| Forum Reply | VAR Yes or No? at 13:14 17 May 2024
Well, you've just said where the law isn't factual, so thanks for that. But you're leaving out all the other areas where it isn't factual either. The law requires judgements to be made about whether a number of things were "deliberate", whether a player has "control of the ball", whether the ball was "not moving quickly" etc. There are plenty of judgements involved. |
| Forum Reply | VAR Yes or No? at 12:33 17 May 2024
Offside isn't factual. VAR isn't accurate in the same way as goal line technology and even that isn't 100%. VAR doing offside is just some bloke drawing a line on the screen after making a judgement about the exact moment a ball was played, where exactly the scoring parts of the body are etc. It might be accurate to within a yard, but no more than that. |
| Forum Reply | Looks as if Adams is on his way out to Wolves at 10:01 17 May 2024
So if you're RM and Adams comes to you and says "I'm not really up for this game. I'm thinking more about my next contract. I don't want to be injured", would you play him? I don't see how any manager could. The other players will know what's going on and if they think one of their team mates doesn't want to be on the pitch with them, that won't help. If he says "Boss put me out there and I'll win it for you" then fair enough, but that ain't likely. |
| Forum Reply | Broja at 14:27 8 May 2024
TimSaint is right. It's daft to blame him for being isolated. How was he doing that, hiding behind the corner flag? He proved himself a PL level striker with us. He also showed he had it in international matches. That's why Chelsea wanted him back and were going to play him. He was just very unlucky with his injury. Now it's Catch 22 for him. He needs the game time to get back to his best, but he can't get the game time because he isn't at his best. Still, there's a good chance of him overcoming a very bad injury and no doubt, a shock to his confidence. So I'd take him back in a nano second. |
| Forum Reply | Oh Sh1t at 11:27 5 May 2024
I agree with you - if we play the kind of tactics we have done all season. But yesterday we were far more compact, gave them less space and looked less vulnerable. I'm sure RM won't be happy with the possession stats, but f**k that. If we keep this up we will start to look like a side that is worthy of promotion. Then we can worry about the PL next year (hopefully, maybe). |
| Forum Reply | Next season at 10:30 4 May 2024
This is what I posted on another thread a few days ago: They may not be playing that way at the moment for various reasons, but these are good enough for the PL, if nothing else then as squad players: KWP, THB, Jan B, FD, Fraser, Brooks, Carlos Alcaraz and Perraud. That's a similar list to yours but you don't mention KWP and you include Aribo (you might be right about him). The bottom line for me is that this season we've had the option to use a set of players who were good enough to be promoted but would need significant strengthening if we were to survive in the PL. Next year, when we'll probably still be in this league, we might not be as strong. We had weaknesses in certain areas (GK, CF) but these players were still good enough to be promoted. The trouble is we played a system that exposed our defence and made it look weak and some players have gradually lost confidence, so they're not playing anywhere near their potential. |
| Forum Reply | Rotherham’s keeper Johansson at 11:27 3 May 2024
It's not going to happen with Rusty in charge though is it? Only goalkeepers who can play with their feet qualify for Rusty and a a goalkeeper who can both keep goal and play outfield would be bloody expensive and beyond our reach. So it'll be Baz and Baz lite for us. Of course if we had a manager who wasn't so caught up in the latest football fad... |
| Forum Reply | Let the farmer off? at 11:22 3 May 2024
You can call in the police who will attend when they have finished filling in forms, but you must ensure that you ask them for their pronouns first so that you can describe them to the police without causing offence. |
| Forum Reply | The case for sticking with Russell Martin at 11:57 1 May 2024
You're right that the slow passing around isn't RM's first choice. He would prefer that we immediately pass it forward. But the point is, he only wants this so long as we retain possession. He doesn't want us to risk losing possession. If we're dominating the other team, we can move it quickly and not risk losing possession. But if we're playing a well drilled side, we can't. This is a direct copy from Pep. The main difference is that City's players can break down a packed defence after moving the ball slowly up the field, we can't. With our standard of player, we need a manager who is prepared to take a few more risks with possession and move the ball quicker. |
| Forum Reply | If only. at 13:14 30 Apr 2024
