Article: What would you do? | Football Southampton

[fatletiss]

There is a lot of frustration and negativity around and understandable; we've just been hammered and we know that the defense hasn't been good enough. I'm fed up of hearing how bad things are. Now, I'm asking for what people would do starting now. Even if you think Adkins should be sacked (I don't), what do you think the new manager should do, as he'll have the same players from now until January.

We need to do something with the defence. So what ideas do we have? What about playing Morgan as a sweeper? So far this season his covering role in midfield has been done very well, so maybe he could play between two CB's? What about playing five at the back and two holding midfielders in front of the CBs so that it makes it harder to break us down?

Just some thoughts. Please don't just post "bollocks", let's stop bickering and have some decent discussions about what we can do. Just posting "F'in disgrace, we're ****e, Adkins out" isn't constructive.

So come on, what could we do between now and January.

 

[lamby]

Getting less injuries would help. Think there is something to be said for the five at the back idea and playing Mayuka up top with his pace!

 

[Dan]

It's something I've seen brought up on here before - bring in a defensive specialist to help out. Adkins may feel undermined but to be fair, that's the least of our worries - something needs to be done. Sadly, we're stuck with what we have until January where we really must improve.

 

[Saints Fan4Life]

A defensive coach

 

[Joe!]

It's something I've seen brought up on here before - bring in a defensive specialist to help out. Adkins may feel undermined but to be fair, that's the least of our worries - something needs to be done. Sadly, we're stuck with what we have until January where we really must improve.

Worked for Arsenal didn't it. We've always been naive, and now we're being punished more often for it. Someone needs to toughen this team up a bit.

 

[lamby]

A defensive coach

Seem to remember when Newcastle were really struggling they brought Lawrenson in?

 

[Jose Fonte baby]

Bring in that Arsenal coach, Steve Bold is it?

 

[RickieGoalMachine]

For me the strongest defensive set up is:
---------------Gazzaniga---------------
-Richardson-Fonte-Yoshida-Fox------
------------Morgan--Davis---------------

If you want to go super protective rather than 5 at the back I'd go
Clyne------------Puncheon
--------Lallana------------
--------Lambert------------

as the rest

 

[Dan]

Bring in that Arsenal coach, Steve Bold is it?

He was promoted to Arsenal's assistant manager position and wouldn't have come here even before that.

 

[Beef]

Bring the Wee Ginge back to help Adkins out, Adkins needs a old head to help him learn. The Prem is a big step up for him.

 

[CBK]

Been obvious to me since the first game. We have a midfield that offers no protection to our defence. Morgan & Davis are doing their best, but both are more natural going forward that sitting in front of the back 4.

Our widemen might as well not be there for all the help they give our full backs.

This is why in nearly every game, the opposition is able to have wave after wave of attacks without giving the defence a chance to keep shape.

Confidence is completely shot to **** now. No changing of combinations is going to help the defence unless we sacrifice Lallana, Guly, Puncheon for more combative midfielders (not that we have any apart from Cork).

 

[OddRiverOakWizards]

A more consistent back for and keeper (if possible) would help, injuries barring.

 

[Mikey]

Getting less injuries would help. Think there is something to be said for the five at the back idea and playing Mayuka up top with his pace!

That sounds like a dirty Fifa 13 tactic rather than a real life one!

I think the idea of bringing in a defensive coach is a good one, and not one I had thought of personally, would be undermining of Nigel but he's a big boy, I'm sure he would understand and welcome the help as he's probably tearing his hair out about trying to sort it all out.

Personally I think we just need to keep working hard, get key players fit and what we really need is a clean sheet or to string a couple of wins together. Think we may have to wait until after the Spurs game, but people forget the difference confidence makes. Teams can go on 10 game losing streaks, but when they get a couple of wins or good performances together, everyones tails are up, all of a sudden all your insufficiences disappear, you're a whole different team and you go unbeaten in 10.

We're up **** creek, but we have got a paddle and all we need is to do is keep calm, fight against that tide and we can make it to safety. What we don't need is to panic, throw our paddle away, try and jump out of our boat and end up capsizing and drowning.

Been obvious to me since the first game. We have a midfield that offers no protection to our defence. Morgan & Davis are doing their best, but both are more natural going forward that sitting in front of the back 4.

Our widemen might as well not be there for all the help they give our full backs.

