Southampton (A) | PL | Post Match Thread

City_Sean said:
I don't understand Peps rationale at all yesterday. He changed the entire back four to accommodate Akanji in the XI.

The football is dire. Passing for the sake of passing without any real intent. Watching Bernardo, Kovacic and Kev pass the ball sideways isn't exciting it's fucking boring.

Doku on recent form should be in the team, Marmoush should be playing and I'd argue both Khusanov and O'Reilly should be starting. Why do we need to be giving guys a farewell tour? It should be about what's best for the team going forwards.
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Agree with basically all of this.

One thing I will say is I think Kovacic has been very good in recent weeks, The only midfielder who is willing to drive forward with the ball and break opposition lines, Seems like he's the only one who will take a shot on from distance too.
 
Norman kneejerk said:
I joked with a fellow foc at City a while back that we could play at the back against City because there is f a to do except watch the ball circulating front of us. .
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Well of course, you're not serious, but you've actually put your finger on a problem that is manifest. In effect, in many games — probably most — because we play possession football in midfield, because keeping the ball sometimes seems more important than actually doing something offensive with it — in other words just circulating it endlessly — the defence and the keeper have literally nothing to do for minutes on end. And I believe that the number of games where the opposition break rapidly, have their first shot on goal (sometimes not before thirty-five minutes or so, sometimes not until well into the second half), and score, has everything to do with the defence and keeper being lulled off to sleep and losing their concentration. It is very hard to keep 100% in those conditions. I think Nunes, Días and Ederson have been manifestly at fault on this count, but no-one is exempt. Gundo and Kova (he's seemed more concentrated recently, I'm talking about the season overall) have also gone to sleep at times.
The kind of game we play requires a) total concentration from people who are not particularly involved — until they're suddenly involved and b) great mobility from people up front. That's another issue and I won't get into it here, except to say that Sergio had that mobility. (He did not always have the ball played in perfectly to his feet or head by Merlin and Kev. Often, yes. Otherwise, he'd go and fetch it).
 
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GoatersLeftShin said:
I'm not sure what Pep expected Southampton to do. They were never going to go toe-to-toe with us and at best they would but back and try to counter.

I genuinely don't understand what Pep was expecting from the same tired old players who've done the same thing all season. Slow, boring, possession based football where we could've won it but didn't. You don't win games on stats.

The only thing I thought was we are gambling on a top 5 place as a given and saving energy for the final. Personally I'm not arsed about the CL and think it's not one we can win and we would have a better chance of the EL though

I also think some of the new players need to adapt to a new league and style of play which is why we're not seeing them yet.

Something has to be done with Haaland too. Unless he scores it's like playing with 10 men. He feels like a luxury player at times. I'm coming to the conclusion he's the best striker in the world, but in the wrong team - a team that can't play to his strengths - and I know that sounds nonsense given his record.

As soon as the whistle is blown on the last game, vwrite the season off and sort next season out. Unless we change something rapidly then Club World Cup could kill next season too and we will be easily picked off in it. Pep has to learn from other managers now to introduce some "risk" to his game.

I get we were always due a drip off but I can't think of anything we've learnt this season. We don't know our best 11, barely anyone has improved, it's boring, passionless and I think we will need to spend big to get anywhere near where we were.
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The problem is we have spent a large chunk of the budget already and astoundingly not one of the players brought in during the New Year window started yesterday, although none appear to be injured.Add that, to less than inspiring windows over the last couple of years and it is a forlorn hope we can turn things around this summer, when one adds in the tournament in the states. I find it very hard to see us being much better next season as things stand. I fear we are in for a lean few years. At least we will have good memories to sustain us.
 
I mean fucking finally, we've accepted and sort of loved Nunes at the back, so he takes him out of the team.

And don't anyone suggest Haaland is "the problem". Haaland is the greatest finishing striker in the modern game.

Pep is the problem for having no idea how to get anything out of him.
 
City_Sean said:
I don't understand Peps rationale at all yesterday. He changed the entire back four to accommodate Akanji in the XI.

The football is dire. Passing for the sake of passing without any real intent. Watching Bernardo, Kovacic and Kev pass the ball sideways isn't exciting it's fucking boring.

