Sorry, three attackers available off the bench. With Ings, Obafemi and Armstrong injured, our attacking options are pretty awful. Heck, with them healthy, they're still on the meagre side.
Just think how bad we would have been had we not had a run of 5 decent results. Surely nobody doubted we were in for a relegation scrap?........
There was plenty of doubt on here, heh. We'd strung together a few results, and it was a question of whether we could push for the top half or settle for 12th or 13th.
Cardiff were difficult to break down and Saints first half performance was poor. OK we conceded which is disappointing but credit for getting the equaliser. However, to concede again was abysmal.
To the people pissing their pants about today, which was god awful....no denying! But don't fear the upcoming fixtures, as we will most certainly play a better system......a system that works well when a flat back five and deep sitting midfielders aren't deployed there just to kill the game off from the first minute. I thought they'd be a pain in the arse today, and my pessimistic outlook may have saved me from abnormal loads of hurt, although jack daniels has also helped. But I'm certainly not giving up, they are a crap team......who out witted us. But we will be back with a spring in our steps thanks to Ralph in the next game. Nervous Nelly, signing out. (well worth reading the first 8 pages of this thread)
Hmmm, it's looking more like a Swansea type situation now. The bounce is well and truly over. Is he that great tactically? I may be wrong, but I can't think of a game where we've got 1 down and we've won the game? He's just made some **** players slightly fitter. There's still the same complete lack of concentration, and mistakes made at every given opportunity. He's not sorted that out at all. The guys been outsmarted by Neil ****ing Warnock twice. He's hardly Pep is he? (Fully prepared to get jumped on all over for that comment as according to most on this board he's the messiah)
Im just so, so disappointed. Two last minute goals in two weeks. I love Ralph and believe that he is the right man but: - Starting Long - Taking Vestergaard off (who was playing well) - Bringing on Elyounoussi when we need a goal All very questionable decisions for me. If he honestly thinks Long and alien Lucy are our best attacking players, we are definitely down. They are both fantastically awful. With that being said, we were the best team for long stretches, and we were unlucky. We are one or two attacking players away from being a good side.
We gambled taking off two defenders for attacking players. The gamble paid off, but then as soon as we had some defending to do, we paid the price.
I meant Valery was the only player to stand out. PEH had his worse game in relation to passing in 2 years.
It isn't really Ralph's fault that we don't have many good players. I agree that I'd have played Austin over Long, but neither are great. Taking Vestergaard off was to allow us to get another attacking option, and unfortunately the only ones available were Elyounoussi/Austin/Gallagher.
I suppose this is now the perfect time for Ralph to be taking the team away from the normal everyday and evaluate, refocus and work on improving for the final 12 games. There's no place for complacancy. We're not too good to go down just because we beat a couple of midtable teams...(who knew). We now have very few 'winnable' games left at home (or even on the road...our remaining fixtures are pretty scary) however...we seem to struggle more against those around us...so who really knows what the **** will happen from here on out.
We didn’t have other attacking options. Also, we desperately needed to widen the field because we were getting stuffed in the middle. Elyounoussi is a winger, so... Granted, he wasn’t that effective. But neither was anyone else in the 70 minutes before he came on. I can’t say that Elyounoussi was great, but it’s not fair to single him out either. Redmond was decent but had no help. Elyounoussi was no worse than anyone else. Honestly, I’d rather see Elyounoussi play than say, Shane Long. Elyounoussi might be good or improve. Long is only getting worse, and I feel like he might have lost a step. And when that step is all you really have going for you.... I’m not going off on how he is a striker who doesn’t score, etc. I’m saying judge him according to his own standards. He was bad today, and IMO aside from Leicester he’s been bad since the New Year. I’m not trying to pin the loss solely on Long, either. Just pointing out that it’s clear without Ings (and Armstrong) we are crap even with Redmond. It might be time to experiment.
The steward should have gone down like a bag of spuds when Bamba put his hands on him after scoring.......we could have got him canned! Which would have been the highlight!
Our passing and movement generally is ****. We are a better side without the ball. That’s the improvement Ralph has achieved, and it’s why we are competitive against better sides. But with the ball, we are average at best, which is why we struggle to put away the likes of Cardiff and Burnley
I understood we didn't have the wage budget unless we offloaded, but none of the dead wood played ball to free up squad places.
Better off giving Gallagher, heskerh, sims, Barnes, literally anyone a chance over long/Ely At least those players have come through our academy so should be able to control a football, pass to feet and run into space. Long and Ely are woeful, woeful players. I wouldn’t even put them at championship level.