This is why in nearly every game, the opposition is able to have wave after wave of attacks without giving the defence a chance to keep shape.

Confidence is completely shot to **** now. No changing of combinations is going to help the defence unless we sacrifice Lallana, Guly, Puncheon for more combative midfielders (not that we have any apart from Cork).

I get your point, but what could our midfield have done today? We conceded two from set pieces, and two from Yoshida getting beaten down the wing, the second Fonte also had a hand in. I think there have been incidents this season where our back four was not sufficiently protected, but don't really see what they could have done today, we controlled the game and apart from their goals we were almost un-threatened.

 

[Ivan Golac's shoe laces]

Just an idea but how about a 3-5-2 away from home. Jos ,Jose and Yoshida with a midfield of Clyne, Davis, Lallana, Morgan ,and Fox with Gatson and Rickie up front. A strong midfield which can quicky go to five at the back when under pressure. It loses something going forward but it might stop us shipping so many goals away from home. I am pretty sure Clyne could cope in this formation and would give us pace down one flank and we all know Fox can cross from the other flank as well...might be worth a try in the cup game against Leeds.

 

[fatletiss]

Just an idea but how about a 3-5-2 away from home. Jos ,Jose and Yoshida with a midfield of Clyne, Davis, Lallana, Morgan ,and Fox with Gatson and Rickie up front. A strong midfield which can quicky go to five at the back when under pressure. It loses something going forward but it might stop us shipping so many goals away from home. I am pretty sure Clyne could cope in this formation and would give us pace down one flank and we all know Fox can cross from the other flank as well...might be worth a try in the cup game against Leeds.

I nearly put this in my OP. I think playing 3 CBs with Clyne and Fox may work. Could be worth a game and Leeds would be ideal.

 

[ThatThereSaintsFan]

Not sure moving Schneiderlin (who has been our best player IMO) would help, he's the only one playing well, leave him alone!

 

[fatletiss]

Not sure moving Schneiderlin (who has been our best player IMO) would help, he's the only one playing well, leave him alone!

I understand that, however was just opening a thought as to whether he could be equally as good with his tavkling and interceptions in another role.

 

[Mikey]

I nearly put this in my OP. I think playing 3 CBs with Clyne and Fox may work. Could be worth a game and Leeds would be ideal.

I think in theory there are many strong points to it but also feel it would hinder as much as help. Considering we've had a tough time defending down the wings all season, giving Fox and Clyne the responsibility of defending frequently against 2 men on their own, whilst still having attacking duties, would be a very risky move for me. To have any hopes of not getting slaughtered we'd have to have central players either from the 3 centre-backs or centre-midfielders coming across to help almost every time they attacked, and considering we've struggled positionally and mentally in what is effectively a simple 4-5-1, adding a much more complicated system into the mix just seems like it would pile on the issues rather than fix them.

That being said, experimentation in our position is not a bad thing, and like you say, the Leeds game would not be a bad time to do it except for the fact we'll almost certainly be playing with a reserve side since it's sandwich between two important fixtures.

 

[RickieGoalMachine]

I understand that, however was just opening a thought as to whether he could be equally as good with his tavkling and interceptions in another role.

He's the player offering the defence the most protection . You have to keep him in position . Only sensible 5/3 atb for me would be playing Hoovield Fonte and Yoshida CBs

 

[ThatThereSaintsFan]

I understand that, however was just opening a thought as to whether he could be equally as good with his tavkling and interceptions in another role.

Fair enough, we've got 3 centre backs though. If you wanted a similar system I'd just put hooiveld as a centre centre back with Maya LCB and Fonte RCB, this uses Clyne and Fox's attacking ability to the fullest extent. In fact as I type this I think it's becoming a very good idea in my head.



---------------------------Gazza-------------------------
--------------Fonte-------Hooiveld--------Maya--------
Clyne-------------------------------------------------Fox
----------------Schneiderlin-------Davis----------------
------------Ramirez--------------------Lallana----------
-------------------------Lambert-------------------------

That would be a cracking formation, width from the full backs defensively solid with 3 cbs and one of davis or schneiderlin staying back. With Ramirez and Lallana having the option to drift outwide or dictate from the centre. Only problem would be that we would have no centre back cover on the bench barring Seaborne (rubbish) and Stephens (no experience).