Southampton (A) Post-Match Thread

The morning after the night before, and just a few thoughts about the game.
I know we play a high line, but Eddie being out of his box when we are on a slow build up in our own half is asking for trouble.
Zin has been covered to death, not a left back and time to move him on.
Cancello looked half decent as did the centre halfs.
Far too slow in the middle of the park, the years have taken there toll on a couple of absolute superstars.
Gabby is not an out and out centre forward, we need to sign a top level replacement for Kun.
Playing Sterling on the left kills his game, any good pacey right back just shows him the outside knowing that he has to stop and cut back and loose all momentum.
Too many touches in and around the box usually ending up with a clearance or interception.

It's not all doom n gloom, we've won one cup with a great chance in two others, it's just years of watching us when we were shit with no real expectations, I now hate loosing.
 
Lets face it Blues, we used to dream of only losing 9 games in a season back in the day, although I wont be going anywhere near a media outlet until we win again, ive moved on from yesterday, poor performance but I wouldn't swap that defeat for a win over the thrashing of the bin dippers.

I still believe we will win the FA Cup and we have a good chance of getting further in the CL, granted UEFA will pull out the stops to ensure we dont win it but its not all doom and gloom this season, even if we have been below par a lot...!
 
I think the frustrating thing for me, is that watching that type of performance is nothing new and that comes after putting LiVARpool to the Sword a few days earlier. The usual possession, one mistake to gift the opposition a chance (which they always sweem to score - why us?)

It feels like we're Arsenal from a few years ago before they plummetted off their pedestal. Lots of edge of the box stuff, lots of build up and no finish. What was worse though was that we didn't change our approach. Playing dinky balls into the box against a 10 man defence doesn't work. I sat screaming at the telly for someone to run into the box with the ball and force them to make a challenge and hopefuilly a penalty would result.

The players do not seem to be able to change the approach, Pep seems clueless against a well marshalled defence and the move away from the RH side really didn't help. We played some lovely football, yet couldn't finish.....again !
 
Northerndave said:
I think the frustrating thing for me, is that watching that type of performance is nothing new and that comes after putting LiVARpool to the Sword a few days earlier. The usual possession, one mistake to gift the opposition a chance (which they always sweem to score - why us?)

It feels like we're Arsenal from a few years ago before they plummetted off their pedestal. Lots of edge of the box stuff, lots of build up and no finish. What was worse though was that we didn't change our approach. Playing dinky balls into the box against a 10 man defence doesn't work. I sat screaming at the telly for someone to run into the box with the ball and force them to make a challenge and hopefuilly a penalty would result.

The players do not seem to be able to change the approach, Pep seems clueless against a well marshalled defence and the move away from the RH side really didn't help. We played some lovely football, yet couldn't finish.....again !
Click to expand...
Yes, if only we had not made a defensive mistake we would have earned a 0 _0 draw.
 
Players have to take more responsibility. The slowness of play- compare the first half to the start of second half- is down entirely to them. That generally starts with the two centre backs and the two centre midfielders, since they dictate how quickly the ball goes forward. The two wingers also need to be able to rotate more; it's stultifyingly boring watching the same player make the same run and line of attack; we all know what's coming so presumably the defender does, too. We need genuine rotation across the front, something which I thought we would have with Sterling/Jesus/Sane but which now we do not have at all.
 
Yesterday blunder by Zinchenko has nothing to do with him playing LB position. We won four titles and multiple cups without ever having, what goes under that stupid term, a 'world-class' LB. Pep's way of playing, which is extremely high risk positioning and passing asks for acute focus and awareness, both of which we lacked throughout this season. And therein lays the reason for almost catastrophic performances in the league. My case in point is the second goal we conceded against Chelsea. Kdb (of all people!) makes a wrong pass in position that makes us vulnerable to a counter attack and then makes derogatory attempt of rugby-tackling Chelsea player (Willain), so one wrong move led to a red card (Fern), a yellow card (KdB) and penalty and goal for Chelsea. Our last three losses away (Rags, Chelsea, Soton) had nothing to do with quality of our :LBs and CBs, and everything with 'just not being in the game' if we are not coasting 3:0 up.
 
Pep uses the league games to prepare the squad for the FA Cup and the CL. No need for dramatic generalisations. We won't play like that against Arsenal and Real.
 
Blue Til Death said:
Lets face it Blues, we used to dream of only losing 9 games in a season back in the day, although I wont be going anywhere near a media outlet until we win again, ive moved on from yesterday, poor performance but I wouldn't swap that defeat for a win over the thrashing of the bin dippers.

I still believe we will win the FA Cup and we have a good chance of getting further in the CL, granted UEFA will pull out the stops to ensure we dont win it but its not all doom and gloom this season, even if we have been below par a lot...!
Click to expand...
Can't guarantee we won't turn on another game like that against the Rags in a Final.
 
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