Fair point CBK. I think this team will entertain you. I don't know if you have seen us away, but from the two home games (I know you are a ST holder) we have played two of the worst spoilers in the league in terms of entertainment value. I really don't think that being entertained will be an issue overall, unless you mean 4-3 and 3-2 games, in which case you may be disappointed.
I think I'm simply reflecting the view of our esteemed chairman. Do you think Cortese visualises his "Southampton Way" as a team that grinds out wins/draws?
To be fair, I think West Ham did the grinding. There is a subtle difference and I'm sure you can see that CBK. We've reached the next level teams now feel the need to grind out a result against us. Next level from this is to work out how to beat these teams with free flowing football and not a couple of set-pieces.... just like United against Palace.
Doubt that, perhaps they would only turn out for the last game of the season, but for most games we'd be back to the hardcore of around 20-22,000. Atmosphere will probably improve as well.
I have to agree. 28,000 or whatever it was for the second home game of the season is pretty poor, IMO
It will stay that way until they lower ticket prices, £37-£42 for a single ticket is a joke. Regardless of what other clubs are charging.
I do feel we have reached the level where people try to work out how to beat us and then be happy with a point. We are no longer a team that people put down on their prediction list as a cert win...this is progress. As you say, we have to learn to get at least a few wins against such teams. I felt that West Ham were a decent side and defended well, but we still looked a level above them (in my opinion).
I think if Arsenal or Chelsea shut up shop against us at St Mary's... then you can call it a compliment and progress. It's just practical football from Sunderland & West Ham, and I expect its how they will play all their away games this season.
The difference of opinion comes from your "However, I didn't see anything in our performance today to get excited about whatsoever" and my "The game was packed with incident". My comment's about the game, which the OP suggested was dull. Your comment's about our performance. So there's likely to be a difference. There seems to be some schizophrenia on this site (not you personally). Loads of people saying that when we were playing high press, winning against footballing sides and losing to lower-ranked sides that Poch appeared to have no plan B. Well, perhaps yesterday was plan B and now everyone's complaining that we aren't playing high press against teams like WHU. I know it's boring when I repeat myself but the exact same fixtures last year gave us 2 points. This year we've had 5. I don't see any major problem with the team. We created 4 good shots on goal, hit the post and had a cast-iron handball penalty shout turned down. Despite that and a run of similar penalty-decision luck in our other games, we're well ahead against these games last season. I don't think it's time to panic just yet. Vin
We look stronger at the back, but that's the only real positive I can take from the WHU game. I was never very enthusiastic about the Wanyama signing, but it actually makes me cross that Cork has lost his place so we can accommodate this very slow awkward footballer who really has a pretty poor passing ability. I realise that WH has been his worse performance, but really £12M to oust JC, disgraceful. He is not growing on me at all.
The man next to me said "How can someone from Kenya play football?". Bit harsh, but to be fair he was a bit crap yesterday. Any chance of a 4-3-3 with Cork, Schneiderlin and Wanyama?
I rate Jack Cork very highly and I'm hoping he's going to be (at the very worst) rotated into the team but there is one area where VW had him cold against WHU. He actually punched in a long shot on target yesterday. Given the cash I've urinated away betting on Jack Cork to score, it would have been cruel indeed to see it go in... Vin
