At what point do you go back and read my response, which points out that the criticisms are either wrong or applicable to plenty of other members of the squad? Or do we have to break out the stats, which shows Lamela has more assists than either Townsend or Chadli - which is what he's supposed to be doing?
Clyne to United. Schneiderlin a more complicated one - Arsenal most obvious, but seems Wenger's interest has cooled. United after others first. Seems possible it could be PSG.
Considering the shambolic way we defended for most of the game, then I am reasonably ok with us coming away with a point. Unfortunately several players had very poor days and poor old Harry Kane is running on empty. Goodness knows what a summer playing in the under 21 tournament will do to him.
An entertaining game and a fair result--not much different from the first game, really, though whether we deserved all three points there is debatable. I'm just glad that the non-scoring, dull as dishwater Spurs are gone after two awful games. This team, who are fun enough to watch and aren't half bad except for the comedy defending, I like. Night and day for Lamela today, I thought, compared to last game. I missed much of the game, but my wife, who is almost as wise as she is beautiful, proclaimed it would be Lamela's day, and she was, as usual, correct. Her pick of Jazz Hands was a big surprise to me as she still hasn't forgiven him for the white leather pants he was once pictured in, not to mention the gloves. I thought he was the best player on the pitch the first half hour or so. I'm with the Lamela backers, in case you can't tell. If you forget the first year entirely, I think he's shown enough to be worth sticking with, bearing in mind I don't think RM really suits him. I would, as I mentioned, like to see us try something like a 4-4-1-1, with Lamela as the 1. I agree we need at least one pacy wide player on the pitch, who should be our main target this summer. It was a blatant push on Davies, but I'm more cheesed off at the number of goals we've given up by yelling at the ref when we should be defending. It looked like that's what Davies was doing when he should have been offering an outlet to Mason. How many points has it cost us? Rose alone has given up three goals by talking when he should be playing. I can't understand why Pochettino can't ban all talking to officials while the ball is in play. For our future CB, Dier does a great impression of our future RB. The pass to Chadli was perfect. I also enjoyed him leaving somebody for dead on one of his runs. Finally, I also wish Southampton well.
I also wish Southampton well, but the football club and not their Neanderthal fans. Rarely did they back their side today, but preferred to spend the first half chanting abuse at Poch and then the second half, chanting anti Spirs songs. Perhaps if they had concentrated more on getting behind their own team then just maybe they might have taken all 3 points.
Yeah, I wanted Pochettino to be our next manager but I also wanted to see how Southampton could do in the next season or so if they kept all their players and manager together. I think both our clubs can relate about building something promising only to have it snatched away buy big money clubs coming in with silly offers. I'd have thought it was all the more frustrating for you guys to see that they're not even using the players properly either. Wouldn't mind if we went for Lallana this summer come to think of it No arguments on Rodgers, it's undiluted nonsense everytime he opened his mouth. I just wish a journalist would remind him that when we spent £100mill he said any side spending that much should be challenging for the title!
When they were buying our players he said - "I have no sympathy for Southampton, they don't have to sell the players. I thought they were a club with ambitions of Champions League and winning trophies. Obviously something has changed." Kinda nice to be sitting a point behind them as a result, with little chance of them getting CL.
I thought there was an end of season feel about this game today. Soton might have won had Steve Davis had his potting, sorry shooting boots on. Spurs issues are mainly defensive. None of the defenders look quite good enough individually and don't seem to gel collectively.
Oh please. Just accept you were lucky to get a point because you player punched the ball into the goal before half time and your 'scorer' then presided to kiss his hands aftwards - surely you do not see why the Saints fans abused your team after half time??? Lets see how much integrity your club deals with that. At least Arsenal years ago agreed with a replay when Kanu netted a goal when he should not have done so. Lets see what you team does - will you prove more integrity than your player??? Rhetorical question, at least Gareth Bale never celebrated scoring against us yet your player kissed his hands today.. we will live with the draw and take some comfort we were the better team and I am sure you will delight in it getting a point - well done.
I thought Lamela was better against Newcastle, to be honest. Yeah he gave the ball away more but he was making far more nuisance of himself. A bit like Chadli today, and against Newcastle, he produced 2 moments of note and little else. With Kane and Eriksen looking tired and less effective, plus missing Rose's runs forward to widen our attacks, someone needs to step up. I like Lamela but I just don't know where he fits in, he doesn't have the pace to knock it past defenders and he doesn't have the passing range to play as a number 10. Soldado and Dembele were the exact opposite of what we needed in our substitutions today, it was clear we were lacking pace in a game where quick players for Southampton were proving the most difficult to handle. The manager needs more options across the squad but he has to use his substitutions better too, Townsend should've started with Rose injured and definitely should've been brought on in the second half, regardless of the equaliser which seemed to change Pochettino's mind.
Didn't see that one at the time, what a tool! It runs through their whole club too. There was article after article from their former players, now pundits, talking about how they wouldn't "do a Spurs" with reasoning so tenuous it only just stopped short of citing the fact that we wear different coloured kits as a reason they wouldn't fall into the same problems we've had. As it happens it appears one of the best ways to get around it is to change manager. As much as I'm sure Koeman would've loved to keep those players, losing them gave you the money and room in the squad to allow him to build a team that reflects his preffered way of playing. Perhaps it's one of those things where what's perceived as a disadvantage can actually be an advantage.
I couldn't get past the many giveaways against Newcastle, though he was certainly very visible. I think he could be a good number 10. One footed as he is, he's good at sending players in on goal. Rodgers digs at Spurs and Saints really do reek of class, don't they? Also, while there's no denying our signings have turned out to be disappointing, on balance, we didn't buy any Balotellis. I wonder how many their signings have scored. Ours have 38 in all comps (23 in the PL) and 32 assists, I think.
I was also there today and I found their fans to be strangely quiet until they scored. They gave Poch a bit of grief and booed him but nothing major and certainly not all of them. They did spend more time having a go at Poch and us than they did getting behind their team. Good to see Poch come onto the pitch once the players were all off, to applaud the away section. It was a decent game and to be fair to Southampton, they should of won convincingly. They look good and with better finishing would of taken a deserved 3points. Although the constant diving by of their players was embarrassing.
And yours fell silent as the grave when we did score. Pochettino got a lot less stick than poor old Hoddle did when he came back to St Marys.
Alright, calm down. You think Lamela is doing well since he came here then. Whatever. I'm not going to go through all your posts, thanks. Just thought I'd draw you attention to the very faint praise you were damning him with. I guess you don't feel it's faint praise.
