Tadic has been a bit in and out of games lately.but he still has that ability to pick out a great pass that unlocks the defence even when he is not playing well. Boufal on the other hand frustrates the hell out of me when i see him play, no doubting he has bags of skill,but he tried one trick too many and loses the ball more often than not cos he seems to want to beat his man mutiple times. Im sure with a bit of coaching he couple be a great player tho
Exactly. The coaches need to work on him with this, and work on the mental side far more than the technical. But I'm sure they know that. It's to do with whether he has the capacity to take it in and believe it.
OUt of interest, why? He might be more suited to the PL now but he's not exactly a consistent source of creativity/goals for us.
Does he trains well or not - thats down to the team management to decide. However, its most probably the case that he is not excelling during training: as evidenced by now two managers being reticent to start him. An assumption on my part by why else have a preference to play others, sometimes out of position, on the left or behind the striker?
Hi Romsey, I think that's a massive leap to assume he hasn't excelled in training. My assumptive leap would be that we haven't had anyone yet to show enough balls to give him a starting position for 6 games to see what he can do. This is also an issue with fans, they expect someone to come in and do it straight away. I may go and look up Boufal's starting stats. I'm guessing he hasn't started three games in a row. I can't emphasise enough how difficult it is to find form without playing regularly.
https://thisisfutbol.com/2017/08/transfers/newcastle-keen-on-southampton-forward-long/ Newcastle said to have joined Palace and Brighton in chasing Shane Long....need some pace to catch him, lads. I can't see us selling Long and leaving Gabbi and Austin as our only strikers. Not only risking that one gets injured (and Austin is made of crystal), but also removing an option for the manager. And there is no sign that we are getting another striker in (especially as they cost a fortune).
HI FLT - I am not saying he hasn't done training well - I did say 'probably' - maybe that's too harsher word to use. What we often hear managers say when they have introduced someone into the first team is phasing like 'he's done well in training'; 'he's been putting in some good shifts'; 'he's shown a good attitude' etc., as a precursor to justifying that selection - so what I am trying to write (perhaps not well) is that if he were excelling then would be not be considered an obvious candidate for the first team? As I have written many times - really want him to tear up defences and create great scoring opportunities like he did with his former club. Maybe the injury he came with has taken something out of him as it did Jay - or as other has suggested; maybe its a mental issue. I really wish him well - but its been a huge outlay for someone who has started so infrequently - something cannot be right that limits his opportunities.
Exactly - Tadic has stated hundreds of games and still doesnt have the right level of consistency and he still gets picked. He needs dropping and stick SB in, as you say to give it a go - if it doesnt work - we try something else.
I know what you said Romsey. You said yourself that you made the assumption. I'm just saying that's a massive leap.
Daily Echo: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/15497798.Saints_could_swoop_for_new_signing/?ref=rss Mauricio Pellegrino has opened the way for a potential late transfer swoop at Saints after admitting the club have found a few potentially interesting options. The Saints boss seemed resigned to the fact he would continue with the same squad until at least January when speaking before the goalless draw against Huddersfield, which continued the team’s unbeaten start to the Premier Leaguecampaign. But after the match he appeared markedly more upbeat about the possibility of securing a fresh face before midnight on Thursday, though did caution that a deal could still evade the club. “I think we are ready to see what will happen because in the last three or four days there are some good players that can move. “If there is someone we decide that can improve the squad and is ready to come with us, to share with us our squad, we will be ready. “We never know. We cannot manage the market. “It is really difficult to bring in good players. They are really expensive, a lot of money. “If it’s in the Southampton way we will be there.” One major talking point in the next few days will inevitably be the future of Virgil van Dijk. Saints have insisted all along that the centre half will not be sold despite his transfer request. Pellegrino was definitive in his latest response when he replied: “I think on September 1, Virgil will be with us.”
It's been a strange window, notable by two things. The ridiculous fees and stories about players not moving. It feels like no one has a clear picture of what anyone is really worth anymore. Unless you're rich already(City/PSG) or have benefitted from a big sale (Everton) then it seems there is even more caution being displayed in finalising negotiations. The money is now starting to slowly trickle down the pyramid. The clubs with more bloated squads are starting to offload players at more recognisable values. This is going to be a very busy week & deadline day compared to recent previous windows
Has been a strange transfer window. MP2 said in various interviews that we had missed out on players that we thought we were close to signing, that we were unlikely to sign anyone else unless someone becomes available, and now that another signing is possible. As said, players may be becoming available as the end of the window looms....sit down, Virgil, not you! Not how Saints usually do business...let's hope the player (if it happens) is a creative one and one that Mauricio really wants. We are a decent side and I expect us to be top ten again...but we are still a team in transition....not as good as we were the season before last. Nothing wrong with that as it happens to all teams...but we must hope that we have a period of some stability now as you can't transit with constant managerial changes.
