Southampton (A) 9th March - 1500 KO

[Park Lane Mark Twain]

Knowing that no matter how badly you play , you will still play the next game doesn't make any player grow.
Lack of proper competition in some areas has made some players untouchable, we're witnessing that now worse than ever before.

It's difficult because we aren't the same level of the top teams where they can have twice as much depth as we do etc. I really don't mind losing a few games here or there but to get 1 point from games against Burnley, Chelsea, Woolwich and Southampton is really shoddy. We need the players to show heart now, they owe it to the club to fight for every inch, to cover every blade of grass. They didn't need to do that but after throwing away points so recklessly they need to show their guts or this is the ceiling for what most will achieve. I love Eriksen as a footballer for example but those 50/50s he ducks out of, you simply cannot do that at this level if you want to win. It's frustrating because we really don't need a lot and I don't demand much, but not throwing in the towel is definitely something I expect week in week out and a few allow their heads to drop instead of show much needed and necessary urgency.

Really we needed 2 goals with 10 minutes left and we kept throwing it backwards, spraying it around at the back and it just lacked any real desire or understanding about the situation at hand. That to me is very alarming for a group that Poch has built with vast emphasis on personality & character. I want them to hate losing and I don't know if a few genuinely do at the moment. A little too sulky and lacking heart when it's needed most and not razor sharp up top when we are having hefty possession.

We cause our own demise at times, that's very hard to understand

 

[Totti]

Poch has brought a lot of this upon himself.

He has stated time and again that he only wants to bring into the club players that can improve the team. If he feels that he cannot improve the quality after that performance today (during the Summer) than i truly think we are in deep shit.

The CL results are misleading when you look at the teams we have beaten, not that we didn't deserve to be in the quarter finals, but we are heading for more than likely another three losses this season in the PL and any team that loses a third of it's games deserves in all fairness to win bugger all, let alone qualify for the CL next season.

You can see his frustration in the post match interview, and he is now suggesting that perhaps this is as good as it is going to get. For the first time ever, i am wondering whether he is saying this out of frustration or with the realization that he cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel all be it in a new gin palace.

Feel free to flame away.

You aren't wrong mate, don't worry.

There was definitely a hint of Harry Redknapp in his post-match interview.

 

[mikes01666]

I'd say a bigger problem than having a midfield consisting of Sissoko and Dier is our defence changing from game to game.

Do you want to know how many games in a row we've fielded a completely different defensive line-up? 19. In all competitions. NINETEEN games in a row.

The last time we played two games in a row with the same back four? Beginning of December when we beat Burnley 1-0 and Woolwich 2-0 in the League Cup.

Funny that ain't it? Two cleansheets in a row playing the exact same back four.

Kepa, Robertson, Matic (or Matip or someone), VVD, TAA.

Play pretty much every game.

Today we had 'new boy' Dier dropping back into almost a sweeper role

The foundation of every team is its defence (not any five from eight). I know we've had injuries but we endure pretty much endless tinkering. Any defence must act as a single unit. A new defensive teammate every game does not create cohesion. You need to know what your fellow defenders are doing instinctively and act as a single entity. You only know this by playing game in, game out.

 

[mikes01666]

Which winner do you think we could get who would be succesful with the smallest net spend transfer budget in the Premier League?
Guardiola? Klopp? Moyes?

One word. Sam.

 

[Nabil Bentaleb]

Believe what? Poch has taken us too far?

Nope. Not at all nor was that what I said.

If we win any trophies in the next 10 years, it'll be with Poch at the helm. We lose Poch and we go back years of development.

What proven winner manager will want to manage us under levy?

