic and JWP just seem to float
- Why is Austin not starting?
- Why do you not know how to make subs?
Take the Chelsea game for example - being 2-0 up is where you look at taking off JWP for a defensive player, not when you're drawing 0-0 in a game that you need to win.
Rich you make a good point about Swansea and their fixtures, but we can't rely on other teams losing their remaining matches if this is why we think MH has played for the draw.
The style of football under MH does not make any sense, we don't look like a threat going forward, the only we will ever score if the other team make a load of mistakes. I'd like to see a 4-3-3:
GK: AM
RB: CS
CB: JS/ JB
CB: MY/ WH
LB: RB
CDM's x2: PEH, ML, OR, SD
CAM: DT, JWP/ Boufal
RW: SL
STR: CA/ MG
LW: NR/ JS.
4.) 20 Apr 2018 11:16:46
hang on we were saying he had got us scoring!
i say stick with back three but play two strikers with one attacking midfielder.
5.) 20 Apr 2018 11:48:13
Saintjay, I appreciate that you’re annoyed by the result last night but you seem to have forgotten the games played after we lost to West Ham. We’ve played a 4-3-3 most of the season and it hampered our attacking play as our fullbacks didn’t have the confidence to get forward and we ended up playing in front of the opposition with little penetration. The only time we got behind the opposition defence was when we played with Redmond as a winger on his natural right side, but we don’t have a natural left winger so the side is unbalanced.
MH has come in with so few games to go, he doesn’t have the time to make big sweeping changes. He’s tweaking. He has tried 4-4-2 but that weakened us defensively (as it did under MP2). Against Chelsea (and most of the Arsenal game) we played the 3-4-2-1 formation and it served us well. The benefit to this system is that with the ball, it gives Bertrand and Cedric the confidence to bomb forward and give us width, leading to 3 of the 4 goals we have scored in the last two games. Cedric and Bertrand achieved 2 and 1 assist respectively. Without the ball, Bertrand and Cedric can tuck in to make a back 5, Tadic and JWP drop beside PEH and Romeu to make a midfield 4 leaving Long up top to hassle any deep player with the ball or chase clearances. If there is a quick counter against us, we should still have enough players available to defend in a 4-4-2. It wasn’t the formation that let us down against Chelsea, but the players failing to cope with a motivated Giroud and MH failing to acknowledge this and correct it quickly enough.
We’ve struggled to score all season but we have scored 4 in the last 2 games. Defensively, we have struggled all season and whilst we have conceded 3 a game since MH took over, we have played Arsenal and Chelsea who have the technical ability to finish consistently ruthlessly when teams lower down the league do not. We will not concede 3 goals every game, as proved last night.
I think its also worth highlighting again the effect of the team’s mentality. We’ve seen all season how some games they seem fired up and ready, whereas for others, they seem timid and panicky. Irrespective of the formation and MH’s instructions, I think there were signs of that again last night. Don’t forget that Leicester hammered us at home, we were playing away, we’re under much greater pressure now then we were then and Leicester are still a team that has the capability of being clinical with Jamie Vardy being in good goal scoring form. So for the team not to implode as it has before, for us to get our first clean sheet under MH, for us to pick up a very valuable point in a tough away game should all be seen as positives. The team faced a stern test last night and they came through it with something to hold on to.
I do not question the team’s formation, but I think you’re right to question the personnel. Shane Long’s work rate up top is not matched by any other forward in our squad. However, as was evidenced again last night, his finishing is sub-standard. The best chance of the game fell to him and he should have scored but he’s not a natural finisher. Austin is a natural finisher but doesn’t work as hard so its difficult to play him as a lone striker. Ideally we could have Long and Austin playing together but as we’ve seen a 4-4-2 doesn’t work and a 3-4-1-2 would also leave us exposed defensively. Maybe Long could take one of the positions behind Austin, though that would require defensive discipline on his part when we don’t have the ball and no silly freekicks.
JWP is playing the same starting position as Kevin De Bruyne but he’s nowhere near as effective and aside from set plays, struggles to affect the game from such an advanced role.
Our midfield two are primarily there to provide a screen for the back three when the wing backs push up. With so many teams playing 3 midfielders, our two can easily find themselves outnumbered if one of the wingbacks or attacking midfielders doesn’t read the play and drop to help defensively. I disagree that PEH and Romeu aren’t good enough with the ball to pass the ball out from there. Both have demonstrated the ability to find a teammate in short interchanges or from distance if they are given space. PEH’s enthusiasm and workrate are high and help to lift the team. We have no-one else in the squad who is a reliable defensive midfielder with better passing abilities. Lemina sadly has struggled since Christmas and I think that’s a mental issue and the need for time to adapt to the league as much as anything else.
