Must admit, I feel totally the same & although I'll be fine by matchday, I agree with Tom we'll likely be looking at a 0-0 or 1 goal "thriller" [aka Everton, what a paper over] as predicted by me & others at season start. Feel so down. I haven't posted about last night - can't sorry
I'm looking forward to it. Good opportunity to put in a performance and be nice to see Dusan back. Sofiane and Shane are available, so who knows, we could have the Dusan/Sofiane combo we've been excited to see.
Thought the Bertrand / Boufal axis worked well at Arsenal. Surely we've gotta drop / rest / send on an anger management course, passing course, going forward course ..... Redmond ? And if Ryan needs rest, then let's go with Sam.
This match will be a real test for Saints and perhaps indicative of how we have progressed under Puel since he departure of Koeman. Last season I would not have been concerned about this fixture and players like Mane and Pelle would have ripped 'Boro apart. The potential line up mooted near the beginning of the thread doesn't inspire confidence and I think it will end up being a low-scoring or goalless draw. What I think hasn't been said is how the projected line up might have performed under Koeman as opposed to Puel's more considered and measured approach. For me, I think that you are going to really need to take the game to 'boro and I would be concerned that the cautious style of play epitomised by Puel will make this an extremely dour match to watch. Some of the comments made on the Europa League thread were a bit too negative albeit not as over-the top as some remarks that were read out after the game on Radio Solent. For me, Middlesborough are a team we should be looking to humiliate and who we would probably have destroyed under both Poch and Koeman. The style of play will, I believe, be as important as the result on Sunday. I consider myself as a Francophile and am frankly ashamed that some dim-witted supporters have harangued Puel for his nationality. I don't think this has anything to do any perceived ability / inability and it is probably fair to say that foreign coaches are held in more esteem that their English counterparts generally around the global football community. I hope that has sunk in this week that Saints fans strongly believe that honest, attacking football is what we want to watch and not some technical wizardry which looks terrific on Opta yet is an unedifying spectacle to watch. There have been moments when we have played quite well but the honeymoon period must surely be over and I think that Puel has an obligation to ensure that the players who go out on the park on Sunday entertain. Middlesborough will look to this fixture to ascertain how they have improved since being promoted from the Championship and it cannot be allowed to become a marker as to how we have slipped from a team who have been unawed and undaunted by better opposition to one that adopts a cautious approach to a newly promoted team who must be put to the sword on Sunday.
Fear not beloved! This match is the start of the Tadic / Boufal combo that will rip apart every defence from now til May, sweeping aside all as we win 2 cups and finish 5th in the league! ( had I been being ridiculous I would have said 4th in the league) COME ON YOU SAINTS!!!!! 4-0 !!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope not as I'm going to this one. 4-1 saints, long 2, tadic and Davis to score. Gaston to grab a goal for them.
After last night I too cannot muster up a great deal of enthusiasm for this match. Hopefully we'll hammer them as there are goals throughout any potential line up. Nathan Redmond 3, Jay Rodriguez 2, Virgil van Dijk 2, Ryan Bertrand 1, Sofiane Boufal 1, Jordy Clasie 1, Dusan Tadic 1, James Ward-Prowse 1, Shane Long 0
I was up for last night`s match more than any match since Coventry in 2011. Gutted. Anyway, today is the first day of the rest of our lives. For no particular reason, I`m going for a 1-0 Saints win.
https://southamptonfc.com/news/2016...pton-middlesbrough-training-staplewood-campus Lots of pictures of Boufal. Maybe that's a hint he's going to start.
for all those who cannot muster up any enthusiasm for this match **** the **** OFF!!!! COME ON YOU SAINTS!!!!!!!
