The Official Southampton FC Thread
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king awesome to me but all has gone a bit quiet now. I think he is an addition we need...as well as a striker!!!Oh well, I'm sure we'll be fine with our 3 strikers for the whole season!! It's not like one of them is just returning from a serious injury, another one hasn't barely played a premier league match for a year or so and the other one isn't exactly a prolific scorer. Who needs goals anyway?!?!
Oh and Yoshida is a top quality stand in at CB so no worries there either!!
Oh and Yoshida is a top quality stand in at CB so no worries there either!!
Look at the replacements:
Mane > Boufal (who looks awesome and every chance of replicating what Mane brought to the team, just hopefully with a bit more consistency and a few less tantrums)
Pelle > Austin (signed in advance knowing Pelle would be off)
Juanmi/Gaston > Redmond (already showing he's more effective than either, even when being played out of position)
Wanyama > Hojbjerg (might lack the physical element, but more than makes up for it in his vision, movement and passing range)
Martina > Pied (injured now, so neither here nor there really)
Gazza > McCarthy (easily an upgrade)
Davis > Taylor (hopefully we won't need to find out. Suspect he's been brought in for more than his keeping ability)
Stek hasn't gone unreplaced, because he was only loaned in to cover for Forster while he was out. As soon as he was back, Stek was on the bench.
Add to that pretty much all the remaining key players signing extended deals.
If you look at the pros and cons, we're not really much different, and certainly no worse off IMO. The only risk is where the goals come from, as right now we look like a good team that can't score. Austin is the most natural goalscorer we have, yet we seem to be pursuing a formation that excludes him somewhat. It's a formation that could suit J-Rod, but he may never come back to the player he was.
My concern is the formation and the playing style. Reminds me of Roberto Martinez in his second season, but the only thing we can do is be patient and give it time. Puel knows more than I do, so in Puel/Ralph/Leslie I put my trust
Excited to see Boufal in action, personally, and Hojbjerg could easily be another Morgan in the making. Could be a good season
Mane > Boufal (who looks awesome and every chance of replicating what Mane brought to the team, just hopefully with a bit more consistency and a few less tantrums)
Pelle > Austin (signed in advance knowing Pelle would be off)
Juanmi/Gaston > Redmond (already showing he's more effective than either, even when being played out of position)
Wanyama > Hojbjerg (might lack the physical element, but more than makes up for it in his vision, movement and passing range)
Martina > Pied (injured now, so neither here nor there really)
Gazza > McCarthy (easily an upgrade)
Davis > Taylor (hopefully we won't need to find out. Suspect he's been brought in for more than his keeping ability)
Stek hasn't gone unreplaced, because he was only loaned in to cover for Forster while he was out. As soon as he was back, Stek was on the bench.
Add to that pretty much all the remaining key players signing extended deals.
If you look at the pros and cons, we're not really much different, and certainly no worse off IMO. The only risk is where the goals come from, as right now we look like a good team that can't score. Austin is the most natural goalscorer we have, yet we seem to be pursuing a formation that excludes him somewhat. It's a formation that could suit J-Rod, but he may never come back to the player he was.
My concern is the formation and the playing style. Reminds me of Roberto Martinez in his second season, but the only thing we can do is be patient and give it time. Puel knows more than I do, so in Puel/Ralph/Leslie I put my trust
Excited to see Boufal in action, personally, and Hojbjerg could easily be another Morgan in the making. Could be a good season
Kitchski said:
Look at the replacements:
Mane > Boufal (who looks awesome and every chance of replicating what Mane brought to the team, just hopefully with a bit more consistency and a few less tantrums)
Pelle > Austin (signed in advance knowing Pelle would be off)
Juanmi/Gaston > Redmond (already showing he's more effective than either, even when being played out of position)
Wanyama > Hojbjerg (might lack the physical element, but more than makes up for it in his vision, movement and passing range)
Martina > Pied (injured now, so neither here nor there really)
Gazza > McCarthy (easily an upgrade)
Davis > Taylor (hopefully we won't need to find out. Suspect he's been brought in for more than his keeping ability)
Stek hasn't gone unreplaced, because he was only loaned in to cover for Forster while he was out. As soon as he was back, Stek was on the bench.
Add to that pretty much all the remaining key players signing extended deals.
If you look at the pros and cons, we're not really much different, and certainly no worse off IMO. The only risk is where the goals come from, as right now we look like a good team that can't score. Austin is the most natural goalscorer we have, yet we seem to be pursuing a formation that excludes him somewhat. It's a formation that could suit J-Rod, but he may never come back to the player he was.
