Pretty sure he was responsible for the first goal? And that Dewkesbury-Hall or whatever his name is, has him on toast in the first half.
First goal KWP giving it away right? EDIT: Sorry, yeah you're right, it was Charles. Just watched the goals again.
Agreed with the first part, refuse to contemplate the second. It’s not panic time just yet, but there’s an awful lot of work to do, tactically and mentally.
Also Dewsbury Hall is a midfielder. So you can't blame a CB for not doing a job on him. It's not his man. The fact that Downes and Smallbone were both piss poor is the reason we got munched first half. Second goal was THB giving the ball away. Maybe that's what you were thinking of.
I suppose what I'm currently clinging onto is the belief that most of these goals conceded are more down to weird tactics/selections rather than individual errors. (Although I do accept that there have been some individual errors.) I think the former is easier to overcome than the latter - if Martin proves to be less stubborn than Swansea fans have warned us. Selecting FBs but then asking them to play any position except FB. Leaving your only DM on the bench, or using him at CB instead. Over-committing at our own corners. Asking Adam Armstrong to fill in as captain. These feel like pretty easy things to correct.
I said at the beginning of the season that Saints would not start to pick up any points until the Rotherham game and that any bid for immediate promotion was premature. For what it is worth, I think the points we have picked up have been a bonus and I would not have been surprised if Saints had gone into November with only a handful of points on the board. The team has been abject to several seasons and the squad we have been left with is bereft of leaders and players who have the nous to give everything for the club on the pitch. There are two thoughts that I think are central to the current situation at Southampton and which are contradictory in some respects. I feel that Southampton needs to be rebuilt from the very bottom of the club and there is a lot of repair work to do. It is a massive task and not something that can be "fixed" in a season. Fans will have to learn to be patient as we are currently a very poor Championsip squad that is relying upon young players to grow with the club, build an identity and then go on to step up for a genuine promotion campaign. This is never going to happen in one season. On the other hand, I think that we are still making bad decisions regarding recruitment and the failure of the club to do simple tasks like putting players in their correct positions and recruiting older "characters" to mentor the younger players is worrying. Currently, it feels likes we are making the same mistakes as last season and I feel that if this continues, we will be in another relegation battle this season. Tonight's performance was too naive and Leicester squandered too many opportunites to make the 4-1 score reflective of their performance. I would like to see Martin given the opportunity to carry out the task that he has been employed to do. He needs to steady the ship for a future promotion push and lay the foundations for a new era in the club. My concern is there is no descernable potential improvement and it feels like watching last season all over again. Last season we were all optimistic to begin with before the club made a string of errors which ultimately saw us relegated. Playing inexperiened players and experienced players out of position does not give me confidence. Our defence has become even more fragile. My worry would be that we will face another crisis of confidence assuming we are unable to fis the problems in the club and put it on the right track. I was expecting mid-table this season and never believed the bullish opinions that we would be promoted. I am now thinking that relegation is more likely than promotion. Fingers crossed, these are just teething problems for Martin. If this is not the case, I can see the position of SR becoming untenable.
Absolutely agree about the lack of attacking threat vs Sunderland. But we could, and really should, have scored more than "just" five goals vs Norwich and Leicester combined. Problem is that Leicester alone should have scored at least seven.
My main concern coming into this season was shedding the losing mentality. Whist we started okay, we have reverted to type. We need a really strong personality as manager, even a divisive character, Roy Keane anyone?
Worst part is.. it probably should be more. I am actually shellshocked. Tonight and Sunderland.. so bad that I am speechless. It’s honestly school boy stuff.
Tricky, when there is no stand out. A sad indictment on players. For my U16, I know who the captain is, and if he is unfit, I know the next. But players earning huge sums and have no leadership, I despair
Just got home. The whole drive back all I was thinking was how can Martin not see we need a strong defensive midfielder like Charles in midfield. Everyone around me was saying it. Without it we just get completely bypassed when the opposition charge at us. The only thing I can think of is that he has promised smallbone playing time as cm to make him sign a new contract and promised downes playing time as cm to make him drop a division. Even alcaraz showed more spirit. Downes and smallbone are two similar players who do not work when playing together. If we are going to start the game with a high line of 2 strikers and 2 wingers we need to have someone with presence in the middle to win the ball and release it back which unfortunately we did not start with. Do we need to write an open letter to Martin requesting him to play Charles as cm? It just reminds me of JWP, sure he can play rb if we have used all subs or have had a player sent off but why the hell would we start him anywhere other then cm...
How we have sunk. It is so depressing. It seemed as though Russ had some idea. But after today it is difficult. Really not sure the answer is. But not sue it is Russ after the last two games, you cannot concede 9 goals when xhasonf promotion
