Now the window has shut, and after a humbling defeat with an international break to come, it seems a good time to get the first one of these up. You know the drill, how many points from this lot: Leicester (H) Ipswich (H) Boro (A) Leeds (H) Stoke (A) Rotherham (H) I'm going to go for 11 points with wins against Leicester, Boro and Rotherham, draws with Leeds and Ipswich, and defeat at Stoke.
Truly brutal run of fixtures. Couldn’t be a harder run than Sunderland followed by these. I have no idea how we will do but I hope RM starts selecting players with a winning mentality like Fraser and Alcaraz instead of wet wipes like Mara and holgate
Really looking forward to these next four games (although I think I'd rather they came along in, say, November). Not just because they're four of the biggest sides in the division, but also because I see them as sides who are unwilling to compromise - similar to us. Leicester, for example, I don't see copying Sunderland yesterday. Leicester have been very constant in having 63% to 66% possession in every game so far. I suspect they will want to do again the same against us (whether we let them is a different story) rather than changing their style from the off to sit back.
Agree, want to see him play those two, but moreover want him not to play players out of position. The key thing for me is to play a DM that does DM things. So Shea Charles, basically, and not at right back... In fairness to him, yesterday was the first time he went a bit weird and leftfield on that front, and it really didn't work!
Agree. I still really like him. It’s just so annoying to see yet another manager play square pegs in round holes. It’s like they try and be too clever. I said in the match day thread, we haven’t had our best 11 players on the pitch at the same time for about 5 seasons. (By best 11 i mean that the fans would consider the best 11). During all the times we have been good in my lifetime, the best 11 picks itself easily and players all know their roles. I think we now have an obvious 11 that picks itself bar a couple. Please can we just play it for 5-10 games and stick with it.
I think we have a best 10, not sure who we go for on RW - and do you play Fraser ahead of Edozie on the left? (Also a question on whether Adarma gets in that best 11 - I think he probably doesn't, despite being our top scorer, and slightly weirdly our captain).
Fraser has to play for me. Looked so so good in his cameo. I’d personally play che up top with fraser, Alcaraz and flip a coin at RW. Unless sulemana decides he wants to play football. Or you could do Adam a at LW, Fraser at RW, Alcaraz central. I would also be happy with Adam A at number 10 behind Che. But he just isn’t a focal point as a 9. The important thing is those behind the attackers to understand each other. For me the pivot has to be Charles/Downes. Then the back 4 picks itself. Unfortunately we also only have one choice of keeper.
Yep, tend to agree. Hoping KS decides to play, and can play RW, then would have Fraser at left with Che up top. Adarma on bench. It’s a nice problem though, as whichever combo isn’t a terrible one (other than a playing Adarma as a lone nine. That is not so good). For me he and Charly should vie for 10. Stewart and Che for 9.
Yep, AA doesn’t get in our best 11 for me. When Charly starts being Charly, for me AA is a bench player. I’d also have Fraser on LW when fit (he looks knackered after 5 mins just now ), and Sully RW perhaps, or swap with Charly.
If this is the Southampton FC we all love and know, well you'd expect a strong response from the last game against a 'rival' - so that game is easily a 2-0 home defeat. The other games - I predict whatever the results there won't be any clean sheets for us.
This list couple with Sunderland is the actual start of the real season for RM and co. Points maybe harder to get than we realise but dealing with the defence leakage is first and foremost in my thinking. I'd take 6 points with a really mean defensive record as a reasonable base to launch the potential challenge for any honours this season.
I am hoping the fact he did acknowledge that he changed things and got it wrong (and accepted that he made life harder for the players) means he won’t be doing it again. I could be wrong but I really do believe the midfield has to be built off a base of two back and one up, rather than one back and two up. Those two back need to be Charles and Downes together. Then play Charly/Arma or whoever you want as the more advanced midfielder.
It doesn't have to be one or the other. In games where we will dominate and face minimal threat from the other side, we could use a base of one. Whereas against teams that you know can hurt you, such as Sunderland or Norwich, play more conservatively and protect the back 4 with a base of 2.
I think until we settle the defence down a bit we need to be trying to get into the rhythm of using the two. We overcommit massively at times and that's why the turnovers are proving so painful.
