Match Day Thread Southampton FC v Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Europa League, Thursday 8th December, KO 8.05pm

Channonfodder

Fair enough, but what about spending to keep the fans entertained ? At the moment the football being offered is technically well organised but it doesn't always bring results and , as a spectacle, it is absorbing at best and monotonous at worst. I would love to see us bring in another "unknown" like Mane and let him tear down the wing and give the full back nightmares. If money is short, surely there are plenty of players who are surplus and can be off-loaded ( Pied, Classie, Martina, Jay-Rod and JWP I'd like ro see Redmond replaced as well but that is going to be unlikely in his current form.) but at least let's bring someone in to entertain the crowd. It is more fun watching Winchester at the moment and they have effectively been picking up the pieces after wholesale departures in July.)

 

JWP?

 

But that comes down to a combination of form and tactics. It's not like we just keep signing big target men. Whatever else they might be be, on their day Long and Jayrod could not be considered dull. Our players are not producing the goods consistently but they are capable. Time will tell.

 

I think the club has some very major decisions to make, between now and the end of January.
For years we have brought in players that suited the Southampton Way, which up until the end of last season was primarily a 4-2-3-1 formation.
We have also used the same formation in all other levels, within the club, so that the academy players would be able to transition into the first team, with minimal pressure.

We now have a manager who has a penchant for bringing through young players, but who prefers playing a diamond formation, which has highlighted the fact that our existing players cannot consistently perform adequately in the new system.

I think the board has to take decisive action, and either back Puel's way, by bringing in players that suit his system, in January, or it has to tell him to use a system that best suits the players we have.

The sudden departure of Koeman, didn't leave the board too much time to organise his replacement, but if, as we are led to believe, he was always the preferred choice, and knowing that he didn't use our preferred playing formation, does this mean the Southampton Way has changed?

 

Sounds like Portsmouth, but with better players.

There's been a few posts I've seen on Twitter or Facebook of a more gloating nature, but frankly, to those gloating or tweeting or whatever:

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Hard luck, guys. Better luck next year. At least you got to go to Israel, which is a nice country.

 

This is a really good post.

From what I understand, Puel was considered a very "good fit" for Southampton when I had a longer conversation with the people in the OL shop back in July but I think I am correct in saying that Puel did quite well in Europe for them but the fans were not too inspired by the style of football. It is fair to say that the shape may have changed to the notorious diamond yet I think formations are perhaps a little bit over-emphasised. I am not 100% sure that it is the formation which is the problem but the tactics and pace at which we play. These seem more indicative of the reasons for lack of appeal in the football being played than formations which probably become a bit more fluid on the playing field. However, if bringing in youngsters isn't "The Southampton Way" then what is? To me the problem is a lack of appreciation of the facts that fans prefer to watch a pacier style of football with more pressing and better service down the flanks. We seem to retain the ball well and generally defend well but we seem incapable of cutting teams open and putting opposition on the backfoot. We seem to give the opposition too much respect rather than have a good go at them. This is the main difference in what we have effectively witnessed since Adkins. Generally the selection of managers from Adkins onwards had been spot on. Perhaps Puel is demonstrative that you can't always get a perfect match. It seems like an inverse of the Branfoot problem where he employed a direct and ugly style of football than no one wanted to watch. Puel seems to have got the technical aspect correct and the "football" is far superior but he just has mastered how to deal with the forward line who have been ineffectual this season. To me, it seems that the attacking aspect of the game has always defined what Southampton have been about which makes me see Puel as a bit incongruous with what we are used to.

 

Off to start a night shift soon... gonna be bored ****lessm. Do I dare have a read on SaintsWeb?

 

Not if you value your life.

 

Pied

 

Ian, like all of us you can talk some cobblers at times, but I think there's a lot of truth to this post.

 

Ian's a great poster. I can't imagine him ever talking cobblers.

 

Depends on how bored I get I suppose.

 

Tbf to Redmond ill say the same as I did about Mane in his first 6 months or so with us. He's got it all, pace trickery and ability, he just doesn't put it all together anywhere near often enough. If it all comes together on a consistent-ish basis he will be a hell of a player. I'm willing to give it more time but the key difference between the 2 is that Redmond has been playing in the Prem far longer and hadn't cracked it yet

 

I would advise against it.multiple threads calling for puel to be sacked/kat to do us a favour and sell the club/les reed to **** off. And thats just a quick look

 

Think redmond is getting a bit too much stick. He is in a bad patch of form and is getting very frustrated.he needs a goal or two to get confident imo.one thing he does well is run at defenders with the ball,just making wrong decisions in the final third.i think with a bit of work on his temprement and decision making he could do a job for us.time will tell tho

 

Please reference Pied/JWP post above.

 

It's not really necessary to use your imagination.

 

And yet you support them lot?

 

I'm still pissed off lol

 

Me too. Should be over it by now really but I'm just not