Southampton post match 1-2 Win

[WigstonWanderer]

2 hours ago, Monsell1976 said:

Pretty much where I am, got lucky against a newly promoted side, looked ok but got beat by a poor Man U side, I really thought they were there for the taking.

 Puel is riding his luck, if he gets results the owners will keep him, boring or not, but I can see us getting a few hammerings against the big boys, and beat by some lesser team, some look to have really come on, unless we really step it up, and play with intent, I can see a repeat of the frustration of the second half of last season.

 I say this coming from a point of not wanting another manager change, and wanting it to click, but I really don’t know if puel can turn his keep ball tactics, into successful, consistent results, due to his negative, must not lose first mentality.

This is always the worry of trying to play purely possession football at a middle ranking club like ours. Without the quality of players that the big teams have it can evolve into simply keeping possession for its own sake, too scared to take the risks necessary to actually create the chances for goals.

Even Manu ended up this way with Van Gaal, and we have nowhere near their resources.

We need to mix it up more combining better confidence on the ball with the urgency of our old style.

Edit:

Just to add, in the first half hour or so the whole possession thing seemed to go out the window. Our players simply could not find each other.

On the subject of substitutions I’d really have liked to have been able to bring on Musa for Nacho.

Edited 27 August 2018 by WigstonWanderer

[Babylon]

3 hours ago, WigstonWanderer said:

better confidence on the ball with the urgency of our old style.

Watching our game on Saturday it was so obvious that players were delaying passes, taking too many touches and taking too long to make a decision.

Obvious forward passes into areas that would have allowed a break, became backwards passes and stagnation.

For this style to work, a higher tempo and players having confidence to make a pass is absolutely essential.

I was watching highlights of Leeds, they were trying what we were doing. Keeping possession, but everything was at a high tempo and it meant players were found in space and the oppo had less time to react and regroup.

Opposition teams find us easy to defend most of the time as we are giving them enough time to regroup and get into position.

[Guest Col city fan]

28 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Watching our game on Saturday it was so obvious that players were delaying passes, taking too many touches and taking too long to make a decision.

Obvious forward passes into areas that would have allowed a break, became backwards passes and stagnation.

For this style to work, a higher tempo and players having confidence to make a pass is absolutely essential.

I was watching highlights of Leeds, they were trying what we were doing. Keeping possession, but everything was at a high tempo and it meant players were found in space and the oppo had less time to react and regroup.

Opposition teams find us easy to defend most of the time as we are giving them enough time to regroup and get into position.

Again, spot on. That is pretty much exactly what is happening.

[Footballwipe]

I may be the only person interested in this, but when downloading the match on Saturday the person who uploaded put the entire NBC broadcast up. For some reason they left the cameras rolling during the post match interviews and as a result we get to see every interview, and the transitions between the interviews. Puel doing three back to back, Maguire doing his MOTD and Sky interviews, with Hughes and Bertrand in there as well.

You can see how bored they all look as each sets up for one interview after another. I know this isn't exactly new, but thought it might be worth putting up.

[waylander]

Don’t forget it’s still a work in progress. New players bedding in and fringe players starting. We are shaping up nicely hopefully most will be pleased after around ten games playing together. The improvement is there too see if you look ?. There are also balls ups too. But even man city couldn’t beat wolves. ?

[Foxxed]

Our problem in the first was down the wings. There were a few attacking glimpses with Richardo but Chilwell, although not putting a foot wrong, rarely threatened in the first. Our attacking play is mainly though the full backs this season. If our wings are nullified then Mendy and Ndidi aren't going to push the ball forwards. And if Maddison doesn't then pull back then it's going to be very difficult. And if he does, and our striker is having a bad day, then we're going to look toothless.

I still worry about Mendy. He was fantastic keeping us in possession when we finally started playing in the second. But he's not yet the kind of player who can take the game by the scruff of the neck, something we needed in the first. I hope Claude gives Hamza a chance at filling that role eventually.

Our attacking intent was pretty much null in the first but defensively we were decent. Puel's incredible faith and persistence with Chilwell last season has paid off. Maguire was great as ever and offered a much needed option playing out from the back. Morgan obviously didn't offer that but repelled everything and stopped us being outmuscled. Amartey was the least good out of the four but compared to previous seasoned he's improved massively, uses his strength, looks confident on the ball and even offered a little offensively.

