2015 Hangover

[saintlyhero]

We have options and combinations yet to be tried.
Today's performance if unspectacular showed that we're still difficult to beat at our worst and that solid base will get us results.

 

[fatletiss]

I think once JRod finds his feet again we will have very much improved that attack. Like all of it though, it'll take time.

Jayrod's movement in the last 15 minutes or whatever he had today, out Pelle to shame. Just by dimpling making a forward, angled run into the right channel, it meant the full back and CB had to drop off from doubling up on Cedric and surprise surprise, he got some good crosses in and had two shots.

 

[fatletiss]

There are a lot of variables in play at the moment:
1. JRod is getting himself back to full match fitness;
2. Bertrand (lets not forget he was voted the best LB in the EPL last season) is still injured;
3. Clasie was seen as the CM lynchpin is injured (again);
4. New squad players bedding in and the originals finding confidence with their new team mates takes time;

OddRiverOakWizards asks what does Ron need to do improve us moving forward - Ron needs time to work out the best formation to suit the current squad and get some of the key players back from injury - i.e. a solid base to build from. I would suggest that he was in a better position last year as he had a very solid back-four with Victor and Morgan in front of them - that was the building blocks for last season.

So this will take a little time for it all to come together - no need to panic yet. Expectations for the season - I think most of us seem to agree that our expectations of final league position are that we will finish lower than last season - I don't think that most of us have too higher expectations.

I agree with most of this Romsey, great post. I think tkuve underestimated the level of fan expectation though. Too many saints fans expect the world each and every game.

 

[fatletiss]

We had Bertrand last year, and the offense still wasn't that great.

So far, we are basically using the same players as last year. And out of those, I'd say that Pelle, Tadic, Long, and Davis are known quantities who are not likely to improve much. Jay Rodriguez could provide a boost, but it's quite possible he has lost a step and will not be as good. And when we did have Rodriguez, we still had trouble scoring.

Juanmi is a wildcard, but we haven't used him as yet so I don't know what to expect. He could be fantastic, he could flame out.

That leaves JWP and Mane. Mane certainly has some upside, but it's worth noting that during the stretch of games last year when he was really hot, we still weren't scoring. I expect both him and JWP to improve, though I think JWP's improvement will be gradual and he really needs to work on his defense more than his offense.

So there are some reasons to be optimistic, but at the same time I don't see why we should expect the attack to suddenly be good just because we have some injured defenders/defensive/midfield reinforcements coming in. If VVD is as good as Alderweireld and Clasie is as good as Schneiderlin, that would be awesome. But we still would have trouble scoring just like we did last year with Alderweireld and MS.

That's not a moan, or panic. It's just my honest assessment of the team. The offense is not terrible; it's just kind of mediocre. And I don't see any reason to expect things will suddenly turn around when it's the same coach and largely the same players as last year.

Fair comments there, although if add Tadic to the improvement list. We saw how creative he can be (remember Mr Assist?), and if he can find his feet then that could be a menace again too.

 

[Che’s Godlike Thighs]

Not doing very well in the league this season could be a good thing. Our priorities will change to the three cup competitions we have a very realistic chance of winning, instead of aiming for the very unrealistic 4th spot.

I'm like a horny schoolboy staring up at the bosom of his voluptuous new music teacher...

...I want a cup.

 

[Kingsland block 37]

I agree with most of this Romsey, great post. I think tkuve underestimated the level of fan expectation though. Too many saints fans expect the world each and every game.

Unfortunately it's those fans that get vocal after a couple of minutes, maybe there should be a announcement about getting behind the team come what may, we've had enough experience of that.

Did I say I miss the Dennis Rofe half time at the Dell?!!

 

[fran-MLs little camera]

I think there were strange results last season which helped us....but there have been a few this season as well. Our big loss last season was Forster....can't prove it, but I bet he would have earnt us another few crucial points. It's not just his direct effect, but what it does to a defence to have full trust in a keeper....enabling them to play their own game. And Spider was out for a while as well. We missed an opportunity for last season to be amazing...but can you imagine how hard it would have been to live up to a 4/5th position.