There’s the rub. You can certainly look at our team and say that players aren’t as effective in their roles as we would like, but the problem is, when you look at our squad and the list of any possible replacements, the list is often very short and the players not starting are undeniably less effective in terms of their overall performance for the team than the alternative. As I said before, if you play Austin up top, his defensive work will be less than Long’s. You drop Long in to one of the attacking midfield roles then you lose the craft of Tadic (when he plays well) or the set piece ability of JWP. You also ask Long to play in midfield when we don’t have the ball which is not a natural position for him so will be quite a gamble. If you bring Sims on, where would you play him in this formation to get the best of him? The same with Gabbi or Carrillo. Lemina is unreliable at the moment, Davis is just back after a couple of injuries, is McQueen a better option than Bertrand? Offensively perhaps, but defensively? Pied for Cedric anyone?
With so few games remaining, MH can’t continue to experiment too drastically with the team and expect the players to win games, as that is the position we are in now. The team looks more effective in attack with the current formation and for long spells, we have looked comfortable defensively. Its now on MH and the players to learn from their defensive errors whilst not retreating and reducing our potency in attack. A first clean sheet against a thorny Leicester side will give the players confidence they are moving in the right direction.
6.) 20 Apr 2018 14:53:35
i disagree with hojbjerg not passing very well from deep. he has a very good eye for a pass as proved for that ball to bertrand against chelsea. he is our best option next to romeu atm so MH just needs to work out where the more attacking midfielders and strikers can fit in.
7.) 20 Apr 2018 15:28:50
Diggy, I didn't see any enjoyment on the faces of the 3 goons sat in the crowd at all? They looked like goons, that's for sure, but unhappy goons.
But I completely agree, what a bizarre game and approach from us. We might be the first team to ever play like we want to go down. It wasn't the players this time Imo, it was a manager who says all week we need to be positive and play without fear, and then sets the team up to play with fear! Strange. Championship here we come, barring 3 wins on the bounce which is impossible to imagine.
8.) 20 Apr 2018 16:38:06
Figo . Pied for Cedric . absolutely. Don't think Cedric is the Cedric of old. his defending is on par but his crossing and offensive play is not. Pied has always looked good.
A point against a team with a good attacking record was excellent. I am not sure I can think of one mistake the defense made. but some of our passing was atrocious.
9.) 20 Apr 2018 16:47:41
Agree 3 wins look very unlikely indeed! Although I still feel 7 points may be enough. Can’t see Huddersfield gaining another point to be honest.
10.) 21 Apr 2018 07:16:58
Figo ad ever spot on,
29 Mar 2018 19:03:53
Good luck tomorrow to the boys
Hopefully we will get the first couple of goals early the let the toxic atmosphere begin.
1.) 30 Mar 2018 09:21:53
I think Huddersfield will only get 34 points this season so a draw against West Ham would not be a disaster, 2 wins and 3 draws might be enough.
21 Jul 2022 21:55:06
Alot of interest from other clubs so another young prospect who could turn out to be another shrewd
move!
24 Nov 2019 18:39:20
I’ve heard the red bull rumour aswell
And to be fare if Christian Horner wants to play in the centre of defence he’s welcome to it
I’ve already ear marked vestappen up front due to his Aggression I think he will do well
If anything red bull will give us wings
😂
Sorry had to write this.
31 Jan 2019 17:36:17
Loads of out goings nothing coming in bit of a anti climax window but we’re playing well so that’s all we can ask for
We have a few loans that will return in the summer and I think Ralph will get the best out of them
Our team now will be fitter and more switched on to his style so who ever comes back will hopefully just fit in.
10 Jan 2019 04:08:29
I’d be happy with who ever Ralph brings in based on the way he’s started off his Southampton managerial career
This wouldn’t have the les reed seal of approval and would probably be our best signing or singnings for some time
COYR.
16 Dec 2018 17:41:43
A well deserved win well over due on wards and up wards
Fare play Ralph.
18 Feb 2023 12:24:23
He also said about Rafa being inspirational to him
Whilst at Valencia
He seemed very confident in his ability so let’s hope the players respond and we start picking up points
18 Feb 2023 12:21:13
I watched the press conference and he handled himself so well
His answers were honest and accurate based on our team
Seems a world away from what we’ve had to listen to over the last 3 months
27 Dec 2019 14:46:18
I don’t honestly think Ralph’s had a better performance
From the lads since he’s been at the club
All the players seem to be back on board with confidence and duties on the pitch
Christmas has never been better bring on the palace.
10 Nov 2019 08:29:18
I don’t understand what the club are trying to do
All back room staff are leaving with no replacements
Lined up
Who sanctions these decisions
You generally in all types of business have a short list Of replacements
What you don’t have is no list
There seems to be total unrest in the players and I think Ralph unfortunately has to go
Who will come in god knows but something behind the scenes has escalated this now and we now have an international break to sort this out
I expect nothing will happen because there’s no one
Who has any authority left and both our owners
Are not going to sack another manager without a list of replacements
So it’s a vicious circle of doom.
09 Nov 2019 19:19:15
Ralph said we’re not good enough
Wow news flash
We have been saying that for months omg
Why does it take today for him to release that
Jesus I’ve given Up.