Any fb in the world would struggle with fast wingers when they are receiving inadequate protection from midfield and the CBs. Target is not the quickest but he has shown when he is in position and one on one he is hard to get past. The fall backs are expected to push up, if we loose the ball and they break quickly there is no way he is getting back. We played last season with 2 defensive midfielders and generally when we played badly JWP or SD were covering.
Exactly. Poor Targett got little or no support from midfield. Sad isn't a DM in anyway shape or form. He does a decent job in CM transitioning from defence to attack but if we needed a DM RK should use Harry Reed but he does seem to play SD regardless
I think he clearly rates SD very highly (as did Poch) so tries to get him in the team wherever possible. Let's see if he's learnt next game. I'm confident he will have.
Also, having a young inexperienced full-back wouldn't have mattered as much if Yoshida could pass. Edit: Actually that is a bit harsh, but he does give the ball away too much for my liking. I would start Caulker at CB next time personally (if he is fit)
Targett was fine when he came in last year, he had a very different midfield infront of him. He will continue to be fine if we can rebalance the midfield and have the Nightmare Violence Connection of Romeu/Wanyama in front of him.
We shouldn't play four forwards as we lose the midfield. At Newcastle we were overrun in the first half with four forwards on the field (Pelle, Mane, Rodriguez, Tadic), and the same yesterday (Pelle, Mane, Long, Tadic). It is difficult for someone like Long, who is a either a striker or in the right or left of a front three, to drop into a midfield three, as he had to yesterday at times. Play Romeu, Victor and Davis in the midfield with three forwards up top. We should have more control then, because in the first two games it is like we have essentially been playing with only Victor in CM.
Also lets not forget, of last years "back 7"; GK, back 4 & 2x holding mids, we're missing 5 of them. 3x transferred & 2x injured. That's a hard position to move on from & so quickly. I'm sure we'll get it sorted but it might take a while.
Poor Koeman. His whole Schneiderlin free strategy rested on Clasie... and he got injured preseason. I don't think we can judge until he comes back!
Good point and better made than mine. I think I was clumsily linking the lack of defensive cover with the fact that this may be especially dangerous when playing against a forward of such quality. The number of changes point is the one that is stopping me from melting down. When we lose 3-0 at home with Ronald's first choice set up I'll start to worry.
Ronald came into a team last year that (if not exactly in chaos) was in transition. We had a great season and qualified for Europe. This season he has lost 3 valuable players and also has had an influx of new players which will result inevitably in a changed side (although we will try to retain the ethos of our style). The thing we have to remember is that this isn't Ronald's first managerial job...he has had a successful career at other clubs...so I am confident he will get the team to gel (but we must remember that it will not be exactly the side we had last season).
Although Ron says it is no excuse, his injury (preventing him from taking a full part in training) must be having some effect, especially with new players who may need the boost of working with such an admired man.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/13599756.Southampton_to_continue_defender_search/ Targett apparently was ill, how did they not pick this up with all of the diagnostic equipment that they use these days?
Sounded like they knew he was ill...Koeman said he played 90 mins whilst not 100%, but that couldn't be changed. There seems to be something in the camp...Long said he had man flu and they were advised not to put him in a plane with the others and Caulker had an infected sinus* * I can now admit that when Koeman announced it and pronounced it seenus....I thought Caulker had an infected penis.
