Now I may be reading too much into this, but having read pochettinos comments after the palace game (talking about 'understudies' and so on with the strikers) I wondered if this was the first stage of softening up the fans towards leaving lambert out of the starting XI. Pochettino will know this would be a high risk move with the fans, but the lambert osvaldo combination doesn't look like a long term option to me. For all our good start, we aren't scoring many, and we lack a bit of pace and movement to open teams up. Pochettinos comments about lambert being more mobile also alluded to this. I suspect Pochettino was hoping to field someone like banega behind osvaldo, rather than lambert, had that transfer come off. I hope I'm reading too much into this. Saints without lambert wouldn't be the same somehow, but what do others think?
Not a high risk move with me. Poch does whatever he needs to do. But I also read into Poch's comments. Nobody is guaranteed a place.
I was hoping that his goal would give him some confidence to find form. I've previously said that I'd be up for Ramirez starting behind Osvaldo, but after winning two games in a row I don't think the team should be muddled up, as well as the fact that Ramirez hasn't had a great start to the season (apart from the Sunderland game). The only change that, IMO, should happen is that JWP should be starting games.
Two questions....if he was worried about Rickie's lack of mobility and pace, why didn't he start with JayRod on Saturday? and why did he let Mayuka go on a season's loan to Sochaux?. As far as I can recall, Rickie has started every game since Poch arrived and that includes a summer transfer window, of course nobody is guaranteed a starting place but from the evidence, I can't see any credence in the OP's supposition so far. I'm just enjoying our best Premier League start for a decade. COYS!
Reading too much into it. Mauricio was suggesting there may be different formations for different opposition...no one is guaranteed a place (not quite true...pretty sure a few players are). We are not buried under strikers (pause while I think about that image ), so think Rickie is safe.
I read into it that he was preparing us for the fact that Poch is going to marry Rickie, get him pregnant and then dump him. Although on reflection, I may have been reading too much between the lines.
Weird time to post this after they've both just scored. It's a partnership that gets better with every game. I don't understand why people who have been watching football for years still don't understand that there is always a period of adapting when new players and systems are introduced.
Points taken, and I hope you are right. Certainly wasn't 'wummery' (whatever the hell that is!). Personally I'd rather see lambert back up front rather than playing off osvaldo.
Eugh, "wummery" is a phrase derived from the old 606. "WUM" means Wind Up Merchant, so you're basically being accused of trolling. It gets to the point where anyone with an unpopular opinion is accused of this. I wish the phrase would die.
From an outsiders point of view, I thought Lambert would be **** in the Premiership. When I heard he was going to play for England, I thought how low can the England national team go? Fair play to the lad, he has proved me wrong on both counts. A proper centre-forward who should start in every Southampton X1
Eh, drop Lambert, I ****ing hope not as that means I have to use ANOTHER transfer in my fantasy football team.
OK, I'll give you a choice - and don't lie!!! Saints to beat the Swans 1-0, or Swans to win 1-0 but your fantasy team to zoom to the top of the table? No lying!!!
Don't think that there's any expectation that Lambert will be dropped permanently, but there might be games where we'll have him coming off the bench, for tactical reasons and more importantly to keep him fresh. December is going to be murderous for a good many players league-wide, and teams will likely have to start rotating their squads in November to ensure that they make it through the 8-10 matches most face between December 1st and New Year's Day.
