Southampton (A) | Pre-Match Thread

[Scottish Cityzen]

Ederson

Walker Stones Dias Laporte

Fern or Gundog

Sterling KDB Foden Torres

Aguero

Play our strongest defenders - so Laporte shoehorned in to LB as I don’t think any of the other options would do better.

Fern or Gundog as holding mid (I’ve defended Rodri but his last few games have been very poor)

Foden in beside KDB to
Lift the creative strain off his shoulders.

Two wide mean who should be capable of being direct (last chance saloon for Sterling to not face a stint on the bench)

Hopefully Sergio is ready to start, his presence even if only capable of 60 minutes would be big.

Pep to rally the troops pre-match, send them out all fired up and get wired in about Southampton.

I don’t think we need to sacrifice our attacking play as much as we have been doing lately. Start at a high tempo and take some chances please!

 

[Paul1970]

Like to see us just say fuck it and go for the win . Draws are no good for us and if pep keeps saying they are good results I’ll scream . Get delap on the bench for impact and make sure sterling isn’t even on the bench because he needs to know that app pep doesn’t accept poor performances . Hope kun is back because we really need him more than ever now
.

 

[Bill Walker]

The poll just shows we don't believe we'll score (enough).
We're frustrated to see all those chances and the poor finishing.
It's the only problem. Had we scored and won 3 or 4 more games we'd call our performances dominant and having a smart match plan...
The goals will/must come, we have to get through this.
Anyway, extremely frustrating.

Seems obvious to me, teams have worked out how to nullify Peps tactics. Chances on goal dwindle more and more.
We can't even beat West Brom at home.
Pep needs to change tactics and quickly.

 

[lionheart]

The first two names on my team sheet would be Fernandinho and Mahrez. Both rested midweek and crucial to our success.

 

[kaz7]

Like to see us just say fuck it and go for the win . Draws are no good for us and if pep keeps saying they are good results I’ll scream . Get delap on the bench for impact and make sure sterling isn’t even on the bench because he needs to know that app pep doesn’t accept poor performances . Hope kun is back because we really need him more than ever now
.

love how raz is getting all the blame on multiple threads , way to go supporting players out of form

 

[kaz7]

Just in: Pep Guardiola has revealed Sergio Aguero did not train after West Brom, and did not train yesterday. Pep: "He trained today, and trained really well but I don't know how many minutes [he can play]. It wasn't anything about the knee but it another position."

 

[Zenmanc]

Abandon the double pivot please.

 

[kaz7]

Pep Guardiola: "The morale yesterday isn't important, it is tomorrow that counts. Be calm in the moments where you don't get results and we will try to play good to get results

Pep Guardiola on resting
@DeBruyneKev
before January: "No, he is so important for us that he won't rest. He rested in the cl previously and right now we need him

 

[kaz7]

Pep Guardiola: "Last season we scored more goals than
@LFC
. We conceded too much but we have to score more, everybody knows it but it doesn't depend on one specific player. Everyone can score, it depends on the mentality and the desire

Pep Guardiola: "The reality is comparing 40 goals we scored in the year we won the first #PL, 36 the next year and 35 the year after. This year we have 18 so in the previous seasons we were there really well and we have to score more..."

Pep Guardiola on solving attacking problems: "Insist, insist, insist. If 25 shots is not enough, create more. Insist, be positive, one day it will break. Be aggressive, put more players there and when we are able to score and win the confidence will be back

 

[kaz7]

Pep Guardiola: "The way we defend depends on the strikers and the same happens up front. The strikers have more responsibility but everyone is involved to try to win games

Pep Guardiola on signing someone to score: "Absolutely not. Sergio could not play much and Gabriel has incredible numbers of minutes and goals since he came - he is one of the best in history. We took 13 corners last game so everyone can score goals

Pep Guardiola on
@SouthamptonFC
: "They know exactly what they have to do in different stages, every department, every situation. The position they are in right now speaks for itself. When a team is up there after 12 fixtures, they are doing really good things