McCarthy or Gunn ?

Gunn all day long

 

Gunn, but I don't fear McCarthy playing.

 

Anyone still think Gunn should still be our number one?
His confidence looks shot and that makes out pathetic defence even more nervous

 

We are a pretty good club for destroying goal keepers confidence.

 

Keeper is always on a hiding to nothing. The defence and team needs to give the keeper a chance. Defending the goal includes using the keeper to do it, something Saints forget a lot that making teams shoot in positions they are unlikely to beat your keeper from is very important. Burnley are the masters of it.

 

I think the defence should be sorted out before I make any judgement. If the defence did their job the less mistakes the keeper is likely to make.

 

I sort of see that point, but Gunn has made some pretty bad decisions that he can't blame on the defense. You could make the opposite point that maybe the defense would do a better job if they had more confidence in the keeper. Or perhaps both the defense and Gunn would do a lot better if they weren't so often exposed and outnumbered on counter attacks by poor midfield play.

I don't think there's an easy solution, or even an easy solution-solving process here. The attack looks sharper and more organized this year (perhaps because the pressing is starting to work), though we still lacking the end product. Everything else looks like a mess. Ralph has to figure something out and he's got his work cut out for him. IMO, he can't wait for the defense to sort itself out because it could take awhile... or it may never happen. I think he has to take a hard look at Gunn's recent performance and strongly consider making a switch. If he decides to go with Gunn, I'll be okay with it but we're too deep in the season now to think that things will sort themselves out on their own or there's some simple, minor fix. He's been toying around with that backline all season to no avail.

 

I wouldn’t want to be our keeper for the last few seasons, that’s for sure

 

We should put in an offer for that big lad playing for Celtic - he looks decent and we've done well from them in the past...

 

Yeah I saw that guy play in their last Europa match. Looked good and kept a clean sheet. They also had a tricky left winger who scored...

 

He got lobbed against Livingstone!

 

Yeah, that was funny. Still, the Celtic fans seem pretty happy with him and Elyounoussi (who was supposedly the only player who acquitted himself well against Livingston) overall. So that's good.

 

I'm personally delighted that they are both moving on with their careers, they are undoubtedly benefitting from being out of the pressure cooker and media scrutiny of the PL and are now playing to their true potential.

 

Yep, happy for them. Good for us as well. There may not be a way back into the side for them, but we can still sell them for good money.

Kind of funny that on the Celtic board there's already some preliminary rumblings about trying to sign one or both permanently with them wondering what it would take and thinking they probably don't have the cash. Whereas over here we're thinking we'd be happy just to get like 8m for both and get them off the team.

 

I'm not sure playing for Southampton attracts much media scrutiny, maybe only from the local rag. I would imagine playing for Celtic would attract more pressure.

 

No idea what Celtic's team is like these days but have they got anyone who could maybe step into the PL like a Wanyama/VVD? Could do some cash+player deal if they want to keep Forster or Elyounoussi.

I assume it probably isn't the fee as much as the wages that would be the stumbling block anyway

 

Times have changed and the PL is a massive deal all over the World, the SPL is just restricted to Scotland. If you asked anyone in Asia for example who SFC and Celtic are I bet that most of would've heard of us much more. That's why we take their best players and they take our rejects.

And there is much more pressure playing against the likes of Man City etc than there is against the likes of Hearts with only the Old Firm Derby being a big match there.

 

My point is that if Forster is as fragile as what is being made out then playing for Celtic will not help his situation. Having said that I don't think it's a confidence thing with Forster i just don't think he's very good.

 

Gunn needs to be taken out of the firing line now, for his sake and the sake of the team.

 

Yeah time for Alex to have a run out now.