I'm not sure why it took us to be a goal down to move us into gear. We really need someone on the pitch who can push us on when we're like that. It took a mid match team talk against Lille and Wolves to get going and half time against Soton. It's a bit odd. Iheanacho had a bad game all match. You could clearly see he was mad with himself. It's no wonder Claude brought on Marc and swapped Ian for Demmy, although at the time I thought it harsh since Ian did assist our first from the wing.

We weren't fantastic, until the first goal we lacked urgency and our attacking players were not having a good game, but it wasn't the wrist slitting performance some like to say. But we really do need to play with more urgency and power.

[BenTheFox]

On 25/08/2018 at 20:16, Dr The Singh said:

What about tactics? Game Management etc, what you have stated are just excuses, CP has had a transfer window to execute expectations set by the owners, this is what mattees, not hyperbole about why we fail.

Out of interest, how many players did Wolves and Southampton have at the world cup compared to us? Granted it doesn't excuse all aspects of the performances, but they certainly have the upper hand in terms of pre-season preparation. 

[Koke]

1 hour ago, Footballwipe said:

I may be the only person interested in this, but when downloading the match on Saturday the person who uploaded put the entire NBC broadcast up. For some reason they left the cameras rolling during the post match interviews and as a result we get to see every interview, and the transitions between the interviews. Puel doing three back to back, Maguire doing his MOTD and Sky interviews, with Hughes and Bertrand in there as well.

You can see how bored they all look as each sets up for one interview after another. I know this isn't exactly new, but thought it might be worth putting up.

 

Can't blame them. They gotta do 3-4 interviews to different broadcasters so they end up repeating themselves a lot. It must be boring answering the same questions seceral times over but it's part of the job I guess.

[BenTheFox]

2 hours ago, Babylon said:

Watching our game on Saturday it was so obvious that players were delaying passes, taking too many touches and taking too long to make a decision.

Obvious forward passes into areas that would have allowed a break, became backwards passes and stagnation.

For this style to work, a higher tempo and players having confidence to make a pass is absolutely essential.

I was watching highlights of Leeds, they were trying what we were doing. Keeping possession, but everything was at a high tempo and it meant players were found in space and the oppo had less time to react and regroup.

Opposition teams find us easy to defend most of the time as we are giving them enough time to regroup and get into position.

I agree with this. I have no issue with us wanting to keep the ball and try and build through the pitch and sometimes bringing the tempo down is the right thing to do. However, sometimes we've got to move the ball quicker and turn the opposition. I hope this will come when the players are a little bit more settled. 

[Koke]

On 25/08/2018 at 23:20, La-li-lu-le-lo said:

I’d start Okazaki at Liverpool. Kalechi just isn’t cutting the mustard. 

Okazaki will be bullied into oblivion by Van Dijk. At least Ihenacho can stand on his feet and can control a football. 

[pazzerfox]

3 hours ago, Col city fan said:

Again, spot on. That is pretty much exactly what is happening.

 

3 hours ago, Babylon said:

Watching our game on Saturday it was so obvious that players were delaying passes, taking too many touches and taking too long to make a decision.

Obvious forward passes into areas that would have allowed a break, became backwards passes and stagnation.

For this style to work, a higher tempo and players having confidence to make a pass is absolutely essential.

I was watching highlights of Leeds, they were trying what we were doing. Keeping possession, but everything was at a high tempo and it meant players were found in space and the oppo had less time to react and regroup.

Opposition teams find us easy to defend most of the time as we are giving them enough time to regroup and get into position.

I agree, but the question is...Are the players carrying out exactly what the manager is asking of them or do the players need more time to grasp what it is they are being asked to do?

 

If the answer is the former, then we might have a problem.

[Bablemikey]

From what I could see it seemed Puel was trying to get them to play quicker pretty much the whole game

[Bluetintedspecs]

17 hours ago, Ted Maul said:

F**k me some of you lot are boring.

 

Stoppage time winner away from home against a decent side and you're moaning, Christ. Enjoying moments like that is what football is all about.

The problem is Ted, they were more than likely watching a dodgy stream looking for shit to moan about.

They know what they're moaning about too because they watch these streams, play cartoon computer games and watch MOTD.

It's Muppets like this with no sense of perspective and a platform to spout their nonsensical venom that is killing the joy of our beautiful game.

[Clever Fox]

1 hour ago, Koke said:

Okazaki will be bullied into oblivion by Van Dijk. At least Ihenacho can stand on his feet and can control a football. 

Not necessarily, Generally speaking Big CBs prefer to play against someone who nearly as tall as them. It makes the body contact look more even.

Little guys have a low center of gravity which many tall Cbs cant deal with. When they lean into them it nearly always looks like they're fouling them.

