Southampton (A) | PL | Post Match Thread

[bobbyowenquiff]

When we get a corner now I just sigh. Why bother with them. They never find a blue shirt. Or it's straight into the arms of the keeper who collects it unchallenged. I honestly think we'd be better knocking it out for a throw in from where the corner is being took.

The whole set up and movement in the box is non existent.

We must get the most corners in the league and hardly score from them.

We were fantastic at set pieces in 2022/23. What has gone wrong? The creativity seems to have vanished. Apart from Doku no one seems willing to run at an opponent to create some space. I rarely post on the post match thread and try to be positive. But what we saw yesterday was, by a distance, our worst display of the season. Even shipping four goals against Spurs and PSG we still looked dangerous. It was the wrong team and set-up from the start and everyone I know called it that before a ball was kicked. Baffling.

 

[SiMCFC]

"....what he has done in the past."

You mean just last season winning an unprecedented 4th title in a row?

Some of you are so miserable and negative lately that you've lost your heads.

You're not being realists you're being utter pessimists.

We won the league fighting it out against a liverpool side who had downed tool and serial bottlers in Arsenal, truth be told the football at times was absolutely shite, as it has been this season.

 

[Norbiton]

Not a fan of Dias ranting like that. Not after the stream of turgid shit the players have served up this year.

Don’t think it was very sensible of him, but at least it shows he cares and was as disappointed about the outcome as the rest of us

 

[give it to gordon]

Not a fan of Dias ranting like that. Not after the stream of turgid shit the players have served up this year.

I agree but I think something needs to be done to improve the excitement. I guess covid proved the match going fans aren't important so teams can bore the pants of paying fans

 

[heslops barnet]

Why don't City just knock it about around our penalty box to draw the other team out ?.
Which team would get the blame if City knocked it about in their box and the other team just stayed in their box and not press City.
It would be fucking boring but make a good point that these park the bus teams are bad for the pl.
Why should it always be down to City to try a make a game of it ? Surely the home team should be expected to try and win the game.
I pay 70 fucking quid to watch these shit boring park the bus teams. It's not on park the bus teams should refund our money.
Yesterday City fans travelled 600 miles ? And the home team did fuck all.

Yes people will say it's down to City to break the bus down, but fuck me we have been playing against the bus for a decade now. I so miss a great end to end game prefer a City win but as long as it's a good game that's fine.

Football use to be about entertainment at the end of a working week. Us lot meet up just by the M2 around 7'ish and of we go. Full English on the way, a few beers around the ground, proper fish n chips. Than a drive back after the game.

Now kick off times fuck us up, can't get tickets next to each other, tickets prices are a scam, parking costs going up, games are fucking boring, travelling around England is a nightmare. We don't tend to chat about the game on the way back as nothing exciting happen !!.

We use to chat about the games against the dippers, rags, arsenal, psg, rm now we can't even get tickets for these games. Half and fucking half get tickets.

I feel City are going to need us old fans with our kids in the coming seasons. But will it be to late ? This season I've been to just 3 or 4 games not sat with my lad. Return 3 match tickets due to ko time being moved, so around 50% of the games we bought we couldn't attend.

Don't get me wrong I love City but not to sure how much City want me. The 12 hr round trip is becoming less and less attractive. I feel like a customer a day tripper now I don't recognised the Etihad anymore. It use to feel like coming home now I feel I don't belong.

Seen some great games, psg, Messi, naymer, Mbappe, RM and of course that mad 3-2 against Villa hugged my lad so hard after Gundogan scored the 3rd. Sadly those days seem to be gone, I'm lucky if I can see my lad as we are in different areas.

I think my flame is nearly out

My Sunday rant is over :)

CTID

Join the club…….

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

The most important stat from this game is, 50 passes for every shot, in the first half.
Well done Pep you won the midfield battle, at very least Pep should have put on players more likely to score, at half time, but he did not, this failure was shown by Lewis, who on the penalty spot, whit the ball at his feet, and no one around him, chose to pass backwards.

I don't understand why Pep didn't play Marmoush just behind Haaland like he did when we destroyed Newcastle. Totally bizarre tactics with Bernardo and Guardivol playing wide and passing the ball backwards every time they got into a threatening position.

 

[normskih]

When we get a corner now I just sigh. Why bother with them. They never find a blue shirt. Or it's straight into the arms of the keeper who collects it unchallenged. I honestly think we'd be better knocking it out for a throw in from where the corner is being took.

The whole set up and movement in the box is non existent.

We must get the most corners in the league and hardly score from them.

Let’s be honest, most of our set pieces lack ideas. For instance, the free kick just outside the box from yesterday’s match. We had KDB and Foden stood over the ball. Foden ran up to the ball and side stepped for KDB to take the shot. All done in what seemed slow motion and no creativity.
The best corner taker we have now is Marmoush. He’s probably the best right footed free kick taker. But still, there’s no creativity from any dead ball situation and that needs sorting.

 

[GoatersLeftShin]

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 think Marmoush definitely has something about him. Nico and the others I'm not as convinced by just yet

We have to remember these are still young lads moving to a new league and playing for a coach who has ideas they won't have come across before. They might be playing in unfamiliar roles in teams set up differently to where they have come from.

We need to give them time. I certainly remember a lot on here who didn't rate "Plodri" until he understood Peps ideas and I think given time Pep tends to improve every player he's coached by some margin.

