Joining the conversation a bit late but here goes anyway. I don't really care about the League Cup - it's nice enough winning games but most sides don't take the competition very seriously unless they end up in the latter stages and doing well (and to some extent even winning it) is no great achievement or sign of progress/quality - so I don't really care that we've reached the semi-final. Have the league results been THAT bad? No they haven't, although it's worth noting that while we're in the top half our points total is closer to the side in 20th than the side in 6th. The results have been so-so. If the results were really bad and the football was as dull as it is I might be calling for Puel to go. We were in a similar position in the league last year (albeit on a worse run of form) and some people were calling for Koeman to go. He turned things around. Can Puel? Is this our true level? I can't really answer that because I don't think any team has a "true level".
To be quite honest I don;t blame the board nor Puel. We overacheived under Koeman due to a couple of key players that could change games which resulted in us all thinking we had already reached the top 6 challenging target when the reality was that those 2 or 3 players were the reason. We were a proper midtable side that had the boost of a Lallana or Mane to push us up a bit while the rest of the squad was really a West Ham or Stoke level.
I'm not having the games excuse completely. Obviously it has an impact, but the players look like strangers. Fonte has barely played any Euro games, to the point that he has been complaining about lack of games! To be fair it's not even necessarily the rotation that's killing us, the players look scared to make forward runs or passes. No one is taking responsibility. I think our biggest issue is the midfield. If we had Morgan sat next to Romeu we would start to dominate games again.
But the football is so rubbish, for everyone. 3 games over Christmas was fine in the 60s, but paying players millions and giving them no time to prepare is just a waste. They are injured, exhausted, rotated and haven't even thought about a tactic. Anyway, this is just a general point and not the reason we lost this game fair and square. But when it comes to the end of the season, we will look back and say that playing a Europa group and a full league cup run was too draining for us to achieve anything this season.
Puel has got to stop the constant rotation, especially the defence. The players look like they do not know each other, no cohesion, very limited movement of the ball etc etc. I get that there are 3 games in six days, but you can't keep changing 3 of the back four on a regular basis. And I am praying that whilst he keeps whittling on to the press about no need to sign a striker, we are looking to do a deal ASAP. 1 shot on target against any team at home, is just not good enough. Even the rose tinted glasses wearer Dave Merrington, said on Solent that Puel has got to give some explanation to the fans about the style of play, rotation etc, rather than saying the same thing in every interview. Shane Long hinted that for him to get form, he needs a run in the team and to be trusted, so another having a slight dig at the constant rotating. Any way Happy New All.
Listening to Radio Solent coming back in the car, the general consensus is that fans want Puel gone. As has been pointed out, it would be a bit harsh if Puel was axed for two, consecutive home defeats but this afternoon convinced me that there is no way that he will be able to improve Southampton. I believe that he was a "perfect fit" appointment that hasn't quite worked out. It is true that he was given some youngsters the opportunity to shine which will undoubtedly be to his credit once he departs but there is no way we will qualify for Europe this season. I can't see us finishing more than mid-table. In the previous three seasons we have been spoilt, both with the quality of football and the positions we have achieved at the final reckoning in May. For me, it seems clear that his players have no idea of his system, the rotation policy is not working and stellar players and great club servants like Jose Fonte have been made unsettled. The style of football is being described (perhaps unfairly) as "crab-like" but the biggest problem is a lack of goals. This was been an obvious failing since the home games pre-season. I don't think that the additional squad members have been poor but they have clearly not been as good as the players who we have sold on over the last few years. Boufal has talent and will adjust to the English game. My gripe is that we have steadily progressed season-upon-season since the Johnstone Paint Trophy win. This is the first time where we have not progressed. I would go further and say that the appointment of Puel is cementing Southampton as a mid-table team, but one who are not entertaining to watch and, by the same taken, probably one who "quality" players will not want to play for. It would be harsh for Puel to be fired at this point in time but I strongly believe that today's performance where he was tactically out-witted by Tony Pulis is demonstrative that the Frenchman cannot take the team forward. If we stick with him, there will be no chance of European football and an acknowledgement that we will be nothing more than a EPL also-ran . By contrast, we will probably get a few new youngsters moved along on the conveyor belt. If Les Reed's ambitions are genuine, I think he must acknowledge that choosing Puel has not worked out as expected, Puel is out of his depth and is oblivious to the traditions of our club, I do not think he should be fired and judgement needs to be reserved until the Liverpool game and the FA cup tie and see what line up he plays. This will be a measure of whether he should see out this season. However, I am convinced that poor season ticket sales will dictate matters and cannot envisage Puel being at the helm next August.
We seemed quite happy to be the surprise package that rose to the high point, but we forget that other teams have better seasons occasionally, thereby pushing us down a bit. Its the constant replaying of the same problem every game,that gets wearing. Even in the Championship I moaned about the majority of possession but no end product. If SirRickie didnt score we were stuffed. Time to move on. Tomorrow is another day, month, year. Time flies especially when you are 2-1 down.
