Match Day Thread Southampton v Leicester City Saturday 17th October 2015 KO 3pm

If only some of our players realised this...Lovren and Lambert (and to a lesser extent Lallana) struggled at Liverpool and our youngsters seem to be held back when they go to Arsenal. Hope you keep Vardy, but I'm no longer surprised by players....Lallana was our Captain and swore undilvided loyalty and left a few months later as soon as Rodgers showed him a bit of leg.

 

You should apply for the job.

I find it odd that you have posted lots of negativity after this draw, yet i can't recall your endless positivity about Koeman after the Chelsea game.

I can only deduce you are one of those types who likes a moan and will only be happy when you're not happy

 

Too damn true!

Some fans are just unrealistic and short term thinkers. I got crucified for comments about a player, but those comments were built up over a number of months and several games, not knee jerk reactions. We all get disappointed when we don't win, but sensible people take a view over time.

I'd love to turn up somewhere at a company and find some of these guys in jobs and what they do, how well they do it and that they get it right every time. I suspect I'd have to be a teacher to find some of them though

Here's my prediction for a reaction from them in the future:

Koeman leaves. Les Reed is rubbish for not sorting a contract. Reed out.

 

Think people should listen to the post match interview. RK respects Leicester and could see they were getting back in the game. Apart from the obvious (Davis and Cedric both took bad knocks in the first half) he wanted substitutions that we're going to hold on to the ball and by pass the midfield that Leicester were dominating. JRod was a later substitution in the hope of getting a third goal on the break. Unfortunately players did not hit the ball long and that was what cost us both goals. RK did not get it wrong. Quite the reverse - but the team did not follow instructions. More imprtantly, Leicester played really well and thoroughly deserved their point.

 

I think what this summer showed is that teams like ours don't need to sell and only the player can try and force a move which might not even work (Berehino and Stones). You lot got hit at the same time and do you think some players who might have stayed jumped ship as others had left or do you think they all on individual merit? I'd hope Vardy having come from Stocksbridge Steelers and working in a factory would know how lucky he has it now but nothing will surprise me with footballers as you say

 

As we found out to our cost, when players get picked for England they get tapped up by players from the bigger clubs and sold a dream of more than doubling their wages, playing in Europe, winning medals etc so don't be surprised if Vardy disappears either this January or next summer if he carries on the way his is at the moment. Sad state of affairs but that's the way it is

 

Loyalty is a rare commodity these days, nothing surprises me with players these days especially after Lord twat beard kissed the badge, said he wanted to spend the rest of his career here, and as Fran said as soon as Brenda showed him a bit of leg he was gone.

 

Just seen MOTD, .... Good to see us score from a short corner eh LTL?

 

I find the constant war between those who are perceived as "too negative" against those who are unrealistically positive to be quite a bore. Personally I am an optimistic type and prefer to see the positives and get behind the team, the manager et al. The win at Chelsea was the perfect display from all concerned and yes the Manager, along with the players, should receive great credit. On the other hand, there were some clearly disappointing decisions made yesterday - by our players, the referree and sorry to upset - yes by our manager. I'm sick of being told hindsight is an easy thing in relation to substitutions when we are all in the stands - pre decision and as the decisions are being made saying "no Ron, you've got this wrong". The starting line up was fine - no arguments. The Cedric change was clearly enforced when you see his eye. Clearly we are deficient in proper right back cover so Maya has to do the best he can in that position. But to enter Clasie in this game at that time was plain wrong. I've seen every scarce minute that Clasie has played in a Saints shirt and so far he really has looked like a lost schoolboy. I'm willing to respect the fact that he has genuine qualities and pedigree and will offer a lot in the future despite what I have witnessed so far and that he needs a long, careful education in the Premier League. Yesterday was not the right moment for that education to start. Romeu was definitely the right move. It looked to me like he would have to come on for Wanyama, with his customary yellow card the knock he picked up and both affected his game thereafter. With Ron trusting Vic to stay on the pitch, the only option in this game was to introduce Romeu with his strength and premiership experience when personnel changes were required. There were more than enough attacking players on the pitch to take advantage of counter attacks if only we could have won some more ball.

Of course there were other factors - Leicester were more than good value for the draw, losing our one fully competent keeper, another really annoying ref etc

But I am allowed to criticise poor decisions by our Manager who I genuinely adore. Stop press: he sometimes gets things wrong and it's ok. It should all go in the learning bank.

