Southampton (A) - Carabao Cup | Post Match Thread

[chickaroon]

You can't play players out of position and expect those around them to perform well. It's too unpredictable. Walker playing CB when he is a great fullback. Philips's first full game and no-one could find him in space. Gomez can't defend and nor at the moment can Cancelo. I have no idea why Pep played the players he did but they looked like they didn't know each other. Foden, hardly took anyone on in the game. So hard for Gundo to play with that midfield.
In the Derby, we have to play Rodri, Berni, and Kevin. Up front Mahrez, Haaland and Grealish and at the back Walker, Stones, Laporte and Ake. The alternatives, except Lewis, are not good enough. Very worrying.

 

[JewelZee]

The result tonight wasn't a surprise to me. When you play a mish-mash team then there will be times you get a dog's dinner of a performance. Pep was trying to save as many players as possible for the derby which meant players playing who you wouldn't want in the team and even decent players playing out of position.

Players like Gomez aren't good enough, Palmer looks poor at the moment, Phillips started his first game in months, Cancelo looks like he can't be arsed. You can't carry that shit at this level even if you've got some decent players out there.

Can you imagine how much the squad would be stretched having to play United or Newcastle over 2 games on top of the crazy schedule we already have? It would be a shit show.

I don’t actually think the squad is good enough anymore in several areas to juggle 4 competitions. For me, it's not a bad thing we won’t have to play a 2 legged semi within a couple of weeks or so. I’m not sure we could have coped with the schedule without overplaying our better players to get through.

Ps

Playing shit in the game before we beat the rags in the derby used to be a good omen!

I agree totally. How can anyone be surprised. The moment I saw Walker at CB I knew this was a farce. You're not beating any Prem team with that hodge podge array. Especially one for whom this is a big deal, at home, with a new manager. Forget about it. Do we really need to play 2 extra games v a physical Newcastle team smack in the middle of this stretch? My vote is no. I'm not saying I'm happy we lost. I always want to win, but big picture this may end up being of great benefit to us.

 

[nellyonthewing]

Something has changed, teams since Brentford have figured the low block of 5 and flooding the midfield restricts is early in games. It's something we need to figure out as Brentford, Everton and Southampton have all had success against us doing it. If we score early it opens it up, but teams are setting out to hold us for the the first 15-20 minutes and growing into games and it's working.

For the first 15-20 minutes of games Pep has us playing walking football back and forth across our own half .

 

[twosips]

Think it's fair to say that this is currently on Pep, and I actually think he'll know this too. He's smart and brilliant enough to fix it thankfully, but there are too many excellent players playing too inconsistently for it to be anything other than a top level issue.

 

[cleavers]

Who knows but what a wonderful goal, Had KDB scored it would you have blamed the Southampton goalie, or said that was a worldie ??
Come on be totally honest ... if you have the balls. ;)

Our keepers are trained to be advanced, so that they can effectively play sweeper, I didn't really understand the criticism of that goal, he was doing his job, and was caught by a great finish.

Our keepers are not orthodox under Pep, he doesn't want it, yes most keepers would be further back, pickfor and de gea would be stood on their goal line 95% of the time, I'd worry more about how he had the time to do it.

 

[jimharri]

Turned the telly off at the final whistle, so I haven't seen what Pep has said re explaining THAT.

 

[wolviedinho]

Something's up...

why? he looks pissed off like the rest of us.

 

[flb]

Would any of those flapping like a tap dancers fanny on here be saying the same if we were sitting top of the league ?

 

[Bigga]

To be honest. I don't think Phillips will ever make the elite level. He can't control the ball and make a simple pass. It looks like a disastrous signing. We have not made many mistakes but Phillips looks like one. I trust my judgement after watching City since 1967. I can recognise shite when I see it because I have seen a lot of it.

I disagree, actually. Philips reminds me of Rodri when he first started learning from Fern.

It's a big responsibility to come to a top team and just expect to marshall the mid. Cancelo took that role tonight, over Philips.

Philips shouldn't be overawed and needs to grow a pair, like he did at Leeds (see Grealish as well).

It's his position, not Cancelo's, if they ever play together again.

 

[VOOMER]

Every year we have a period where the squad depth appears lamentable