Match Day Thread Saints V Stoke City Sunday 21st May 3pm

If May wins the election I will probably lose my winter fuel allowance and my free TV licence which will cause me problems. Given the behaviour of the worst of our fan base over the last few weeks I am inclined to claim impoverishment and ask for my season ticket money to be refunded. Do you think I will get a sympathetic hearing?

 

I seem to remember Koeman's "one man up top" period was the one where many of us "non happy clappers" were up in arms because we went through streaks of dire hoof football. I seem to remember after the 8-0 v Sunderland we suddenly went 1 up top and started scraping results (bar a good game at home to Newcastle) which resulted in that 10 game? period of "Koeman out" stuff?

I'm all for 1 up top when in a fluid formation (Lambert with Lallana, Rodriguez, Davis behind) because that is really not 1 up top like the hoof teams but when it was Pelle on his own miles ahead of the midfield it is quite different and not really like 1 up top in a 4-2-3-1 formation as previous or even Adkins 4-4-2 which was still fluid.

You could easily argue we were playing a Chris Nicholl 4-2-4 in those Adkins/early Pochetino years. Akin to the Rideout up top with Le Tiss, Rodney and Shearer which is basically all 4 takng their turn at each position and the others filling in the space.

 

Couldn't get stoked, it went as I anticipated it would go, not often I get predictions right, sad to say I was never in doubt about this one, especially when I saw the line up, I was praying for a two man strike force, didn't get it. Jack Stephens showed how to beat Stoke, by going head long through the middle, no one else tried it. Never mind I will get over it and look forward to what happens in the Summer and then get stoked up for the new Season whatever it brings.

 

^^^this

100% how I feel too.

 

You pissed yeah?

 

Speaks sense to me

 

Financially, do you need a winter fuel allowance and a free TV license? As a socialist you should be praising these policies. Re. the season ticket, were you not around in most of the 1970's? This has been glorious by comparison.

 

I didn't realise it was Sian Massey as I always thought she was pretty good. But I'm sorry. The first half was the most inept display I've ever seen. The funniest highlight was when we were trying to take a free kick and it hit the guy who refused to retreat and went out of play she flagged for a throw!

 

What I have found surprising is that some posters on here seem to believe that people who boo and sing offensive chants actually think about what they are doing when in fact the truth is that it is doubtful that they have the capacity to think at all.

 

My comments were made because I am afraid I don't want to be associated with a great many foolish people who claim they support Southampton FC.

 

Sian Massey isn't at a high enough level to referee PL games. She referees at Conference level I believe.

 

I must admit I was continually shouting for us to play through the middle. The irony is that we did get some joy going wide, but the crossing wasn't great. In fact it was poor.

I didn't think we'd lose today, & I don't think we deserved to. Not sure we deserved to win either though. It actually wasn't a bad game imo. Just ****ing frustrating, again.

 

PLEASE, I've only read the last hour of comment, but if you think Saints were good today then you are deluded! Add to this that when 1-0 down our 'coach' replaced like with like to play the same system, this beggars belief. Get you head round no goals at home for months, no plan 2, no idea.. good players.. hamstrung. Ask yourselves where the problem is... There are thousands who can see it .... that's why there are negative vibes.. I'm sat in the Guide Dog at 7.00pm tonight and I can't find anyone who disagrees with this analysis....

 

What would you have done, with the options on the bench (yes, he could have selected others on the bench, but wasnt an option at that point)? And don't say Gabbi-Austin up front cos there was no way Austin was playing 90min.

 

It's always best to just agree with drunk people

 

Which is the number one reason why we needed another option on the bench. We were always going to use Gabbi up on replacing Austin, so effectively Puel was leaving himself with Boufal as his only option to change things.

You can't just sweep that under the carpet, and ignore that.

 

You can if the bloke is pissed off and is just counting down the days.

 

How about Redmond as a striker? Maybe a diamond formation in midfield?

 

Well here's a thought - howabout Tadic should have been getting in the box at every opportunity, but couldn't be arsed? so Boufal was brought on to try and change things..

What other options should we have had on the bench, given that Long is injured? J Rod? Ha ****ing ha.

And a quick note for the muppets who booed Pied being brought on for JWP, presumably because Pied is a RB. Gareth ****ing Bale was a LB at this club, would those same dickheads have booed if we'd brought him on?

 

Just taken a small part of your post.
The question that needs to be asked is whether or not they are rigidly sticking to a formation or just choosing not to rove.
Part of the reason for us being easy to defend against is because we are often too structured, with the same players making the same runs, in the same areas, with little variation, allowing the opposition to set up to cancel us out.
One moment, during the Utd game comes to mind.
Mata had the ball near the Utd right touch line.
He played a simple ball inside, then as the ball was processed over to the opposite touch line, he made a diagonal run across the pitch, giving Utd an extra man on that side of the pitch, that caused us a bit of panic.
We don't seem to have any players prepared to run into areas you don't expect them to be in, which helps makes us so predictable.