It’s the new tactic - hit and hope
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Solid reasoning there @saintbletch. We have definitely shed that identity and the football has suffered as a consequence.
Problem is we found a couple of those managers but both left having got better offers at clubs with deeper pockets. I’m pretty sure both cited that horrible buzz word ‘ambition’ too…
The next two managers who supposedly had these beautiful philosophies ended up as car crashes.
There’s no doubt that Hughes was a safe bet in so far as the majority of fans welcomed it after he kept us up. Even those like myself who found it uninspiring but practical because I wanted some stability and continuity.
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I didn’t give a shit about stability & continuity at the end of last season.
I cared about watching Saiints on TV every week, which is only possible by staying in the Premier League
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Yes but those two things are surely important factors in achieving your main aim? As opposed uncertainty and disruption that comes with a new manager and regime. Eg. Mauricio Pellegrino
Please don’t take this as a personal dig; it’s not intended to be, though it may well sound as if it is. Quite simply, I’m struggling to remember a post of yours in which you are any better than mildly disparaging of any Southampton player, yet here you are now saying that all we need is a couple of players and we’re definite top half (or better) material.
So, which two players aren’t top half Premier League standard? Judging from your output in general, most if not all of our players would struggle to get into playoff-challenging Championship sides. I am genuinely interested to know the answer to this, as it seems to me to be quite some circle to square.
Check out the businesses that Makus Liebherr actually owned, and that Katharina therefore inherited. The great big crane business wasn’t his, as he’d sold his stake in it years before he bought Saints.
Fair enough!
Firstly, the digger comment wasn’t even slightly serious and was a tongue in cheek dig at those ridiculous sponsorship deals like City and Etihad. I threw it out there as an attempt at lightening the tone as I was well aware of coming across as a whinger.
I rate a lot of our players and often talk up their strengths. Admittedly none of them play at centre back at the moment and have criticised them recently. You surely can’t argue that 3rd and 4th choice defenders finding themselves in the first team is a sign of progress.
So to try and answer your question I would argue that 3 of the current centre backs aren’t good enough for top half. Not at this point at least.
I openly don’t rate Redmond, sure. But mainly because he isn’t ‘honest’, if that makes any sense. He doesn’t play to his strengths and tries to be something he isn’t.
Often I rate players but feel they aren’t necessarily utilised properly though. Gabbiadini is a good example. He makes great runs but is simply starved of service due to not having a player to pick those through balls. Same with Austin and Long. I rate their qualities but sometimes they are ineffective against certain opposition.
From my perspective it is simply a case of finding missing pieces to a jigsaw. A pacy direct winger who can contribute a few goals would give us a dimension that we have lacked since Mane. A counter attacking capability. You could make similar arguments about a target man. Having an outlet of those types naturally improves the performance of other individuals and the team as a whole. Because they know they can play that more speculative percentage ball in to an area to take us up the pitch. In the last two years we have not had such outlets and in my opinion that has led to a focus on ball retention and playing square and backwards passes which has contributed to the dull, ineffective and confidence sapping football on offer.
So in summary I think we have the basis of a good team but just require the finishing touches to complete the jigsaw.
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I’d agree with much of that Simon, except Redmond.
I, like Pep, think he was ruined by our last 2 muppet managers into not taking risks & refvckingcycling all the time.
Hopefully Sparky will get them playing on the front foot
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I’m pretty sure he’s just not that great.
Can’t seem to find that story anywhere else being discussed other than from this tweet as a source.
Tottenham heavily linked and not sure we need another midfielder, but I guess IF THIS WAS TRUE we’d lose a couple to pay for it.
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WATFORD KEEN ON WARD-PROWSE LOAN
Watford are interested in a loan deal for Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse , according to Sky sources.
However, SSN understands the young English midfielder is not available on loan and the Saints will rebuff any such advances for the player.
Feck me they’re leaving it very late in the window to sign 1 player.
I see Spurs going backwards rapidly this season.
We’re going to end up signing Ings… which, imo, will be a colossal waste of money (again)
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Au contraire, looks like the Bar Codes are going to get him.
Good
So, er, deadline day. Does it get its own thread?