Match Day Thread Everton vs Saints 3pm, Saturday 14th January

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Le Tissier's Laces said:
Funnily enough, my main concern over the Alcaraz signing, is that we move JWP back into the double 6 pivot.
Click to expand...

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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AberdeenSaint, Osvaldorama and Saints_Alive
Le Tissier's Laces said:
Funnily enough, my main concern over the Alcaraz signing, is that we move JWP back into the double 6 pivot.
Click to expand...
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
 
  • Like
Reactions: OddRiverOakWizards, StJabbo1, Dell Boy and 4 others
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!
 
  • Like
Reactions: StJabbo1 and Onionman
SaintinNZ said:
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.
Click to expand...

I hear you, but I always think he like ten times the player when he’s more advanced.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dark Lord SFC and SaintinNZ
SaintinNZ said:
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!
Click to expand...

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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: garysfc
Che’s Godlike Thighs said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: garysfc and Che’s Godlike Thighs
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…
 
  • Like
Reactions: milton archer, Welsh Saint, saintkeef and 5 others
Le Saint said:
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…
Click to expand...

Well said that man
 
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).
 
  • Like
Reactions: garysfc and Le Saint
Che’s Godlike Thighs said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: OddRiverOakWizards
SaintinNZ said:
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!
Click to expand...
I would say especially at Everton.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SaintinNZ
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back