You could be correct, I mean Palace have a decent final third of attacking options. But I still believe a large part of this is how we are setting up to play.
Maybe, bout I doubt we would have taken on a loan slot for someone who plays RB as an option, when we had a long term injury to our first choice RB.
Biggest positive for me is that I’m at plough lane watching AFC Wimbledon instead of saints. Similar level of football Tbf
Armstrong has been our worst player, and that’s saying something Bazunu about the only one who gets any credit out of that half
Point being that the long balls aren't by design as far as I can tell. They're a product of us currently having no midfield, because JWP is in atrocious form and Diallo has lost all ability to make forward passes. If we were actually playing a long-ball tactic, we would be doing the things that teams do when they play such a tactic: namely, getting players around the target man to win second balls. We aren't doing that at all, because the reason we're booting the ball long is simply to relieve pressure because we cannot string together three passes. There's barely anyone in advanced positions when we're booting it up the pitch.
The positive is that Palace must be thinking like we do sometimes that we didn’t take advantage whilst they were on top. Still only 1-0 and we normally have at least 45 mins of good football.
If this is true we are fools. If we can’t play someone right back who can when we have two injuries then they are just wasting space in the squad. I don’t think we’ve told him that. It’s likely just a case of Ralph trying what worked last week
Alas, it feels like those 45 minutes of competent football usually only come at home. Fair enough that they didn't exist against Spurs or City. But they also didn't exist Villa or Wolves. And it would be stretch to say that existed against Leicester or Bmouth either (we turned up for, maybe, 25 mins away to Leicester. And we beat Bmouth mainly through how bad they were).
It's amazing how many **** players Saints have. **** players who are also sometimes amazing players. Almost like when the tactics are right, they can play well. And when the stubbornly enforced tactics don't work, we get this dross again and again.
That is certainly the case today. We haven't been **** because of the players today. It doesn't matter how good or bad your players are, if you don't have a midfield then you will play badly.
Yes, and this still plays into Ralph not being up to it. He is paid to find the way to et round teams press, or to get players up the pitch if we are going long. Maybe we have to agree to disagree, as I defo believe it is by choice we are going longer, and deliberately so. Honestly, I think Ralph has lost the plot. That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if we came back into the game 2nd half, but id imagine AMN comes on for Lyanco, maybe moving JWP to RB, or himself going there.
The player’s inconsistency is the exact reason why they play for Southampton and not Manchester City or Liverpool. Anyone that can perform consistently gets snapped up by the big boys I.e. mane, VVD. they also become even more consistent being surrounded by better players.
As much as I would have loved us to have completed on Gakpo, I also wish we had bought another decent midfielder. I know Sports Republic spent a good amount in the Summer, but we are severely lacking in the midfield department. I haven't watched us all that much this season TBH, but when I have we have always seemed light (apart from those first few games when Lavia bossed it). And JWP having no form doesn't help (and someone needs to try and drum some vision into him as he could be such quality if he had some)
Dont get me wrong, I'm not blaming the players for this performance. Honestly believe we have a better squad than last season. We don't have a better manager.
Lyanco still there at start of second half. Doesn’t look like any changes… Hold up, AMN on for Diallo
I don’t think we have a clue how to utilise wingbacks. When we are building from the back they are too far forward to offer an out ball for the CBs and when we inevitably lose possession they are too far forward to help the CBs, who then have to make tackles in the FB position, leaving gaps for opposing midfielders to drive a bus through. And our 2 central midfielders, who should be helping to close those gaps and go with the runners, don’t.
