Match Day Thread Southampton FC v Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Europa League, Thursday 8th December, KO 8.05pm

Don't disagree but I'm not sure what the alternative is because we sure as hell aren't scoring from crosses either and passing it into the net hasn't worked.

 

edited for you.

 

Sturridge looked world class playing alongside Suarez. As did Sterling. Long was great last season alongside Mane, but that's because Mane causes huge problems for defenders and creates loads of opportunities for his teammates. By comparison, Redmond is a million miles away from creating the same sort of threat as Mane. Not one single game this season has he put in a match-winning performance.

And signing Redmond wasn't Puel's decision. The club had been watching Redmond for several years.

 

Roll on Sunday.....

 

Agreed. I don't blame him wholly by any stretch -- we're lacking quality in some areas, and that's not his fault -- but I am disappointed in just how pedestrian most of our games are. We have had a couple truly excellent performances, but we must lead world soccer in number of thirty-minute stretches that I forget as soon as they end.

 

I think that some people are mistaking us being so poor for 0-0 being our game plan. We were no more timid going forward than we were in the Palace or Sparta Prague games and we weren't playing for draws in those? We were just s***. One goal would have made a difference because it would mean had Be'er Sheva scored then we would only need one goal and not two. They scored a late goal and all of a sudden we had a mountain to climb. We had a team more than good enough of scoring and of winning this game but we simply weren't good enough. I just can't see how this is down to Puel's tactics when we had chances and didn't take them.

The abuse aimed that was aimed at Puel from a minority of the fans in the stadium is absolutely shocking. Not long ago he was being praised for how he was managing our team through busy periods and the team fielded last night was a strong one that was more than capable of getting the job done. On Twitter people are heaping the blame on him entirely when performances of individuals were nowhere near good enough. I actually feel for the guy and I feel as though the team let him down.

Yoshida missed a glaring opportunity at the end but only by a whisker, and it shouldn't be up to our two centre backs anyway. My worry is that we lacked a few big game players in the team. Sims didn't have a great game but perhaps the pressure of the situation got to him which is understandable. It appeared to be a performance lacking in leadership, although I thought Davis was absolutely fantastic for one thing and certainly didn't hide from the magnitude of the fixture. I thought Yoshida was going to cry in his post match interview ffs

 

I thought Pierre was decent, by far our best passer of the ball. I felt our midfield spent the whole night too deep. He should have kept sims on and replaced Tadic for Davis.

 

with our current squad and management I think we are at our level. Such a shame considering the progress we've made over the past few seasons. Looks to me we've taken one risk too many in reagrds to changes in players and management. The board have been praised for doing a wonderful job the last few seasons, they deserve criticism now for not maintaining that by investing more in the squad. What a chance we had this season.

 

For all that we are still in the semi-final of the League Cup and are only 4 points away from our finishing position in the league last season. I just don't see where the upturn in our performances is going to come, especially now that Austin is out. Tadic coming back is the only positive, also the January transfer window is approaching. Who is the player everyone thinks we are going to sign that will be the answer to our problems?

 

We only had two real chances - Virgil's goal, and Yoshida's header.

On top of their goal, They also blazed over when in the box in the first half. Yoshida made a great block in the second.

So it's not like we bombarded them and they scored a breakaway goal. We may have dominated passing on halfway, but nothing else.

 

I always wonder how the fans who leave early are going to feel if we then score, well now I know it doesn't matter as they all kept heading for the exits anyway.

 

The problem for Saints is that there is no real match-winner in the team. Virgil is easily the best player we have in this squad but I think that the only other players this season who seem reliable are Fonte, Romeu ( for the most part), Davis and Tadic. I applaud Puel for introducing some younger players but, conversely, I think he had mad some poor decisions with selection as well. The Europa League selections have been too cautious when we should have been selecting stronger line ups for this competition that the league. The midfield has not contributed enough goals for a number of seasons and I think the current line up look even less likely to add to the tally. Redmond looks like a poor acquisition and the injury list to the forward line means that failure to sign someone in January will mean a struggle in the second half of the season. On the radio last night some fans were saying we are in a relegation battle which is a bit dramatic but if we lose on Sunday I think it will set the tone for the balance.

