Match Day Thread Southampton vs Everton 15/08/2015 12.45 pm

I agree with almost everything in that post and also think we need a Pelle upgrade. This above is the key point for me and has possible implications for our whole attack.

Some people have been very excited Jay Rodriguez is back while my expectations are a bit lower. Obviously Rodriguez has been out for a long time but he's also coming back into a different team. Lambert linked incredibly well with Rodriguez and I think assisted about a third of his 15 goals. I'd be very surprised if Pelle is able to do the same because Lambert was/is streets ahead of him in terms of bringing others into play.

 

Lukaku was unplayable yesterday, shame he doesn't play like that every week, but when he does he's up there with the best around. The counter attacking play suits his game as he can use his pace and power to bully defenders, as once he's in his stride at full pace he's virtually impossible to stop unless you foul him.

Martinez got his tactics right and we defended quite well. You lacked a bit of guile in the final third for me, and look really suspect to high tempo counters.

I was expecting nothing from the game, so 3 points was a huge bonus.

Good luck for the season lads

 

I'll go with that....easily changed

 

Must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater....luckily it is Ron that is bathing the baby. We lost one game badly....we are not used to this as we rarely let in goals last season which explains the over the top responses, especially on Saintsweb. The team is rebuilding, but, yes, we may not be as good as before....teams do go up and down. We have coped with lots of change in the past seasons, but I'm prepared to guess that Ron hasn't suddenly become an idiot. This may turn out to be a great season....it may turn out to be a disappointing season...but we need to think longer term than one game.

 

Makes about as much sense as blaming Pelle.

 

I know Pelle isn't Lambert and I also know that to do well we need the kind of striker that we can't afford, but Pelle is our striker and he didn't get the service that he needed. He nearly scored a great goal with a volley on the turn...some of those will go in. We have attacking options...it's making sure we get the cohesion we had last year in defence that is the first issue.

 

Yeah, that's where I am on this one! Whereas yesterday Mané actually didn't hold the ball up as well as he usually does.

You sure you and your mate weren't looking too hard for mistakes yesterday Fats? I don't mean the meanly at all btw, but it sounds like you were being very Pelle focused together from a negative start point? It's very easy to positively reinforce something if you're looking hard for it, and I genuinely thought that he was actually better than usual yesterday, as Osvaldorama (who needs to change his name says!)

 

I like that they highlighted on MOTD the fact that we conceded two goals this season from our corners. That's unacceptable, it's really amateurish.

 

One thing Koeman needs to improve is to have the balls to make a sub before half time if something is clearly not working. Romeu should have come on after half an hour. Mourinho wouldn't have hung around until half time that's for sure.

 

I'd love to witness someone tell Ron to his face that he lacks balls!

 

Now is the time to do it as he's on crutches!

 

You maybe referring more to others outside this forum, but I don't think anyone is bashing Koeman, but even as a demigod he should not be immune from criticism, especially with our powers of hindsight.
The gamble didn't pay off, but as a manager should he of taken the gamble after seeing the same tactic struggle at Newcastle?
He admitted himself that the balance of the side was not correct and I think that's about as close to an admission of mis-judgement as Ron should give.

As for Pelle bashing, that is just FLT who dishes out the same criticisms of Graziano every week. As if he is going to change his style

Agree on the full credit to Everton. They played well and I know we get pissed off if we beat a team and everyone just goes on about how bad the opponents were

 

In fairness, I think we can all see what Fats is saying - it's not about changing his style so much as his decision making. Just don't go for the clever flick every time, go simple.

But yes - this was as much to do with Everton playing brilliantly as our tactical failings. 50/50 at least!

 

Yes, it's decision making and game management, but I would argue that is a style. Graziano is a risk taker and a better footballer in his mind. I sympathise because i'm exactly the same, except a far worse footballer than Pelle.
You can see what's going through his mind, he surveys the pitch, Shane Long is free. If I play an early pass to him he is away for a certain goal. This could be the moment which unlocks this defence. The ball is coming toward me, all I have to do is execute a spinning 180 back heel volley with a touch of side spin and it's 1-0

 

I've not bothered to read through all these pages, but I am dumbfounded that anyone is coming on here to criticise Pelle. There were some awful performances out there yesterday from some of our players, but Pelle was not one of them. If anything, I'd suggest he had a slightly above average game for him.

Don't blame Pelle for not being able to hold up aimless lumps up field from Fonte and Yoshida, especially in the first half when there was rarely anyone sitting in the hole just behind him.

For the second game in a row, we went in with poor tactics. That's Ron's fault. Added to that, three of our four defenders were awful, and Everton's tactics were brilliant.

 

That's what pretty much everyone has been saying Brend!

 

Looking back on the game yesterday it was thoroughly dsappointing, but not the end of the world. Sometimes these games just happen. Good that we have games coming thick and fast to get it out of our system. Our next five games, incl. both M'lland games are good oppurtunities to get some wins. A win on thursday and a result on Sunday will have us all smiling again!

 

I think this was a good time to lose. We now have added pressure to sign big and we have also proven you need two dms to play our system effectively. Don't agree that Pelle isn't good enough, or even that Yoshida isn't good enough. What wasn't good enough was the system and the overly gungho approach. I would say, though, that Fonte may be a defensive leader, but he struggles without a very effective partners to lead.

 

Line drawn onwards and upwards we march on!

 

I think you've touched on one of the abilities missing from the side after the departures of Morgan & Toby and that's the ability to execute a good long pass and spread the play.
There were a couple of occasions yesterday when Soares was in absolute acres when the ball was on the left, but instead of one cross field pass, it would be knocked back to Yoshida, who would square it to Fonte and he would pass it up to Cedric. Those extra seconds gave Everton the chance to move across the park and stop Soares from advancing further up the pitch.

Hopefully Clasie, Romeu & VVD can bring that bit better vision and execution to the team.