The one thing that Puel has done over the last 3 months or so is to change his tactics actually during the game, rather than wait for half time. Although he has waited sometimes. We really still need another consistent goalscorer alongside Gabby as well as a scorer from midfield. We have got to scare defences a lot more. Sadly Long needs too many chances for each goal.................Redmond seems to be improving game on game. We need Gabby back urgently and hopefully straight back into his goal average quickly. I'm told that Puel still has his critics on one of the other sites...........but for me it is beginning to look like he deserves at least another season. Especially if we can keep the principle players we have at the moment it would be interesting if for once we can strengthen rather than replace.
Our turn around came with the arrival of Gabby.....and even losing him didn't disrupt the feel good factor in the team and other players are chipping in. Tadic certainly brightened up. And Redmond is really settling in and showing what a player he will be.
I think he's always adjusted during a game. Often because he had too as the opponents changed to stop us, like Ian was mentioning recently - you have to consider the opponents tactics and changes too.
I personally can't wait to see what we are like next season, with a full season under Claude's belt, without the Europa League games, with a 15-20 goals a season striker and with a more settled starting XI. Great team spirit at the minute too, when you consider everything the squad have been through together this season with Europe, the San Siro, the cup final disappointment. An 8th place finish and a season out of Europe to consolidate and get ready for another charge in 18/19 season.
Damned with faint praise or what? Claude is a work in progress, and to ditch him any time soon would be madness. The guy knew nothing about the EPL. He came into a club where the Captain was spitting out his dummy. He must have broken a few mirrors on his way over too given the appalling luck he's had with injuries. Can't any of our players get a simple knock that might require missing one game? He went through utter ****e from the fans who accused him of being boring, and his football of being lacklustre. Anyone saying that now? We murdered Sunderland and Watford; should have won the League Cup; gave a rampant Spurs team a bloody fright; beat a resurgent Crystal Palace and just been to West Brom, the graveyard of many a team, and out played them. I was there, and I've said elsewhere was with Albion fans. Their assessment was that we were as good a team as they'd seen in the first half, and got a bit lucky in the second. Overall, they thought we deserved it. I'll take that. Add to this that we've discovered Jack Stephens, Jake Hesketh, Josh Sims et al and my report card at the end of the season will read, in the immortal words of a truly great Saint, "The boy done good."
I'm prepared to be proved wrong but don't you think that the early days of his reign he was very rigid with his diamond formation? I wasn't aware from our line ups that he changed much during the game. Although to be fair I am only talking from the highlights I saw as I was away so often for the early games right up to December. In a lot of the early games his type of football was extremely boring and lack lustre. It seemed we had turned into a team that didn't want to lose rather than a team going out to win. Just the impression I got along with many others I have to say.
I'm glad you mentioned the injury list Lambo. Claude has had to cope with injuries to key players which many sides would have struggled without. Austin, Van Dijk, and Gabbiadini are the tip of the iceberg when you consider we have been without our main backup full backs on both sides (Targett and Pied) for practically the whole season, plus our backup goalkeeper (McCarthy) and a creative playmaker in Boufal, who seems to have had more time injured than fit. Yes, Claude has had the luxury of our excellent Academy to fall back on, but to introduce a young player into a Premier League team takes top class man management skills. Can anyone imagine Stephens, McQueen et al stepping up for Koeman the way they have for Puel? And he took us to Wembley, for which he deserves more slack than many of my sad, self-entitled Saints fans are prepared to give him.
I did say, I think it was back in January, in a post when a few on here were saying they didn't think he would make the grade. I said he still had to prove himself but was of the opinion the next half of the season would make or break him.
Even though I think it weakened the team, I'm pleased he subbed on the younger players at a critical part of the match, because it's more vital experience for them
Agree with all of this. There is one thing I can't fathom though. For most of the first half every time we were under pressure, we won back possession, calmly passed the ball about the back and set up our attack. For the last quarter we suddenly looked to hoof it forward and gave back possession which led to more pressure from the Baggies. It's a pattern I have seen so many times, so why don't we keep going as before? I would say tiredness but we seem to be working less than our opponents who were forever chasing shadows. Is it mental fatigue or just fear, not wanting to be the one caught in possession? Any ideas?
Tony Pulis: "We have had 38 shots on target in the last two games." Tony, you had 6 against us and 2 against Watford.
I have an alternative thought, perhaps Claude hasn't changed his tactics, the players have worked out what he wants and are responding, the early frustrations were down to a lack of communication and comprehension? The penny has dropped and they are now playing to his orders, some posters were assuming he was still playing the mythical diamond formation, I think you will find that it ceased well before Christmas, if you study games and selections.
I know what you mean, although you have to give some credit to Tony Pulis for changing his tactics yesterday, just as Eddie Howe changed Bournemouth's last week. Maybe having to cope with a different attacking formation with a tiring midfield and only one striker, also tiring, up front is something we have to work on. It cost us at least a point at Tottenham after all. As you suggest, we need to continue the one-touch passing out of defence and keep the opposition working, rather than simply handing possession back to them. I doubt this is something Claude has failed to notice, but he needs to get the team to realise it as well.
I can't believe people are still calling for his head. Obviously I wasn't his biggest fan when he was appointed or in the first half of the season but at least I admitted I was wrong about him.
From what I saw on replays the Referee did well for a first Premiership match, he got the Long call right, Shane didn't dive, he had his ankle clipped accidentally. He appeared to book Fraser for over reacting to an off side call, which was actually called correctly. There was an opportunity to issue a red, which he gave a yellow and probably did the game a favour.
In the first half, WBA sat back and gave us room to play from the back and knock it about in midfield. We played them off the park! The second half WBA pushed right up which stopped us playing out and then took off their negative players and put on more attacking alternatives. This put pressure on us right up on the edge of our penalty area leaving Long and sometimes Tadic alone up top only accessible with a long ball. This was credit to Pulis rather than us changing our tactics
