Match Day Thread Everton v Southampton 02/01/17 3pm

Don't forget that we will dominate the game and miss chance after chance after chance. Swansea goal will be from a deflected free kick.

 

I see that point of view, but I don't really want them playing 90 minutes in a blood and thunder cup tie 3 days before our biggest game for Christ knows how long. Oriol certainly needs a rest.

Particuarly as I imagine there will barely be a senior player playing for Liverpool against Plymouth.

 

Quite frankly, the "support" at SMS recently has been pathetic.

 

Not that bookies mean a whole lot, but Puel has plummeted and is now 16/1 with Paddypower for the next managerial sacking, behind only Hughes. Bilic and Moyes.

 

Ok cool,just wondering as normally find a perfectly reasonable excuse

 

It has been for a while really.

 

No I knew what you meant...l should of said we shouldnt put all the blame at Puel's door.
But I don't think January is a great time to bring in adequate replacements. But saying that I do hope we are able to bring in at least one quality player.

 

I agree, support has been poor. But the team hasn't given us much to sing about.

 

It's an interesting one (to the extend that this could be our most intriguing January transfer window since 2005). I sort of have two (not necessarily mutually exclusive) takes.

If the board continue to sign players fairly independently of the manager (which I agree with by the way - it means you avoiding ending up like Man Utd right now, or anyone who Harry has left), then in theory they should be signing players this month regardless of their views on Puel and his future. And we need players, Puel or no Puel.

I also don't think that getting rid of Puel anytime soon is likely (I suspect we'd have to have not win any of these five upcoming games for that to happen, by which time the window is closed). So I'm inclined to rule out your second option. But I certainly would not rule out your third option. If they decide to accept this season as a low-mid table write-off, then they probably wouldn't spend the no doubt over inflated January prices. More business sense to wait until the summer. But by doing that, it surely would greatly increase the likelihood of Puel leaving in the summer too.

 

Southampton boss Claude Puel, speaking to BBC Sport: "It is unfair. It was a balanced game but the first goal was difficult to accept. Players were tired. They played two days ago and it was difficult to finish this game but the spirit and the attitude of the team was good.

"I am sorry for the players because they did good work and it is a shame to concede three goals in this game. For the moment we are unlucky."

Phew we're just unlucky then.....that'll change and we'll soon be charging up the table.

 

And I think that's because we have very little belief we can score.

 

I was about to post this. The style of football is flat and this impacts on the atmosphere. At one point today (or was ot ten points?) we robbed the ball in their half, had two good runners and chose to stop, think, pass backwards, regroup. Whaaaaaat is the point?

 

Nucleus without two very good players and now three without Austin. We had a better manager too.

 

Jeez I've never heard him say things like that before on my drive home. Sorry but change the f***ing record Mr Puel, it's not really what the fans want to hear.

 

I know we've been dealt a bad hand with the tv schedule but can he really blame tiredness having made 12 changes in the last two games?

 

Indeed, which sort of goes with what I've just said to LTL. Unless the board really, really want us to go all out for another top seven finish (and the probability of EL football that goes with it), then I wouldn't be at all surprised if we didn't invest too much this month. Wait until the summer. But by taking such a decision, it probably finishes Puel.

 

While I'm generally no fan of spending big in January, especially on a team that is going nowhere, it might be an idea to fill at least one of our needs now. Otherwise, we're looking at a summer where we try to fix several different problem areas, which comes with a very high degree of difficulty, and we'd also be doing it with very little idea of what the balance is between Puel and the players concerning the fault for our attacking woes. Now, we've done a major on-the-fly overhaul once before with considerable success, but that also involved us taking in more than 100m in transfer fees.

 

Players are more tired of listening to you, Puel, than they are from running around.

Can anyone honestly picture him rousing the team before a game or at half time? He is surprisingly animated on the touchline, but it never seems to have any impact, much like his subs.

 

This post sums up my opinion.

I don't think there are many supporters who are now that optimistic about Puel. I didn't expect to pick up any points today and therefore am not too critical. I didn't catch much of the commentary as I was watching the match at Totton. I don't think Puel will get the bullet unless we totally blow the two cup ties in the next week and the league matches culminate in some underwhelming results against lowly opposition. It is difficult to see Puel being retained in May and there seems to be a consensus that he is totally out of his depth - a bit like Jan Portliveet, One name being mentioned as a possible replacement by two football coaches sitting in the stand at today's match was Chris Wilder - not a name I am familiar with but singled out as an English coach with a very bright future.