 

[Beddy]

All teams go through a dry spell for not scoring goals. The one thing this club has to accept is that we cannot keep letting our best players go. If they are under contract then that is it they should stay. I hear the arguments about them taking the money while it is on offer etc. For me though sometimes you have to bite the bullet and say enough is enough as perhaps they have said about a couple of players lately. With our gates we should be able to compete with the likes of Spurs, Everton, Aston Villa et al, on the wages front. Just of late though we don't seem to be competing with the Swansea's, or the Watford's or even Bournemouth on that particular front. (No disrespect meant to any of the clubs mentioned) They are all meant to be smaller clubs than we are.
We just cannot go on selling the core of our team year in year out and expect we can bring in equally good (if not better) players to replace them. Most of us have been saying since our return to the top flight that the depth of the squad has been a bit thin. However by selling our best players every year, we are making ourselves less attractive to the better players anyway. Or getting a reputation as a stepping stone.
Something does have to change that is for sure, before we really start to struggle as we appear to be at the moment. Mind you bringing in the €30mill plus players will not necessarily work either if you don't have the right players to play with them.
Injuries aside Saints need to perhaps rethink their strategies on recruitment and contract lengths perhaps and find a way of stopping the better players leaving until they have at least fulfilled their contract. Easy to say perhaps but is it easy to do? Who knows...........

 

[tomw24]

Not doing very well in the league this season could be a good thing. Our priorities will change to the three cup competitions we have a very realistic chance of winning, instead of aiming for the very unrealistic 4th spot.

I'm like a horny schoolboy staring up at the bosom of his voluptuous new music teacher...

...I want a cup.

I want a cup as well but we're not going to get one unless we drastically improve.

 

[RLSGM]

They need to do something to avoid the dreary hoof ball exhibited yesterday, relentlessly dull, all game. Hope the new lot step it up quick and get some points, as our start to the season was considered a relatively good one before a ball was kicked, and we play a very energetic Norwich next in the Prem, who look a lot like Saints under Adkins when we came up first!

 

[Le Tissier's Laces]

They need to do something to avoid the dreary hoof ball exhibited yesterday, relentlessly dull, all game. Hope the new lot step it up quick and get some points, as our start to the season was considered a relatively good one before a ball was kicked, and we play a very energetic Norwich next in the Prem, who look a lot like Saints under Adkins when we came up first!

Naive and beatable then!?

 

[RLSGM]

Naive and beatable then!?

Yes. haha definitely that too. But also energetic and play as a unit! I think they're a bit of a wild card to do well this season, I like their manager a lot!

 

[Libby]

All teams go through a dry spell for not scoring goals. The one thing this club has to accept is that we cannot keep letting our best players go. If they are under contract then that is it they should stay. I hear the arguments about them taking the money while it is on offer etc. For me though sometimes you have to bite the bullet and say enough is enough as perhaps they have said about a couple of players lately. With our gates we should be able to compete with the likes of Spurs, Everton, Aston Villa et al, on the wages front. Just of late though we don't seem to be competing with the Swansea's, or the Watford's or even Bournemouth on that particular front. (No disrespect meant to any of the clubs mentioned) They are all meant to be smaller clubs than we are.
We just cannot go on selling the core of our team year in year out and expect we can bring in equally good (if not better) players to replace them. Most of us have been saying since our return to the top flight that the depth of the squad has been a bit thin. However by selling our best players every year, we are making ourselves less attractive to the better players anyway. Or getting a reputation as a stepping stone.
Something does have to change that is for sure, before we really start to struggle as we appear to be at the moment. Mind you bringing in the €30mill plus players will not necessarily work either if you don't have the right players to play with them.
Injuries aside Saints need to perhaps rethink their strategies on recruitment and contract lengths perhaps and find a way of stopping the better players leaving until they have at least fulfilled their contract. Easy to say perhaps but is it easy to do? Who knows...........