 

[COckneY Spurs]

If wer looking to point the finger of blame here and start sacking people then I’m going to start by defending a few first before I start handing out P45’s....
MANAGER - Pochettino, has to make do with what he has, including inheriting some complete garbage, and other plan B signings who he simply has to try and improve, he has no choice....some people are saying Sissoko and player of the year in the same sentence, fuck me, any other top 6 club would have got shot of this clown quicker than you could blink, so that’s tribute to Pochettino that he is playing half average these days.
MONEY MEN - Levy, we could easily say he is the man responsible for all of the above, but let’s be honest, we don’t have the cash, we give a false impression of that now and again, but that usually comes with selling a big player to fund it, Bale picked up the last bar tab, problem is, it just creates false hope, until we generate some proper cash then it is what it is.
So if wer gonna pull the trigger on anyone, I’d like to think our scouts are in front of the que right along side those responsible for blowing what little money we do have on lightweight fairy’s with less fight and passion in them than a fucking dead dog.....
Lloris
Vertonghen
Alderweireld (although he’s leaving)
Son
Kane
I’d put the above players on bumper deals right now, the rest I couldn’t give one fuck about if they were sold tomorrow, total bunch of up their own arse, gutless, spineless pricks.
Any wonder our manager is starting to show his anger, for I certainly am......Passionless, gutless fucking money thief’s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Totti]

Kepa, Robertson, Matic (or Matip or someone), VVD, TAA.

Play pretty much every game.

Today we had 'new boy' Dier dropping back into almost a sweeper role

The foundation of every team is its defence (not any five from eight). I know we've had injuries but we endure pretty much endless tinkering. Any defence must act as a single unit. A new defensive teammate every game does not create cohesion. You need to know what your fellow defenders are doing instinctively and act as a single entity. You only know this by playing game in, game out.

You've got Kepa and Allison mixed up

But yes, your point remains the same. Liverpool have the best defence in the league. Why? Because it's a consistent team that's only ever changed when there has been injuries.

We had the best defence in the league for two straight seasons? Why? Because we mostly kept the EXACT same back four except for injuries or suspensions.

This season, I'd hazard a guess that we've had the same defensive line-up for two or more games in a row.... three times?

That's shocking.

I know we have Sanchez and he cost £40,000,000 etc. but Alderweireld and Vertonghen proved themselves to be the best defensive partnership in the league so if they're both fit, they start together. And for christ sakes, stick with the same fucking full backs.

What proven winner manager will want to manage us under levy?

It's a good question.

 

[bus-conductor]

I typically try to reserve my criticism of sacred cows to PMs unlike some cantankerous ****s I know. It's safe from happy clapping eyes there. But Kane is not safe from my criticism. Today, like many days, his passes were to players best setup to play him in instead of the best situated player to advance the move. He looked off Moura a couple times to play flat out to the wing instead of sending Moura. I have an uneasy feeling with all #9s but really hate a greedy one.

And as far as his finishing today all he needed was his clown shoes. Folks will point to his goal but even that he fucked up and took more touches than necessary while almost losing the chance.

The MF, good lord. Yeah, each year we needed upgrades but never got them. We struggle in his 2nd year and went to Dier who had a promising (IMHO) year but has never improved. Not one fucking bit of improvement. Actually, he has gotten worse. For him to still be in our MF is disappointing. For him to still be putting in the shit performances and sending stupid square balls across the center circle (again today in the 1st half) and short hospital ball (like the one in our own box to Sanchez in th 2nd half) is infuriating.

I understand (and agree) with your disappointment with Sissoko from a progressive footballing perspective and always have even if I take the piss. But we are in an awful circumstance this season and he has been great for us. Although is it a Sophie's choice from a footballing perspective I would have him there before Dier or Wanyama all day everyday right now.

Deep rooted problem is relying on players that were always not good enough even though there were improvements in their play. Deficiencies were always going to show. Not slowly but surely improving the squad each year has been horrible. If we identified 1 position to improve each TW in the last 5 years and went all out for 1 player we would be better off.

And I'm not talking WC players I am talking identifying not-good-enough-starters or 1st teamers and recruiting on top of them. If we had gotten rid of lamela*, Davies*, Tripps*, Dier*, Janssen, GKN, etc right there that is 6 potentially contributing players to add to the XI.

*pre-emptive fuck off to anyone that wants to stupidly argue whether or not these players are good enough, have contributed or been important in the past, etc., etc., etc. No one is debating that. They are without doubt not good enough going forward/CL club. Can they help or do a job? Sure, if you want to end up in situations like we are in NOW. And not only are they not good enough they are easily replaced with better, more rounded players...for cheap not 50M

Last year folks argued we need a CM and a DM. I said we needed at leat 4 MFs not including Eriksen competition. At that point Winks could not be relied upon because of his ankle and hadn't finished a full season. He's out again so perhaps we shouldn't have been placing so much fucking weight/respsonsibility on his...I guess, ankles.

yes this is a structural problem that is being played out on the field but can only be solved at boardroom level.

