Just got in. Forgotten what a win feels like. Terrific from Saints, all worked their bloody socks off.
Indeed, but he can be that **** every week if we win like that! That first half he was abysmal though.
After that game I don't think Morgan & Vic will neccesarily walk back into the team, who'd of thought that this morning ...
Vic's been as good as Morgan this season IMHO as both have excelled. Completely take your point though. Perhaps our squad depth isn't *quite* as bad as we feared.
Young Mr Reed has bided his time ,not getting on and then suddenly ..."BAM".....grabs with boths hands and does bloody great....good on you sunshine
So that was my first game of the season Great performances all round, they all really worked there socks off to give us that win. Thought the atmosphere was good today too, seemed to give the boys a second wind, scoring the second after a few rounds of OWTS. The ref was terrible first half, but that got the fans up for it.
I thought the formation suited our team selection. Alderweireld was superb in that libero role. Yoshida also played with more freedom when there was such cover. Our full backs are very good going forward and it only suited their game having more freedom to venture forward. When I saw the team selection, I expected Barkley to move trough our midfield like knife trough butter, but it wasn't so. He had a couple of bright moment, but didn't do anything in the end. Harry Reed showed why some of us called for him for some time. He's very good in possession of the ball, a bit like Davis, has that tide close control. He's not a very strong lad, but he's very tenacious and industrious, and confronted to a stronger player, like Barkley or Lukaku, he just glues himelf to them and doesn't let them breathe. Long I very much like. He's probably in many regards an average striker, but his work rate is surely second to none. No ball is lost for him, and with that attitude he should have won us a penalty, if the referee had a clue, which he sadly didn't. JWP deserves a shout. We haven't scored form a set piece probably since the first couple of matches, he gets back in the team, and we suddenly look a menace from the set piece situations.
James Beattie was there today, still fit as ever. Anyone else around Block 3 or 4? Some guy pushed another guy down the stairs...wtf
Wonderful team effort, once we got to grips with playing against 11 blues + one in black. Harrison Reed was top notch tackling away in midfield and what a difference a decent corner from JWP makes - actually results in a goal ! Forster did well to keep a clean sheet at the end too. What a difference to trudging out of Bramall Lane 4 nights ago. Onwards & upwards Saints !
Excellent. It was particularly interesting in the first half to see a game at home where the opposition dominated us in terms of possession. In a way, that suited us with Pelle and Long trying to combine together on the break. A round excellent display. The only slight, tiny concern was Jose who looked a little rash in the second half. Just before he clattered into Barkley on the edge of the box I mentioned it, as he chased Eto in the corner in front of me. You could see how determined and worked up he was in his face. Great to see that determination, but he needs to control the rashness. Only a minor blip as he was good today. Special mentions to Harrison Reed, Maya Yoshida, Fraser Forster, Steve Davis, JWP, Shane Long, Toby and that experienced and calming head we brought on at left back - gosh, is he really only a kid? Well done boys.
Depth in central midfield certainly isn't a problem; we're light at a few other positions if we're going to continue playing 4-3-3 most of the time, but the 3-5-2 is an intriguing way to put that depth to good use.
