I hate to be cocky but I was one of the few on here saying we had to give the diamond at least 8-12 games before we judged it properly. It can take a while for players to adapt to new systems and I would have actually lost a bit of respect for Claude had he given up on a system that's served him well after just a handful of games. I was also very happy that we were a bit more defensive at the Etihad... was worried about our defence this year with the fact we were obviously gonna struggle for goals again but so far so good* Following on from that... one of my favourite things about Ron was how tactically astute he was in away games to the top sides and it seems Claude has that in his locker too. Dare I say it... more diverse than Arsene? Great stuff *P.s. Thanks Oriol, please don't get injured!
http://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...on/10636273/meet-southamptons-latest-graduate Interview with McQueen. Seems to have a sound head on his shoulders. Mentions his frustration with not breaking through sooner....one who has benefitted from the new manager and a couple of injuries. Amazing that he has adapted so well and quickly to being in defence.
I also wanted Puel to be given time, but I'm always like that....so no kudos there. If we had Ghengis Khan as a manager, I'd still be saying...seems a nice guy, let's give him a chance.
According to the BBC Romeu is a defender? Believe it or not, this is Southampton defender Oriol Romeu on the front of the matchday programme for Sunday's game against Chelsea. (Instagram)
I would like to think he will take Ryan Bertrands approach to signing a new contract.......played for big team never quite broke through, plays here fans love him, playing well and playing every week.
Apparently we are the normal ones. A recent study showed that, before electricity, it was common for people to go to bed at nightfall, get up for a couple of hours and talk and eat, then have a second sleep. Apparently in some societies, it is normal to visit friends for a chat....perhaps we should try that.
So as promised, I'm giving some snippets from a conversation I had with somebody very high up in the Southampton structure (not on the playing side) and feel I can do this without revealing anything sensitive. This was about 4 hours before the game at the hotel in Milan. 1) Koeman genuinely had his head turned by Everton. The club weren't thrilled with his youth policy but were keen for him to stay. He was incredibly misleading with his promises to stay and then his ultimatums to leave and it was a frustrating period for the club. 2) He was never close to being sacked in January. 3) They are happy with what they have seen from Puel who takes a genuine and keen interest in all levels of football of the club and has made it clear that it's a priority of his. The brand of football, as we all know, is a firm priority too. 4) Very very high hopes for Redmond and real excitement about his potential. I didn't ask any invasive questions about transfer policy moving forward or anything like that, it wasn't really in the spirit of a wonderful conversation that encompassed all manner of topics. Another thing to just note is the morale of the team seems to be absolutely brilliant. They were incredibly relaxed leaving the hotel and on their walk around he area and seem to genuinely enjoy each other's company. Hope this is interesting to you, there's nothing earth-shattering but a few interesting insights.
