Match Day Thread Saints v Watford (FA CUP) Sat 27/1/2018 3pm

He set the ball up for Tadic to beat the full back and cross for Austin's 2nd against Everton, used a bit of skill to do it IIRC.

 

Got to the byline and crossed for a goal in another match after coming on, can't remember which though!

 

If your mates were really watching him, they would notice how often he wins the ball back. His work rate for a flair player is excellent.

He is our most threatening player but it comes back to the same thing every discussion; he has to be played and played regularly, not thrown on for 30 minutes, not played for 2 and left out for 2.

If people can’t see what he offers, people can’t see it.

 

He hasn’t been given those games. I’ll stand corrected if he has started 6 games in a row.

 

Fair enough, I thought he had a run of starts, like I've said before i like him as player but am just starting to doubt what i first thought of him. The biggest argument to you saying if people can't see what he offers then they can't see it is that our coaching staff obviously don't see it either and they see him every day.

 

Also surely the position we are in then MP would have nothing to lose by starting Boufal in every game, if as we all believe he does work hard he does win the ball back and he does create chances then he sounds like the perfect player for a relegation scrap.

 

I like boufal. He does work hard and is one of those players who has the balls to take players on. If only we had the coaching to get boufal and gabbiadini working together.

 

Doubled yp

 

I would agree about the coaching point, however based on what has happened this year, that may strengthen my point

It may also be that the coach isn’t as brave as me

 

Forster

Cedric Stephens Hoedt Vokins

Davis JWP Hoijberg

Boufal Carrillo Gabbiadini

Think it would be useful to give Guido 60 minutes and get used to his team mates, but we need Gabbiadini to have playing time and if he is going to be part of the team long term, then it’s going to be as a wide forward.
As discussed already, Boufal has to start too.

Lemina still seems a little brittle, so would save him for the league games.
Plenty of other combinations for the back four and midfield

 

And ideally we need to position him further forward when we're under a bit of pressure, because he's a better release valve than any big lumpy striker will ever be. As nice as it is that he fights for the ball, I'd rather he be launching counterattacks alongside our striker in order to allow us to get out of our own box. Beyond the West Brom goal, that's the dimension we haven't seen out of him, and I suspect it's the one that could be the most valuable.

(Should clarify that it's not a shot at any particular big lumpy strikers. Rather, a recognition of how insanely difficult it is for them to take down a ball when they don't have a teammate within 25-30 yards, hold it up against multiple defenders, and then find a ball to launch a counter.)

 

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2018...aining-session-southampton-pre-watford-fa-cup

Training pics. Bertrand and McQueen both there.

 

well spotted! and I think I saw Ken Dodd too!

 

He was and he wasn't. He still looked our biggest threat in the majority of them for me.

I'd have him as one of the first names as it's not like we've got loads of players in form there.

 

I thought he did for a while and then bizarrely got dropped again? Might be wrong.

 

Against Fulham in the FA Cup and Man United draw at Old Trafford Boufal was excellent. Our best attacking player, taking on players, and getting to the byline or running into the box at defenders. We all know he needs to add goals to his game but overall he has been excellent this season imo.

 

The most he has started in a row is 4 games.

 

Really, I thought it was more than that.

Brighton through to Bournemouth?

 

And Spuds, Palace, United, Fulham.

 

Cheers, genuinely thought it had been more than that, as you well know I'm another who has been calling for it strongly.


I'd be starting him every league game from here on in.