04 Mar 2018 15:30:41
I thought Redmond had an excellent game yesterday, Sims was very good as well. Lemina keeps showing his quality and I think he needs to play further forward. The two cb’s looked strong. However I have to say the two full backs both had poor games and have been poor all season.

It’s a shame because Cedric and Bertrand are both great full backs but haven’t been as good going forward this season, I don’t know if this has anything to do with the manager but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was him telling them to be more defensive. Romeu looked slow yesterday and again hasn’t been impressive this season.

Hojberg should definitely start from now on and is a great player. The one person who starts every week and is the worst player on the pitch by a country mile is Tadic. He adds nothing to the team and how he starts every match is beyond me, shows MPs shocking team selection.

We are destined for the championship and it’s the boards fault, les reed and Ralph Krueger need to be sacked and so does the manager.

I love the saints more than anything but if them 3 clowns are at the club next season I'm not sure I will get another season ticket.
It’s a shame but I think it's happening, I can’t see us winning another game this season.

1.) 04 Mar 2018
04 Mar 2018 16:57:17
Very good post, could not agree more with all of it.

With regards to Bertrand and Cedric, I am not really sure what is going on. They aren't any where near as positive as before, whether that is concern about Tadic/ Redmond covering them, I just don't know. There crossing has not been as good, but then who are they supposed to cross to? If you ever wanted confirmation that bertrand's heart is with southampton, look at his reaction when Gabbi equalised.

With regards to Romeu/ Hojberg . Absolutely right. hojberg was immense, almost running the show, showing exactly why he was at Bayern Munich . and then gets dropped for Romeu, who has been slow and not so incisive this season - I do wonder if that is because now Lamina has arrived and Hojberg is (was! ) on fire, that we have something to compare him with. For sure he should not start over Hojberg.

And then we come on to Tadic . nothing to say .

My team would be :

Cedric Hoedt Stevens Bertrand
Ward-Prowse Hojberg Lemina Simms
Gabbi
Carillo.

2.) 06 Mar 2018
06 Mar 2018 07:50:11
Spot on Upts.
Bertrand really did have a shocker, looks a frustrated player to me?
Tadic has been poor all season, spends more time trying to cheat than anything else.
Didn’t agree with what I have read that Saints dominated Stoke, they looked MUCH more dangerous attacking in the first half and it wasn’t exactly comfortable in the second.
I feel they look like they have more fight in them than we do and am now struggling to see which 2 teams are worse than Saints (West Brom excluded) .
As heartbreaking as it it is I don’t see how we will stay up with the fixtures we have left and our inability to win games. Still hope they give us a chance and sack MP but certain it isn’t going to happen.

3.) 06 Mar 2018
06 Mar 2018 16:14:34
I love Sims but feel he offers more from the bench as an impact at the moment. My starting 11 would be

McCarthy


Cedric hoedt Stephens bertrand


hjobjerg/ boufal romeou lemina jwp/ davis



Gabbiadini Carillo.

4.) 07 Mar 2018
07 Mar 2018 19:11:39
For me, it should be:

GK - McCarthy
RB - Cedric
CB - Hoedt
CB - Stephens
LB - Bertrand
CM - Lemina
CM - Hojbjerg/ Romeu
CM/ CAM - Ward-Prowse
LF - Sims
RF - Gabbiadini
ST - Carillo

Bench:
Forster
Yoshida (when fit, Bednarek until then)
McQueen
Hojbjerg/ Romeu
Tadic (Austin if fit)
Boufal
Redmond

I've deliberately called Sims and Gabbi left and right Forward rather than wing, as for me its vital they stay reasonably close to Carillo so as to avoid leaving our striker isolated as we so often have. The true width SHOULD, assuming strange instructions to stay back aren't in place, come naturally from Cedric and Bertrand, and from the freedom JWP would have in my system to pick up space wherever he can find it. Of course, if Cedric / Bertrand bomb forward then one of the CM's needs to recognise this and sit in, but this is why we have two quite defensive midfielders in Lemina and Hojbjerg/ Romeu.

Whether I play Hojbjerg or Romeu would likely depend on the opposition. against the big teams I'd imagine Romeu would be more useful.