Match Day Thread Southampton v Hull City AFC

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
look_back_in_amber said:
I couldn't think of a worse player to bring back in right now than Davies. Bruce needs to be playing a 4-4-2 and forget the three at the back system, it's not working. Put Chezzie and Dawson in at CH in a four, both players prefer to play in a back four, after that it's not rocket science, fill in the missing pieces as a 4-4-2, round pegs in round holes and all that, you never know we might actually start to win som games.

I rate both Macca and Bruce as solid defenders but they're not the best we have at the club, and that's what's needed now, we need to be playing our best players in the formation that suits them.

Bruce's tunnel vision of laying 3-5-2 will see us relegated for sure, it's so easy for other teams to stop us playing.
Click to expand...

We played 4-4-2 yesterday so he's hardly got tunnel vision? Rosey and Robertson in for Bruce and Macca and that's just about our best available team.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PLT
SydneyTiger14 said:
Like I said.. Rosey and Robertson instead of Macca and Bruce would have been a lot better.
Click to expand...

It seems to me that SB realises that Chester is one of our best CB's and wanted him back in the team asap but didn't want to leave out Bruce Jnr and McShane because they've been doing a decent job.
Unfortunately, in our current position we can't afford that level of loyalty. SB has to be brutally honest and pick the best players available in their best positions and within a system that enables us to get a strong grip on midfield but also to have a proper go at teams.
Yes we did look the better of the two teams for spells on Saturday, especially in the first half but I'm sure no one really felt we were going to go on and win the game. We might just have pinched a point if Bruce Jnr hadn't made the unnecessary challenge on Long but that was the best we were ever likely to get and how many games have we had like that and come away with nothing other than a further dent in our previously impressive goal difference.
I agree with PLT that without Jelavic, two strikers isn't working, so I would revert to one and go 4-2-3-1 with the ball, reverting to 4-5-1 without.

Harper

Rosie/Elmo Chester Dawson Robertson
Livermore Huddlestone
Elmo/Aluko Ramirez/Diame Brady
N'Doye

I'd start with Ramirez and bring Diame on for the last 20/30 minutes. I'd also probably start with a Rosie/Elmo combo down the right but with the option to bring Aluko on and take off one of those two off later in the game. The same would apply with Quinn on the left if necessary.
Yes it'd be tough on McShane in particular and Bruce Jnr but this isn't any time for sentiment, we need to get our best players on the pitch in their best positions before it really is too late.
With so many of our last games at home, even though the opposition is largely formidable, we can still have a major influence on our own destiny.
If we are to go down, let's at least go down fighting!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Willson, look_back_in_amber and originallambrettaman
CANADATIGER said:
For 60 minutes we looked like we could get something out of this game against a lacklustre Saints team who had lost their scoring touch in recent games, but the penalty was a game changer and apart from Chesters header cleared off the line we never looked dangerous after that. Bruce's awful substitutions of Sagbo, Hernandez, and a still unfit Diame basically conceded the game and the final score could have been worse.

We need to radically rethink our CMF if we are going to stay up. Huddlestone although technically good is far too slow and seldom makes runs forward. I'd like to see players who can make penetrating runs at pace and open things up for N"Doye who was much more active today, such as Brady, with Robertson back in on the LW to balance Elmo on the RW. Arsenal showed against Burnley how quick passing movements and pace can open things up. Why not try Robertson - Brady - Livermore - Elmo, backed by Macca - Bruce - Dawson - Rosenior in a 4-4-2. Harper was an improvement on McGregor and should keep his place against Liverpool. Up front I'd stick with N'Doye and Aluko who had a good first half.

Liverpool and Spurs look beatable along with Burnley. Arsenal, Man U, and CP are probable defeats. We can still stay up but Bruce really needs to rethink his line up and strategy over the next six games.
Click to expand...
I agree with most of this. We should have been 2-0 up and game over before the pe
Summerof69 said:
It seems to me that SB realises that Chester is one of our best CB's and wanted him back in the team asap but didn't want to leave out Bruce Jnr and McShane because they've been doing a decent job.
Unfortunately, in our current position we can't afford that level of loyalty. SB has to be brutally honest and pick the best players available in their best positions and within a system that enables us to get a strong grip on midfield but also to have a proper go at teams.
Yes we did look the better of the two teams for spells on Saturday, especially in the first half but I'm sure no one really felt we were going to go on and win the game. We might just have pinched a point if Bruce Jnr hadn't made the unnecessary challenge on Long but that was the best we were ever likely to get and how many games have we had like that and come away with nothing other than a further dent in our previously impressive goal difference.
I agree with PLT that without Jelavic, two strikers isn't working, so I would revert to one and go 4-2-3-1 with the ball, reverting to 4-5-1 without.

Harper

Rosie/Elmo Chester Dawson Robertson
Livermore Huddlestone
Elmo/Aluko Ramirez/Diame Brady
N'Doye

I'd start with Ramirez and bring Diame on for the last 20/30 minutes. I'd also probably start with a Rosie/Elmo combo down the right but with the option to bring Aluko on and take off one of those two off later in the game. The same would apply with Quinn on the left if necessary.
Yes it'd be tough on McShane in particular and Bruce Jnr but this isn't any time for sentiment, we need to get our best players on the pitch in their best positions before it really is too late.
With so many of our last games at home, even though the opposition is largely formidable, we can still have a major influence on our own destiny.
If we are to go down, let's at least go down fighting!
Click to expand...
I agree totally with your last line - "If we are to go down, let's at least go down fighting" - and for this reason alone it would be madness to drop McShane. Apart from the fact that he's been our best defender for the last 3 games - better than Dawson - his attitude is 100% of what we need for the rest of the season. I'd have him in a back 3 of Chester, Dawson, McShane. Midfield of Elmo, Livermore, Huddlestone, Quinn, Brady, with Aluko and N'Doye up front. Diame is not remotely match fit at present, and Robertson too much of a liability defensively.
 
Liked the starting team. We played well upto the penalty so all is not as bad as some think.

Pelle should have walked. Alex Bruce should have known better than to lunge in on Long who was going nowhere. In fact he looked to have over run the ball at the time.

But at least we are not playing badly unlike others around us. Results elsewhere helped as well.

All is not as bad as many think. Keep the faith. City need to keep the performance levels up but improve the composure in front of goal. Also, cut out these mistakes that are costing us league points.

2 weeks to re-group for the 6 game season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Happy Tiger
The FRENCH TICKLER said:
Liked the starting team. We played well upto the penalty so all is not as bad as some think.

Pelle should have walked. Alex Bruce should have known better than to lunge in on Long who was going nowhere. In fact he looked to have over run the ball at the time.

But at least we are not playing badly unlike others around us. Results elsewhere helped as well.

All is not as bad as many think. Keep the faith. City need to keep the performance levels up but improve the composure in front of goal. Also, cut out these mistakes that are costing us league points.

2 weeks to re-group for the 6 game season.
Click to expand...

You lost me right there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr. Hat 6.3 recurring
The FRENCH TICKLER said:
Liked the starting team. We played well upto the penalty so all is not as bad as some think.

Pelle should have walked. Alex Bruce should have known better than to lunge in on Long who was going nowhere. In fact he looked to have over run the ball at the time.

But at least we are not playing badly unlike others around us. Results elsewhere helped as well.

All is not as bad as many think. Keep the faith. City need to keep the performance levels up but improve the composure in front of goal. Also, cut out these mistakes that are costing us league points.

2 weeks to re-group for the 6 game season.
Click to expand...
You've got a point and the goalkeepers for the opposing teams seem to be making the difference at the minute
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back