Match Day Thread Saints v West Ham - K.O. 3pm Saturday 19th August

Just read through. Nice little story. Hugo Sheckter will pass on the thanks to Sofianne and Forbsey the kit man has reaffirmed that Sofianne is a really nice guy. Nice to hear! I hope he breaks through this season.

 

One thing we can all agree on though, is that the excitement is back at st Mary's! That certainly wasn't dull.

Players were actually shooting from distance and passing forwards as well

Lemina looks like he can carry the ball between the lines and beat players more easily than our other midfielders as well, which we have been sorely missing.

 

But he was there, doing his job.

Not sure our defence were really doing theirs.

 

Noble had no idea is my guess. He was just trying to unsettle Austin. Obviously backfired but it might have worked. He did get him to do something different after all.

 

That's the theme song of the last season, right? And nothing seemed to have changed it that regard (and it won't in all probability.) But that's the part of what I'm saying. Cedric is a good player, Davis is a good player, Tadić is a good player ecc., but put them all together in the same team - they can't ****ing score. Cedric had two good chances against WHU. But if one of the features of your attacking game is to get full backs in goal scoring position, then having a full back who can't even hit the stands makes that really useless. If your game is to get the attacking midfielder in a goalscoring positions on the edge of the box, that's also of no use to you if you have an attacking midfielders like Davis or Tadić who already fluffed at least 5 big chances this season.

Pellegrino improved our attacking in comparison to Puel, but I don't see any why in which he can get this team to score with consistency, he doesn't have the tools (players ) available to do that. I'd predict we'll play decent enough this season while being at the same time frustratingly wasteful in front of goal and losing points in matches where we've been a better team.

 

I can see your point, but give him time. The signs are there that we are improving for me. We seemed to have a lot more pace and purpose in the last two games than have for ages under Puel. As soon as we realise gabbiadini needs the ball on the floor, the happier I'll be

 

This is why I found it astonishing that we never played a ball through the channels for him, against Swansea, until the 51st (?) minute.
Redmond's pass for Gabbiadini to score, was excellent.

 

Had the same issue with auto correct and Tadic's name. I was using a new phone which I haven't used for football speak until yesterday. I expect it will eventually catch up, like my iPad, and recognise players' names, but even when it does I think I will always think of Lemina as Lemons.

 

And that was the point, one of the cardinal rules of penalty taking is not to change your mind....unless you are a genius. Confusion can make you fluff it. Luckily Austin just waited till the keeper was committed. Tadic was whispering to him after he scored....I'm sure he was just saying, 'Thank you, thank you.'

 

Absolutely this. Bluff and double bluff.

Charlie wins.

 

A passing observation....our manager is a tracksuit kind of guy rather than a would be fashion model. Makes me think he sees himself as a sportsman still...or he likes to be comfy.

 

Didn't LeTiss just wait until the keeper committed himself and put it the other side? If it's good enough for him!
Btw, would it be legal for a player to just behind the ball and kick it without a run up? It would give the keeper little time to dive, although I appreciate there would be less power in the shot.

 

I can't see that there is a requirement to do a run up, but I think it would just be a disadvantage as a keeper would just stand still till you hit it as he'd have plenty of time.

 

Just effing blast it. No bells, no whistles, no frills, just pick a side and leather it.

 

If I was a keeper I think I'd not guess and dive, but instead wait and see if I could react and save it.

I think there's a reaonable number of soft penalties you'd be able to get to - particularly from the players waiting to see which way you look like going.

 

Sort of. Le Tiss would run up intending to shoot to the keeper's left (on the basis that it's the weaker side for most people), look out for the keeper diving that way and switch if they did. Crossley saved that penalty because he feinted to dive to his left and then actually went right.

 

Or just stand still. These days you'd save a fair percentage.

 

I think Peter Shilton used to do that. Didn't work very well. These days keepers get stats on where penalty takers shoot most often and dive based on that information. If you just stood still and tried to react the penalty takers would soon find out that was your method and just belt it out of your reach.