Not sure on the bench options. GK, 2 CBs, two attacking mids and 2 strikers. Very unbalanced depending on what happens in the game. However, on paper, that starting line up looks quite a balanced team. Shame that we're playing Man City.
Agreed The only reasoning I can come up with is keeping the CBs happy - to leave anyone out of the squad would be the equivalent of saying they're 4th choice - and I believe all 4 of our regular CBs would expect to be in the starting two.
Quite possibly. But equally it's a clear message to Bednarek that he's fifth choice. And to be honest, from what we've seen of him so far, I don't think he deserves to be fifth choice. I appreciate we will very rarely need to use a FB from the bench. But we're going to need to use two CBs from the bench even less. Hughes just needs to decide between them (or alternative each week as to which gets the spot on the bench), and then pick Targett alongside that person.
Good lineup, more or less what I would have picked. I have a sneaking admiration for Hughes putting a relatively attacking side out against a team like City. This will end in tears for someone!
Not sure what difference it will make but that team is getting near our best sadly Pleased to see JWP but shame he will be a bit rusty after so long without playing, at least we stand a chance from dead ball situations
We have awful offensive options. We are struggling at the wrong end of the table because we can hardly score a goal. For me, that's the board's fault for allowing the squad to get so weak, not Hughes fault. I don't look at this squad and see a set of players who should be playing much better than they are.
Use this City game to allow him to shake off the rustiness then, ahead of Watford next week. We want - no, need - all XI to be firing for that one.
We are Southampton and we are playing away against a very strong Man City side, so only one outcome you would think. But who knows just maybe one or two of these chances that we have been creating will actually go in today .... COYS !
Gabbi is a better player than Austin. Of that I have no doubt. Whereas I would happily see Gabbi get given a run of starts, I ideally never want to Charlie start another league game for us. However, if we need a goal with 10 or 20 mins left, I want to have Charlie as an option to bring on. Slinging balls into the box, whether from open play or set pieces, the opposition dropping back a few yards, I want Charlie lurking around the six yard box. It's possibly the only thing he can do.
Fair enough, but if Gabbi isn’t injured then it’s a kick in the nuts to be left out altogether for a teenager and a pub player.
Oh that is undeniable. If the board were insist on Hughes offloading in January before any further recruitment can begin (which is purely theoretical; I don't have any inside knowledge etc), I think today illustrates that Hughes would pick Gabbi to leave.
I partly agree and here’s why. Other than today or similar games, Shane Long should be nowhere near the first team. As manager, he has responsibility for playing the right way with what is at his disposal. Not accountability- that sits swiarely with the Board. I’d have kept Carrillo over Long, who I think got a harsh deal. We are also struggling at the wrong end of the table cos we can’t defend. Two swallows (last two games) hardly make a summer, and if we ain’t scoring, you need to make damn sure we are either hard to beat or don’t concede sloppy goals. Or two at home to Brighton when 2 up. I think Hughes has us playing better than MP2, but even he had some good games in his first ten, then it spiralled down. The fact is I’m pretty sure we had more points this time last season! Anyhow, here’s to today and a good result and performance.
We were bad last season, yet City needed extra time to beat us on both occasions. I hope we make them work as hard this time, with us getting th late winner, obviously.
