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Saints At Middlesbrough The Preview
Saturday, 13th May 2017 09:20

Saints travel to Teeside needing a comprehensive win against a side already relegated for several important reasons.

With Middlesbrough already heading back to the Championship, Saints have to win this game and win it well for more than one reason.

The first is League position, a win could propel Saints into 8th place and with a good chance of holding on to it, whilst a defeat could not only see us slip out of the top ten again and lower, but could leave us struggling to scrape into the top 15.

That means in terms of League position a win is essential and it could also see us virtually secure that top 10 finish if the teams around us drop points themselves.

The second reason why three points are essential is for the manager himself, the stark reality of this season is that he has not performed to the standards that were expected when he came to the club last summer, the squad is good enough to have achieved a lot more, that has been shown on all too rare occasions, but the inconsistency of this season has to be down to the manager who has chopped and changed and in doing so confused the hell out of supporters and players alike and removed any sort of pecking order on the pitch based on form.

Should Saints be beaten at Boro then it is hard to see the board keeping faith with the manager, indeed it is hard to see that Puel could return to St Mary's in charge for Wednesday's game against Manchester United let alone for the final game against Stoke.

With season ticket sales slow, the board know that they have to make a point to the supporters and they need to do it quickly and decisively.

Back to the game and it is anybody's guess what formation that the Frenchman will play, of late it has been an attacking one, but just putting four attacking players into the three spaces available, does not increase your scoring power, it merely serves to make the team disjointed and not sure what they are doing.

There are too many players in the squad that have gripes with the manager for the way he has treated them, some have been public but others more speculative, but there is clearly something wrong with the squad's team spirit.

But the squad is good enough to win this game if it can find the spirit to go out there and play in spite of Puel and not because of him.

Boro are the lowest scoring side in the Premier League and that should allow us to commit men forward when we attack, something we have been unable to do of late because of the need to keep so many behind the ball to stop us being murdered on the counter attack.

But Boro do not concede many either, in terms of goals against they are in the top half of the League as we found out at St Mary's when it took a Sofiane Boufal wonder goal to win the game.

The key will be to score early and then draw them out and catch them on the break, the reality at the moment is that we offer little from corners and set pieces due to a lack of height in the team , so we are going to have to score from open play.

So a big game for Saints and one we have to win, a top ten finish for the fourth consecutive year would be a first for the club and would be a good achievement, but defeat could see Bournemouth jump above us and be hard to overhaul.

That would highlight to the board just how badly Puel has fared this season, it cannot be denied that Saints squad is bigger, better and stronger than our neighbours from across the New Forest, but the issue is that in Eddie Howe they have a manager who knows about running a football squad and keeping things simple and tight and in doing that he has got the Cherries to the lofty heights of this season.

Without being patronising, we have managed to keep above them so far due to the fact that we have a better team, but it is badly run and should really not have let them or at least half a dozen teams within sight of us now.

All those stupid dropped points against the likes of Sunderland at home Burnley away etc are now coming back to haunt us.

If we win I don't think it will ultimately save Puel's job, even a three game winning burst to the end of the season might not be enough for that.

With regards to team selection, we all know what it will be apart from perhaps one place, that tells you all you need to know.

Photo: Action Images



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saintpp added 11:23 - May 13
Thats rather a loaded anti Puel article Nick. Comparing him to eddie howe who has been at Bournemouth a while but this is Puels first season.he didnt know the players and id say part of his rotation was to try them all out otherwise how would he know who can do what?
He would have expected more from Long and Jay based on past seasons goals and they have let him down..how many chances does Shane need to score and why cant he stay onside for a change!
Secondly 'far too many players have gripes with the manager' that is pure speculation based on what information?,Only Tadic that we know came out and complained about being taken off.Maybe Classie is bit peeved off but acc to our fickle fans hes not up to standard two great goals doesnt make him a must start. And would leave leave out davis or romue for him tho admitadly tjey could hit barn door either.
As for Puels job do you really think it would be beneficial for saints to change managers AGAIN and get new guy who has to learn from scratch about players capabilties.
Puel should be given another year he has learnt i believe next year hopefully we will get the benefits.
Agreed they must win today.
-2

SaintNick added 12:17 - May 13
Im sorry but I dont think Puel has performed to the standard expected, Koeman got off to a flyer in his first season , the issue has been about Puel trying to change our playing style from day one when as you say he didnt know the players etc, this is the Premier League you dont have time to rotate it about a bit to give everyone a chance.

I was not one calling for Puel's head before the season had started, I'm just not happy now with the way he has been putting out teams now he knows the players he has got, normally I would think that he has done enough for another season, but I think the situation both in the dressing room and in the stands with supporters refusing to renew season tickets has gone to far and his position is irretrievable, that all adds up to a parting of the ways im afraid. My article yesterday compared the good and bad points so im not ranting just based on isolated games.
3

petedoors1 added 14:06 - May 13
I cant see us beating Middlesbrough today they only have pride to play for now the pressure of the relegation fight is off. As much as I want us to win it might be best if we lose then we might get rid of that clown PUEL.
1

BaselSaint added 15:50 - May 13
I'll be pleasantly surprised if we win this, we're one up now. Puel has lost the dressing room and the fans and although I defy anyone to distinguish between normal Puel management of a game and someone who just can't be bothered I hope the result is in our favour.
2


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