Yeah, there's a blog around that only 3 players have better assist stats. Ozil, Erikson and a bloke called I've Forgotten.
The squad have done well when we have needed them just recently. Bodes well for the summer, has the making of a very good team. There's a few who will need to be set free though, if we are to progress. Kinda want to see Claude be a little ruthless.
Phil Neville does make himself hard to like as a pundit stating we were fortunate today, presumably he did not see the first half. Also said that Southampton had to progress because Saints' fans were disappointed with the season under Puel, which unfortunately some of the fans for some unknown reason seem to be :s.
Yeah Phil Chuckle shows himself up everytime he opens his gob. His assessment of Mourinho's treatment of Luke Shaw is just as laughable.
Yeah, unlike his brother, he's not really a good talker. He doesn't make himself clear. Then again, what do pundits care about accuracy and clarity. When he said something about Saints being fortunate I thought he'd lost it a bit. According to live commentary, WBA were fortunate not to be more than the one goal down by HT, so I don't know quite what Neville was inferring. Yes, I read somewhere that he thought it was a terrible, terrible thing or something. Tbh, although it's a bit naughty doing it in the public gaze, I think Mourinho has a case. And he may be using the last trump he has to get Shaw to wake up, although Shaw's confidence level must be below his boots at the moment, which won't help. We know that Shaw was often unfit [not through injury, just unfit] while at Saints, and both Adkins and Poch acknowledged that he couldn't last 90 minutes. And friend [?] JWP said a few times that he was academically slow and slow to take football instruction. In fact, all that Mourinho has mentioned is borne out in previous experience at Southampton. Great player with loads of potential, but it's still potential not fulfilled, as yet.
Phil Neville might be wrong about most things, but he's right about Mourinho - publicly humiliating your own player is appalling man management. Unforgiveable imo, & I'm quite angry on Luke Shaw's behalf; well, angry and amused in equal measure perhaps. A crappy way to behave by Mourinho though.
Probably the most significant league win of the season for Saints. Not only does it get our points haul up to the "mythical" 40 and brought us closer to WBA in the table, but has demonstrated that whatever is being instructed during the training sessions throughout the week, this is being distilled to all squad players so that everyone can slot in when necessary. Merrington was suggestive that Puel has now changed his tactics completely from the beginning of the season. I would suggest that the most significant contribution Puel will have made in 2016/17 will have been to bring on players like Stephens who had been overlooked by Koeman and who certainly have a future at the club when previously this looked in doubt.
Luke lacks self-motivation and has to be encouraged into keeping fit.....his advisors were naïve to think he'd get that at United. I agree about Mourinho....it's all about him...look how he made a mountain out of a molehill with that doctor and wouldn't just defuse the situation. Led to a high profile court case and was the beginning of the end of his career at Chelsea. I'd like to see Mourinho try and cope with a real struggling team...like Sunderland. Then we'd see how good he is.
I presume he'd only seen the highlights reel....which I don't think reflected the game properly. The longer highlights on Sky Match Choice showed we were the better side, but put under pressure later....which often happens in any match. Sky commentator said we were a delight to watch and played in the right way....with our training in one-two touch football really showing.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/sa...worst_feeling_ever__to_sheer_delight/?ref=rss Clasie talking about how bad it is not to play....says it happens in careers and now it is happening to him and you have no choice but to wait to be ready if your chance comes. At the start of the season Puel played everyone...partly because he had to due to fixture congestion, but partly because of a need to know his players. However, he will now play a fixed side (when he can), so it is going to be tough on players like Clasie and Hojbjerg. Pleased for Clasie....as were the team (and not just because of what it meant for the game)....perhaps it will get some fans off his back.
I think he would do a lot better because he would be the star of the show. When Mourinho has come unstuck is often when he clashes with high profile players. Hazard pretty much oversaw his exit from Chelsea. I think a team/squad wiling to follow Mourinho almost to the point of subordination would exceed the sum of their parts
Be an interesting experiment to see how a good manager like Mourinho (and I know he is a good manager) could cope with different pressures, such as getting the best from average players (I would suggest that destroying their confidence wouldn't be the way to go).