You can’t absolve Sissoko, you say "he's been great for us" but definitely not my definition of great. He's done his best, that's not the same. Just as Dier does. But lets not kid ourselves, he’s as much part of the problem as Dier, maybe more, because even Dier gets himself on the ball more than Sissoko; and his offensive contribution isn't much worse either. In terms of their limitations effecting our play, in what I’d the vital area of any team, midfield, they are both way below the standard of a team with our aspirations, but ultimately I don't blame them, they are just players doing their best, the responsibility is squarely Pochettinos for not identifying our weaknesses and dealing with them in 4 years and each year it's become worse and has gone from an ailment, to the transplant donor list to almost deceased. We are actively now bypassing it for chunks of games.

When everyone was sucking each off at the start of the season, there were a couple of us saying that we are drastically outscoring our performances (and performance metrics), and over a season that's hard to do, it's starting to catch us up now.

We've now lost 9 games. That's the most we've lost since Poch's first season.

People keep saying we're bottling things, but I don't think that's ever been true under Poch, his team doesn't lack bottle, collective or individual, and in most areas we are comparable to our rivals, striker, attacking midfielders, full backs, defenders - but in midfield we are mid table with Winks, bottom 6 without him, and the midfield is the engine for any team, we are trying to win an F1 Grand Prix with a pair of diesel units.

 

[Nikesh]

I honestly think it's time to replace Poch, not a winner. A great developer of players but not a winner and a really lousy match coach. Almost never seen him change a game with a few perfect changes. Let him fly off to Madrid and bring in a winner.

Lol. In what position do you expect us to be. Yes a few weeks ago we were comfortable in 3rd. We're still third. Should we be higher? Sack him cos he didn't beat high spending Liverpool or city to the title?

 

[todd1882]

I'd say a bigger problem than having a midfield consisting of Sissoko and Dier is our defence changing from game to game.

Do you want to know how many games in a row we've fielded a completely different defensive line-up? 19. In all competitions. NINETEEN games in a row.

The last time we played two games in a row with the same back four? Beginning of December when we beat Burnley 1-0 and Woolwich 2-0 in the League Cup.

Funny that ain't it? Two cleansheets in a row playing the exact same back four.

Good point. does anyone know how many times he changed at Soton? I think he is feeling himself here and thinking he is brilliant because it worked with Walker and rose...folks that had been here years before him learning to play with the players on hand. Now Poch is still doing as it is his thing but it is not working as he is rotating without an established side or flow.

 

[bus-conductor]

It's difficult because we aren't the same level of the top teams where they can have twice as much depth as we do etc. I really don't mind losing a few games here or there but to get 1 point from games against Burnley, Chelsea, Woolwich and Southampton is really shoddy. We need the players to show heart now, they owe it to the club to fight for every inch, to cover every blade of grass. They didn't need to do that but after throwing away points so recklessly they need to show their guts or this is the ceiling for what most will achieve. I love Eriksen as a footballer for example but those 50/50s he ducks out of, you simply cannot do that at this level if you want to win. It's frustrating because we really don't need a lot and I don't demand much, but not throwing in the towel is definitely something I expect week in week out and a few allow their heads to drop instead of show much needed and necessary urgency.

Really we needed 2 goals with 10 minutes left and we kept throwing it backwards, spraying it around at the back and it just lacked any real desire or understanding about the situation at hand. That to me is very alarming for a group that Poch has built with vast emphasis on personality & character. I want them to hate losing and I don't know if a few genuinely do at the moment. A little too sulky and lacking heart when it's needed most and not razor sharp up top when we are having hefty possession.

We cause our own demise at times, that's very hard to understand

This isn't about bollocks and Eriksen winning tackles. This is the opposite, it's about having midfielders with the bollocks to get on the ball under pressure, hep us play and impose "our game" despite being under pressure, and instead of just retreating and being reactive we need midfielders who are proactive and go hunting before it gets to the back four.

