Match Day Thread +++++Saints v Man City 1st May 2016 4:30pm+++++

He had a great bit of skill in the centre circle yesterday when he spun out of a tackle and slipped the ball past a couple of City's players. Also his distribution was first class, except for one which hit a player ........... I'm impressed and thought it was unfair that he was booked, as it naturally made him a bit cautious (and just before Tom comments - it was a stonewall booking, no issue, just a shame that he had to do it because there was too much space behind him ......)
Class player - and only going to get better ........

 

It's literally like we only play well in warmer weather. If we were based in Spain we would probably win La Liga.

 

He shot from twenty yards out in the first half, missing by a similar distance, when he had Long breaking left and Mane breaking right. Maybe that coloured my impression of his performance, but for me he didn't make many tackles, and his passes went astray a lot.

 

To me, it was a superb team performance, probably only matched by the Arsenal match at SMS. I think that everyone had a role to play in that and the balance of the side looked very good. Any player can make bad decisions over 90 minutes, but what really counts is how the team performs overall.
People are saying how poor Citeh were, but we were all over them from the kick off and made a team of internationals look very ordinary.

 

He was also usually the first person closing their defenders in support of Long and he got the pass of the game to Shane when he hit the side netting.

So often the link pass that isn't picked up.

 

Only issue I have with Clasie is his fitness. Subbed after an hour - not sure if tactical or not. Full pre season and hopefully this improves. There's no way he could last a full game playing at premier league pace vs a decent team at the mo

 

Also thought Davis really grew into the game after some shocking passes and an even worse shotgun the beginning. He was running rings around city in the second half

 

Against the big boys we have the system that works, against Arse it worked even better, invite them on, let them have their 60% of the ball whilst doing nothing and wait for them to hit the brick wall that is Vic, Jose and VD, hit them on the break with the speed of Long and Mane and the vision of Tadic. It all depends now on keeping the players for next season. The one top team that this system would fail with is Spurs though, who have the CB with speed, the creative player that can unlock defences and the striker that pulls defenders around and is a threat from anywhere in the final third. Spurs game should be brilliant

 

Saw a close-up of Clasie, just after his deflected chip past the post, and he was breathing like an asthmatic. He puts in a real shift while he's on the field. When he was subbed I found myself thinking... well done lad. I'd like to see what a full pre-season can do for him, but he works so hard I doubt if it will make that much difference. We'll see.

 

Pretty sure that if he needed to continue then he is fit enough to do so. we have 3 very good defensive midfielders so nothing wrong with the manager saying to Claise go bust a nut for 60 minutes and then I will change you. Change him for a fresh player that afew on here would put above Claise anyway

 

He was blowing quite early in the match...presumably he is fit, but he ain't no marathon runner.

 

http://www.givemesport.com/766177-d...-of-premier-league-recordbreakers?autoplay=on

Tadic joins a very short list of players who have provided 3 assists in a game on 2 occasions.

 

Against ManC, he was again the effective and exciting Tadic we transferred in from Twente. The one who made us say... Adam who?

 

Don't know what it is with Footballorgin, but that's the second Saints match in succession that has been broadcast but the website appears not to have covered. No 90 minutes.

 

Not the end of the world when we have good options there. Not ideal but manageable.

 

I thought he was subbed as much as anything to protect a player on a yellow that plays in a position where yellows will come. Would have given them a daft route back into the game had he been sent off.

 

To last 90 min Clasie might have to pace himself...may be better for him to play at full pelt knowing he would be subbed. Don't know that, but guessing it can happen with some players. Not every player is a Duracell bunny, but could still do a good job if used correctly.

 

That was my thinking as well. It maybe wasn't the only reason, but I felt like it was the primary reason. We have a perfectly good sub in Romeu who could also use playing time, so why not just make the sub rather than risk going to ten men?

The only minor flaw in Clasie's game to me is his defending. Or maybe "was" since he's already improved on it massively and it may not even be a problem anymore. But he can be too aggressive at times and gets pulled out of position, or instead of holding his position he goes for the tackle and gets beaten clean. It's a problem that gets magnified by the fact that Clasie isn't super fast and if a speedy guy beats him, he might not be able to recover and catch him again.

But I just think that's a function of getting used to the Premier League. He's a pretty smart player and you can tell from some of the interceptions he makes that he has a good reading of the game. Just needs experience to get a feel for the pace and timing and opposition skill and such. And with that experience, we will probably also see him not get tired as much as he becomes more efficient.

His passing, dribbling, ability to maintain possession and link up, etc. are already top notch.

 

Well, I'm clearly in a minority but when Tom says,"goes about his business quietly", what I'm seeing is, 'doesn't actually do much'. And I was trying to watch him yesterday. A few 5 yard passes; nothing creative and no obvious defensive ability.

As Archers said, Romeu instantly had more about him. Clasie just looks a bit lost at the moment. Presumably, he's supposed to be a bit of a Scholes but he isn't getting himself involved enough.

Beefy says I shouldn't be comparing him to Morgan, well I'm not but he was sold to us as being similar if not better.

And, FLT, blindspot!? Even I have come round to Vic (good goal from Corcky yesterday btw!).

 

Look at the upturn in form since Palace knocked Saints out of the FA Cup. It is as if the pressure of trying to win something affects Saints. Once all the pressure is off, they start playing wonderful football.