The most disappointing thing about today was that I saw it coming - and I saw it coming before the Liverpool result. I've been so disappointed with us since the international break. Even our win against Sunderland I wasn't impressed with. Pelle in particular is making me pull my hair out, but I'd suggest through a lack of options and severe favouritism, Koeman just will not sub or drop him.
Didn't see the game as on the train to London. I don't agree that we are doomed to any particular final position. We had a blip last year. Didn't end up too shabbily.
Good evening FLT - did you go? Watched the game from home (in Dubai) with the family . The twins wanted to watch cartoons, in the end they decided watching us play was not a lot of difference! Am watching Chelsea vs AFC Bournemouth and Andrew Surman is playing DM in front of the back-four! Amazing to think he was a left sided AM in his youth. I remember when we played Sheffield Utd on that last game of the 2008 season (we won 3-2 for those who don't remember) he played left back because of injuries; now seems to have found a new position.
Our whole problem is still in the lack of depth in the squad. Our first team, when they are all on song, is about as good as any club's in the Prem. The trouble is, when two or three of them are out of form, there is nobody of Premier League quality to bring in. Pellè doesn't get dropped because there isn't anyone good enough to replace him, same with Tadic, Wanyama, Fonte, etc. etc. Shane Long at the moment is about our only attacking option beyond the first choice front 4.
we're not going down CF, I don't think anyone could think that but the belief in 'the southampton way' and our ambitions of achieving 'long term' on a meagre budget are all but gone. We have no plastics. As bad as that is it is the plastics that make the club the most money and that is why the big clubs are big clubs, because they have plastics wandering the streets in their club's shirts and buying the mugs, bags etc. We are a long way off and should be happy with mid table (10-14) finishes year on year...which is disappointing because my balloon has burst this season and my happy clapper moods have been replaced with the grey dreary tones of the eighties/nineties of hope rather than expectation.
And that's just not sustainable. They aren't robots...play them as much as we do, and they will wear down. Wear down, and we will have significant periods where we are off form.
Sorry, I am going to disagree for this time of the season. We are supposed to have consolidated our position in the EPL as a top-half team. We have spent a lot of money these past couple of seasons to the extent that our youngsters are not getting much chance. Squad depth should not be an issue at this time.
Just to add - Leicester City have nowhere near the squad depth of Southampton. They seem not to have lack of depth issues.
And yet 3 back to back wins and would we feel a bit different? The Southampton Way is alive. The fact that we have done so well so quickly makes it a bit more difficult to see that.
Can't finish a bag of crisps - the finishing is appalling. Should've been 5 up inside 20 minutes. A really poor goal to concede. Pelle was useless and Ward-Prowse offered nothing (If anyone says he set up the goal - a broken clock is right twice a day. How many corners were dreadful?) A draw at home to Villa is not good.
The difference is that the first team aren't losing their form like ours are. Wait till they have an injury to Vardy or Mahrez and see how they do then. On your other point, I agree we shouldn't have issues with squad depth, but where are the U21's on the bench these days? And practically all the players brought in to add depth in key positions haven't worked that well: Caulker, Martino, Juanmi, although the latter did OK today.
They likely will at some point. Additionally, they've played 18 games in all competitions...we have played 23.
Yes I was there. It was very frustrating, but as usual, there are a few OTT reactions. We could have been 6-0 up at half time, so at that point it was just the finishing that was off.
I see it more that 'the fact we did so well for a few years meant we thought we could do it'. I'm afraid I am back to supporting the old Saints albeit a slightly better one. There is no way a 'in 5 years' or 'in 10 years' scenario will happen. I am quite puzzled how I even believed it. If we win 3 back to back we will be..........9 (at most) points better off.........this season and mid table at the end albeit 1 or 2 places higher. And to the poster above. Leicester City are up there with no squad depth. Remember we were up there with no squad depth a couple of seasons ago. It happens. Doesn't mean they will finish in the top 4 or 6 at the end of the season and definitely does not mean they will get there and stay there year on year. Newcastle looked odds on for a CL place a couple of years ago. Ipswich qualified for Europe a few years ago. Bale Hotspurs managed once even with a carp manager. The Southampton Way will never happen unless we get a 'class of 92' fall into our lap just as Ferguson did to pave the way. Even then they were at a big club and not wanting to leave. If we got a class of '17 for example they would be leaving us in 18,19 & 20 for the big clubs. Ain't gonna happen but I am still here. Just back to the real world.
Not sure about that Godders.....however something isn't right. Whether it is the quality of the players or the system I don't know. A draw is better than a loss I suppose. We just aren't clicking in front of goal it would seem. In truth we do seem to have problems in rough weather....Is that making excuses though? I expect it is but hey I'm a saints fan its allowed. It is isn't it?
Gotta say you're hitting the nail on the head for me tonight and I'm ashamed I have now fallen for the BS hype twice now, once from Nicola C and now from Les and co. I'm actually more disappointed in myself than I am Saints - I'm a born sceptic too. I'll still be here too, probably more unhappy than happy but as it ever was.
I think the problem is we insist on a very slow build up and therefore do not attack with any pace which is what has done for us this season in every game we have lost. My other niggle is that we do not fight for the ball or go to the ball to collect it. It is as if we want to play football at a walking pace. Finally we are not nasty enough we do not intimidate other teams.
