I genuinely see the mentality of this squad being a "pick ourselves up and make amends" type of approach (as evidenced by the league cup defeat/response), rather than a "crumble in the face of a loss" one.
Worth noting that even some of the clubs with endless depth fielded depleted sides today...it's one of those years where it's all to play for in the league (and Europe). Adding to the hilarity of course is the fact that Liverpool bucked the trend by fielding what amounts to a full XI, and were only able to grind out 0-0 at home against Bolton.
I'm going to suggest the unpopular thing amongst a few supporters and say that the Lads aren't too gutted about losing that FA Cup tie. Of course they're disappointed. It's the end of a competition. But you compare the reaction they have to not making it into Europe, via CL or Europa, if it happens [heresy to suggest it, but I'm merely making the comparison, not a prediction]. They'd be totally and utterly inconsolable for a week or two. Of course, that isn't going to happen, and to make sure of it, I expect the players will be champing at the bit to get at Swansea, next Sunday. Minus the little errors.
Was it on MOTD? My television strangely went off half way through MOTD...having a shoe thrown at it will sometimes do that
I think we have seen what happens to our team when you have Toby, Morgan, Yoshida, Mane and Wanyama missing when everyone else doesn't step up and the opposition aren't unlucky. Better in the cup than in the league. Let's hope it is back to normal service against Swansea (who have their own problems). I'm sure the team wanted to win this game, but perhaps there is a slight (unconscious) easing off when league points aren't at stake. Or more likely, Crystal Palace (who are hitting form) played well. JWP is a very good player...he is our best deliverer of a dead ball and is much appreciated by his manager. It will be interesting to see Ron's starting eleven when all our players are back...I'm willing to bet JWP will be a regular selection.
at least we had 2x positives from y'day. Gylfi getting sent off for Swans & LFC drawing. Spurs have 3x cups games in next month & LFC 4x.
please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image My personal opinion? We didn't play well, but then we weren't allowed to. Palace were up for it (I wonder how many cans of Red Bull they had before the game?) and chased, harried and worried us into mistakes. Fonte and Gardos left a massive gap between them and Clyne/Bertrand had to cover back when the 3 or 4 Palace forwards ran into the space. Tadic continues to frustrate - he hasn't learned that you need to come TO the ball and not let it come to you and the opposition seem to have worked out that if you harry him quickly, he loses the ball. His defensive qualities are almost non-existent and without Big Vic and Morgan in midfield they were seriously needed. Pards had worked out that double-teaming Elia effectively put him out of the game and whilst Davis and Cork worked their socks off (and I don't agree that Cork was any worse than any other player) we were totally overrun by a team who were prepared to hold us when we went forward, then quickly break through midfield and punish our defence. JWP did as well as he could (both he and Davis had shots which missed by a coat of paint), Pelle was frustrated by the fact that he had no-one on his shoulder (Elia was playing too wide and needed to come into the middle more) and we looked better when Long came on, but he appeared from where I was sat to be clattered down - but, of course, the joker of a ref did nothing. Some of the pushing, pulling and niggly fouls by Palace should have been pulled back, but the ref was poor, very poor and gave the rub of almost everything to Palace - I can understand Graziano getting frustrated and, eventually, booked. So ......... all in all ...... a game to forget. Pity as I'd have liked to have seen us do well in the cup, but, as MOD showed last night, the "minnows" are really up for it this season - we now need to push on, consolidate and get some great results. My worry? Other teams will watch the way Palace bossed us about and perhaps go for it as well - hope in future that we get more protection from the ref and that we get our top DMs back in form and fitness. And we do need another striker - Pelle can't do it all alone!!
Dreadful decision to play Cork over Reed. Reed has been in fine form. Cork isn't match fit yet. My thinking is that if a 19 year old can put in performances like Reed has already then he must be a quality player. You can't just fluke performances like that as a DM. We've won all six games Reed has appeared in this season. That includes playing 90 minutes in our two wins please log in to view this image before the Palace game. He should have been starting. Particularly over a player yet to sort his contract out.. We know Ward-Prowse can't shoot, but in fairness to him in the league he has more assists per minute than any player but Fabregas. He either needs to learn to shoot or stop shooting. He has potential to be very good if he can start scoring every now and then.
Good post Dave. We are quite susceptible to the press & harry stuff, no doubt, but then as last season showed, that goes for most teams. I think TSS and Fran are right too, the team are at least subconciously more concerned with the league this season. I think we'd have had a different performance were we hovering around tenth and with little else to play for. I hope Ron goes in for another striker now. Firstly, we really do need one. Secondly, there's nowt more exciting than buying a striker.
We lost to a form team who have won four out of four and are in the Premiership, hardly as bad a losing at home to a team two divisions below. The game was too open for Saints and we missed a defensive midfielder to sit in font of the defence and as our defence played higher up their pacey players managed to get in behind the slower defenders like Gardos. I doubt the team are happy to lose, however we were going to lose a match sooner or later.
I don't think many would have called starting Cork as a dreadful decision before kick off, but I have noticed that he seems to start slowly when returning from injury lay offs. A loss can reveal more about the squad and it showed that Cork, Davis & JWP are all a bit too similar and they all failed to cover for each other when venturing forward. Don't think i've seen a Saints team this season leave so many gaps through the middle. Had Reed of played then we know from his two starts that he would have sat in front of the back four and allowed the others to play.
As I said last night, the problem lay in the combination of Cork and Davis. Davis kept getting too far forward, which left Jack exposed and he wasn't mobile enough to stop Zaha and co. marauding. Added to which, Gardos seemed to find it necessary to go forward himself, and was too slow to get back when Palace broke. A better DM pairing would have been Cork and Reed, and move Davis forward to replace Tadić, who also had an off day.
Whether he goes or stays it wouldn't necessarily make Tom right or wrong in his assessment. I think its pretty much all on the next game. If Vic and Morgan are still unfit and he's selected, he has an opportunity. If he's not then I guess he'll be off.
Agreed. Cork isn't an out and out defensive midfield player. He's the link man. If he plays the team still needs a dm, ideally Morgan but if he or Vic aren't available then Reed is the obvious choice. As for Tadic, he hasn't been producing that early season form. He needs to play on the left for one thing but that isn't easy given the other players at our disposal.
