Dean Smith

[Pembers]

The first half performance was terrible from the players but at least Smith got the team going for the second half, hopefully he can do the same from the beginning of the next match.  If we don't commit just one of the silly fouls that led to their set pieces we get a draw, if Ward-Prowse and Ings don't hit worldies we get a draw, if one of Trezeguet's efforts goes in we get a draw. We could quite easily have come out of that with a point at least.

Edited November 1, 2020 by Pembers

[samjp26]

He needs to figure out a way to:

1. Stop Tyrone Mings from hoofing the ball up the pitch 

2. Get Watkins (or any striker we play) on the ball in the final third without him having to run back towards our own defence to get hold of it.

 

[DCJonah]

Just now, tinker said:

I think our second half showing was partly down to Southampton holding out for the win without to much effort.

We can't continue with just one formation and one style of play. The first half was dreadful and we started the second half much in the same vain. We need to increase our defensive capabilities in the midfield, not sure how but it's here we are losing control of the ball time and time again. We look outnumbered.

We've been in the prem for 1 year and barely survived. 

Its going to be awhile before we have a squad where we can really play in different ways and still get results. 

Think we all need to accept that staying in this league and improving on last year is still the aim. 

[sne]

Only 2 subs used, again. One of them due to injury. Smith clearly doesn't trust the squad, and I agree it's very thin.

[Mantis]

4 minutes ago, lexicon said:

Goals 2, 3 and 4 I wouldn't put on Smith. Stupid decisions by Cash and Luiz to give away free kicks there and the fourth was a bit of magic from Ings. First was poor defending, and more a problem with the system.

The goals themselves no I don't blame on him, but the way we reacted initially was shameful, although we then did play very well in the second half.

[OxfordVillan]

8 minutes ago, Indigo said:

A lot of the reaction to this is unsurprisingly more embarrassing than the performance itself. I won't call it unlucky because we were naive both in how the first set piece was defended and how the latter two were given away, but ultimately they scored three worldies and we had enough chances that could have inexplicably seen us actually make a comeback on another day.

The reaction in the second half showed a character that loads don't think this squad have, definitely managed to come out of the game with some encouragement for next week.

Tactically we got it wrong. Very wrong. We weren’t creating anything and looked like conceding chances to most attacks against us. That we conceded to a couple of class free kicks means nothing, we came in 3-0 at HT and deservedly so. We then went 4-0 down in the 2nd half and Southampton took their foot off the gas. By all means you take the positives out of the game, but to try and brush the negatives away as just freak bits of world class play that cost us the game would be delusional. We lost the game because we were atrocious for the 1st half and Southampton eased up for 30mins. 

[Enda]

2 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

That defeat is 100% on the players, no debate to be had in my view.

Good post.

It will be on Smith if, as I suspect he will, he stubbornly sticks with his players. Quite a few deserve dropping IMHO.

[villalad21]

xG: Villa 2.45 - Soton 1.00

I think when you get time to reflect on the game you will calm down a bit.

Southampton were abnormal effective today. Just one of those days. Scoreline doesn't tell the true story.

[DCJonah]

Just now, villalad21 said:

xG: Villa 2.45 - Soton 1.00

I think when you get time to reflect on the game you will calm down a bit.

Southampton were abnormal effective today. Just one of those days. Scoreline doesn't tell the true story.

Wow, have you been hacked?

[TrentVilla]

Just now, Enda said:

Good post.

It will be on Smith if, as I suspect he will, he stubbornly sticks with his players. Quite a few deserve dropping IMHO.

There are certainly a few candidates the issue is the options to replace them are worse.

[DCJonah]

2 minutes ago, Enda said:

Good post.

It will be on Smith if, as I suspect he will, he stubbornly sticks with his players. Quite a few deserve dropping IMHO.

But we don't have the squad to do it. 

[Indigo]

3 minutes ago, OxfordVillan said:

By all means you take the positives out of the game, but to try and brush the negatives away as just freak bits of world class play that cost us the game would be delusional.

Good thing I didn't do that then.

[momo]

Just now, TrentVilla said:

There are certainly a few candidates the issue is the options to replace them are worse.

I think the replacements are good, and offer other qualities to the ones playing. Can help with formation change, and not concede freekicks in dangerous positions. Nakamba is a master of that, and Hourihane offers something in attack. So does Davis. Olli has been good in 1 game in the PL. He should be out.

[TrentVilla]

Just now, momo said:

I think the replacements are good, and offer other qualities to the ones playing. Can help with formation change, and not concede freekicks in dangerous positions. Nakamba is a master of that, and Hourihane offers something in attack. So does Davis. Olli has been good in 1 game in the PL. He should be out.

Have to disagree, I don’t think one player outside our starting 11 is better than any in it. Yes they might have different attributes but none of them are better players who would improve the side.

[KenjiOgiwara]

I expected a loss today,  but we need to do better against high pressure teams and figure out the midfield balance, and that starts with Smith. 

[penguin]

6 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

xG: Villa 2.45 - Soton 1.00

I think when you get time to reflect on the game you will calm down a bit.

Southampton were abnormal effective today. Just one of those days. Scoreline doesn't tell the true story.

Potentially, but how much of our xG came once they were seeing the game out with a huge lead? Goals obviously change games.

[momo]

1 minute ago, TrentVilla said:

Have to disagree, I don’t think one player outside our starting 11 is better than any in it. Yes they might have different attributes but none of them are better players who would improve the side.

I didn't say the were better in general, but I am pretty sure that a player on the bench is better than a player having a shit day on the pitch.

[Enda]

7 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

There are certainly a few candidates the issue is the options to replace them are worse.

Elmo for Cash, I’d drop one of McGinn or Ross after that, and Matt Targett needs to spend all day tomorrow at BMH learning how to defend a bloody corner.

[osmark86]

15 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

Pointless talking about Smith today unless you genuinely think he didn’t talk about Ward-Prowse in the build up to this game and the risk of giving away silly free kicks.

That first 45 was absolute garbage but it’s not on Smith. It’s on Targett being a little reckless then Mings allowing McGinn to pick up their main man in the air. It’s on Luiz giving away a ridiculous free kick and Mings not bothering to jump in the wall. It’s on Mings and Konsa drifting out of position leaving Cash stranded and then making an error.

The players cost us that game not Smith, stupid stupid basic errors that they shouldn’t be making and you simply can’t make at this level.

Some seem eager to credit them for sticking at it second half, I’m not crediting them for that after that woeful first 45.

That defeat is 100% on the players, no debate to be had in my view.

The players got plenty of praise following the first 4 games but they need to take the blame today, that first half display was sloppy, needlessly careless and totally unacceptable.

They absolutely threw the game in the first half and should get criticized for that. You can only respond to that though and I think they did that in the second half. It was too little too late, but had they not responded at all I'd be more worried.

I just don't want to see more games of two halves. It's time to go into a game from the first minute with high intensity and eagerness to win.

[MotoMkali]

What if we play jack as the central false 9 like Messi used to with watkins and traore on the wings? Watkins' work ethic is one of his best attributes so he should do very well on the press and force errors. I k ow last season we played a 4-3-1-2 but neither of the strikers could play outwide but both watkins and traore can.

Jack can then drift out wide or come short for the ball and the person who gets the ball up top will have the ability to hold it up and win a foul further up the pitch.