AV82

Happens week in week out. Absolutely bollocks.

2 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Yeah let's not playing to our strengths. Let's try keep doing what we're shit at.

We can't defend. Don't you get that?

He’s added in a centre half to help with our defence. What are you on?

For what it’s worth I appreciate those of you who are staying positive. UTV! 2-1 win.

3-4-3 it is.

People have been calling for 3 at the back and I’m excited to see if we adapt. The Targett injury was poor timing, would love to see him at WB. 
 

3 minutes ago, terrytini said:

Yes.

I know for sure, I wouldn’t want to play in front of it. I could take hostility all day long from the opposition, but when I watched our players walk over on Saturday to be shouted/ told stuff I can’t repeat on here....nah. Anyone who says that doesn’t affect players is either a fool, or is covering a guilty conscience.

Absolutely. However as you rightly mentioned if the players aren't working hard it's difficult to expect the crowd to react positively when we're in a dog fight.

It's a tough situation and I hope Smith has the answer.

Targett deserves the rest of the season, injury permitting, to work on his mentality, physicality and fitness. Smith himself has said he's lacking in those areas so it's fair to expect improvement if given time.

Targett is a prime example of the technically sound, young players we're aiming to develop into better players.

Wingers are priority for me. Please lord we need two at least.

Just now, terrytini said:

I understand the sentiment but don’t agree - despite my observations here.

The fans are not the problem when players don’t give 100%, or if tactics are wrong, or if we are just not of decent quality.So I don’t think it’s fair to say more than half the problem.

But....if 5% is the difference between getting a result..then that atmosphere becomes the straw that breaks the camels back.

Fair point but I stand by it being a big problem, particularly when you factor in that we're a young, inexperienced team missing key players.

The spine of our team has been cut out by injury and loans expiring: Tuanzebe, Mings, McGinn, Tammy and even Grealish to an extent (when isolated out on the left) are all missing and jeers from the crowd will quickly kill any confidence.

Heads are dropping far too quickly and I think, in part, the crowd is to blame.

I'm starting to think our shit attitude/atmosphere is more than half of the problem.

You can hear the groans around the stadium when we make one pass backwards in an effort to relieve pressure / retain the ball / rest on the ball (pick one). The majority of our shit, negative fanbase expect every pass to be an incisive through ball. Testament to this is the constant "shooooot" that rings out when Douglas is on the ball anywhere in the opponent's half. Clueless.
 

If the rumours of our financial situation are true then the last thing we need is a centre half.

I'd also wager our defensive problems are because of our weak midfield and poor ball retention.

Needs time and more transfer windows.

Who do we blame for signing Trezeguet and Wesley?

Jota must play if he is fit. Use El Ghazi off the bench. Elmo in for Guilbert. Konsa in for Hause. Kodjia in for Wesley. Jack #8.

Heaton

Elmo - Engels - Konsa - Targett

Douglas - Hourihane

Jota - Grealish - Trez

Kodjia

2 hours ago, sne said:

By all means move him back into the middle.

The issue is that the wide player coming in would be Trez or Jota.

Not exactly strengthening our starting 11

I'd rather that than a non-existent central midfield.

The majority of Southampton fans agreed he works well only as WB and is seriously suspect as a LB defensively. 

Drop him.

We still don't know if he was injured or not.

I was a fan of his at the start but over time Nakamba has shown himself to be completely incapable of anything other than a tackle and a lay off, which doesn't happen often enough.

On the ball we were playing with 10 men today. This was not a game for Nakamba. Why can't Smith see that?

What the **** has happened to us? Every single player making mistakes, throwing their arms in the air and letting their heads drop. No cohesion. No fight. No drive.

I refuse to believe any of our players are as bad as their performances were today, and that includes El Ghazi and Trezeguet. I blame the manager.

The gap on the left of midfield was achingly obvious today. Grealish out on the left has run its course, we need him in the middle of the park driving the team forward, playing off of Wesley and dragging men into the centre so our wide men can take advantage of the space. He tried to do that today but there was no width on the left as a result of his coming inside, and Targett looked scared shitless to move past the halfway line for lack of cover. I'm rapidly losing faith in Smith's ability to adjust our system. Where is the tactical nous we heard of from his time at Walsall and Brentford? One comment regarding attacking the space between the full back and centre half is all I've seen.

After Nakamba's mistake for the goal not one player put their arm around him to lift his chin. Not one of them. Where is the leadership? Where is the drive to pick up your team mates and get on with the game? We are utterly void of anything resembling team-spirit and that's before I mention players not knowing who to mark, gesturing and shouting at one another with puzzled faces. Shape up Smith, this is shit.

I thought Wes was our best player in the first half (not saying a lot). Unfortunately Wesley was back to his old self in the 2nd.

Heaton

Guilbert - Engels - Konsa - Targett

Douglas - Hourihane

Jota - Grealish - El Ghazi

Wesley

The lack of movement in the middle of the park is of particular concern but, encouragingly, Conor dropped a little deeper (in the McGinn role) against Liverpool which gave us another option when finding an out ball from the back.

Hopefully this was Smith tinkering after seeing our number 6 overrun on multiple occasions.

Yes, limited is the word I'd use. Gets far too much abuse.

Still can't wrap my head around what Bruce did to him.

4 minutes ago, Villan4Life said:

You will be waiting a very long time for that

We've seen it time and time again where players need to adjust to the rigour of the Premier League. Why not Trezeguet who has been at the club for 5~ months?

He shows flashes of brilliance and technique and runs hard. He needs to apply that.

1 hour ago, Sam-AVFC said:

You keep saying this as if it’s a massive tactical change. All it means is one of the midfielders doesn’t track back as much and I’m really not sure we can afford that.

The biggest difference I anticipate is instead of having Douglas/Nakamba isolated in the number 6 position alone they'll have someone sitting with them to actually pass to.

It's no wonder we struggle to retain the ball under the slightest pressure when our DM has no forward passing options available as the other midfielders are all up front next to Wesley hoping to intercept a second ball.