Honestly, i think Long holds it up better than Austin. Especially if you include his ability to win free kicks, throw ins and corners from lost balls.
He holds the ball up well, the chances of him doing anything useful with the ball is very low. I do like Shane, but it's like playing with 10.5 players a lot of the time.
I don't think he holds the ball up better than Long. Anything played into space, or in the air, Long tends to win, and he only gives it away when there are no options on. Which, because we keep getting pushed deep, does happen a lot..
Or Charlie, Gabbi and Tadic, with Tadic on the left. If we're going to play crosses into the box, having Tadic play on his natural side and a back-post runner in Gabbiadini could be useful. Lost count of the number of crosses we've put over the head of the striker with no one arriving at the far side.
Agree with this. Gabbiadini HAS had a chance in the side this season. He started something like 8 of our first 10 games and was largely anonymous. As you say, that's not entirely his fault and he's clearly got talent but he really was a passenger at times. As a central, lone striker he just didn't suit the way the team plays and seemingly wasn't able to adapt. I'd also like to seem him play behind the striker but as we've only got him and Long fit at the moment it just isn't going to happen. If we could sign another striker it might make that option more likely.
Hmmmmm The same manager who played Austin who scored lots before injury. Our team managed to find him to score, didn’t they. Your post appears to me in the least, to lack logic and substance and you seem to like banging on about how crap we and the manager are. That’s fine, it’s your opinion, but could it just be that Gabbiadini isn’t as good as we thought, the same Gabbiadini who only played well in ten games or less that mainly played pretty **** for Puel, that he doesn’t for our plans and is someone the manager inherited. Gabbiadini has a pretty poor record all in at his previous clubs too iirc... I think sometimes, it is a mere impossibility by nature, for everything to be the managers fault.
If we could play it faster through midfield I think it would suit gabbi better but as it is their defence has the time to get back and there's just not the space for his runs to be effective. He's not the person you want holding it up either.
We haven't been anywhere near as ponderous in recent games as we were at the start of the season. While our passing and movement hasn't been world class by any means, we have been playing it quickly through the middle, at least against the likes of Huddersfield, Palace and, er, Fulham. Time to give Gabbi another run out imo. I would love to see him start on Saturday, maybe behind Long.
Don't mind if the Gunners lose, but what about us? Have to say I have never felt less confident....even going back to the Dell years. It's like the script is written and we all know it. Score first....draw or lose; don't score....opposition will win late in the game.
Pellegrino: The squad are now focused. I don't think about if a bad result at Watford will lose me my job. Every single week, history can change. I understand the situation of the fans because we've got the same feeling. We are the people who are most responsible for this situation and we are the most important people to resolve this. I try to do the best for Southampton. Some people think that I believe more in one player or an other. But it's very difficult to talk with all the fans about people questioning decisions. I don't make the decisions for the fans but I do what I think is best for the team.
Blimey, imagine what Pellegrino would be like if he was making decisions that were not in the teams best interests.
