10 Jan 2018 08:05:14
Gaitan and carillo would change the dynamic of our attack dramatically which is much needed if we could get Walcott as well to add some pace think that would do us nicely.


1.) 10 Jan 2018
10 Jan 2018 14:10:55
We already have pace - Shane Long is very fast still and gets on the ball in many goalscoring opportunities, he just seems to have the yips in the box.

We have Charlie Austin who is the exact opposite - likes to crash through onto a cross - plus we have Gabaddini who plays on the shoulder of the defender and anticipates balls through the lines.

I think if you played 2 up front and shaped the final third to suit their needs we would get more goals. Play the ball in sooner / more often to the danger zone (14) between the D and the box and pick up the percentages.

I was trying to find data on OPTA about the number of times City play the ball into the oppositions penalty box / D - but I can't find it - bet my house its 3 x the Southampton stats.

I think we look pretty good in defence and good to strong in midfield - its just what we do in the final third that needs work. One of the coaching sessions I went to recently we were told to forget about football for a minute and just consider this as an invasion game. How would you (coaches) plan a game where you has to invade to opposition box with as many players as needed to get a goal.

Well its obvious really - all of them. Actually it got too crowded - so we then had 2 rows of invaders - then the rules changes and the other side could counter attack - do the same back - so we needed a defender - but we decided 2 were better - so we eneded up with 2 defenders 3 midfielders and 5 attackers - YES we had reinvented football from its most exciting age (apparently) - in the 1920s and 1930s - the Pyramid.

Read Inverting the Pyramid.

You know who had the same set up in modern football - Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich - he gets it - the more attackers you have the more goals you score.

FU2.


2.) 10 Jan 2018
10 Jan 2018 18:50:52
I agree we need to change the dynamic up front or at least play to the strengths of our current squad.

I just hope we don't go for Walcott he is too like Redmond, quick but no capacity to out-think a defence. And the reason he's not a regular in the Gunners team is he doesn't score enough goals, so how will moving him South sort that out.
I remember Redmond up against Stokje at the end of last season couldn't get past there right back once, and kept doing the same thing with the same result - embarrassing.

MP needs to change his tactics depending on who is up front, Gabbi and Charlie are son different playing with the same style doesn't can't work for both of them. I agree that MP seems inflexible - I would love to know what style Charlie, Shane and Gabbi would vote for if they could decide!

Looks like it could be a long run in.


3.) 11 Jan 2018
11 Jan 2018 10:13:38
Come on Saints get the cheque book out and make some signings PLEASE!


4.) 12 Jan 2018
12 Jan 2018 10:37:06
Guys why do you think we are only interested in loan deals? we have only recieved 23 million upfront for VVD and that goes down to 17 million after paying Celtic the sell on clause money. Worring times.

The Times reports that the sum will be paid in instalments and that they are only guaranteed to get £17m now.

It means that the south coast outfit could be looking for more modestly priced players than some fans would have expected, and whether he costs £8.8m as per his reported release clause or £4m, Prijovic would certainly be an interesting addition to the Saints squad.


5.) 12 Jan 2018
12 Jan 2018 17:13:48
You really need to forget this stuff about the payment structure. That's just how deals are done, especially larger ones, and anyone we buy would be on a similar basis.

It's common ignorance which is fine, but when you start criticising the club and using this as evidence of "worrying times" then I start to get annoyed. It's not a cause for concern in the slightest, it's just how things are done.


6.) 12 Jan 2018
12 Jan 2018 18:26:34
And Pellegrino has also underlined that the club are looking at permanent deals rather than loans, so not sure why you think otherwise.

The lesson - don't make 123 angry. He's like a forum Hulk.


7.) 12 Jan 2018
12 Jan 2018 18:56:04
Saint Ben, however the payment for VVD, saints could simply make a similar deal for a player they are interested in. Also any payment to Celtic would be the percentage of what saints receive as and when they receive it.

I understand your concern about loans, my understanding was saints were only ever interested in a loan for TW but AW was only interested in a sale. I think this made sense, he is not what we need long term but short term would be relatively risk free and there are permanent targets according to MP2.