Southampton Banter Archive April 07 2015

07 Apr 2015 13:53:44
I have been for some time wondering why we are unable to create proper chances let alone score . We seem to play this one dimensional system where we play pretty pattern football but come to a dead stop when we get anywhere near the penalty area . We have as we are led to believe top quality midfield players that everybody is after but how many clubs would want them if they looked at a crucial fact . None of them can hit a barn door with a banjo whereas other top midfielders in the PL seem to be finding the net on a regular basis . I am not sure why this is but to be honest we can't just use the excuse that they have been unlucky when in good positions, we just seem to not be able to test the keeper on a regular basis especially since Christmas . I wonder why we out of all the top half teams in the PL can't create chances which is most frustrating and considering our defensive record you would expect us to be challenging Chelsea for the title if the forward play was working . Anybody any idea why we seem to be the almost team in the division?

07 Apr 2015 17:26:15
There's a few factors at play, I think. Number one, sadly, is having the slowest centre forward in the league. The option of a ball over the top or even just flicked around the corner is completely off the table. His movement off the ball is non-existent, so he's incredibly easy to mark. He just stands still, waving his arms. If you haven't got pace, you've got to work harder to find that yard of space. Sadly, Pelle doesn't do that and the attack suffers. The team are, understandably, reluctant to pass the ball to someone who is never open.

And so Saints are forced to attack from the wings. Which brings on problem number two. Elia and Mane are both - apparently - in their natural position as a left-sided attacker. But neither can cross a ball. Mane, at least, makes dangerous runs inside and gets into some decent positions. Elia spends all game trying to beat his man on the outside and then stopping and turning back because he refuses point blank to cross with his left foot. For someone who has played his whole career on the left wing, it's weird how little aptitude he has for the role.

Down the right side, Tadic has the same problem as Elia, in the sense that he always wants to cut inside onto his stronger foot. But unlike Elia, he has some end product and can pick a pass. Unfortunately, he seems to be solar powered and ran out of energy as soon as the sun went on its three-month winter holidays.

The other right wing option has been Shane Long, who A) isn't a winger and B) has virtually no attributes you'd want in a winger, given his rotten touch and sloppy technique. He's great at bombing around aimlessly. Just not with the ball. Having him as one of your main creative players is just desperate.

Problem number three comes in the shape of Davis and Ward-Prowse. Both have played the number 10 role all season. Neither has contributed a single goal. That's a shocking return. Even Jack Cork popped up with three from his limited appearances in midfield. I thought Ward-Prowse actually had one of his best games for a while against Everton and didn't deserve to get subbed, while Davis played well in his last game against Burnley. There's nothing much wrong with them as players, but they've both got to add goals to their game, as obvious as that sounds.

Problem number four: set-pieces. Ward-Prowse is apparently the only person in the whole of Hampshire who can take a corner or free-kick. As has been mentioned, he's no goal threat from free-kicks. And Saints have looked no threat from corners in aeons. I think Alderweireld at Palace before Christmas was the last time anyone even won an attacking header from a corner.

The final issue - in my opinion - is the overall speed of the play. As the season has worn on, the passing has gotten slower, the movement more ponderous. At their best, Saints zip the ball around with purpose, but for whatever reason that seems to have gone out of the team. When was the last time they even threatened on the counter-attack? Everything's slow-slow-backwards-sideways-slow.

Now that teams have started to take Saints seriously as a side (since around Christmas) and are happy to sit back and force them to break their defence down, these shortcomings have really been exposed. The Sunderland 8-0 game, lest we forget, was greatly assisted by their wide open, suicidal tactics and incredible incompetence.

07 Apr 2015 19:01:22
Yeah we are thinking of resigning jim magilton as he will fit in well with our 'crab like play' sideways sideways backwards lol

08 Apr 2015 07:09:05
qwertyell, you make a very good point about pelle not making any runs. I think that's the main difference between him now and him last year. You make a lot of good points, in fact, but I think you are being way too harsh on long and elia.