Doku on recent form should be in the team, Marmoush should be playing and I'd argue both Khusanov and O'Reilly should be starting. Why do we need to be giving guys a farewell tour? It should be about what's best for the team going forwards.
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Yes I didn’t understand peps thinking it really was bizarre. In fairness we really should have tucked away 2 or 3 chances but we’re wasteful. On another day they go in and everybody goes home happy
 
Keeper! said:
Many ways to skin a cat, let them have the ball and draw them out, slow passing between CB's allowing the Southampton players an easy day.

We would have struggled to score against Cheadle Town yesterday, we were appalling and to blame the tactics of the opposition is arrogant and pathetic.
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They didn't want the ball
 
If I die in the Kippax St said:
Yes I didn’t understand peps thinking it really was bizarre. In fairness we really should have tucked away 2 or 3 chances but we’re wasteful. On another day they go in and everybody goes home happy
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I think the problem is that the chances came when the likes of O'Reilly, Marmoush and Doku were on. I'm really struggling with how Pep decided that's the game to start McAtee and Foden. The changes don't make any sense.
 
Just reading about Ruben Dias and his rant about Southampton's time wasting tactics. What he forgot to mention was that the referee actually allowed 10 minutes stoppage time, despite only 7 minutes being officially allocated. No excuse for failing to convert our chances. We also need to improve our corner taking as they were all wasted.
 
lionheart said:
Just reading about Ruben Dias and his rant about Southampton's time wasting tactics. What he forgot to mention was that the referee actually allowed 10 minutes stoppage time, despite only 7 minutes being officially allocated. No excuse for failing to convert our chances. We also need to improve our corner taking as they were all wasted.
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Because KDB takes every single one and he’s shite at doing it
 
By the way, are people seriously suggesting — is Rúben suggesting? — that Southampton kept their dire eleven-behind-the-ball performance specially for us? Oh, they didn't do it to anyone else? Southampton have lost twenty-eight of their thirty-six matches. The world and his little dog have beaten Southampton this season. Others have found a way.
 
mayo31 said:
How?

Explain how his marriage affects Haaland missing a chance
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Youre getting even sillier

Peps personal life will of course affect his way of thinking, his reactions to things outside his personal life will be affected. His down time and relaxation away from football will be very different for him and wont give him time away from the job.

Im really not sure how you dont think a breakdown in personal circumstances wont affect how they behave in their professional life
 
mayo31 said:
How?

Explain how his marriage affects Haaland missing a chance
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It is explained by a manager making bizzare team selections and turning his back on players that have busted their guts and given the season some hope, the likes of Nunes, Marmoush and O'reilly.

Pep over thought tactics against the second worst team in PL history.
 
just watched it, could not yesterday. Southampton went full and prime catenaccio. People are too harsh on Pep and the team. They tried their best, just unlucky, fine margins. Its like prime Barcelona lost to Celtic in UCL with one shot by Celtic and over 30 by Barca.

Pep wanted Rico, Foden McAtee, because predicted about ultra deep block. You go with players very tight on the ball, who can find themselves in tight spaces.

On the plus side Phil was better yesterday than recently. Few times he has crossed nicely to Erling, been close. Better performance by Phil, step by step.

Shit happens in football. Guys hear who calls out on Pep, players and club could not separate their anger and perspective from strategical and long term benefit of the club. Luckily for others, man can easily see why they are not going to be around any such business and executive decisions in real life.
 
Keeper! said:
I am not writing anything off, I am just a realish and this club needs a serious rebuild and that could take place without CL and it's finances.

If you think we are going to makes 4/6 signings and all is good and rosey and we challenge, I think your going to be in for a shock.

We are way off and I am starting to wonder if Pep is the right man to rebuild this team, genuinely do you think our players are still running through brick walls for him?
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Yes I do think they're still playing for him as we were doing well up until yesterday. I mean we're in a cup final next week!!

I read these same arguments for liverpool last season and then they brought in just one player and stormed the league.

A few signings and we'll play better.

I really don't understand the doom on this site because of one season we didn't play well.
 
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