Southampton (A) | PL | Post Match Thread

[argyle]

I'm sure this has been said, but Mcatee unfortunately isn't the one.

He's like inferior benardo who's out of his prime.

I really thought Grealish should have started. I swear every time he's played for us he's never let us down on the pitch.

Hate speculating about situations that we know nothing about but it does seem something has gone on behind the scenes with Grealish.

I'm old enough to remember all the post-match threads this season of posters calling out Pep for not playing McAtee....

Harsh to judge him in this side as many are struggling.

 

[Earlyriser]

Sure they've not had great seasons but selling because of a down season is madness.

Salah didn't do much for two seasons prior to this and now he's player of the season.

I think it's easier to improve as a player rather than suffer such a drastic drop in form and try to get it back. Rashford being one example and Deli Ali another

 

[oldius]

Rubbish. Today’s mess is the kind of performance/ result which changes the trajectory. Pathetic effort from all of them after 8 days off and then a further 7 after today. We are a complete mess and couldn’t beat one of the worse ever PL teams, especially when we needed to today.
Our decline started with a piss poor performance against them in October.

We are not a complete mess. We are in third place in the league and about to contest the FA Cup Final. Perspective is possible even from the pit of frustration.

 

[balotellishaircut]

Me calling out those calling for Pep's head because we drew a game is bizarre?

By all means question the team he picked and then not doing subs until late but calling for him to go is over the top.

There not calling for Peps head how you think, there saying has he lost his enthusiasm for the job amid some strange team selections and is it time for a change, nobody’s calling for Pep to be sacked, just concerned about certain things.

 

[Dax777]

I agree he should have started, Earl takes a few games to get back in his stride.

The problems are so deep though, its not really about starting one player over another.

If we get the rebuild right, it would still take 3 season.

I don't trust the recruitment team based on the last 2 years, and the names of players we looking at really makes you worry.

Just got to get over the line now. Simple.

The long term problems of being able to win the league are deep. The short term problem of trying to secure a win at the worst team's place isn't so deep.

We've seen the formation and personnel that works the best 3 times in the last 2 months.

All he has to do is stick to that.

O'Reilly at left back.

A box 4 midfield crew: 4 of the following 5. Gonzo, Kova, Kev, Berny and Gundo. Preferably not all 3 legends.

2 strikers, one of them Marmoush on the inside Left. You can play Haaland inside Right or straight up top. It don't matter as long as he is making runs and the box 4 mids are trying to get it ro him and Marmoush early....


The above describes our best formation and tactics all season.

Every time we've done it, we've created lots of chances, (by a significant margin higher number of chances than with any other formation or personnel).

Everytime we started or tried something else, its been a turgid collosal struggle with us needing to sub Doku in to bail us out or win a narrow slow slugfest match.

He should just watch the tapes of the 3 games we've created lots of chances in and play that way.


The rest of the way!!!!

His genius landed us that formation and personnel originally. But the same genius keeps on tinkering past what has already worked :(

Its frustrating!

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

You'd get rid of the best manager we've ever had and possibly the league has seen because it might not be a one off season?

We drew a game. We didn't lose.

It's a down season after winning 4 in a row. Give Pep and the club a bit of leeway to get it right next season

To be fair, he never once suggested that Pep should go, and simply just stated a fact that none of the January signings started today.

That's £200m spent so there's no guarantee that another £200m will convert us into major contenders for next season

 

[bluemoon32]

Not sure what Dias expected from a bottom of the table side. The team should be used to it by now.

0-0 Man City


Manchester City

Manchester City defender Ruben Dias: "It's frustrating to play against a team like them. They don’t even try to play, just wasting time the whole game.

"I don’t even feel like they want to play the game or win the game. They are just sitting around. We tried every way. We had chances but we didn’t score. It is what it is."

Shut up Ruben ffs

 

[Blue Since 76]

we need to absolutely gut this squad and start again. We’re entertaining the likes of McAtee, akanji, Lewis, khuzanov, reis. How far we have fallen. Could savinho, grealish, Nunez, doku or kovacic get in a team that’s pushing to make the last 4 of the CL? KDB, Bernardo and gundogan were once greats but are now absolutely finished. Foden’s had a nightmare. Haaland turns up when it suits him. The only plus points are marmoush, o’reilly and Bobb. FACTS

It's a struggle to know where to start with this, but you do remember that Grealish was in a team that actually won the CL? As has Kovacic, albeit not for us. And both were involved in the quarter finals last season?

And you want to get rid of Reis and Khusanov, two kids with a handful of PL games between them? Yet Bobb is a plus despite managing two sub appearances due to injury?

