Match Day Thread Southampton v Tottenham, Wed 28 December, KO 7:45pm

Boufal was good 1st half, poor 2nd. But pretty much everyone was poor 2nd half. VVD did not look composed. What was he thinking 2 professional fouls that didn't need to be made. Now we line up for Everton without him, great.

Edit- wrong thread

 

Wrong thread.

 

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The problem for Boufal is that nobody else in our side plays at his level or is on the same wavelength. He gets pissed off and drifts out of the game through shear frustration.

 

You have to play with your team mates....cannot accept being at a 'higher level' as an excuse. That's why people kept letting Gaston off the hook. If you're that good, you can adjust.

 

'Flair' players like Boufal drift in and out of games, but they are the player able to do something special and make something from nothing. Lallana was the same, as is Tadic and MLT. We wouldn't still be in the cup if he hadn't conjured up that goal against Sunderland and we wouldn't have beaten Middlesbrough either. He can sometimes do a trick too many, or in his own half when it's not warranted, but he's an exciting player to watch. He takes players on and makes things happen. He's poor defensively but that's not what he's in the team for.

Also, I'd note that when he lost the ball on several occasions being a fancy dan, he sprinted back to try and win it back. Absolute bollocks what the sky boys were supposedly saying.

 

I think it's just weird to have laid into him like that. I do wonder sometimes about hidden agendas with that lot.

 

So do I. But then Matty wouldn't put a sky agenda ahead of Saints, I don't think I'm being ignorant saying that. He usually defends us. But I guess Sky are paying his wages. That said, I don't know if he did lay in to Boufal or not. Just going off what has been said on here!

 

Matty didn't lay into Boufal but didn't defend him either. Don't think it matters who pays his wages, Matty is free to say what he likes. Perhaps he was stunned by the vitriol and thought he had missed something. I don't know what had got into Stelling....never heard him that angry....not as if he's a Saints' fan and entitled to be peeved.

 

Remember when we sacked Nigel - he had another massive rant. I think he has something about us that gives him nightmares. Maybe we thrashed Hartlepool once.

 

I genuinely think Jeff Stelling needs his head kicking in. Hold on, not sure that's right. Perhaps I should have said "examined" rather than "kicking in". Perhaps.

 

Lives near Southampton and goes to quite a lot of games, think he has become a bit of a fan over the years

 

One small bright spot from today, Mike Dean is getting loads of stick. I do hope he's made to feel uncomfortable for some time longer.

 

Did I hear Dermot correctly, Mike Dean makes less mistakes than most Referees? He made more in our game than most make in a season!

 

Mike Dean was going to Spurs next game anyway, but now he'll be reffing it. Good call.

 

I ffing hate to say it, but after watching Spurs beat Chelsea today, they are a bloody good team.