Funnily enough, they were mentioning on the Beeb that he could be an England option for Gareth Southgate. I must admit he isn't there yet, but he is finally improving.
I look at the table at the minute and think how on earth have we got 46 points! We've only won 6 games from 18 since January in the league..
For the second week in a row I have been left thinking that I had attended a different match to the one described on Radio Solent where a good proportion of texts were pretty negative. To be honest, had this performance been turned in in September, everyone would have come away pleased and thinking us unlucky not to get three points. Even Mourinho was suggesting in his interview that the two team played good football at times even though the impartial fan might have commented more in the slump in Man Utd's stature as a top side. They were mediocre and, in all intents and purposes, inferior to Saints with the exception of the goal keeper. I think that Puel is done for and another goalless draw was not the result that is going to convince Saints to keep him. 17 goals in 18 matches and only 6 home wins is a poor return in respect of what Saints fans are used to. However, I felt that this was a good team performance and Southampton functioned well in defence where Yoshida and Stephens were superb. Sometimes the midfield did not support the forward line but this was as good as anything seen at home since the Palace game. It wasn't exciting yet the football was absorbing to watch in a game that had the feel of a pre-season friendly. In the past we would have had a pop at Man Utd and this match was a contrast insofar the attacking / pressing game was replaced with a chess match. If anything, this was two points lost and Man Utd fans probably more entitled to complain about their manager. I don't feel that the game was the response Kreuger might have hoped for and I feel that the recent, improved performances have not been emphatic enough and arrived too late to prevent him getting his P45. Despite this, I feel Saints played well tonight and we much the brighter team in the 2nd half. Another thought - I think if the Player of the Season had been run from the New Year, Jack Stephens would be a shoo-in. For me, he is the brightest thing to come out of this season.
It's a tough league and our form is comparable to Man U in the last 10 games. Only seven teams have won more than a third of their games this season, there is little between teams and we have played a lot of games relative to comparable squads.
I agree. Thought it wasn't the right sub - he didn't give us any more when he came on. I loved Jay as a player before his injury, but he's not good enough for us now, I'm sorry to say
Thought we played well ... Puel was getting as frustrated as the rest of us everytime we passed it backwards. He was virtually screaming at the players to play the forward ball more.
Sentimentally I like who he was. In reality he has done nothing all season and doesnt look like he wants to be here. Didnt seem happy to come on, didnt even seem happy to score at the weekend. Not bashing to say that. He's gone.
With regard to the bold section above - can you therefore understand why people sometimes get frustrated by your posts because you're judging things from listening on the radio, rather than watching the game? Genuine question
Just got back. I thought the game was pretty good. We were a different keeper away from a 4-0 win. Second half better than first, for sure.
Walk away from that game feeling sorry for Puel. I don't know for a fact, but it looks likely he will be losIng his job at the end of the season and it's another game where a penalty and multiple chances have been missed. Another match where the quality of the players in key areas, whether it be decision making or technique have resulted in a blank despite controlling large chunks of the game. For me the quality in the playing staff has as much to do with our lower points haul for this campaign as it does with any tactics
