Funny that our best spell last season was with him out the team. * nb This is not a dig at Pelle but pointing out that we went on a fabulous run without him. Something's are just not clicking and it's taking time to get it right. I'm sure we need new signings but we also need to give them time.
You could predict his lack of goals though. He averages about 6 goals a season in the Premier League.
Hi FLT - poor performance because we let the game slip away from us. Hence also my comment on Sims - he adds something - plays with no fear and has pace and speed of thought too. Agree with the analogy 'could do better' however.
I thought that when we signed him. I'm not slating him here, because I've no doubt he tries, and is one of our more likely goal scorers (which says a lot about our squad), but he's not first team quality for where we want to be. Though I understand, we don't have many attacking options at the moment, so can't grumble too much to see him starting at the moment.
A top ten finish, a cup final and possibly an FA Cup run would constitute a pretty good season, in yet another transitional year and we are not a million miles from achieving it. We have to give the manager time to build a team and he hasn't really had the time to do it this season yet. Things will become a bit easier after February, when we won't have so much to play for and possibly more chance to establish a settled team. Losing runs are what sometimes happen to midtable team and are not without precedence at Saints, when we had a Winter slump in the last two seasons before finishing the season strongly.
Which goes to show what I've said elsewhere in a discussion about Redmond, that it's all about opinions, and 32,000 people watch the same thing and all see something different. Perhaps I'm being unfair on Cedric, and comparing him to Clyne. But for me he is caught out of position too often, is a bit lightweight, and when he gets forward his crosses are average at best. He did have a good game vs Liverpool though.
I agree, but that is the same for every club. Ever. We could do a thread of the not so great signings and players Sir Alex Ferguson gambled on and got wrong. It happens. It's how we deal with that and respond. I don't think continually raking over those that have gone helps. We could have gambled on a Ramirez or an Osvaldo.
You could argue Puel has been given a short straw. But one of my biggest problems with him is that he hasn't tried anything to shake things up. He keeps persisting with the same formations, subs, tactics. Why does he keep shoe-horning players into the wrong positions? Why didn't he go for it sooner when we were on top? Why does he always wait so long to make a sub? It's just negative 'no-lose' management. The exact opposite of previous managers. Koeman got it wrong a fair bit, but at less he had the courage to admit when things were going wrong and try something new.
But that is missing the point. It's about a strong squad or which pelle was an important part Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk
Sadly though, it also goes to show how poor we are as an attacking team (as well as injuries having played their part in that department). I reckon our best three players this season are a CB, then a DCM, then a RB. And in fourth place is probably a LB.
Pochettino is a good comparison. He arguably had a better squad to work with when he got here. Took him a season to get it right at Spurs though, and in his first season Harry Kane basically saved them. We don't appear to have a Harry Kane.
True, but he had the luxury of being able to take those gambles. We don't, if our gambles don't pay off there are repercussions. How many contracts do you think were affected by the signing of ramierez and Osvaldo? In this case the gamble was to spend no money (j rod) and a small sum (redmond) and keep our fingers crossed. Some said at the time this gamble is unlikely to pay off and currently they appear correct.
You are certainly right about the CB and DCM. And they are playing in front of a keeper who appears to lack confidence and may very well be carrying an injury. Interesting how Puel gets all the criticism for the limitations of our forwards, but apparently none of the credit for Romey's phenomenal improvement this season (that comment is not aimed at you btw).
The fact that average-to-poor clubs like Wigan, Pompey etc win these trophies tells you it's not a great achievement that only big clubs achieve. Yes big clubs win trophies but average and poor clubs also win the FA and League Cups. Big clubs play in the Champions League, compete for and win league titles. I'm sure you want to tell the story of the club winning a trophy at Wembley. That makes perfect sense. It won't make us a bigger club though and it won't attract better players. Finishing in the top 8 again is more likely to do that.
Another factor has been Tadic's lack of form since his injury, he is just not the same player right now and he has been the one that has made us tick, offensively, the most over the last three seasons
Hmm, not sure he is getting criticism for our crappy forwards. Where did you see that? He is getting criticism for his slow style of play. Romeu has benefitted from being given a consistent run in the team. If only Puel could start doing that for some other players, too...
True, but Claude hasn't helped the lack of spark. For example, Sims showed that he had a little extra creative spark against Everton, Puel hasn't played him again since! He keeps persisting with the same rubbish.