The situation with Puel is concerning. I am not convinced by him albeit his knack of selecting youth players is bearing fruit. Some Lyon supporters I spoke to in the summer were not enthusiastic about him but never mentioned the style of football he produced which, I think, is a major concern. It is very dull and boring and prone to a lack of adventure. The performance against Liverpool summed up his approach to me. It was a very professional and well organised piece of management with there being a lot to admire regarding the organisation of the defend. However, the attacking play is dreadful. We rarely seem to threat up front and the ball seems to spend more time cross the pitch than going forward. The opposition goalkeeper's rarely look threatened and the build up is too slow and patient. We don't press enough. The pace of play is hesitant (witness Redmond last night) and too few crosses come in from the by-line , being taken from outside the line of the penalty box and easy to defend. On top of this, Forster looks a shadow of himself in goal and his kicking / distribution seems more of a high risk issue than one which promotes an attacking move. We have swapped a swash-buckling English style of play that had plenty of possession with a more pragmatic and patient style more akin to continental football and, frankly, very uninspiring to watch. Whilst much about Puel suggests ticks in all the right boxes for Saints, the performances on the pitch are indicative of an understrength side with too many journeymen players who should have been moved on and a deficit in entertainment value. For me, the style of play produced under Puel is a major concern and totally concur with the dissatisfaction of many fans. He doesn't seem to have been the right man for the job, after all.

 

Bang on!

 

Ok, the morning after and a little perspective. To all who are dubious about Puel, were you also concerned about Pochettino's lack of a plan B and ridiculous selection for that FA cup semi-final? Were you also annoyed that Koeman ignored the youth players and couldn't see where our next points were coming from during the Winter slump, --all those games without a win?
Or do you remember our team tearing Everton apart a couple of games ago with the same players who played last night? Yes, we need to strengthen and we could do with a 20 goal a season striker- like just about every other team in the league bar a very few. The club is still growing and we have a young squad, including a couple of Academy lads who stepped up this year. There are positives this season. Don't let your heads drop!

 

Well said Channon

 

You been mind=reading? Just came on here to say much the same thing.

 

Morning after view.

What a shame! I said last night that I was very disappointed, very disappointed. I am also a little bit embarrassed and ashamed. That's by some of our fans.i have no excuses or defending of the fact that as a whole, the team (manager and players) got it wrong last night, but it's time some fans took a look at themselves.

A bloke phoned in the radio last night and was rightly laughed at when he demanded Puel was sacked. The hosts told him they'd seen some of our games and that we'd been good in some and poor in others. They told him he was a disgrace to his club and they were right. I don't care if he was "just venting."

There was not a single Saints fans happy or not disappointed or even a little angry last. night but to abuse the manager and some players in the way they have is pathetic, immature and petulant. I am known by my friends and peers as an extremely passionate fan, but I know how to behave. To condone some of that abuse as "just venting" is to condone the violence of football hooligans as "just venting."

And now it's on the forum.

I have not read the whole thread here, I didn't need to. I did however read enough in about two pages. I think maybe it's time Tom takes a break from the forum or at least avoids it on match day. I'm appalled at his comments last night. I don't care if he or other people take this as condescending or think I'm talking down. I don't mind a healthy debate or even a little row, but I'm not happy coming on to what is generally a very well versed forum, to read the manager or the players of the team I support being abused and doing nothing about it.

I hope a mod dropped Tom a note last night. I remember receiving a note myself from a mod once, because Tom had privately complained that I had referred to all referees as Tossers whilst venting and he'd been offended. Well I think it's time he had a look at himself now.

I know I'll get the usual "Fats just defending the team" or "Fats wanting a spat, as per" stuff, but this is not. I can't defend last night as sadly we didn't turn up, but it's s football match. I am entitlled to air my thoughts that I've had enough of the petulant abuse. Sorry if some don't like this but I'm seeing a few people posting less around times like this as the vitriol is just not necessary.

 

We do have a 20 goal striker. Just no one else that can score. That's the problem.

 

I didn't abuse any one. Ok I called Puel a twat out of anger but I also said afterwards I respect him as a human just not as a manager. I didn't rip into any of the players either. I just said Redmond played like a sack of ****. I don't classify that as abusive.

 

I wonder if Charlie being injured might necessitate a lucky change in formation, a la Koeman last season.