It's possible to play 4-4-2 without getting overrun in midfield. Unfortunately, it requires that both of your central mids put in a real shift, and well...
I'm afraid I haven't got anything non-sarcastic to say. But hold on, it's not over yet, still close to 50/50 between us and Huddersfield, and they were just as bad as us today.
You also need one of our strikers to drop in when you haven't got the ball, didn't see the game today so no idea whether that happened or not. Okazaki for Leicester in their title winning season is the best recent example.
We have a shot if they lose to Brighton. If the line for survival is anywhere above 34 points though, I think we're done.
Haven’t seen the game and I don’t think I want to. Sounds like we were dreadful. On the other hand, we are not down yet. We are still in the cup. I refuse to accept that it inevitable, if only because, well, it isn’t. And should the worst happen, I shall not be looking for another team to support, just as I didn’t when we went down to league 1 on -10 points. What did Rudyard Kipling say? IF... we go down.
Looks like major surgery is required for the next game. I would be tempted to copy West Ham’s formation just to give us more solidity through the centre, and potentially more time and control on the ball. Some of today’s individual performances were worse than unacceptable and I wouldn’t like to be the one deciding whether or not to stick with them, and hope for a positive reaction at the Emirates, or make major changes. If I were I would be tempted to cut out so many who were poor today, players who appear to be “damaged” mentally, IMO, and go with 3-4-2-1, using the following McCarthy Stephens Yoshida Hoedt JWP Davis Romeu McQueen Sims Boufal Austin Bench - Long, Gabbiadini, Cedric, Hojbjerg, Tadic, Bertrand, Forster I would entrust the width and responsibility for getting forward and putting in crosses to JWP and McQueen, giving Sims and Boufal instructions to stay mainly central (old fashioned inside forwards), and to close down the space in front of the middle 4, yet get forward quickly to support Chaz. Harsh on Long who put in a good effort, when he came on, but for all the poor support, Chaz had 3 or 4 shots charged down, so worth another opportunity, especially given his lack of fitness. Davis isn’t my favourite player, as a defensive midfielder, but he might be the calm figurehead we need, right now. Knee jerk? Maybe, but I am not seeing safety being served up by the eleven that started today. Today’s eleven, playing 4-4-2, against the Arsenal, would be destroyed.
Yeah that would be nice. I haven't really been following Huddersfield, they appear to have been quietly rubbish since beating Man U (grr). It's us v them for 17th/18th anyway. If they turn out to be good then, well you know.
Is the Southampton player of the season award being given a miss this year? Is there one player who could really justify the award?
We're ****ed. Truly ****ed. Cedric, Hoedt, Bertrand, Lemina, Redmond & Tadic all need replacing between now and the end of the season.
Where is the twist in the tail to the closing weeks of the season coming from? You would think either Stoke or SFC might be able to conjure such a trick.
Even if they do though (and I would fancy Brighton at home, in that one), they still follow it with homes games against Watford and Everton. We're basically praying on them being as bad, if not worse, than us this season in those big head-to-head games. Somehow they need to take no more than three points from those three games.
Can’t imagine the gao’s Are happy with this? Instantly devaluing your investment. I’ve gone from expecting us to escape to expecting us to go down. Stating the obvious but had we replaced Pellegrino when it was obvious he wasn’t up to it (November imo) we wouldn’t be in this situation
How did Austin look? I know as a whole we were very poor but did he look alright after being out for 3 months? He will need to be the one that saves our season.
It's no use I can't think of anything positive to say. ...........It will be nice to see Nigel against next season
