Match Day Thread Our beloved Saints -v- The Arsenal - Sunday 10th December, 2017 @ 12pm

Whereas I can't believe that people want to start Austin.

We have Leicester three days later. The chances of Austin starting both games are very slim. So I would play him against Leicester, of the two. I'd be treating the Arsenal game very similar to the City game; go three at the back, and seek to hit Arsenal on the break (they will leave gaps at the back, they're Arsenal). Austin is not a hit-on-the-break forward.

Absolutely nothing against Charlie at all. If we had a week off afterwards, he would start in my book. But we don't. And the Leicester game is more important to us, and arguably more suited to Charlie's game.

We were already put in position just a few days (in my opinion) where we seemingly choose a lesser player in Davis to play against Bmouth, due to Lemina and PEH having played just days earlier. In a more important game than the one previous, we played a weaker than full strength team. I'd rather not make that mistake again, where we find ourselves leaving out our top scorer against Leicester in favour of fresher legs.

 

This is the trouble i'm having selecting a team for this game. For me Redmond has to play for this and Prowse midweek. I'd go for a back 3. but past that it becomes much more difficult to decide who to play and who to save for Leicester. i don't envy Pellegrino for this one.

 

I'd play the best team we have available on Sunday and then the best team available again on Wednesday.

It's too early to be messing around too much imo and I worry we could lose points we desperately need if we try to be too clever ****ing around.

 

Yep, we are getting a rest unlike some teams so we should just grind the best 11. Get some confidence flowing.

 

He can play 60 minutes on Sunday and still start on wed. He’s a professional athlete. You don’t need all fast players to counter. I seem to remember us doing quite well with l

 

My first car was a Princess. Hadn't even had a driving lesson but entered a blind auction for an ex-company car at the firm I worked for. I bid £300 and won, on the same day sold it for £500. Great car it never let me down, in all those three hours that I had it

 

Bloody hell! It's like he meant to do that rather than just clear. Best clearance I've ever seen

 

We don't really have a best 11. Imo Our best asset is our squad which I think we should be utilising.

Gabbiadini makes good runs in behind even if he isn't quick and may be better suited to this match anyway.

 

I'd start Austin against Arsenal but can understand why some people want to rest him so he's fresh for Leicester.
I agree that Gabbiadini could be better suited against Arsenal but our players fail to spot his runs more often than not whereas they seem to be picking out Austin quite well at the moment.
Tough decision for Pellegrino but at least Austin's form has given him a selection headache.

 

Think I'm very much in the minority here but people got over excited about PEH's Everton performance. He did pretty well but I'd have Lamina and Romeu in instead. Wouldn't mind seeing Yoshi in instead of either of the other CBs and Austin needs to start.

 

Think Hojbjerg would be an excellent Davis replacement. Love Davis but I think Hojbjerg could be very good in a more advanced role.

 

Just to throw a curve ball in there.... is a battling Charlie more suited to the “softer” Arsenal defence or Leicester Morgan and Huth? Is Long more suited to Arsenal than Gabbiadini? Are we more likely to to need someone making clever runs against Leicester than Arsenal? Putting balls into the box (which suits Charlie) may be less effective against Leicester than Arsenal. Gabbiadini’s runs may be better causing big cloggers a problem than Arsenal’s defenders.

I’m not saying I prefer either option, just showing that there is a flip side to each approach and that MP2 has a tough decision. We should not be moaning whichever way he goes, but I know someone will slaughtered him either way.

 

In his first couple of games last season, he was half a yard from some super play. You could see he was playing on the half turn and really trying the right things. Sadly a large number of fans had made their mind up on Puel and Pierre got caught up in all that negativity.

He’s certainly capable of being an excellent player.

 

Not posted for a while but think Charlie can rough the Arsenal defence up. Seem to recall Troy Deeney saying their defence bottled it when he came on against them a few weeks back..

 

Love it! So many variations on here - nice dilemma for MP, I suppose. Personally, I think he has to consider the LCFC game, which follows quickly after. Knowing how they play & that may force his hand & if we're knackered in the last 20mins of that game, we're doomed, I tell ya, DOOMED

 

----------------------------------------Forster---------------------------------------

---------------------Yoshi-------------------Virgil-------------------- Hoedt-----------
JWP--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bertrand
-------------------------Romeu-------------------------PEH------------------------------
----------------------------------------Lemina----------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------Gabbi--------------------------------------
-----------------------------------Austin-----------------------------------------------------

 

Arsenal

------Redmond- Gabbi-------------

----Lemina Romeu Hoj----
Berty---------------------------Cedric
--------Hoedt-VvD-Yoshi


Leicester

-----------Austin------
Boufal --Tadic-- JWP
-----Davis --- Lemina--
Berty-Hoedt-VvD-Cedric

Shoehorning in Davis due to the whole pellegrino needs one of davis or yoshida thing.

Obviously Pied in if Cedric unfit.

 

[QUOTE="The Liebherr Legacy, post: 11201685, member: 1005467"]Tadic.

Back 3 with a front 3 of Gabbi, Austin and Boufal.[/QUOTE]


Nooooooooo. You can't drop Tadic.

 

.

 

The second it left his foot I just knew it was going in. Still don't know how it did though. Pure magic.