I meant Mugabe aha sorry. We have plenty of youngsters that I can see stepping up. Mugabe Debayo Wood Sims Gape McCarthy Seager Hesketh Then a few more younger players that will take a longer time.
Was under the impression that we were occasionally using him on the right side largely because of our overabundance of LBs...he's left-footed.
End of the day to play Yoshida over Cedric against anyone is wrong. Accrington Stanley, Sunderland, Barcelona, Real Madrid...you name it. I'd always be playing an actual right back at right back. Yoshida has little pace too to defend properly, and get tight, against wingers. He offers nothing going forward either. I want my right back to have pace and energy. Not be a sluggish centre back playing out of position. Yoshida might be a centre back, but that doesn't mean he's better at defending. Playing right back involves having pace and getting tight to the opposition winger. Offering a threat going forward. Making the opposition winger defend as often as possible to wear him out. And so on. Yoshida at right back does my head in. And Martina isn't any better. I also notice that Fonte is uncomfortable when he's not next to a proper right back. He's far more prone to lapses in concentration and mistakes. This isn't Yoshida's fault. He's a solid CB. This is Koeman's problem. Yoshida's still doing his best, he just shouldn't be in the side.
Just on the train back. Interesting to read people's opinions. First off - really great to meet FLT & his family, Vin and Dave. Lovely people one and all. Okay. Some thoughts - Interesting you all thought Pelle was brilliant. He was in the first half, then second half (until his goal) his head dropped and he was lazy, expending most of his energy shouting at people rather than doing the jumping thing or, moreover, getting back into position. Then he scored again and woke up. Now I won't moan too much because MLT used to do exactly the same, but then he was a far better player. Pelle isn't good enough to be able to afford to be lazy. Mane, now he was brilliant. The whole game. Both in defence and attack. Agreed it was a mistake to replace Romeu. We said it at the time, and also were a little surprised that Cuco came on rather than Cedric. Saying that though, the criticism levelled at Martina is ridiculous. This year's Guly in that sense. Agree with Ronald that they didn't win that game, we lost it. Bar an absolutely sensational save and the width of a post, it would have been a different story. The main frustration was how after the goal we stepped off them. They might have been pinging the ball around in their own half, but by allowing them to do that all of a sudden we let them get their confidence up which led to a couple of goals. That was a mistake. We should have pressed and kept on them. Was there for the taking, but way more positives than negatives for me.
Yoshida was playing RB to provide a more defensive and physical defence against Depay who we worried about. Hence why JWP started on the right instead of Mané.
Pelle scored twice and hit the woodwork against Manchester United. That's a great day at the office for any player in the world.
Honestly Beef, he stopped trying. You can have a go at him for that. I thought Tadic had a very average game too, other than a couple of brief flickers first half.
Yeah, we do it with a lot of the youngsters (Chambers evolved from a CM to a winger to a RB who was being groomed for CB in about eighteen months, heh), but the ideal position for Wood/Debayo to break in will ultimately be on the left side, whether LB or LCB. There are a few inverted FBs kicking about, but that's not an easy introduction to the professional ranks.
As I said, he was superb first half, no doubt (even FLT agreed) but up until his goal second half he stopped bothering. That was frustrating as hell.
How about Fonte? His heading was awful for 90% of the game. I actually think it was the worse game I have seen him play for us.
I won't have a go at him as a result, but that's part of the frustration...when he's switched on, he can change games. We just need him to be switched on more.
^^^ this 100%. Today was a perfect example. When his header went in we all said "he'll start trying again now".
He was probably pissed off after the team just collasped around him. Oh and seeing Davis come one for Romeu. So thought **** it I will join in.
I really can't see how Pelle can be criticised when he was the best Saints player on the pitch. Anyone would have grown frustrated in the 2nd half when the service to him completely dried up.
Lone strikers tend to save their energy sometimes and rely on the midfield to win the ball back. Fair enough as he'd already scored and hit the post. He got the second goal too. If the whole team had pushed high and pressed hard I'm sure he'd have pressed hard too. Remember Pelle is a big unit. Tall and wide. Sometimes he's going to want, and need, to save himself for scoring goals. And he got two of them.
As everyone knows, there are things you see on TV that you won't when at the game (offside for first goal for instance) and then there are things you won't see on TV that you will at the game. Pelle wandering back for example for the second half. As a result he wasn't in position when balls were coming forward which led to them regaining possession very easily. That was REALLY clear at the game. Mane was the opposite - 100% energy the whole game.
