Where he was excellent alongside Romeu? Prowsey can play anywhere tbf its just that he looks like a threat playing direct, if Alcaraz offers the threat JWP as a ball winning holding mid is just as effective. If Lavia is holding, both Alcaraz and JwP can roam fwds provided they get back quick which JWP used to do so well. remember that season where he played every game and ran 15+km a match? that was him at his best IMO.
Yes I can see that, but Jones seemed very clear in that presser about James setting the pace to trigger the pressing. I think the major thing Alcaraz brings is flexibility, as he can play in so many different positions. He’s even played as a CF for Racing I believe. I suppose it gives us different options in the transit between defence and attack. Lavia, Alcaraz, and JWP can all defend and get the ball back, but we can now get it forward quicker with ball-carriers like Alcaraz and Oršić linking up, and Lavia and JWP’s passing. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!
I am very excited about tomorrow's game. I strongly suspect that it'll be a turning point for the team as we stuff Everton where it hurts. Once the final whistle had blown the other night the togetherness of the team and their reaction to NJ made me feel that the team has belief in themselves and in the manager. We have the players not to be relegated so tomorrow might just be the start of a recovery. Still thinking 1-3. Vin
Hopefully NJ got far enough back in our game archive that we watched us win a game and some lightbulbs started popping on. honestly, we just need to do more of what we did against city. Che is excellent at pressing from the front but Id keep him on the bench for a bit and let Mara have a crack at them. i know nothing about Everton so cant pick a side but if we play with the intensity we showed against City there are points to be had, even at Goodison!
Lots of protesting expected from the Everton fans tomorrow - if we start with the aggression we had against City and put them on the back foot, the atmosphere will be toxic almost immediately. Huge chance for Saints.
NOOOOO! Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson says he thinks Southampton will escape relegation this season. https://www.hampshirelive.news/spor...renson-southampton-everton-relegation-8027199 We're doomed! Doomed, I tell ye.
Obviously at the moment Che is the better striker than Mara. But, watching him during the Forest game, he looked fed up. Wasn't making many runs into space, wasn't coming short to collect the ball. Was basically in a sort of no-man's-land of his own making. I know Forest defended very well that night, but when your striker's head has dropped, you've got a huge problem. Mara's enthusiasm, or Adarma's for that matter, seems to rub off on the rest of the team. But, hopefully the City win has galvanised the entire squad, rather than just those playing, and Che has a little more motivation.
I think we're saying the same thing. He's out of form and out of ideas. A break will do him good and he's always a handful coming off the bench in a game, lliable to disrupt a plan.
Agreed. Hopeful. But the main thing is that whatever happens, including the let’s face it likely defeat at one of our least profitable grounds, that we are still all together and positive for the Villa game. Want to see an energetic, aggressive performance, players and fans showing fight and harmony. It’s a massive game but still doesn’t define our season. How we react to it might…
Looks like our last league win at Goodison was 1997 and before that 1974. Can he get them to raise their levels for the second time in three days and overcome a very poor record? If he can, there will be cause for optimism. I may even start to look more favourably on things like his relationships with the players and actually reflect that Ralph was not as accessible to the players (see Redmond and Valery comments).
From what I’ve seen of Mara he needs very little time to get his shot away. Che takes about a week and leaves it too late.