Okazaki could win a penalty against Van Dyke. Especially when he likes to go to ground. 

[Guest Col city fan]

58 minutes ago, pazzerfox said:

 

I agree, but the question is...Are the players carrying out exactly what the manager is asking of them or do the players need more time to grasp what it is they are being asked to do?

 

If the answer is the former, then we might have a problem.

I believe it will come. Our players are being asked to play a different brand of football after quite some years of quick countering, direct stuff.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. 

[Max Wall]

6 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

I believe it will come. Our players are being asked to play a different brand of football after quite some years of quick countering, direct stuff.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. 

That's the point exactly. 

There seems to be an opinion that Puel has now had a preseason and been allowed to buy players so the team should immediately click into a passing machine, creating openings at will. The reality is, they should get better with more time adjusting to these new demands. Add to that our average age and the amount of younger players in the squad and expecting everything to click immediately and in every game is simply expecting too much.

It may work out for Puel, it may not but he has been given directives to work to going by the comments from the owners in the match programme and it seems the club is intent on taking that direction. Most of us hope, with time, it can prove successful.

[Babylon]

2 hours ago, pazzerfox said:

 

I agree, but the question is...Are the players carrying out exactly what the manager is asking of them or do the players need more time to grasp what it is they are being asked to do?

If the answer is the former, then we might have a problem.

The fact Puel looks livid most of the time I'm going to guess it's not what he wants most of the time.

[Harry96]

2 hours ago, Clever Fox said:

Not necessarily, Generally speaking Big CBs prefer to play against someone who nearly as tall as them. It makes the body contact look more even.

Little guys have a low center of gravity which many tall Cbs cant deal with. When they lean into them it nearly always looks like they're fouling them.

Okazaki could win a penalty against Van Dyke. Especially when he likes to go to ground. 

Low centre of gravity don’t mean much when you’re falling over your own feet every 2 minutes 

[Guest Col city fan]

2 hours ago, Max Wall said:

That's the point exactly. 

There seems to be an opinion that Puel has now had a preseason and been allowed to buy players so the team should immediately click into a passing machine, creating openings at will. The reality is, they should get better with more time adjusting to these new demands. Add to that our average age and the amount of younger players in the squad and expecting everything to click immediately and in every game is simply expecting too much.

It may work out for Puel, it may not but he has been given directives to work to going by the comments from the owners in the match programme and it seems the club is intent on taking that direction. Most of us hope, with time, it can prove successful.

For me, if we do as the Chairman is asking (developing the squad, improving each season) then Puel will be fine. I assume he hired him because Puel is good at bringing through youth.

it will be IF we go on a stinking run and look like having a relegation fight that the club may be forced to take action.

i hope not and don’t think we will

[StriderHiryu]

2 hours ago, Bablemikey said:

From what I could see it seemed Puel was trying to get them to play quicker pretty much the whole game

This was the same last season too, but we still don't do it nearly enough and why I do not know because the team has been completely overhauled (so we can't blame it on players with poor technique anymore). When we do it, we create our best moves and look good, but we only do it like 10% of the time. You're right in that most of the things Puel is gesticulating from the sideline are around this point and you often hear him shouting "one touch!" "forwards!" and "go!" but our players then take two or three touches and pass it sideways! I think it's a confidence issue and players don't want to be the one to lose the ball so choose the safe pass rather than the first time pass that opens up the opposition.

If we nailed down this part of our play we could get 7th, but I don't think we will quite master it this season. As a club we have literally never played a high passing percentage style so it's going to take a while to get used to it. As Claudio would say "slowly, slowly" .

[LCFC hub]

https://www.throughongoal.com/articles/southampton-1-leicester-2

[fuchsntf]

21 hours ago, Col city fan said:

For me, if we are to play Amartey, the RCB role is where we should play him.

He’s quick and athletic, but I don’t think he’s the most confident player. He seems to have more of a problem when he’s isolated, and he can get isolated on the right side. 

If he was in a defensive three, playing right alongside another CB, I think we’d see the best of him.

He’s clearly very eager to play for City, and never moans when dropped etc. But if we play him, let’s get him playing alongside a more confident player to guide him. He needs confidence.

That's where Simpson was strong,and knew his own game and responsibility in a game.

Its a shame other managers didn't involve him enough,our lack of rotation,have us the title,but the following seasons caused us problems.

twice Amartey had periods,where he started to look the part,then both times injuries stopped him dead.

where if it had gone to plan,he would be now one of the experienced players belong the now younger /new players.I

He gets the nod this season, then that Penalty...like you mention confidence building is going to be what the coaching staff need to do,

I believe we have a decent player,I must say I applaud Playing management,keeping to him.He's not fast,but neither is he a dawdling slow coach.

