Put out by the last minute goal, but cheered up by the fact that we scored two goals away and had shots that the keeper had to save. Young players got game time. WBA and Bournemouth would swap places with Saints.
My worry would be that if we don't get a result on Wednesday and perform poorly at Burnley it would be difficult to see confidence returning. The thing about having competition for places is that is someone's confidence goes, they can be replaced by a player in the same position who is eager and hungry to play. Nornally, you would expect to get a performance from fringe players. I would be worried that by rotating the team so extensively, he has demoralised the whole squad. I am sorry, but I thinkl that the results are unlikely to improve under Puel. By all accounts, it was not a great performance today and a nailed on victory was squandered by poor concentration. As stated above, the defence is now looking as demoralised as the rest of the squad. Quite why Jake Stephens has been given an opportunity, I don't know. For me, some of Koemans' reservations about the academy are being borne out. Puel must go before be does irreparable damage to Southampton. There is nothing about him to suggest that this is bad luck. He just seems an intransigent character who is now actually doing genuine harm to what was a good squad last season.
it was not a great performance today and a nailed on victory was squandered __________________________________
Saint Don Other than giving academy players the opportunity to play in the first team (some of which like McQueen actually look the part), what do you think Puel had added to the team's performances? I would love to be able to say that there are elements of the game where we have improved yet we seem to be going backwards at a worrying rate. The forward line has been underperforming since August and it now looks lie the solid defence is starting to get a bit flakey. Today's result would have been acceptable to most before the match yet the way we drew makes it seem almost like a loss. It would have been much better if we had played a lower level team and comprehensively turned them over. That would have boosted the confidence. Puel reminds me too much of Jan Portliveet and whilst it is probably unrealistic to consider his as dire as Bra which was truly dire, I cannot see any spark of encouragement to suggest that the current incumbent really understands what is required to coach a Premier League club. Whilst there are elements like the failure to acquire a decent forward with goals within him that cannot be levelled at Claude Puel, I feel that he is dismantling too quickly what was achieved under both Koeman and Pochettino. It seems odd that we need to chance a way of playing that had proved so effective over four seasons. I can't see that were were doing anything wrong to warrant such drastic tampering.
He hasn't convinced me yet but I am willing to give him a shot at creating a winning team, he really needs to be given the funds to sign the players he knows can match his tactics, the priority is still a goalscoring striker.
By all accounts? Did you actually watch the game today? There's an awfully high word count on your post (as usual) if you didn't!
Ian, if you are describing yourself I believe it will be the first thing I have agreed with that you regurgitated.
Oh come on Billy, I never seem to agree with Ian, but don't make it personal. He's entitled to his view.
The young kid Lewis will have learned s lot from today, far more than if he had kept a clean sheet. Two big mistakes leading up to the pen, but one will hope that will aid his development. And where was the marking for the second?!
No need for what? Change your knickers, girls. I too, like Ian, am entitled to my opinion. I generally havent seen anything I have read, not that I have read all his posts, that I have agreed with. That said, what I wrote was in jest. Next time I will flag that, yeah.
