We've made a slow start in my opinion, it's all good having possession and a good pass rate but we need to try different shots on goal and time and time again we've tried to walk it in...
I don't think our possession has been particularly great. We need to take a lesson from Laudrup and get the defenders playing it out more.
Just seen this comment on KUMB: "Southampton are very similar to Stoke - two enormous centre halves (Louvren and Fonte), two big central midfielders (Schneiderlein and Wanyama) and a big target man (Lambert)" ****ing hell what a plank.
The thing I've noticed about how we have played this season is that we don't appear to be pressing higher up the pitch, winning good possession and bombing forward in numbers ("Red Arrows"), which has served us well the last few years....We seem to be playing a more methodical, slow build up game, trying to attack through the middle and playing through balls for people to run on to. This may well be that Clyne and Shaw haven't played much and we lack natural width, but Rickie in particular is not going to be as effective running on to passes as opposed to recieving the ball to feet. I'd like to see us get back to the high energy pressing game we witnessed in the home wins against City, Chelsea and Liverpool last season and to my mind JayRod is crucial to this tactic and must play. Edit...great minds think alike PTF...you posted as I was typing!
After last season's boring anti-football this season I shall be more realistic and keep my predictions as sensible as possible. 8-0 Saints and BFS to lose his sponsorship deal with Wriggly's
I think they will put 10 men behind the ball for much of the game. 3-0 im going for. 2 goals from set pieces.
Think I'd prefer Chambers further up, he's got a much better cross and seems more of a goal threat. Can't see it happening though.
Why are there always so many 3-0 predictions on the match threads? Since when do we ever score three and concede none in the Premiership?? Yet they're there every week. Of course, hope to be corrected; but without any forward threat to speak of, think West Ham are going to dig their heels in and defend and hoof more than usual. 0-0 is a strong possibility, maybe 1-1. But am going to allow a bit of aspiration to sneak in there, and say 1-0 Saints.
Well, as far as Wanyama goes, she's international. And her heritage is Welsh. Course, it might not be Gabby..?
I think this is mostly due to the teams we have been playing - both Norwich and Sunderland were very defensively set up last season so tend to play most of the time out of possession and attack on the break - and I think this season teams have been playing with 10 men behind the ball against us as we seem not to be able to break this down. I think when we play against possession sides we will play high press and we will get good results, but we're still trying to work out a formula for breaking down defensive sides.
Strange that I was thinking the same thing.....Ah well I guess they can do without me for this match then.............Should I put my ticket in the bin I ask.......no perhaps not ......it is a season ticket after all............