I did say a while go - and even more so once Spurs was moved for TV - that we were unlucky that WBA fell as the middle of the three fixtures, and I've continued to make that point since. The middle game is the obvious one to make changes for, but in our case it's also both the most important, and easiest, game to win. In any game, rotating players risks you losing the game. We're now faced with not picking up any points in our three festive fixtures. I accept that leaving players out against Spurs would seem rather perverse on the back of a ten day break, and if I'm being honest I don't blame Puel for that, but there was always the option of leaving out someone like Bertrand in that game. It was always going to be a difficult game to win. And WBA are hardly Hull or Swansea this season. We needed to be at close to full strength in my view. But anyway: - Martina needs to go. Sorry, that's enough. After January, once the EFL ties are out of the way, there should be little or no reason to need to rotate for the rest of the season. So whilst Cedric stays fit, Martina doesn't feature. And even if we ever do need to replace Cedric, then we've got to look at the youth team or a formation change. Not too much wrong with going 3-5-2 like last season, and playing Davis, PEH or JWP as a RWB. - Yoshida has looked better this season, yes. But he just cannot help misplacing a pass or under-hitting a pass. As a third choice CB, he's fine. But he's no Fonte replacement. Be careful what you wish for. Look at Swansea post-Williams. - If anyone looks at that midfield today and can't see that Morgan would be an upgrade to it, then we're looking at different things. Davis in particular just has to go. For the sake of the odd 45 minute display vs Bmouth, he isn't worth the amount of game time which he gets. Now Morgan is absolutely not the sole answer, but if would massively improve us. - Nothing new in the slightest, but we are in desperate need for a striker and a CM who can score or create. And if we don't attend to those areas in January, you can probably forget a top 10 finish (but no, we are not going to be in a relegation battle!!! Have you not seen Sunderland, Swansea, Hull etc?!) - There is not a single part of me which wants Puel out. But he's got to adapt, and fast. We are, quite frankly, painfully dull and lacking in creativity. I accept that he's lacking in resources, hence the above point about signings. But he's not trying anything different. I've already mentioned last season's 3-5-2. Ron saw that things weren't working for us, so (eventually) he changed it up - and with instant success. It turned our season around, and (Austin's header at OT aside) without a signing in sight. It's been a recent topic on this very forum, results v entertainment, and results will always come first for me. So I can accept being a dull side, if we're winning. As I have said before, give me 38 awful 1-0 wins every season. But the results aren't coming. Watford, Sunderland, Hull, Palace, Stoke and WBA: picking up a grand total of three points, with no wins and hardly a goal scored, is worthy of the bottom five. Even home games vs Swansea and Boro were only 1-0 wins.
At the end of the day, the players are much better than they are showing. There can only be one person to blame for that, IMO. This isn't knee-jerk either, it's a season long thing. We have looked at our best in like two or three games this season, pedestrian the rest. I don't think we should get rid of him now, but he is in thin ice in my eyes. Need some big performances soon.
Hate all this "stop the rotation" bullshit that our fans are spouting ... you'd be the first people to moan when the team, who have played 3 games in 5 days for example, looked tired and lethargic. There's no way you can play the amount of matches in a small period of time with the same 11 ... have some ****ing perspective. It's a squad game - I don't care how it was 20 odd years ago, it's 2016 and how it is. Get used to it, cos it ain't changing. This issue we have with not taking our chances isn't a new thing ... it happened under Koeman for large, large periods of his reign, so blaming Puel for not scoring enough isn't particularly fair. Yes, the football isn't as entertaining, but if he had a Mane-type player in the team, I'm confident we'd be doing much better in the scoring stakes. As for some of our fans, again, giving their excellent support to poor Fraser, ****ING **** OFF. Thanks.
Yeah, I have always maintained we never truly replaced lallana's creativity. Still believe he was/is better than Tadic. Also mane is extremely hard to replace but I really think Boufal might be good enough, it will just take time for him to grow.
Not his fault he has 6 central midfield players and not one of them contributes anything going forward. That lies with the board.
So if Puel goes, who comes in? I believe, he needs to be backed by the board, give him some money in January. In the last 2 games or so, we have come roaring out the traps, only for the players to stop doing so after a time. It says to me that Puel sends them out on the front foot, but then the players give up what they have set out to do. One or two credible new additions in the changing room, should give the boys a lift.
I agree it's not entirely his fault but don't you think the manager has any say at all in our signings?
Some of the arguments in favour of Puel are , rankly, ridiculous. Many of the players are the same as last season but they do not look anywhere as near as good as they did. In my opinion, the blame must rest solely at Puel's door. Whilst I agree that we are not poor enough to be relegated, the Frenchman has only intermittently got things right. Week in, week out, there are poor team selections and situations where he is being outsmarted by the opposition's tactics. Dave Merrington is often too negative but I am finding that his assessment of Puel is chiming with what I have been witnessing during the home games. We may be technically brilliant in the way that we pass the ball around or retain possession but there has been no end product for four months now and yet the Echo is telling us that Puel sees no need to bring in a new striker. I think this is blindingly obvious. I think firing Puel now would be wrong but the results in January should dictate his future and if the results and performances remain the same, we need a new manager next season. He is out of his depth.
Another point is how badly we are missing a target man. The ball doesn't stick whatsoever despite constant pointless long balls. Our crossing is appalling... Just in general we look so bad recently, I dunno what's happened. I thought we were brilliant at the San Siro, despite the result. Burnley at home was a good one too. But it's all been so beige apart from those! Surely we need to play tactics that suit the players.. Why are we limping it up to Jrod and long.. Let's try and play on the counter with these type of players
Guardiola is apparently struggling to get used to the Premier League. As he is the one true Messiah in football then Puel can have some time to adjust to the new system. Plenty of British managers who are used to it still struggle.
Bad day at the office. New Year tomorrow, a time for new beginnings. Life is beautiful. Rejoice in the infinitesimally small chance there was that you even exist. That might put it into perspective. If not, consider there are around 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars in the universe. It's all good. Vin
