Southampton 0-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[Carsy]

I don't think passing football we'd seen in the first 3 games was fancy. It was a style a lot of folks, including myself, could get on board with and it was individual finishing that was the problem.

Raul's second half finish in any of those three games and we win them all. But them's the breaks.

The regression I've seen over the last 3 games is disappointing, even if it has yielded points and begs the question, why bother changing the manager?

I hope Bruno can get back to that style against Newcastle with an inform Raul.

I think a front three of Podence on the left and Trincao on the right would give us better control in the front three than we had yesterday as well as an actual footballer at LWB.

If we’re going to dominate the ball, then I’d probably get on bored with that front 3. We should have more of the ball against Newcastle. Would have a different front 3 against teams who will play higher up
Against us and we expect to have less of the ball

 

[Johnny75]

I don't disagree with any of that. The point i think everyone is trying to make is that one shit game with a result doesn't make the season. In fact that result takes a little pressure of the players, and let's them build a little bit of confidence into the next match.
Like all of us i want to see the football we played in the first three games, but the results are key in this league. Being top of the XG/shots league does absolutely fook all for our position in the table.
I know you know this.

My point that's being missed is that we've played badly for 2 of those 6 games.

Again it was the finishing that was missing and that's down to individual players. Credit to Bruno he tried to change that yesterday but he also changed the style to long ball rubbish which was just strange given what we'd seen before.

But it is only 6 games and I hope he goes back to that style of football we first saw.

 

[Johnny75]

If we’re going to dominate the ball, then I’d probably get on bored with that front 3. We should have more of the ball against Newcastle. Would have a different front 3 against teams who will play higher up
Against us and we expect to have less of the ball

With your last sentence that's where we play Traore high up the pitch.

 

[WolfMan]

So tell me again what was the point in changing manager?

So now your saying just changing the manager and not buying the players he wants should be enough to get the squad we've got playing attractive, winning football?

That's literally what Jeff Shi thought as well.

 

[sycophantia]

I agree. From what I’ve seen people are just saying what they see. They aren’t “expecting“ anything. The game was rubbish and we stole a win.

It’s nothing to get overly positive or negative about to be honest.

We lost games we didn’t deserve too. We’ve won a game we didn’t deserve too. Much like the team were praised vs United despite the result. They are allowed to be critiqued here despite the result. It’s not a hard concept but people seem to struggle with it.

Tbf in my post I was talking about the condemnation of Raul rather than peoples view of the match ( my poor writing skills) the matchday thread is always full of ott stuff (me included).
Anyway as Johnny pointed out I've posted far too much on a match I haven't seen (far too much time on my hands obviously) now I'm looking forward to Saturday.

 

[AndyWolves]

Not sure I agree with this.

It's nothing to do with critiquing one game, or the players, or manager in isolation. At least a couple of prominent posters quickly extrapolated a single game into an existential crisis over our playing style.

The expectation being that we should be playing attractive football and winning.

If we only do the former: criticised for vanity relegation football. Only do the latter: purist strop

And at the same time absolutely berating the club for a bad set of transfer windows because we have a thin / weak squad. (Justifiably of course)

We know we have a poor / weak squad, surely expectations must be aligned with what's actually realistic?

 

[Johnny75]

So now your saying just changing the manager and not buying the players he wants should be enough to get the squad we've got playing attractive, winning football?

That's literally what Jeff Shi thought as well.

Well no, but you're on an argument nobody needs or wants, so I'll leave you to it.

 

[Johnny75]

And at the same time absolutely berating the club for a bad set of transfer windows because we have a thin / weak squad. (Justifiably of course)

We know we have a poor / weak squad, surely expectations must be aligned with what's actually realistic?

We don't have a poor squad. We have holes we wanted filling and should have been addressed. They weren't and that's on Jeff.

It doesn't mean we have a poor/ weak squad.

 

[AndyWolves]

We don't have a poor squad. We have holes we wanted filling and should have been addressed. They weren't and that's on Jeff.

It doesn't mean we have a poor/ weak squad.

Those holes surely limit our abilities though?

 

[Johnny75]

Those holes surely limit our abilities though?

Doesn't mean we had a poor/ weak squad to start with.

We need to address the deficiencies to make us better and we didn't.

 

[AndyWolves]

Doesn't mean we had a poor/ weak squad to start with.

We need to address the deficiencies to make us better and we didn't.

Better than what? We had a very poor season last season. I've seen posts deconstructing every player and position in our squad.

Finishing 13th with 36 goals suggests we aren't in the rudest of health.

My own view is that our squad isn't very good and that limits our potential.

 

[Johnny75]

Better than what? We had a very poor season last season. I've seen posts deconstructing every player and position in our squad.

Finishing 13th with 36 goals suggests we aren't in the rudest of health.

My own view is that our squad isn't very good and that limits our potential.

I don't agree with your view.

 

[prawnking]

We have so few decent centre halves we can't field a back four, three senior CMs to our name, everyone hates our first choice LWB, our biggest wing threat is a waste of a shirt that should be benched at least, and the manager fielded two GKs on the bench yesterday.

But the squad is fine

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Southampton fans view:

Saints 0-1 Wolves - Match Thread

www.saintsweb.co.uk

 

[WsWolf]

Only just got round to watching as I got talked into playing for the first time in about 3 years. 2 very poor sides and a draw was probably fair. A bit of magic from what looked strikingly like the Raul Jimenez we know and love. Hopefully that gives him the confidence boost to play his natural game and not try and overdo it. Should have squared to Adama or shot early near the end though. Sa will cost us a few this year with his handling and lackadaisical style but he did make up for any error he made and two great kicks for the two chances detailed above. Coady was excellent.

 

[AndyWolves]

I don't agree with your view.

So why was the transfer window such a disaster then? If it doesn't really matter because the squad is fine.

 

[Dire Wolf]

I don't think the squad is that strong personally. I don't think any of the centre halves who played yesterday would be anyone's first choice in a back 4, and I think of our central midfield players only Neves is one I'd be wanting to start most PL games. The CBs + Donk and Joao are decent squad options but I certainly don't think they should be automatic first choices. Then you have Marcal who I don't think should be anywhere near the 1st team. You could add Podence in there too, he was really poor, and the evidence over the last year is not that he's going to miraculously improve. He is what he is, alright as a squad player but shouldn't be starting.

So of the starting 11 from yesterday, ideally 7 of those should be subs and squad depth only. So yeah, I think the squad is fairly weak when depth players and subs are starting more often than not.

 

[redvictor]

My point that's being missed is that we've played badly for 2 of those 6 games.

Again it was the finishing that was missing and that's down to individual players. Credit to Bruno he tried to change that yesterday but he also changed the style to long ball rubbish which was just strange given what we'd seen before.

But it is only 6 games and I hope he goes back to that style of football we first saw.

Honestly i don't think it is. Everyone on this thread has said the same thing. What we need to do is move on to the next game and see how they play.

 

[Tony Towner]

So why was the transfer window such a disaster then? If it doesn't really matter because the squad is fine.

He's not said that. In fact he said it has holes... It does.
Just because we are lacking in CM and at CH does not make the squad shite. It makes it lacking at CH and CM

 

[AndyWolves]

A little test then, who from our starting XI gets in over Villas starting XI?