Okay, but pretty much every Saints player dives. I would guess we dive at least half a dozen times every game. So does the other team. IMO, the diving in that game was no better or worse than any other. We did it a bit, they did it a bit. I don’t believe either side was spoken to or players warned until Hojbjerg got the yellow.
*Logs in for first time in a while* *Looks at coverage and match thread for first time this weekend* *sees Mark Hughes slagging off referees again* *logs out*
Hughes was barking at the linesman quite a bit in the second half. I suspect that may have had something to do with calls not going our way. Three games is way too soon to either call for Hughes’s head or to think we have turned a corner. 1 point in three games and a -2 goal differential is an inauspicious start, but it’s still only a start. Plenty of time to change our fortunes. I think it is only fair to also note we’ve been unfortunate with players being dinged up as well. Really frustrated at Cedric right now who has perhaps cost us 4 points already. Against Everton...He’s a little short and lightweight and will occasionally get burnt on good crosses. Okay. I can live with that. But missing an easy header due to lack of concentration at a crucial moment is tougher to overlook. I mean, that play was just SO bad. Not only the weak clearance popping up it right into the center of the goal, but the way he just kind of wandered off in a random direction after doing it. I do think he’s become less error-prone and more consistent since he joined us, so maybe he just needs a game or two on the bench to get his head together. Every player goes through a bad patch now and again. Cedric will perhaps always be a tad streakier than most but he’s still not bad for the most part. Definitely not great, but not terrible either. That loss was just really tough to swallow, but it’s over now. Let’s rotate the squad a little for Brighton, see if someone wants to stake a claim for a starting spot and build a little momentum.
I happen to agree, but the English hate diving, and the English write the rules, so here we are. Pierre got his dive all wrong, but he should still be starting next weekend. Which he isn't suspended for btw.
Does nobody else think that, while Cedric obviously presented the goal scoring opportunity, it was set up by Bertrand being totally out of position? Vestergaard thought about going wide to block the cross but realised he was better off staying central, but couldn’t get back in time. Hoedt was also ineffective, so in short, all of the back 4 were to blame, by being uncoordinated. Our defence is crying out for Yoshida to come in and show some leadership.
“Our defence is crying out for Yoshida to come in and show some leadership”. 100% agree with this. He is also our quickest centre back, which should also be a massive consideration. Hoedt, for me, seems to be a reaction type player, as in, he doesn’t read the game well enough to be in the right position, leading to him having to dive in, and go to ground too often. Looks good if he wins the challenge, but if he doesn’t he’s out of the game. I predict that he will get at least one red card, during the season, as a result of one of his lunges arriving too late and catching a player above the ankle. Given the speed of the Liverpool strike force, I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened at Anfield. I think I am going to have sleepless nights ahead and after that game.
We've now got more red cards under Hughes (3 in 13 games) than Puel and Pellegrino combined (2 in 87 games).
I'll tell you what pisses me off. Diving defenders. Whenever any defender (ours included) gets the slightest pressure from a striker they flop on the floor - and are immediately rewarded with free kicks. Refs should be booking their play acting too. Make defenders defend, not simply fall over.
But I think your phrase ”roll the dice” says it all. Easy for a fan to say but the board are responsible for the club and must be more considered than that and a better season than last is an achievement for the club. You cannot grow the club by gambling, ultimately you will lose. Meantime you will, as you admit, have to settle for what may be a safe pair of hands. But signs of improved entertainment are there so I’m hopeful if not excited Btw did anyone really say messiah?
I just did some digging and found the depressing news that 1 point from 3 games is our worst start to a season since 2012-13, our first back in the PL, when we had 0 from 3.
Things turned out all right that season Chilcs and would've done even if Nige had've finished the 38 games IMO.
We do thats for sure. At home we make the same mistakes. We dominate games but in the last third we are ponderous in thought and deed. We let teams get all their players behind the ball and we are so easy to defend against. Whereas because we are so slow, we put a lot of pressure on our defence who arent very good anyway. We have been like that now with three different managers, so either the managers are being governed how to play or we have the wrong players.
No arguments on that from me SA, it’s just a general point that we aren’t exactly setting the world on fire these days. 2012-13, and the next 3 seasons after that, continued our run of continual progression in terms of league position. Of course that had to stop at some point, but the “blip” doesn’t show any signs of turning around any time soon. Let’s hope we see some green shoots soon!
Yes, definitely agree regarding Yoshiba. So where is he? Is he actually injured or just out of favour, which I find very surprising.
I have just seen the two Leicester goals. I bet Fraser is sat at home wondering how much abuse he’d have got for those.
Yes that is true.......but Nige didn't get the chance to finish the season although we didn't think he was doing that bad!!
The second one got me. Forget the fact it went through about 3 Saints players, as soon as it went in I said what was McCarthy doing
His last game was the 2-2 draw with Chelsea*...with the late equaliser from us. Still remember that. *Unless it wasn't.
No I think you are correct. Remember watching the post match interview and he was very subdued which was unusual for him, especially after coming back from 2 down to draw away at Chelsea. There had been a few rumours of Poch taking over a few days prior to the game and everyone had laughed them off as ridiculous but that was when I thought there was probably truth to them.
