I don't think it is up front we aren't ticking. Our midfield has cost us dear this season. Huge gaps in there when we haven't got the ball and not much creativity. We only seem to do well attacking wise when we are coming off the wings and either cutting in or crossing. Wanyama hasn't been as good as last season and Clasie hasn't got going (yet?) Prowse and Davis are filler inners at best in that central role. We have looked reasonable for a couple of games with Romeu and Wanyama in there but then we still weren't creative, just more solid. Schneiderlin has been a massive loss. Much more than a £24m loss.
We lost 3 very good players in the summer, and (vvd aside) didn't get as lucky with the replacements as we did the season before. It'll come good eventually. And we're still above Chelsea.
For me, we have not played well in most games this season - very different to last year. This season we have 20 minute spells, sometimes whole halves where we literally give the game to the opposition. That has cost us points and the outcome now is low confidence resulting in us having this last month.
Well most fans would agree we were lucky last season and that brought about the Southampton Way hype and even more annoying the Black Box hype but if this season carries on like it is at the moment then surely it will be proved that all it really was hype and huge amounts of luck. Won't see so much of Les if we do slip a long way down the table.
I find over recent weeks that I'm getting more and more fraustrated by our abysmal attempts at goal? I was always told to not try and break the net, but to get the ball between the sticks and at least test the keeper. We must surely be near the top of the league for 'skying' attempts at goal. 4 clear goal scoring attempts in the first 16 minutes and nothing to show for it.
Post of the day. I honestly dont know what the solution is, but we are missing Morgan terribly. There seems to be no leadership in midfield.
I thought Referee had a good game, a couple of early decisions were debatable, and we could have had more injury time but we could have been there all night and not scored.
I wouldn't go by the fouls or cards stats to define how nasty we are. The other night (before we were wiped off the field) the ref was waving pay on for every foul on us, ignoring every shirt pull. Today Pelle was wrapped up both arms and debatably by the last man. Not even a yellow card. So we seem to get a lot less fouls given to us than we should be yet are seemingly penalised for things other team aren't. I call it the Skrtl effect. Where you can get away without even a foul given against you for things everyone else gets a yellow for. EDIT: I would add that the height of our team's 'nastiness' seems to be a fear of conceding at any break away and 'taking one for the team' Everyone of our midfielders attempts this at least once a game and we are lucky they aren't great at fouling. Eeek got to take him down because otherwise it will be a goal.
Just back from the game. My main observation is that we have no legs in the middle of the park. Whatever 3 we play they are all very similar. We have no one with pace and power to run past the oppositions midfield, which is why we are constantly checking back and going back to Fonte or VVD which is when play comes to a stand still. Really need some more energy in there for me, and would also like to see Mane play off Pelle as we have become very predictable for the oppos Center Backs to pick up Pelle?