There's hope yet! :)

 

[GoatersLeftShin]

Player suitability. You make a good point tbh.

Who needs Haaland if you are compressed in the 20 yd box?
Exactly the same for Foden, KDB, or any playmaker.
Who needs a mobile and dynamic midfield (Nico) if it's static and camped outside the box?
Who needs rapid defenders (Kush) if we are not arsed about transitioning and want our defense to score more goals than the offence?

Such a weird season.

It's certainly been a weird season and one to forget on balance.

Of all the bus parkers we've played this season, Southampton were one of the most negative which says something. They were happy with a draw and didn't really try to bother us much on the counter as other teams do.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

People criticising Pep and his possession style of football don't seem to understand that the basic concept is that is we have the ball for long periods, the opposition is denied the opportunity to score.

And it worked perfectly yesterday as we kept a clean sheet against a Southampton team that had previously scored a massive 25 goals in their 35 games.

 

[SiMCFC]

People criticising Pep and his possession style of football don't seem to understand that the basic concept is that is we have the ball for long periods, the opposition is denied the opportunity to score.

And it worked perfectly yesterday as we kept a clean sheet against a Southampton team that had previously scored a massive 25 goals in their 35 games.

I See what you did there.

 

[HelloCity]

Not a fan of Dias ranting like that. Not after the stream of turgid shit the players have served up this year.

To be fair he’s won 4 titles in a row, the treble, and in his worst year he’s got a chance of CL and will play in a cup final.

He’s an elite professional with a record that is almost fantasy in terms of it’s accomplishments in such a short period of time.

He can rant how he wants.

 

[Keeper!]

Well, if he played them and they got injured before the cup final....

I would have preferred he didn't change things btw.

There are problems with the side, no doubt. But I have every confidence we'll win the cup next week and we'll be back competing at the top next season.

I mean I remember the same things being said when liverpool last won the league and people wondered if we'd be back winning again etc. We then won 4 in a row.

People need to trust Pep and the club. I mean they've not done too badly this past 9 years have they?

"I mean I remember the same things being said when liverpool last won the league and people wondered if we'd be back winning again etc. We then won 4 in a row."

We won 4 in a row because we lost to Madrid, and for me the only reason we won the title.

We were well off it last season to, the warning signs were there, slow ponderous possession and often relying on a moment of individual brilliance to win a game.

This decline started the moment we won the treble and again down to arrogance, several of that side were in decline, KDB, Walker and Bernardo for starters.

The decision to not give a new 2 year deal to Gundo I understood but why 12 months later take him back and give him the very same deal at one year older and clearly a shadow of the player he was.

Julian Alvarez, 20 goals and numerous assists, the player that played out of his skin early season that allowed us to win the 4 in a row, sold for 80 M and never replaced, again for me criminal arrogance from the club.

 

[Brunswick Blue]

It was that bad I nearly fell asleep watching it!!

 

[Mike N]

Last time we had a boring 0-0 against a crap side we went on to win the next five!

 

[Keeper!]

Made our life hard ,but i think we can win 1 of the 2 games remaining and that should be good enough.

We need to win the next 3 games end of story, not rocket science.

Win a cup and qualify for the CL, then get management and execs in a room and ask some very serious questions, otherwise this could get worse.

 

[burning blue soul]

The most important stat from this game is, 50 passes for every shot, in the first half.
Well done Pep you won the midfield battle, at very least Pep should have put on players more likely to score, at half time, but he did not, this failure was shown by Lewis, who on the penalty spot, whit the ball at his feet, and no one around him, chose to pass backwards.

Yes. I noticed that.
What that demonstrates is our players are so over coached that inspiration and jeopardy is being taken from their playing attributes.
This method works for the 1st 2/3 of the park, but once you get to that final 3rd individual brilliance has to shine.
Lewis is a perfect Pep student who will adhere to his every instruction. I was so shocked when he actually shot and scored against Forest, more surprised than the Forest fans were.
The wingers are another set that are being told "play the safe pass, lose the ball and you are hooked"
I think that is why Foden is also struggling.

 

[inchy14]

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.

Marmoush should be on corners instead of Fiden or KDB.

If Pep wants the best out of Haaland he either goes with 2 wide players on their correct sides or overlapping fullbacks.

We’ve got too many bodies central with wingers cutting in, midfield players already there and then inverted fullbacks. It’s too congested and convoluted. Which I assume is due to him worrying about the middle being played through.

Remember his speech in the earlier seasons of telling the players to “play football with courage”?

Seems he’s lost his to some extent.

Hopefully he finds it far next week and season.

 

[yerwot?]

i cannot believe Pep would tolerate lazy "can't-be-arsed" performances by any individual player. I think it's more likely that taking the safe option has become embedded, the number of times a player returns a pass immediately, not even looking for a better option, is a symptom, hiding behind possession at all costs. Haaland is most effective when his speed and strength is utilised, neither of which are much use in a rammed penalty area, The appalling run of defeats and draws, sucker-punched by a simple hit-and-hope happened time after time, baffling to us fans. Tactics which were so successful are no longer working, and no sign of a counter-measure as yet, demonstrated so clearly ystdy. Khaldoon's headache, stick or twist?....

 

[Bluesince1979]

Oh I get what you are saying

Let’s just agree to differ as it’s a nice day today.

Im sat on a beach in north wales

Lovely

We are all blues and want the best