Match Day Thread Everton v Southampton 02/01/17 3pm

I think you are in more danger from Saints fans than Poolies. I have been to two matches this season Watford at home and Hull away. Two nailed on wins. Doing my bit for the cause by not going to Burnley. Still won't win but won't be on my conscience

 

Photographs of Saints fans looking utterly bored are on the rise...

please log in to view this image

 

oh good!

 

Deja Vu? I don't know what it means but I'm sure that I've heard it before somewhere.

Just to prove that nothing really changes around here...
http://www.not606.com/threads/koemans-future-in-the-balance.319935/

 

Having had a bit of time to reflect on today's defeat, I think it would be best to play a weakened team against Norwich and to get Puel's best 11 ready for the Liverpool semi final.

Just got a feeling that if we get a good tonking at home from the scouse lot, the home fans will turn very quickly on the manager and players, which I for one do not want to see, but reading through a number of forums etc,I get the feeling it's about an 80/20 against Puel at the moment?

Away fans are usually a lot more understanding toward a poor result / performance, than say 28/29 k fans at St Mary's. I have never liked any manager or players getting pelters, but can feel this brewing, so play the likes of Lewis, Reed, Mcqeen, at Norwich and let the likes of Forster, VVD, Fonte, Romeu etc, get fully focused for our biggest game of the season.

 

TBH - I am not sure where I sit with Puel. I do like the fact that academy players are getting a run-out and their individual performances have, on the whole, been excellent. The rotation issue during the Europa League and the League Cup has, overall, been necessary - so again I find it hard to be critical of Puel in this respect. We now get to the "However" - when we were promoted and got through that first season we started to play some really attractive football and we got so many plaudits from TV presenters and from football fans generally. Now, our football is mostly painful to watch - we look laboured, there is no fizz about our game and we look predictable. We give teams some much time to organise themselves defensively when we have the ball, which, when added to our general lack of creativity, means we lack any sort of cutting edge going forwards. The latter not helped by having a lack of genuine goal scorers.

The above seems to be pulling down the morale of the players - as others have posted - heads drop when we concede. I do not think that simply buying players - though needed - is going to solve matters; it might help but the underlying problem is, for me, that our style of play at present is not going to win us a fair proportion of our games and we do not seem set up to turn a game around. For this, Puel must take responsibility as he has set the formations and tactics. To summarise, I am concerned that unless Puel finds a solution to improving our playing style we are going to continue to struggle to win games against teams we would normally consider to be our equals or lesser and lose heavily to our peers.

 

My main concern is that they don't look an awful lot like they love playing football right now. We need a major input of zest from somewhere.

Couldn't agree less that relegation might be a "good thing" NZ either. And everyone can go bar VVD and Bertrand? Wow. That's really OTT in my opinion!

 

I think I have said it before and i'll say it again, Saints have not been the Saints I know and love this season.
As others have said we are lacking in confidence........Which I think stems from the fact, like us, the team are beginning to ask who the hell is going to score. It is evident that Saints of old would have thought ok we are a goal down, we have the ability to get this back. Over quite a few Games this has not been evident. I am convinced the team are wondering who actually has the ability to score. I agree we have had the odd wonder goal, but mostly we seem to be disjointed in the final 30.
The fans have been saying this from before the season started. Also if we do get a goal up we go on the defensive, again showing a lack of confidence. I would much prefer the Saints of old, where they went out to score as many goals as they can. I would prefer to come out 6-3 winners or even 1-0 losers as long as we went out to win the bloody game. Keeping possession is ok providing you can actually do something with the ball. Perhaps someone should remind Puel that good possession doesn't actually win games but scoring more goals than the opposition does!!! OK rant over I'm off for another coffee......anyone want one?

 

lol, that cheered me up. I was about to like your post for the sarcasm, then checked and it was true!

Real 'allo allo' moment.

 

Someone had better tell Puel what his best 11 is then.

 

I want one of those safe places that they have at universities.

 

Yeah, what are those called? A quiet place nobody goes to, oh yeah study halls.

 

Our attack has been poor since the beginning of the season, but at least our defence was solid. Our attack is still poor, only now we're conceding three goals a match.

 

Well it used to be the bar, no talk of work or exams. Theses days nowhere is safe because you might hear something you didn't like and need counselling. That reminds me of some other social forum.

 

He plays at centre half for Liverpool doesn't he?

 

Hopefully he's picked up a knock along with some others........

 

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2017-01-03/oriol-romeu-post-everton-southampton-premier-league

Romeu's honest view of the match. Must react to going a goal down and not just give up.

 

Captain material?

 

We already have a captain in Jose and an aspiring captain in Virgil. Do we need a third?