He's got a good cross on him.Hes shown in his first games,he can play through midfield,but the team was on an high then.

 

I believe Puel wants,to get Peggy and Amartey meshing together,on the right,like Chills and Gray on the left,who are still growing.

In this season's posts,I said we need to give Puel,and the 1st team squad time and patience to develope,and evolve.

Puel will be hard,and might need to tweek,it's now time to blindly support him and his selections,this first quarter of the season,

I don't look into errors or mistakes on gameday,its when after 3-6 games there's no seen positive trend.

It might seem too obvious,but something big "as happened",  In just 3games our defending at corners as improved,Where I actually do

dare to look....We get Ndidi,to pass after his great,good I intercepts and tackles,then Amartey to slip into a confident  routine,we and Puel

will have a team on our hands. If we can replace Wes,then the guy who makes it is own,Puel has played it well....

like all beginnings,it the ifs that rule the future,for now..

 

 

[Blue ROI]

Watched the 2nd half only.

I'll take the word of ye that we were cat in the 1st half but apart from the unstoppable Southampton goal it looked as if we played ok. Nowhere near our best but we created a few chances and though we got a lucky break at the end we have played a lot worse. Cancels out the 'what could have been' at Man U.

The good for us was Chilwell and Mendy who again had solid games. Gray took the goal well and looked a bit lively. We expect a lot from him but it took a while for Mahrez to get going in the PL and I am more impressed with Gray now than I have been the last 3 seasons. Maguire played well but a lapse in concentration could have cost us and him in the headlines for the wrong reasons, Great finish for the goal.

The Nigerians had a tough enough day.Nachoman was non existent and you gotta say N'Didi's passing and shooting is atrocious. Still a good player for us in his defending but even I had to cover my head after one wild attempt at goal. Maddison struggled to get to grips with the game. He's gonna be a marked man so up to him to rise above it.

For the brief glimpes of Ghezzal he looks like a decent addition. Almost created an assist and looks comfortable on the ball.

6 points from 9 is a good return despite the patchy performances. We're still a bit lightweight up front which does concern me greatly but at least we've got a goal in each game.

Could go either way with Claude but well done for now.

[fuchsntf]

10 hours ago, Babylon said:

Watching our game on Saturday it was so obvious that players were delaying passes, taking too many touches and taking too long to make a decision.

Obvious forward passes into areas that would have allowed a break, became backwards passes and stagnation.

For this style to work, a higher tempo and players having confidence to make a pass is absolutely essential.

I was watching highlights of Leeds, they were trying what we were doing. Keeping possession, but everything was at a high tempo and it meant players were found in space and the oppo had less time to react and regroup.

Opposition teams find us easy to defend most of the time as we are giving them enough time to regroup and get into position.

Right on the mark...but I don't think it's a Problem with Puels ideology,we've seen him through games get more than adgitated,at these moments.

He's even mentioned we seem to be taking too long on ball release and seeing the free man. Like after new year games last season,It was the implementation

on the pitch,from players we know can play on the frontfoot.

i don't know why,but some still stop,check then go on the backfoot,where a forward drive and pass has been obvious...the players

like against 10 men Soton,seemed they didn't dare onfield,the subs no matter who they  were correct.They need to find that cockyness,

i am sure they show in training. The system and the selection,is good,the players themselves need now to realise over safe,ain't the way.

Chills,Peggy and Maguire are taking that man and space on,Gray has to get back to believing his off and on ball arrogance.

Maddison,is getting there.Mendy rekindling his skills,but Puel giving him rightly the nod,again 'don't think twice,'get yourself and you

next teammate on the front foot,let the defence worry if,it doesn't quite work....If they're looking at Wes or Schmeichel,then they must

know they are facing the wrong way..mind you if they see Maguire,they could be excused for not being quite sure...

 

 

[Leeds Fox]

6 hours ago, Clever Fox said:

Not necessarily, Generally speaking Big CBs prefer to play against someone who nearly as tall as them. It makes the body contact look more even.

Little guys have a low center of gravity which many tall Cbs cant deal with. When they lean into them it nearly always looks like they're fouling them.

Okazaki could win a penalty against Van Dyke. Especially when he likes to go to ground. 

 

Small players have a low centre of gravity and good balance in the main... but have you ever seen Okazaki play before?? 

He doesn’t need fouling to be on the floor.