Y'know, those things that win games. Anyone remember them? Quite clearly one of our biggest issues at present our the lack of goals. We're quite simply far too reliant on the King and now he's out of form we're not winning matches. So do we think it's purely a personnel issue or is it tactics? Outside of Danny we've got nobody capable of hitting double figures. Che averages about one every 6 matches. Prowsey's best season is 7 (on 4 this year). Armstrong feels like he should be our biggest goal scoring midfielder; 5 last year and 3 so far this. Walcott has never been a natural finisher. Redders & Djenepo ummmmm... Too early to say for Minamino. So it's quite clear that outside of Danny we don't have anywhere near enough goals in the team. Big question is how does Ralph sort it?
Che is low on confidence, I don’t think Danny is firing on all cylinders after his covid infection. I still think the club should get Beattie in (he’s out of work as well) to help coach the strikers.......nothing to lose.
I thought Che had a great first half on Tuesday. All through I kept saying to my lad how strong he was, how well he held it up. I just wish he could get one that is given. He had had two/three (?) ruled out recently. i think we need to not press quite so high, but press deeper and spring forward quickly. In the run of good results we got year before last, we had something like 35% possession. Despite how good it looks pressing, maybe we need to shake it up until we get everyone or most back. I also think we need to encourage players to be more direct, more often. Tella, Theo, Stuey, Redders, KWP, Diallo... even Oriel look like they scare players when they drive forward 5-10m when they first get it.
I think it's a lot to do with nobody getting into the box and just having a go. Or just getting near the box and having a go. That, and the fact that players are scared to push up because we'll concede 5 at the other end if they do. Personally, I think we need another striker which we can't just magic up, and we'll need 2 when Dings ****s off in the summer
One of either Prowsey or whoever partners him, needs to push forward a bit more and be on the edge of the opponents 18 yard area, because so many times we have Che and Ingsy attacking the 6 yard box and nobody following in behind for the deflected cross or cut back. So often that space is just empty of our players meaning that defenders can also get away with weak clearances as there is no one there to get a shot off or retain possession. Something that one of the two No 10s need to be doing as well. If we are attacking down the right then whichever one is playing on the left also needs to be getting in closer to the goal rather than hanging around on the extreme edge of the box in case the cross is over hit. We need an attacking coach, IMO, if we don’t already have one.
Just stick Vesty up front. He stands just over 6' 3, vesty, vesty Southamptons goal machine. It astounds me we are not scoring more goals given how good we look going forward. Just that final ball, that bit of luck, the close call, the decision going our way. I think we will thump someone before the season is over.
I'm with Badger and FLT in the main. We have been a very potent force in attack but we have never been that with Redmond up front. He's always had his best games on the left with Bertrand but I think Tella/Minamino would be more direct out there. I really think we need to see Adams & Ings up front and Tella wide left, Armstrong wide right. Tella is my big hope, thought he looked really good against Leeds in the 1st half, more game time and he could become a threat. JWP needs to get some more fire in the belly and ice in the head. Currently he is anchoring the cover in front of the CBs well but creating very little and Romeu has taken the driving seat to become the game influencer we need. If JWP could find that same drive and a willingness to hit a moving ball half as well as a dead ball we would be able to shift game dynamics more. The goals will come when we find our quickness again. We had a spell of being really quick thinking, reading each other well but there's been so much disruption to the side that its gone. Now we are one touch or one pass behind where we need to be. Time and confidence. Neither of which looks like we are going to have in abundance for a while.