This thread is my spiritual home. I've been saying "if only" about Saints for about half a century now. |
| Forum Reply | Do we complain too much? at 13:11 30 Apr 2024
I've been critical of RM all year, even while others were praising him, but I don't revel in the problems. I hate it. I find it all really f**king frustrating. Coming on here and moaning about it is partly just to get rid of the frustration. What we say on here makes absolutely no difference to anything or anyone except us. |
| Forum Reply | Fans in a lose lose position? at 12:55 30 Apr 2024
The less we spend on players, the less likely they are to be good in RM's system. You need quality players to play tippy tappy and quality players don't come cheap. We would be better off if we decided on a different playing style and looked for players that can play that way. That's the way to find bargains. Of course we'd have to wave a sad farewell to Rusty, but I think could handle that. |
| Forum Reply | Does anybody think Saints can get promoted this season? at 12:59 28 Apr 2024
I don't think it's a problem having a lot of loanees. It puts them in the shop window so they want to play and do well. Burnley had a lot of loanees last year. They may not be playing that way at the moment for various reasons, but these are good enough for the PL, if nothing else then as squad players: KWP, THB, Jan B, FD, Fraser, Brooks, Carlos Alcaraz and Perraud. |
| Forum Reply | Desperate Tories - or tactical masterstroke? at 10:09 27 Apr 2024
Keir Starmer has launched his first major policy initiative to take the nation's attention away from Tory policies. He said: "(Coventry's goal) is a really well-worked goal, and it is ruled out because there is what, a toenail of difference between the attacker and the defender? Don’t tell me a toenail gives you an advantage in football. I would change the offside rule. I would not change VAR. I would change the offside rule to make it more beneficial for the attacking team.” If Rishi now comes out with a policy to change VAR there will be clear blue water between Labour and the Tories. This could be where the election is won and lost. |
| Forum Reply | Southampton V Stoke City The Preview at 12:22 26 Apr 2024
I agree with Nick on this. Psychology is so important and it's easy for it to be undermined. Players want to know where they stand. If they're not picked, why? If they're dropped, why? I get the feeling with all the chopping and changing the players have lost a bit of faith in the manager. Going back to comments about Ralph, I think this was fundamental to the problems. Not chopping and changing so much but RH lost some of his enthusiasm and I'm sure this was picked up by the players. They then lost that edge, the few percent that are critical to results. Ex players and pundits have been saying that Klopp made a big mistake in announcing his retirement. RH made that mistake in Feb 22. He said he planned to stay on until 2024 and "I hope I have the strength to go through with it". Not very inspiring for the players. They need 110% commitment to perform (particularly in RH's pressing system). 99% isn't good enough. |
| Forum Reply | Man. City at 09:32 26 Apr 2024
They do have a right to expect to beat us. Maybe not God given, but money given. Ever since players won their Bosman rights, league placings are very strongly predicted by how much a club spends on wages. Arsenal's revenues are three times as high as ours (2023 figures). Three times! They should expect to beat us regularly at home, not every time but regularly. I don't think that's arrogant, just realistic. That's just the way football is these days. In the same year, our revenues were 6 times as high as Cardiff's and are probably still much higher, so we should expect to beat them. If we don't go up our revenues will start to look more like Cardiff's and a very long way from Arsenal's. |
| Forum Reply | Drop KWP too much of a liability at 18:37 25 Apr 2024
I agree with a lot of that, but you yourself are advocating the kind of radical change that you caution against. You want 3-4-3 (I think). Ok but that's a different way of playing than RM's 4-3-3. Also, it may not solve the problem. A traditional problem with playing 3 at the back is the space behind the wing backs. The system really depends on those 2 as they have to cover the whole length of the pitch. It needs 2 good wing backs and I don't think we've got them. There's no single best formation, but if you've got a defensive problem in the full back areas then the usual way to solve it is with more support from midfield and that is best provided by a 442 or 4222 shape. But that's not going to happen because that's not RM's way. He's a very "brave" coach (although with a slow build up) and that can be a good thing against weaker sides, but when he's up against wingers like Leicester's, or anyone who breaks quickly, it leaves us very open. |
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