I don't think it's that simple. Romeu and Wanyama have played together a few times and it doesn't seem to have made much difference.
Off topic then - Do you think RK spent the available funds well this summer or do you think ( in hindsight ) he could have done better? Do you thinl RK is doing a good job or should face some critisim for his choices. subs tactics etc?
FLT the way you feel about moaners is the same way people felt about those who constantly criticised Pelle
Brilliant. Email Ron and let him know. You don't think he says that? You don't think the opponents are going to try something different? Tom, you play Tennis, yes? You're 1 set up and 3-1 up in the second.... How do you play? What do you tell yourself and what do you do mid set of the opponent starts to do something different and get on top? I'm telling you that it isn't as simple as your lovely little one line talk above.
Koeman isn't even the individual primarily in charge of signings. We don't follow the autonomous manager model. Beyond that, we had a rather challenging task. We had a budget of "whatever we get for selling our best players", and had to use that to both replace those players AND add depth for a presumptive European campaign (speaking of: thank god we crashed out of Europe). The result is that we bought a couple good 'uns who aren't yet elite, and a bunch of cheap, rather mediocre players and loanees to fill out the squad, while losing one of the most influential players in the Premier League and two high-end starters. That's tough business. And sure, he's open to criticism. But offer criticism that actually has something behind it. "He has run out of ideas" is just stock pablum that people apply to every manager when results go south. The fact that Koeman's greatest strength last year (seeing out leads) is his greatest weakness this season should go some way to suggest that he wasn't wholly responsible for either end of the spectrum.
I continually throw critisim at every defeat? mmmmhhhhh interesting I wonder how I manage to do that as I hardly post on this forum! lol Immature and pathetic I hear? lol Sorry mate not really interested in your comments. ps 47 years old and a Saints supporter all my life.
Interesting question, where hindsight is hugely valuable and full of ifs and buts. If Clasie did not get injured in August and hit the ground running ala the Arsenal game, if Rodriguez had not suffered from sore feet, if Mane had the season we were expecting him to have. So in hindsight we did not spend very well, but in August I think things looked quite optimistic, and I am sure if Ron could go back he would have made different choices and spent more on first teamers and less on squad fillers, but until January he has to play the hand he has been dealt
Sorry but for me those substitutions this evening were uninspiring.The problem previous to that, Carroll came on for WHU and all of a sudden we looked lost at sea. RK as a manager must take some responsibility for the team set up and the reaction to tactical changes.
Not true for me. I generally disagreed with FLT about Pelle, but people have different opinions about different players. And it's hard to settle a debate if all options aren't explored, which usually doesn't happen as managers tend to stick with their starters. But there was a constant theme there, which was that Pelle wasn't doing the job. It wasn't complaining about whoever was on the pitch this week, and then forgetting all about what you just said depending on whether we won or lost. Every week the same people are blasting whichever lineup is on the pitch when we lose. And ignoring that the lineups we win with are completely different than the ones they suggested.
If ever there is a season to hopefully banish the nonsensical belief that some people have that you should only sign players who are good enough to walk into your first team, then this is that season. And today in particular, given that our opponents were West Ham and it is West Ham who spent the summer strengthening their squad as well as their first XI. Antonio, Lanzini, Song, Payet, Obiang, Ogbonna, Jelavic, Moses, and probably a couple of others who I've forgotten. This is our fourth consecutive season in the PL, and we still don't have a squad. Just a first XI, and a couple of extras a best.
Haha, you lot aren't half funny. Okay, view from the West Ham directors box right behind Ronald (man, comfy seats at football are good!!) You could see easily that they needed to bring on Carroll and Lanzini second half to worry our defenders which they did. The world's most obvious subs. But yes, we should have gone in at HT more than one up. Cuco I'm afraid looked more 'competition winner' than footballer once again, and Ronald was constantly coaching him and guiding him through the game (something you'd not have seen on TV I'm guessing) but after his yellow (and a reckless tackle after that) he started to worry, then got frustrated at one too many positional or passing cock ups, got pretty angry and was trying to rush Maya on. Again, the world's most obvious sub to make. It was screaming for it and he tried to do it at precisely the right moment. Unfortunately the ball stayed in play for a really long time at that point, Cuco made another boob and then they scored. All of a sudden the belief rushed back into their team and fans that they could actually win this. It was palpable. As their confidence increased, something had to change, and with the 3 points in the bag against Arsenal, RK clearly thought it made sense (and it did) to roll the dice and go for the win by bringing on GR/J for a relatively ineffective Mane and Tadic. Now with hindsight that wasn't the right move, but you could absolutely understand why he thought he should gamble and try to turn the tide back. It was a Juanmin offside, or a Gastón having a right foot away from working, then suddenly he's a tactical genius. But the supposedly stubborn manager tried to take a risk, tried to gamble one point for three. I have no issue with that at this point. Fair move. Castigating him for that, or for what he says at half time (really, I mean really!!?) is bonkers. It made sense. One thing you don't ever get from a jumpy stream or crunching stats is the feel of a game, the ebbs and flows, both in the fans and in the players. With what we have, I completely understand every move he made today.
That's fine fella. I hope you remember the times I praise him. I hope you remember that when I criticised him, I would do it in a reasonable manner and discuss what I'd expect him to be doing. I actually tried to tread carefully there (believe it or not) as I didn't want to sound too cocky but I played his position and I tried to give a professional view and analysis of what he did. I didn't just moan. This is what I do. It's been a while though since I've criticised him ... Perhaps you haven't noticed that. I don't say that he's ****ing useless and I always value his goals. The only time I ever used "unacceptable" was when I spent a game watching him walk around. I am happy to debate and discuss Pelle, or the team's performance but most people won't discuss they just bitch and moan. They leap at the first opportunity and they also do without offering an alternative. Sorry to single Tom for this example but it is the recent one.... Does he or anyone else really think the manager doesn't say something along the lines of what Tom proposed? It is pretty pathetic to jut rant and rave and make daft comments without any appreciation that there is a second team on the pitch. It's a sport. Let's be honest it's just some people's way of venting anger. It's a sport and odd things happen. How the heck did we beat Arsenal 4-0? **** happens in sport. Well done to West Ham for making a change to shame they weren't in and pushing us back and changing the game.
Lucky git. My free tickets were in the flippin home end!! PS I agree. Lanzini sub was the match winner and we had no response. PPS who is Mr Moon??
Not Aimed at you, but the same people keep wanting to think it will get better no matter what! Rk may yet get us relegated. I honestly hope he does not, but this will be my last post on the football part of Saints not 606 until we are safe. I honestly hope that won't be to long.
I think he's doing a good job. He's not doing fantastic this season but he's not doing ****. I also think he's a victim of the success he had last season's and the progress the club have made that has made fans forget we are a club playing a sport that is unpredictable and they have set huge expectations. Maybe unrealistic ones.
Apologies St K, I didn't mean that you continually throw your toys etc. genuinely I did not. I responded to your post as you had mine but please believe I wasn't aiming that at you. It was aimed at the same people who just go nuts if we lose and I find that pathetic. Hope you accept that as genuine. A 46 years old, life long fan (you old git) Edit: I also typed with fat fingers on my phone and put "you throwing" instead of "toy throwing" which makes sense in the sentence. Apologies again for the way that came across.
By the way, I didn't see either of their goals actually hit the net as everyone around me was jumping up at that point, so in my mind we still won 1-0
