Hang on a minute.....I never said that RK didn't play the youngsters Pre season. I was just comparing Puel's use of them compared to RK's. Puel did use them Pre season as well as the other competitions. For the record I acknowledged he hasn't yet used them in the PL (other than JWP and Targett) but I'm confident he will bring them through as the season progresses.
SH - I agree mostly and that is the point though isn't it? He is a new manager with new players and after three games, people were moaning and groaning. Some (not all) didn't seem prepared to give him time. All I and others have been asking is that he gets given time. All this "You don't get time in the Premier League" (which some were saying) is nonsense. He has to have time unless he got very, very lucky and hit the ground with a winning formulation. Now after three straight wins, it is because the opponents were crap and this doesn't make him great. Well why don't we give him a season? Of course, if after 20 games we were routed to the bottom of the league with the same thing happening week in week out, then something would need to be done. Until that time, our fans should take a step back and be patient and give him chance to mould the team to what he wants.
Not by me. Maya was a rock on Wednesday - man of the match for me. If he plays like that every time, he should partner VVD and give Jose a rest. I imagine the Maya haters would have apoplexy at that!
Not to mention Fran throwing her toys out of the pram! However, you are right. I have always thought Maya a decent buy. Sadly his gaffes have usually been costly, and people remember them. But he is clearly a bright guy, and has worked hard to make his game stronger. In Fonte, Gardos, Yoshida and Van Dijk we have a decent set of centre backs - not to mention that Bertrand showed he can play in a 3 at the back system. There are lots of games and rotation is going to be key with the back two as much as any where else. On the subject of rotation, I thought McArthy looked OK the other night. So much better than the guy we off-loaded onto Everton!
I suspect Claude pulled Tadic aside after the game, pointed to Hesketh, and said 'that's what I want you to do at the top of the diamond'. Agree with your post though, I think he's always been a bit flexible on the diamond depending on the opposition.
You've clearly not been reading the Daily Echo comments section over the past few weeks. Apparently Pellegrini turned us down because Les Reed and the board have no ambition. Vin
Reading comments on the Echo site can be seriously bad for your health, especially after a defeat or two.
We want a 20+ striker. How many of the top strikers don't have penalties bumping up their goals stats? Last years (Just PL goals) top scorers (Penalties in brackets) Kane 25 (5) Aguero 24 (4) Vardy 24 (5) Lukaku 18 (1) Mahrez 17 (4) And a throwaway: Deeney 13 (6) So if you look at the top 5 and take the penalties away there are only 2 players that hit 20 PL goals last season. Penalties for those top 5 make up nearly 20% of their goals. Troy Deeney was the joint 9th top scorer!! All those top strikers we rave(d) about score(d) penalties. Bergkamp, Shearer, Henry, Messi, Ronaldo etc. Personally if Austin scores 20 and 10 are penalties who cares? It was fine when it was Rickie and they all count.
I think the point may be in this context that our major flaw/talking point at the moment seems to be not finishing chances from open play and that just because Austin has scored 4 goals doesn't mean he is immune from that and is still a little more dodgy on that front than I'm sure he'd like to be. In the greater scheme of things his percentage of penalty goals doesn't matter at all, but in regards to that particular debate it is relevant.
You're right, I clearly haven't. I'd have to be in an unassailably good mood to risk going near The Echo, or Saintsweb for that matter. That degree of negativity could seep in by osmosis, and ruin your whole week.
Sarcasm is ... But you and Mikey are right. Much though I enjoyed the game against Palace, I did come away thinking we should have had 5 or more goals. I just keep believing that a) Shane will start scoring; b) Charlie's evident rustiness will get worked off or treated with WD40; c) Jay will stop getting bloody injured and come back at least 90% of the player we knew and d) that Sofiane is a goal scoring legend by Christmas. 2 out of the 4 would do!
I agree. We'll start hitting goals soon. Just amazing how people are determined to read negativity into every comment. Sometimes, you know, we're just stating facts. So far we are pretty wasteful from open play. I retracted the no natural goalscorers comment, but none of them look like natural goalscorers at the moment. They'll come good though - but we won't get to play many teams as poor as CP were this week!
Whilst spending vast sums must help (providing you also spend wisely and not just at random), I question the idea of some managers that this is the only way to achieve something. I would suggest that it could also mean that some have no confidence in their ability to bring out the best in the players they have. And what is ambition? If Reed and co lack ambition, does that mean they want us to slide down the table...of course, they don't. Saints have a plan, have confidence in their plan.....and are willing to give it time.
You weren't being negative on that; especially once you changed the natural scorer part. Not sure anytime has made you out to be negative either on it have they?
One alcoholic to another: "I've been reading about how much damage booze does to your body. I'm going to give it up." "What? Give up booze?" "No. Reading." A similar policy should be adopted with the Echo.
