There's nothing wrong with Jay's goals, it's more the lack of Rickie goals (bar pens and on a plate jobs) - the ones where he bangs them in from 20 yards, or clinically finishes, that have been lacking. That's the worry for me.
I don't want to be on another downer about Rickie, as I thought he was a *bit* better today, but you don't get the sense of threat that you used to feel whenever he gets the ball now. It's an intangible thing that the great attackers have, Tiss had it big time, no matter how badly they've played, when they get in the ball there's a fizz and a sense that anything could happen. I'm just not getting that from Rickie this season, like I did last.
In the interest of fairness and having been intimated that I can't read, I re-read your posts. The first two 'sound' negative about Jayrod with negative wording such as "that's all he's got" and "his games are often just luck" It took to your third post for you to mention you that you "think he's pretty good", so I would say I was justified in my questioning of your first post. Jayrod wasn't great yesterday but you surely see from above that you appeared to put a negative slant on the first two posts, hence me defending him, and if you read the first post on it's own (which is what i did as it was the first post) then even more so. He is a long way from "controlling a game" and I don't know many wide players that do, barring ronaldo and Messi (who often play down the middle). He is a little raw, but this season has continued to improve and for the same of a forum debate, I'd like to propose that he would be even better with less "bad luck" rather than say he has so far had "luck". If he had more luck, some of those bounces may have gone his way and he'd have scored more. He is also 23 and half way through his second season, at his second club and his first in top flight.
We have a lot of good players who rarely make mistakes....lots of interesting patterns and possession. We do lack players who create something from nothing. JRod is such a player and would start every game for me.
good point his finishing is a bit fluffy, as adams was over the last few years but improved immensely this year. I think even without changing jay's position we could see more goals from him with a bit of work on finishing.
I thought it was a pretty average team performance, with WBA never really testing us. We kept the ball well but were lacking the final pass. Noticably for me, Shaw and Clyne's crossing fell below their usual standard.
WBA never testing us is because they were defending in numbers...they couldn't test us because we were testing them so much they had to defend all the time.
I agree and their tactics largely worked because our final pass was lacking. It took a wonder pass and wonder save to get us the points.
We will never know...they may have hoped to win and then quickly gave up the idea. I think most teams (below the top sides) know how we will start and just plan to soak up the pressure, then catch us on the break.
I think it was the golfer Gary Player who said, the harder I practice the luckier I get. It means pretty much the same thing, and it's not a bad message to remember.
Boruc 8 Clyne 7 Fonte 7 Lovren 7 Shaw 8 Cork 7 Schneiderlin 8 Davis 7 Lallana 8 Rodriguez 6 Lambert 6 Ramirez 7.5
Those who wish to offer an opinion and want to sit through another 90 minutes to make their mind up should click this link. A complete replay of the match: http://www.footballorgin.com/2014/01/premier-league-2013-2014-southampton-v_11.html Plus this one can be paused, moments replayed, considered and then you really can give a valid mark for each player.