Ok , I've said it. Now time to get my tin hat on and prepare for those who are unhappy for any negative sentiments to be aired.....

 

Yeah you're right and it's a shame. But WBA and Everton have given us hope that the clubs can fight back. What I'd hope with Vardy is that even if he's sold the dream whilst with England (although it seems nobody talks to him ha) then if a bid came in and we said no, would he push the issue

 

I agree with every word lol.

 

Completely disagree. Defending, for the most part, wasn't our problem yesterday, except in the sense that we did too much of it. The problem in the 2nd half was our inability to offer an attacking threat. That being the case, hhaving an even more defensive set up when we were already pinned back deep in our own half and unable to retain the ball would have been pointless.

 

Nothing wrong with your analysis, but the comments about being negative and positive are silly. Are you someone who never entertains a different opinion? No. So no problem.

No problem with crticism at all, it is the manner and style and matter of fact that pisses me off (not you) The snap shot in time, not the "over time" view.

You are entitled to do this, as I have with players and managers before, but those that over react and hammer a point with no attempt at discussion will probably continue to be challenged. That's fair, not silly. Don't be drawn into the 'can't be negative' row mate. It's how you do it and how much you're prepared to be open.

I think the football part of your post is fair and reasonable. No dramatics, just a view that you believe and one that seems fair.

 

I wrote an amazingly brilliant account of the game highlighting all the salient points good and bad. It would have been one of those,"end of" pieces and everyone would have clicked, "like".

Then my internet crashed and all was lost.

I thought about recreating it. Then I thought, given the game yesterday what would the Saints do? So, basically, I can't be arsed!

 

How well did the forward three defend? By this I mean that it sounds like we were under the cosh most of the second half and this is when we need the forward players to hold it up when it comes, get there first and keep it to relief the pressure. Harass defenders into poor passes. Did we do that?

 

Did it have "needed Jack Cork" in it? If not, it wasn't worth posting anyway

 

I was surprised that Romeu did not come on in the second half. Up until the break, Soares and Davis were two or our three best players and it was unfortunate that they both went off injured. Van Dijk does look quality.

The substitutions didn't work for us. Yoshida isn't a full back in my opinion and Rodriguez was brought in at a time when the team was running out of steam and unable to bring him in to the game. Clasie might as well not have been on the pitch as far as I was concerned as he contributed nothing whatsoever. Maybe he was brought back from injury too soon but he will have to put in some sterling performances before my opinion of him is changed.

Oddly, the three players who I feel have been instrumental in our season (Pelle, Mane and JWP) had off days but any blame for the result deflects from a superb Leicester performance. They never gave up and totally controlled the second half. Leicester should have won and can feel aggrieved to have been robbed of the additional two point their display deserved.

 

The forward 3 were miles away from each other for almost the entire game. On one occasion in the 2nd half, Pelle held the ball up and waited for Mane; they then played a one-two that put Pelle in for a shot that went wide from a tight angle. That was the only time I can recall the pair of them linking up.

Mane and Tadic both hugged the touchline throughout. With Jay on the pitch, I felt we offered more threat but by then we were getting overun in midfield and had no sustained possession. Mane looked tired 2nd half. Pelle was marooned on his own; before you ask fats, no blame in my eyes attaches to the big man.

I think if Ron did get his tactics wrong this time, it was by being too defensive; I suspect Mane and Tadic may have been told to stay wide to counter Leicester's pace on the flanks. Either way, I was yelling at them both to come in side, in the first half at least. 2nd half we never had a second on the ball really.

 

Are we having a war...I thought it was a discussion. The thread is just full of differing opinions as usual (except when we beat Chelsea 3-1 ). Of course RK may have made mistakes, but they could have worked....you can't win every time. Don't you think that when we are proved right we tend to remember....I could have told Ron that!....but when wrong we quickly forget. If we were that good, we'd be managing football teams. As for the front players having off days...all of that was due to Leicester separating them from midfield. We couldn't play with our usual esprit....and I'm sure that has happened in one game or the other every season. A moment of magic could have changed it....and there were moments when Mane got free...but that wouldn't have changed the facts of the game. Ranieri had a plan and his team stuck to it....they could have won or lost, but the dice rolled and there was a draw because we got 2 early goals.

 

Thanks Archers. Does sound like we didn't defend well as a team in the second half.