I had some issues with Dembele's inability to transition the ball quickly at times, but him and Wanyama were great for this when they were fit and firing in 16/17. Dembele was never scared to take the ball under pressure, and Wanyama wouldn't just shrink under pressure, he'd get after the opposition and prevent them gaining momentum. Dier and Sissoko just trundle around with no fucking urgency. They're strong boys but lack that hunter gatherer instinct of real busy cunts.

 

[Claud601]

I’m so thankful my wife threw some vag my way seeing how depressing this morning was.
Coys

 

[Nikesh]

Poch has brought a lot of this upon himself.

He has stated time and again that he only wants to bring into the club players that can improve the team. If he feels that he cannot improve the quality after that performance today (during the Summer) than i truly think we are in deep shit.

The CL results are misleading when you look at the teams we have beaten, not that we didn't deserve to be in the quarter finals, but we are heading for more than likely another three losses this season in the PL and any team that loses a third of it's games deserves in all fairness to win bugger all, let alone qualify for the CL next season.

You can see his frustration in the post match interview, and he is now suggesting that perhaps this is as good as it is going to get. For the first time ever, i am wondering whether he is saying this out of frustration or with the realization that he cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel all be it in a new gin palace.

Feel free to flame away.

That's the club's excuse to the press. Poch can't really tell the truth. He seems pissed off every time he says it and last season said we needed to take risks in the market...then we promptly sign no one.

 

[Park Lane Mark Twain]

This isn't about bollocks and Eriksen winning tackles. This is the opposite, it's about having midfielders with the bollocks to get on the ball under pressure, hep us play and impose "our game" despite being under pressure, and instead of just retreating and being reactive we need midfielders who are proactive and go hunting before it gets to the back four.

I had some issues with Dembele's inability to transition the ball quickly at times, but him and Wanyama were great for this when they were fit and firing in 16/17. Dembele was never scared to take the ball under pressure, and Wanyama wouldn't just shrink under pressure, he'd get after the opposition and prevent them gaining momentum. Dier and Sissoko just trundle around with no fucking urgency. Their strong boys but lack that hunter gatherer instinct of real busy cunts.

We needed to be composed at key times today,we needed to dictate the tempo in the 2nd half and yes you are right we need a little more quality in the middle at times but I've noticed Christian doesn't go looking for the ball like he usually does.

We shot ourselves in the foot big time today. I've just seen their first goal as my stream conked out. How the hell can Danny Rose do what he did for their first? We really do kill all of our quality with needless mistakes. We were cruising, we weren't resolute enough when it was all hands on deck

 

[Totti]

Interesting positions.

..

..

 

[iz futbal]

Poch has brought a lot of this upon himself.

He has stated time and again that he only wants to bring into the club players that can improve the team. If he feels that he cannot improve the quality after that performance today (during the Summer) than i truly think we are in deep shit.

The CL results are misleading when you look at the teams we have beaten, not that we didn't deserve to be in the quarter finals, but we are heading for more than likely another three losses this season in the PL and any team that loses a third of it's games deserves in all fairness to win bugger all, let alone qualify for the CL next season.

You can see his frustration in the post match interview, and he is now suggesting that perhaps this is as good as it is going to get. For the first time ever, i am wondering whether he is saying this out of frustration or with the realization that he cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel all be it in a new gin palace.

Feel free to flame away.

I dont know how true the rest of your post is, but the first part is 100% true. Whatever happens is Pochs own choices. Cant complain about no spending because he wanted this. If we do well, he should be commended, if we end up with nothing he should be blamed.

 

[Atomic knob]

The only good performances we have shown lately have been against Dortmund. And THEY have been total shite lately.

 

[Eskimo]

Fucking cant get rid of eriksen soon enough, lazy cunt is stinking the place out.

 

[Mick Cooper]

I’m so thankful my wife threw some vag my way seeing how depressing this morning was.
Coys

Don't forget to let the air out and give her a good wash.
DO NOT tumble dry

 

[Clynelish]

Interesting positions.

..

..

And no player cared enough or had the awareness to point out that JWP - who is well-known for his free kicks - put the ball at least 8 yards too close to goal.