 

[East Level 2]

I've no problem with the Thursday League other than too many Sunday games, but I feel sure the club has budgeted for CL level income. The CWC money won't compensate as that will have already been taken into account following qualification two years ago.
The club will also have fewer regulars and far fewer tourists for European games if we finish below fifth, and the clamour for new north stand seats in January will be the quietest clamour since clamours began.
My real problem with today is that we failed against one of the worst teams in PL history and people accept it because we've won a few. Nowt today against a team that can't keep a clean sheet but it's OK because we beat 17th place Wolves with two shots on target.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

I'm sure this has been said, but Mcatee unfortunately isn't the one.

He's like inferior benardo who's out of his prime.

I really thought Grealish should have started. I swear every time he's played for us he's never let us down on the pitch

We've all heard that a thousand times.
Today McAtee wasn't the problem although Grealish may have been a better option.

 

[Ethan23]

I'm old enough to remember all the post-match threads this season of posters calling out Pep for not playing McAtee....

Harsh to judge him in this side as many are struggling.

Mate I get that but we're playing bottom of the league who were potentially going down as the joint worst team in pl history.

Top top players make a difference in games.

The way I'm viewing things now. Is Mcatee anywhere near Dembele for PSG,anywhere near Yamal for Barca, anywhere near vinicious for madrid

If we want to reach the summit of European football again... unfortunately players like Mcatee and Morgan gibbs white aren't the ones

 

[come-on-barney]

The post you first replied to me on was me calling out someone asking for Pep to go.

There's been more than a few asking for Pep to go on this thread.

Yeah Pep got it wrong today, I'm not arguing against that

We are on the same page then.

 

[Dax777]

Too many changes to the starting line but had we have won then nothing would have been said. Haaland should have started on the bench along with Lewis and Akanji. Back four should have stayed the same. Team selection for Palace is crucial as they are a far better team defensively and on the counter than Southampton.

The formation the last 2 games were also not good. And we didn't play well in either. Because he went away from what worked almost perfectly... :(

 

[DenisLawBackHeel74]

Come on, it makes perfect sense…

Arrogant as fuck….manager thinks we’ve already got top 5 and is getting minutes into players ahead of the world club cup…..

Like I said, arrogant as fuck and the manager should pay for all of those traveling blues….

 

[bluemurray]

Haaland back in the starting line-up and does next to nothing... again. Is he a player we need to look at in terms of future planning. Yes he has scored a shite-load of goals. Great. He can be a great player. But can he/will he continue to be that player for us? We were a better team without him 2020-22 - in my opinion. I would much rather have 3-players hitting close to 20+ a season and adding more to our overall play, than one player who, while a great scorer of goals, too often adds little else to our play and is, let be honest, sometimes invisible.

 

[bluemoon32]

I'm curious if we're going to take this turgid football into the CWC.

Don't think it really matters, we've got zero chance of actually winning it anyway

 

[Stelea]

We are not a complete mess. We are in third place in the league and about to contest the FA Cup Final. Perspective is possible even from the pit of frustration.

We are a total mess compared to how much we have fallen in such a short time.
Every week there is never a player who you could say was MOM.
We have been in a bit of a run but have been lucky as hell.
We have a Manager who constantly makes baffling decisions on the team line up and subs.
We were embarrassed in Europe.
We have one of the greatest striker and fail to play to his strengths
We have had a diabolical transfer policy for about 5 windows now (including letting quality players leave, no more than the last 2 windows when none of our last six signings even started today.
Fuck the FA Cup, failure to qualify for the UCL is massive and in a season where even 5th gets you there, it will be a mess to not even be able to do that

 

[Jack74]

I don’t understand why are 2 proper wingers didn’t start , so what if they might have given the ball away , they where not assed about going forward or winning the game ( Southampton)

 

[Bald fraud]

Just watch the saints get battered next week.

Obviously

 

[Dodge]

Drew to the 2nd worse team in Premier league history who in turn haven't kept a clean sheet in 22 games. Happy clapper alert

It happens. Nothings certain. Pep knows there's a problem and deserves the time to fix it. If it means we win fuck all this season, so be it. I'll console myself with my vivid memories of multiple trophy lifts, from Brighton to Istanbul.

Last season both Liverpool and Arsenal lost at home, on the same day in April. They were expected to stroll to 3 points, but those results effectively handed us the title. But Klopp and Arteta weren't scrutinised like Pep.

If "happy clapping" is simply acknowledging Peps staggering achievements for our Club, then guilty as charged. He gets a free pass this season from me, and I'll judge him this time next season, if that's OK with you.

Happy Clapper...give me strength.