Match Day Thread Mighty Saints v Spurs - Sunday 20th Sept 12pm BT Sport

Well we only lost to them twice last season and I cant remember the last time we beat them. So I will say bad.

How can we have been so good at the end of the last season and so bad now?

 

So we have only brought in one extra player who has strangely gone missing and lost a starting CM. Letting in goals has been and issue since Jose and VVD left and we are arguably weaker defensively since the start of last season. Smallbone is not a PEH replacement either and Oriol is a niche squad player.
I think that Ralph will sort things but i'm worried about the goals we are conceding too easily so far.

 

We’re Southampton. Getting our hopes up before sudden, unexpected (shouldn’t really be) and apparently catastrophic loss of form is what we do.

 

At this rate Newcastle might take the spotlight off us for bad defending.

 

Good form is just a means to acquire season ticket renewals, we can then chill out for the next 6 months and wake up around Christmas.

 

I worry he’s not getting the financial support he needs. That’s the part that really concerns me.

 

Stephens not picking up the guy at the back post, for the 5th was equal to him giving up on chasing Zaha last week, when he got through at the end of the game.
In an interview, after “THAT” game against Leicester, he was quoted as saying something like “we gave up”, which was picked up by some. Looks like he is the first to down tools.

 

He's not but I'm really not sure there's much the club can do at the moment.

Wages at 80% of turnover last accounts and we lost approx 20million of turnover last season. Where's the money coming from to get the quality we need?

The type of midfielder we need just isn't gonna come cheap.

 

Just looking at Son’s 4th, KWP could have been on his shoulder before the cross ball came to him.

 

Clearly the high line was a disaster. Spurs are the one of the worst sides in the league to implement it against - it was absolute suicidal, once Spurs starting timing their runs/passes correctly - but to be honest, I don't think it works well against many sides. It even allowed Palace to beat us, by giving Zaha the space without his time actually needing to create.

Having any degree of success with the high line requires opponents who can't hit you with pace in behind, but also who do keep the ball and allow you to press them. Unfortunately, I wouldn't suggest that many of those sides exist in the PL (and there's a reason for that - you would have to be a pretty awful side!). Maybe only Fulham?

If we implement it against Burnley, I can just see it going the same way as Palace - ie not actually helping our attack (because Burnley won't want the ball, and therefore can't be pressed), whilst weakening our defence. Unfortunately, I also can't see Ralph ditching it so soon. I have no idea why he's decided to change to this, but ditching it after just one week would be one quick U-turn.

The lack of options really didn't help either. Once Spurs got the third, we fell apart. I don't know if that was because of the third goal demoralising the side, or because it was quickly followed by Smallbone and Tella being introduced. (Not that Romeu was any good mind, yet another poor showing from him. To have any chance of success whatsoever with a high line, Romeu and McCarthy have to be the first two players to go. You could barely find two players more unsuitable to that style of football. I can see Ralph ditching McCarthy before he ditches the high line. The problem is that Fraser won't be any better at all in that system. So I think it would have to be Gunn - but by all accounts, he's the one who we are looking to ship out, albeit probably only on loan.)

 

No rush getting us back in the ground Saints. I'm cool with not watching us just now

 

Let’s hope....

 

Anyone watch Hassenhuttls interview?

 

In brighter news, Winter is coming, maybe a second lockdown, oh and Brexit.

What a great time to be alive

 

Yep, he looked frustrated and a bit sweaty.

 

What did he say?

 

He actually lost him twice, stepped up to try and play him offside and failed and then didn't get back to him even though they were both jogging!!!

 

Said he was ok with the first half but annoyed that we conceded so late in it. Then he said that the team can't defend like they did in the second half. Was a bit coy when asked about Salisu but Danny is definitely staying here.

 

Agree with this, cant wait for Ralph to change it in Feb 21.

 

Something about stupid defending and Adams having a chance for 2-1 but not doing so, and them scoring straight after.
He doesn’t know when Salisu will be ready, which begs the question “Is he unfit or injured?”