Really wish people would stop saying this... it's part of the reason expectations get to an unrealistic high level. There's no way we can match any of those clubs in terms of wages (you could add West Ham and Sunderland as well). People keep thinking we're on that par financially cos of 2 decent seasons, when in reality we're still quite far behind in terms of revenue from these clubs.

 

[Libby]

Not doing very well in the league this season could be a good thing. Our priorities will change to the three cup competitions we have a very realistic chance of winning, instead of aiming for the very unrealistic 4th spot.

I'm like a horny schoolboy staring up at the bosom of his voluptuous new music teacher...

...I want a cup.

This this and this again!! Some people will know I've been banging this drum for a long long time. We will not finish in the top 4, there's more chance of England winning the Euros/WC than us doing that, the cups are our only chance of real glory. I'd even take the League Cup over a 4th-6th placed finish.

 

[Beddy]

Really wish people would stop saying this... it's part of the reason expectations get to an unrealistic high level. There's no way we can match any of those clubs in terms of wages (you could add West Ham and Sunderland as well). People keep thinking we're on that par financially cos of 2 decent seasons, when in reality we're still quite far behind in terms of revenue from these clubs.

These clubs are not having such greater fan numbers turn up for home games than we are although will accept that some have more of a following perhaps. Their over all incomes are only slightly larger. If you add in the Sales of personnel we should be able to compete in my view. However even clubs with less turnover are paying higher wages than we seem to be prepared to pay. If we are to compete properly we have to find away to match these clubs or forever stay a small insignificant club. Just my view for what it is worth........

 

[Libby]

These clubs are not having such greater fan numbers turn up for home games than we are although will accept that some have more of a following perhaps. Their over all incomes are only slightly larger. If you add in the Sales of personnel we should be able to compete in my view. However even clubs with less turnover are paying higher wages than we seem to be prepared to pay. If we are to compete properly we have to find away to match these clubs or forever stay a small insignificant club. Just my view for what it is worth........

I agree with a lot of that, bar the 'small insignificant club.' Southampton FC will never be insignificant in my eyes.

 

[Beddy]

I agree with a lot of that, bar the 'small insignificant club.' Southampton FC will never be insignificant in my eyes.

Insignificant is probably the wrong word I guess I used it as I am a bit frustrated that the so called bigger clubs seem to be able to bully us as do some of the "similar size clubs" into getting our better players!!

 

[PompeyLapras]

Not doing very well in the league this season could be a good thing. Our priorities will change to the three cup competitions we have a very realistic chance of winning, instead of aiming for the very unrealistic 4th spot.

I'm like a horny schoolboy staring up at the bosom of his voluptuous new music teacher...

...I want a cup.

You do realise only two teams out of the top four plus Liverpool have won the FA Cup in like 20 years? And we only won it because that was a particularly crazy cup, that year and there were crazy results like Liverpool losing to Barnsley. Man City were nowhere near the level they are now as well so that's another team top side us also-rans have to overcome. Possible? Yes. Realistic? Get to the quarter final and see who's left, then answer.

 

[Che’s Godlike Thighs]

I want a cup as well but we're not going to get one unless we drastically improve.

Well, we will improve, and we have ages until all those cup finals anyway so just chill.

Seriously, one win guys, and we all forget this ever bloody happened.

 

[Che’s Godlike Thighs]

You do realise only two teams out of the top four plus Liverpool have won the FA Cup in like 20 years? And we only won it because that was a particularly crazy cup, that year and there were crazy results like Liverpool losing to Barnsley. Man City were nowhere near the level they are now as well so that's another team top side us also-rans have to overcome. Possible? Yes. Realistic? Get to the quarter final and see who's left, then answer.

And the other two cup competitions? Anyway, I think you'll find the reason smaller clubs don't do better, is because most of them (including ourselves), seem to think the cups aren't important anymore. We went out of the league cup to a League One side for ****'s sake. And you just watch how many mid-table Prem teams go out to lower level opposition this season. It's a joke. The likes of us, Newcastle, West Ham, Swansea, Stoke, etc should be all about the cups. But we give up on them too easily, so no wonder the big clubs are sweeping them up every year now.