He has played brilliantly on more than one occasion this year. Shouldn't let his early games under Puel affect the way he is seen now. He hasn't been guilty of giving it away and he has tracked back and put in a defensive shift in his recent cameos. Hopefully the manager hasn't locked him out completely
NZ If I was manager with our current squad. I would do a Bally and would encourage the team to give Sofiane the ball, he will beat a player and score, I am afaid, the rest will,..... .........sides ways
So here is my abrasive pulls no punches and definitely no sugar coating assessment of the match, also known as the Kruezberg points system. Children look away now! Please note if you have a different opinion it's completely okay.......none of this is personal FF - to be known as "Fumble Fingers" from now on, as stated previously I think he's shot and nothing shown today makes me think otherwise. Rating - A slap round the face with a cold fish. Must be dropped next week. VVD - Didn't have a great deal to do, we look more organised defensively with Virgil barking out orders? Agree? Rating - A nice cup of tea with a digestive. Yoshi - Yoshi the unsung hero! How I wish that bicycle kick had gone in! Season upon season looks a better player. (Yes I like Yoshi!) Rating - English Breakfast tea, Chocolate digestive and a nice rub down after a warm bath! Berty - Out of the two fullbacks thought he was the better today. Linked well and overlapped well. A good steady game. Rating - A quick read of the Sun and a glass of milk! Cedric - Usual problems with Cedric, can't cross a decent ball does all the other stuff really well but Jeez Louise put in a decent cross now and again. Rating - Slapped round the head with said Sun newspaper after Berty's finished reading it! Davis - My favourite all time player....not! Ticks everything over but all too often sideways backwards with no great urgency. Admittedly played a couple of nice balls through but often interspersed with some complete dross. Safety first conservative, no dynamism. Rating - To have said Sun newspaper stuffed up his arse and have Cedric set fire to it whilst having to shout "I'm a ginger ****er!" Alfa Romeo - Seems to be a little below par again this week but still think he's quality! Hopefully he will find his super form soon! Rating - A bottle of Lucozade because I think he's lost his zing! Lemina - Easily heading for man of the match again until Soppy arrived on the scene! Proper quality player. Needs to be paired with a decent AM in January. Oozes skill, craft, steel and strength unlike somebody.......... Rating - A bottle of Champagne! Tadic. - How I wish how I wish, two touches too many! Needs to score more goals when presented with the opportunity. Still missing his boyfriend I believe. Should be out on the wing and not through the middle, we lacked so much width! Rating - Champagne bottle shoved.........no no no! A group hug from his team mates and told that he is loved! Long - Long time between goals, he huffed and he pufffed but still couldn't score a goal, and to be honest never looks like he will! Should have done much better with that chance made by Gabbi! Rating - I'm too tired to rate him these days.......I just sigh and dream of Saints teams of old! Gabbi - looks sharp again, made a tremendous run holding off the player and then slotting the ball through to Long. Quality player just needs support! Rating - Jam sandwich served with fizzy pop and allowed to watch cartoons on TV! Subs - Redmond - came on and made some width but surprised me that he came on before Soppy after last weeks performance. Perhaps to be used as impact sub in future? Soppy B. - Wow now that was something! His reaction to MP2 says it all! ( My previous quote saying how MP2 looked shocked at the venom of Soppy's goal celebration! ) Must be allowed to start and given a run out in the team. Perhaps then it won't be a trick filled cameo of 20 mins where he is trying too hard! MOTM for that wonder goal! Jane Austin - Plays for the Dog & Duck Sunday football team and drinks in there as well! Said it last week "Weight Watchers" Manager - MP2 - sorry not convinced looks more and more agitated on the sidelines - I know we won today but even though we were slightly better than last week some of it was dour! Too conservative, controlled, fearful almost. We can't lose we can't risk too much safety first. We had 80% possession at some point and still didn't play with any true conviction! I am wondering if his anxiety is the route cause of our goal scoring drought! Don't kid ourselves boys and girls this was far from a convincing performance!
Yeah. What he did today was technically a stupid thing to do. OTOH, I do not blame him too much as the way that particular play broke down, he had no choice. Boufal just shouldn’t be receiving the ball there. He should be up higher on the wing and then I do not care if he tries to beat his man because doing something crazy and creating something out of nothing is exactly what he should be doing there. I don’t know. Strange game. I will not be too harsh on our inability to create for most of the game because West Brom parked the bus. But it still isn’t good. I feel like with Romeu and Lemina, we have the defense we need and unlike last year also the ability to play through midfield. We just need to decide how to attack. Play a speed game and pass over the top or down the wings, or wait for numbers and look to unlock the defense? We can also alternate between the two tactics depending on who we are playing. But we are just all over the place right now.
Brilliant goal by Boufal.....got that out of the way first. People mistake him being a match winner in this game for him being a match winner in every game. I hope this goal gives him confidence, but if he had lost the ball in the first twiddly bit, everyone would be moaning about him. We need to see him play more and for longer, but the problem is that we aren't in a position to take risks. Going out of the League Cup is a pain in that regard. My real point is that managing a football team is not a simple matter....if it was, we'd all be doing it. P.s. Good to see a player fired up, but someone should tell him that running at your manager (apart from in joyous celebration) may not be the best idea. Boufal scored a brilliant goal....he isn't suddenly Maradona or Messi. P.p.s. It is great to see such a piece of skill in a Saints shirt. We have been missing it.
Yes tiswas moi! It was my little twisted fingers on the keyboard punching out another comment covered in bile and hate! Nothing is to be taken too seriously! ( We are only visiting you know! )
Oh i agree.its not a problem for me as to make things happen risk has to be taken.i would be very happy to see Boufal start next week
Before I read the thread, I want to get my negative thoughts out my system. **** OUR FANS!!!!!!! Booing Redmond when he come on was a ****ing disgrace. Jeering Forster was a ****ing disgrace. Utter utter pricks.
We were the better side, we were the only side trying to win a game of football, we won, 3 points. Job done. Will have done wonders for the team's confidence as they knew they deserved it. Another nice sight was VVD with a smile on his face.
He is a tidy player, and no one can knock his work rate, but he is one of the main reasons why we are slow in the build up, rarely plays the forward ball
The timing was great, do it more often and I won't complain, but only if we score another Worldy each time you do it...!
Fran I cannot agree with this. The boy has undoubted talents and has not been afforded the same opportunities as Redmiss. He made a difference last weekend and so again today. We meet to nurture and not hold back. I do get your words of caution but in seasons of pass side, pass back, pass side, when you discovered a jewel at least give him a fair chance to shine, to date,WE HAVE NOT