My concern is the formation and the playing style. Reminds me of Roberto Martinez in his second season, but the only thing we can do is be patient and give it time. Puel knows more than I do, so in Puel/Ralph/Leslie I put my trust
Excited to see Boufal in action, personally, and Hojbjerg could easily be another Morgan in the making. Could be a good season
Well thought out and reasoned post that Kitchski. You are wasted on PH these days Mane > Boufal (who looks awesome and every chance of replicating what Mane brought to the team, just hopefully with a bit more consistency and a few less tantrums)
Pelle > Austin (signed in advance knowing Pelle would be off)
Juanmi/Gaston > Redmond (already showing he's more effective than either, even when being played out of position)
Wanyama > Hojbjerg (might lack the physical element, but more than makes up for it in his vision, movement and passing range)
Martina > Pied (injured now, so neither here nor there really)
Gazza > McCarthy (easily an upgrade)
Davis > Taylor (hopefully we won't need to find out. Suspect he's been brought in for more than his keeping ability)
Stek hasn't gone unreplaced, because he was only loaned in to cover for Forster while he was out. As soon as he was back, Stek was on the bench.
Add to that pretty much all the remaining key players signing extended deals.
If you look at the pros and cons, we're not really much different, and certainly no worse off IMO. The only risk is where the goals come from, as right now we look like a good team that can't score. Austin is the most natural goalscorer we have, yet we seem to be pursuing a formation that excludes him somewhat. It's a formation that could suit J-Rod, but he may never come back to the player he was.
My concern is the formation and the playing style. Reminds me of Roberto Martinez in his second season, but the only thing we can do is be patient and give it time. Puel knows more than I do, so in Puel/Ralph/Leslie I put my trust
Excited to see Boufal in action, personally, and Hojbjerg could easily be another Morgan in the making. Could be a good season
I must admit I was somewhat glum after the transfer window but your upbeat post has been contagious. I have to say, what I have seen of the Saint this season hasn't instilled all that much faith mind.
COYR.
TWO England international goalies at the same club - that must be some kind of first, surely?
I just think we have to give it time. Every season it's meltdown time, yet we've continually done well. This season is going to be worse for bed-wetting though, as I'm pretty sure we'll finish mid-table, possibly lower top-half what with the additional Europa games, the new manager, the new formation and the two main goalscoring players having left. Everyone will blame Puel, blame the diamond, blame Les, blame Kat, blame Ralph, blame profit, blame it on the boogie etc. It'll be chaos.
To replicate any of the last three seasons with all that's gone on taken into account would be some going, but then if any team can do it, it's this one
I just think we have to give it time. Every season it's meltdown time, yet we've continually done well. This season is going to be worse for bed-wetting though, as I'm pretty sure we'll finish mid-table, possibly lower top-half what with the additional Europa games, the new manager, the new formation and the two main goalscoring players having left. Everyone will blame Puel, blame the diamond, blame Les, blame Kat, blame Ralph, blame profit, blame it on the boogie etc. It'll be chaos.
To replicate any of the last three seasons with all that's gone on taken into account would be some going, but then if any team can do it, it's this one
The jiffle king said:
Still think we are missing a striker who gets 20 goals to make us a real attacking threat. Glad we did not go for a Ballotelli but Leicester with their champions league place got a couple of decent players
I'd like to think Austin could be that goalscorer, but he won't stand a chance either playing effectively a no.10 role, or a wider position up front, which is where the diamond would leave him.I just hope the diamond gets dropped, we go 4-2-3-1 and plonk him up the front, supplemented by Tadic, Boufal, Davis, Redmond, Long and J-Rod, the latter two being able to partner him if reqd, or even replace him in the event of an injury. Romeu and Hojbjerg shoring things up in front of defence. I can't see why he'd change what we've done so well for so long.
I'm not unhappy with this transfer window, but I really do think we needed to bring in a decent striker. All of our games so far have seen us with plenty of possession but be largely toothless (and clueless) in the final third.
The club knew Pelle was leaving as far back as last January and I'm very surprised they didn't have a player with similar attributes lined up to replace him before pre-season.
Whilst J-Rod has shown glimpses of his former self recently, he's still a long way from where he was before the MCFC injury.
And Austin has just looked a little off the pace and laboured over the past couple of games (plus he seems to have forgotten the offside rule). Admittedly, the style Puel is trying to get the team to play isn't likely to get the best out of some players, Austin included it seems.
Would love to see one or both of those players come good throughout the course of this season - just hope they don't leave it too late..
The club knew Pelle was leaving as far back as last January and I'm very surprised they didn't have a player with similar attributes lined up to replace him before pre-season.
Whilst J-Rod has shown glimpses of his former self recently, he's still a long way from where he was before the MCFC injury.
And Austin has just looked a little off the pace and laboured over the past couple of games (plus he seems to have forgotten the offside rule). Admittedly, the style Puel is trying to get the team to play isn't likely to get the best out of some players, Austin included it seems.
Would love to see one or both of those players come good throughout the course of this season - just hope they don't leave it too late..
tobinen said:
Good points
It looks like Puel has Romeu ahead of Clasie which I agree with. He's a much stronger player. Clasie is a disappointment but a handy sub perhaps.
I like both Romeu and Clasie but neither are good enough for the base of the diamond.It looks like Puel has Romeu ahead of Clasie which I agree with. He's a much stronger player. Clasie is a disappointment but a handy sub perhaps.
In both the full games Romeu played he was too slow,caught in possession and diving in too early in challenges allowing players to skip round him. This causes the centre backs to be exposed and the better teams will rip us a new one.
I am happy to give the system time but I don't think some of our players suit this new system
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