Match Day Thread Stoke City V Southampton 30.09.17

I guess teams must feel that if they get one & sit deep then they can win. Saints have played OK so far!

 

I'm impressed how poor Davis is in no 10 position. First instinct always to look back or to the side. Never ever forward.

 

Forster should have caught it. #scapegoat

 

I love Maya and Shane but we really should be picking our best players, Wesley and Gabbi should've started the game IMO. Shane will never be a natural goalscorer and we need at least one to be on the pitch at all times.

 

Redmond off and get Gabbi on. Put Long on the wing and Gabbi in the middle.

I would also be tempted to replace Van Dijk, he looks knackered.

 

C'mon Tom, I know you dislike Fraser but give him some credit.

Vin

 

This is exactly the front formation I'd pferer too.

Long attacking off the right is the positio he played under Koeman when he did so well.

 

Long is great at running the channels but then there is no-one in the box

 

Forster having a good game so far.

 

Please, please, please can we rip up this formation. Either at HT, or over the international break.

 

According to BBC, Saints had 68% possession first half but Stoke had 17 shots vs our 7 .......

 

Poor quality from both sides. Very scrappy.

 

Stoke have not had 17 shots.

We do look toothless though

 

Not going to happen. The formation isn't the problem, we haven't got the forward players. We need to get a forward who can hold play up and a number 10 in Jan badly. Then maybe a winger as well.

 

Well if we haven't got the forward players to play this formation then we need to try a different formation to try and get something out of them.

 

Right, game isn't lost. Feel the goal was against the run of play and would love to beat Stoke after Berahino missed that pen.

 

Just stating BBC - they're usually pretty good with that stuff? Ps. That's total of on & off target btw.

 

It is the formation/tactics when there is no one in the box. Doesnt matter how good a player you are, you need bodies arriving into the box, which comes from tactics/how the manager wants his team to play.

 

Don't even bother.

 

But until January, that is irrelevant. I spent the entire summer shouting my head off about us needing to sign forward players. But there's no use doing it since 1 Sep. Until January, we have to find a way to work with what we've got. And this formation, with one up front, and Redmond on the left, and Davis as a supposed no.10, simply does not work.

 

That is one of the most frustrating halves ever. We dominate the ball and play the worst final balls imaginable. Just utter dross. Some of those balls I would be embarrassed with if I had hit them drunk, with my arms tied behind my back, and one leg being eaten by a crocodile.