Match Day Thread Brighton v Saints Sunday 29th October 13:30pm - Goals galore thread.

It would be pretty grim if no one had any good thoughts after getting a result no matter how it came?

 

Just do the £ valuations! I get where you’re coming from but be realistic & our team is / should be much better.

 

Bertrand seems to be the same as last season. Guy seems to be moany all the time. I would have hoped sacking Puel would have shut them up. But something is up with a few of them.

 

If Bertie is really having such a negative influence in the dressing room, I say get rid and play Matty Targett and Sam McQueen.

 

The return from our last 18 games would suggest that we will be in a relegation battle this season.

 

The post Don predicted!

 

Good thing we have only played 10 games so far THIS season then.

 

First half -bingo.

Mate I certainly haven't lost faith in MP, it's still way too early and you know me well enough to know that I'm not knee jerk too. But there are certainly things to be concerned about which go beyond our transfer failures imo.

Umm okay I guess? Not sure what to make of that

Fair point

It is a nice ground though, very unique in style for a new build.

 

Any thoughts on Hoedt or Maya? Did we miss Lemina and did Romeu play better without him? Virgil seemed to be content enough to put in his usual performance. JWP must be getting frustrated that his delivery is being wasted because no one has the confidence to attack the ball. Mr Swarbrick put in a reasonable performance, but I thought the yellow for Hoedt was a bit harsh and was used for effect rather than a punishment?

 

Stat of the day: of the 17 teams that featured in both the 16/17 and 17/18 PL seasons, we're 16th in goals scored with 50 goals in 48 matches. Only Burnley (47 goals in 47 matches) has been less threatening.

 

I'll take your word for it mate.

Like I say I've never rated Forster, but from my view in the ground certainly didn't feel he was at fault at the time.

Interested to see it again - probably tomorrow now.

 

Don,I've read the echo from time to time and this site is much more evenly balanced.Sure there are some Ott posters but they seem to be the younger posters in the main I think(ooh ageist).there are also several posters who are attempting to rewrite history regarding Claude.(puts in gumshield and waits)
Overall I think today was a good point but Fraser needs to try and remember they have taken off that elastic holding his legs together (training only) and move his ****ing feet!

 

We gave them way too much space. But, yet again, I was expecting Fraser to keep that out, and yet again he didn't.

 

I can't blame the players. Yes, there is an element that they lack belief these days, that they can score on a regular basis. We are simply lightweight in attack. Apart from Gabbiadini we don't have strikers of sufficient quality. Austin is a poacher who doesn't play because he has little else to his game and Long simply doesn't have the technical ability or is big enough to dominate CBs. Plus, we don't play a game which utilises Long's pace, so there's no point in starting him either.

Which brings me to the board. In the last season that we allowed players to leave we let go of Wanyama, Mane and Pelle. Wanyama was an allowable leave, as Oriol stepped up magnificently. Both Mane and Pelle were a different story. We haven't replaced either and they were fundamental to the way we played. Mane scared the **** out of teams for all sorts of reasons, and I hope people now realise what Pelle brought to the team. He could dominate CBs, was a focal point, was technically very good, plus he could strike the ball with either foot excellently. These guys simply haven't been replaced adequately, if at all. Gabby would be an addition to those two, not a replacement. Tadic has gone from a player who would look up, saw some excellent hair grooming, and aimed for it, to someone who often looks confused as to what to do. But what option does he have now.? And Redmond would like to do the same. But there is nobody to hit. And yes, there were games during the Pelle/Mane era where neither played yet Saints played well and won. That was because the players were buoyant with belief, plus they played to Long's strengths. That no longer happens.

Saints either have to change their style and play through teams instead of trying to get into positions to cross or we need another Pelle. We could possibly get away with not having a Mane because there are one or two current players who could possibly step up there. But we need a talisman striker or two or we need to change. I'm afraid it's the board's fault that we haven't been proactive and we are losing, possibly have lost, that upward momentum of 9 months to a year ago. They may well have been trying, and just haven't succeeded, but they need to because their deeds need to match their words. Regular in Europe and winning silverware? Then we have to do better.

 

As I said it is all about expectations, I would have loved to be on the top four and saw that as a possibility, but we are where I expected to be the constant change of managers and the loss of our real game changer who we have not replaced

 

I'd agree that the board is primarily to blame, but not the fact that Tadic and Redmond have no one to pass to. The number of times that Gabbiadini gets a run on a defender, only for the man on the ball to look elsewhere, is truly staggering.

 

I wouldn’t exactly say it was a Forster mistake, more one he should have done better in. He doesn’t make tons of howlers but we’re increasingly using the phrase “should have done better “.

 

He was very slow in anticipating where the defender would head the ball ( very few options) and so was struggling. Should have saved it

 

I heard that commentary too. He said he would be back sooner rather than later. Can't remember him specifically saying November, but certainly not out for the season as reported at the beginning of this season.

 

Looks like I'm going to owe you some money at the end of the season then, if you remember our bet?