Match Day Thread Norwich V Saints 2/1/2016 KO 15:00

Agreed but it's like us being annoyed how our job is when we've done it a while even though its the same as the job you applied for.

 

Anyone know when Jay Rod is to return?

 

Potential? Yes. But two of the best players don't want to be here. So why should they care? Koeman can take some of the blame yeah. But it doesn't help when the board hasn't really backed you and the players are playing like ****.

 

I don't think so, because the tactical system and team work ethic makes it more forgiving on players having an off day. He also would have freshened the line up by bringing in youth for underperforming stars (reed -> Wanyama). He always hauled off victor for cork when he was playing badly. Koeman plays him relentlessly, no matter how bad

 

I have a weird feeling Jay could be finished. Hope I am wrong.

 

Poch stuck to his favourite players moreso than Koeman. He took Wanyama off for Cork how many times? Once against Fulham when he was coming back from injury had had a mare first half, then stuck with Cork for a fair few games after. I don't see much difference. Both managers stick with their favourites and for a club our size and with a small squad of 'first 11 candidates' that is pretty normal.

 

We are half way through the season! With replacements all identified and signed by Koeman.
The fault is not with the club, it's with his naive decisions, poor tactics and baffling substitutions. Many managers could do better with this squad IMO.

 

You do realise Koeman doesn't have all the say on signings right? You blaming everything on Koeman is kind of mad.

 

So your idea of appropriate punishment is a near-certain death sentence? Damn, now that's tough love.

 

This is nonsense.

Fonte is the team captain and the supposed foundation of our defense (which has been awful). When Davis plays well everyone says "Oh, he's the unsung hero who makes us tick." So when those two are playing badly, suddenly they aren't important?

And very few people are talking about Fonte going downhill. I'm one of them.

Wanyama hasn't been great, but IMO he's played less bad than most of the team, bar today. Aside from Arsenal, we are averaging less than 1 goal a game for the last two months.

 

Koeman coming out and slating the team I feel isn't the right way to go. Mourinho got slaughtered by the media for doing this and his team stopped playing for him. I hope it doesn't go the same way with saints.

 

So who are we blaming this time? I think God has a lot to answer for, personally. He never told me supporting a football team would be like this.

 

Poch quit when the circumstances weren't in his favor. So I don't see how one can make the case that he would be able to plug through the hard times. We know what he does when Saints appear to be on the rocks; he leaves.

 

Blaming a manager for a team losing to a newly promoted side is mad?

Riiigghhht. I think blaming transfers that happened six months ago for a defeat in January is more mad.

 

So do you think Davis' form should be judged in the same way as Wanyama when Wanyama plays the same position every week whereas Davis is shunted around from No10 to right midfield to DM each week? Were you one of those who used to slate Guly's form in the championship when he was AM one week, RM for a few weeks, Striker for a few weeks?

It isn't nonsense at all. People expect a higher level of some players than others and therefore when Davis has a good game (normally in his favoured centre of the 3 role) then he gets plaudits. When Vic has a good game he doesn't get as many plaudits because we expect more of Wanyama. He is a supposed star player. People expect more from star players so the bar they are judged on is higher. This is the same for any club.

When Rooney plays an average game he is slated, If Lindegaard does nothing people say 'well what do you expect'. That is the way of the world.

Is Wanyama's form equal to Davis' form? Probably, but we expect Wanyama's form to be higher than Davis because he is supposed to be a higher level player. Same for Morgan, Same for Lallana, Same for Lambert. 'Star players' are criticised more heavily than 'non star players' or 'squad players' because more is expected from them.

I already said Fonte's form has been poor.

As for Long he isn't up to scratch yet he is our second highest goal scorer with a reasonable return for a backup. He is probably doing all that we would have expected from him. Pelle on the other hand is probably playing better than Long however we expect him to play much better than Long and therefore Pelle gets way more criticism than Long. I don't see why you don't understand that?

More is expected of 'best players' than those who are accepted as 'good' or as 'squad' or 'backup'. It is also probably why Reed gets so many plaudits for his few minutes. He is young, not a huge amount is expected and so a good performance is seen as a star turn. Just as it was today.

 

Surely part of the punishment was winding the window down and doing interviews out of it.

 

Poch quit because his 'sponsor' had left and he saw what he believed to be some writing on the wall. He was also offered a job by a bigger team willing to spend some money and on a larger salary. Was a fairly easy decision really, and doesn't make him a 'quitter'. Most people with ambition would have done precisely the same.

 

Not only do I disagree with you that Wanyama hasn't been playing really poorly, and that Davis and Fonte don't have their critics, but I also don't understand how JWP and Pelle escape your criticism.

Pelle can't run, often tries to be far too fancy, and only really has one good game in every three or four.

And what exactly does JWP do, aside from put in the occasional good ball? Just because he's a player from our youth system, he shouldn't be exempted from criticism either. Even though I really, really do not rate Davis, I can at least see what his job is. But JWP?

Wanyama is being highlighted so much at the moment, because his poor form is quite a new thing. Moreover, we've shown previously that when our main players turn up - and Wanyama is absolutely one of them - then we can still win matches despite carrying the likes of Davis. So Wanyama playing poor is a much bigger concern, and thus something worth highlighting, than Davis playing poor.

But as I've said, Wanyama being on poor form doesn't excuse the others (although I disagree with you on Long). Until they start performing (or re-performing) on a regular basis, Davis, Fonte, Pelle and JWP deserve criticism too in my view.