OK so we are virtually safe bar a disaster of Titanic like proportions! but what should our manager do in the remaining 4 games? Stick with the same tried and tested 13/14 players who have been so brilliant since he came? Start a few fringe players, Mayuka, JWP etc? Blood a few youngsters to see if they have what it takes? Personally I'd like to see a few of the better youngsters get a run out before this season ends. What would you do? Thoughts?
Do whatever he thinks he need to do to win every remaining game. For me the culture at the club should be that players aren't going to get run-outs for the sake of it, and if you want to play you need to deserve it. If he thinks players need a rest then I can live with it, but I think the idea needs to be thoroughly ingrained into every players head that we go out to win every game.
He is going to go for the highest league placing possible so there will be no room for blooding youngsters or giving fringe players a run out. He should be targeting 12 points from the remaining matches and should be happy with ten but dissatisfied with anything less. I want a top half finish and you can bet so does Nicola.
I think we need to work on speeding up play in the 'final third'. We have become a bit too slow and predictable recently when we get anywhere near the opponents penalty area. When you look at some of the goals we have scored with crisp, decisive one-two's etc we seem to have got a bit bogged down recently in ensuring that we keep possession rather than take any risks. I can understand why though, a game like the one against Swansea we probably would have lost earlier in the season. Whether that needs a change of personnel or a slight change in mindset, I'm not sure. But now that the pressure is of a bit, I'd like to see a few more early crosses and speculative shots.
I would put the strongest possible team on the park, but field a youngster, or two on the bench with a view to giving them a run out in the last 10 - 15 minutes.
He will want to win every game and a high finish will give confidence to the team going into next season. And let's not forget that each place is worth about 1 mill. Training and preseason is where players can prove themselves. We will probably see a few players, such as Mayuka, getting cameos, but this will be because other players are tired, injured or jaded. Remember this has been a hard season for them...first season against PL opposition, mental trauma of losing so many games at the beginning, losing a popular manager, and then giving everything for the new manager. Mauricio's style in training and playing is exhausting...initially they were buoyed up by enthusiasm and excitement, but we may be suffering from the fact that our team almost picks itself. Next season, hopefully, we will have a few quality players to share the load.
I think this is the core, along with a desire to liven up the view of Southampton as a team. He'll push (quite rightly) to get into the top ten. He has all summer to get people into the squad; there'll be a pretty major shakeup of the peripheral players, I think, so I feel there's no benefit in getting people on the pitch just for the sake of it.
100% agree. The Saints of old would settle for a nice comfy 12th place finish. Not anymore. Both Pochettino and Cortese want as high a finish as possible. No room for blooding the youngsters. That's what the league cup is for!
Absolutely agree. There is the myth trotted out of a midtable club having nothing to play for. When the difference is several million between a bad position [but safe] and the best possible, then there's plenty to play for. Ask Cortese where he wants the club to finish and see if there's nothing to play for. If I see any drop in form I shall be very surprised indeed. The ambition will be to win every match, with none of the we're safe attitude.
Having a youngster given the last 10-15 minutes end of season has always struck me as a good way of doing things
I'd like to think that we will take cup runs seriously next season, so there will be more opportunities in the future for them. But if MP feels they have a part to play in the run in, then that's fine with me.
If were we to bring on a youngster, the one I really want to see is Omar Rowe. He looks like a brilliant young player in the making.
Same as Adkins would do 'Look, we have a winning mentality at this club, We are used to winning games, and we will continue to play to win'
