What's actually wrong with our team?

[levico]

The frustrating thing is hat it could be fixed, but it won't be. I don't subscribe to the theory that Lerner's business plan is to get us relegated but he will stubbornly stick to his plan of reducing costs and hat will see us down. Extremely short sighted given that the cash bonanza coming to PL clubs next year would more than address any cash injection now. Talk about Nero fiddling while Rome burns - he was mentally unbalanced too.

[PaulWinch again]

3 things  -

- Lack of leadership/experience
- Lack of quality
- Tactical naivety.

[villa `cross the mersey]

No leadership at the top, on the sidelines and on the pitch - simple as that.

One thing I noticed yesterday was that all of the Southampton subs were being warmed up,coached and doing trainining drills at half time. Our lot were half arsedly kicking the ball amongst each other -  like a pub team ( I am sure I spotted Peter Kaye at one point).

There is a lack of professionalism within the club - have we got a defence coach for example?

[Clark W Griswold]

It's ownership is shit, it's management is shit, it's leadership on the pitch is none existent, and it has a heavy smattering of shit players, and appropriately the whole lot is going down the toilet. We should be playing in brown just to finish the look.

[eastie]

No leadership at the top, on the sidelines and on the pitch - simple as that.

One thing I noticed yesterday was that all of the Southampton subs were being warmed up,coached and doing trainining drills at half time. Our lot were half arsedly kicking the ball amongst each other -  like a pub team ( I am sure I spotted Peter Kaye at one point).

There is a lack of professionalism within the club - have we got a defence coach for example?

Culverhouse was a defender - although a pretty average one.

[E I Adio]

I went with a Blackpool fan yesterday and the thing that struck him most was the lack of movement off the ball. It was apparent to both of us that players are hiding and don't want the ball, if someone gets in trouble in possession no-one helps them out, gives them a short option or a long ball down the line. No-one moves off the ball, players just stand there and seemingly hope they don't get it, even from throw-ins in attacking positions.

Maybe they are low on confidence but for goodness sake it was Southampton at home, not Barca. We also don't move the ball quickly enough, a couple of times Bannan was in acres of space in a dangerous position, the crowd were screaming for us to get it wide, but by the time we realised it the full back moved across to cover.

I agree with this. Particularly players not wanting the ball for fear that they will make a mistake. It's why there is so little movement off the ball and it also shows itself in their unwillingness to tackle or at least harass the opposition when they have the ball. Instead they lay off them, scooting backwards several yards in front of the advancing forward, instead of putting pressure on him. Heads dropping after going a goal down, never mind totally capitulating as we have done on more that one occasion. It all adds up to lack of belief in themselves that I fear has reached a point of no return.

Shuffling the pack or changing tactics is not going to alter this. The players need to be motivated to believe that they can beat anyone whoever they are.

Put simply, it is the manager's responsibility to do this.

[FrankyH]

No leadership at the top, on the sidelines and on the pitch - simple as that.

One thing I noticed yesterday was that all of the Southampton subs were being warmed up,coached and doing trainining drills at half time. Our lot were half arsedly kicking the ball amongst each other -  like a pub team ( I am sure I spotted Peter Kaye at one point).

There is a lack of professionalism within the club - have we got a defence coach for example?

Culverhouse was a defender - although a pretty average one.

It looked like he was having an argument with some fans behind the dugout yesterday.

[Jarpie]

The biggest problem is that we dont have a single player to take charge and take responsebility in the midfield to build up the play and urge players to work and hassle. This should've been completely clear for Lambrt in preseason but he didnt do anything about it.

[brian green]

The most amazing thing of all is how we all can see the problems, here on this thread and on the others covering the same analysis of our downfall and the manager and his staff seem blind to them.   Take Barry Bannan for example.   He is not a top class player but he can do a job for us.   He needs to be told to keep it simple.   Just that.   Keep it simple.   Fabian Deph needs to be told to stop giving away stupid free kicks.   Play the game more calmly.   Just that.   Baker and Clark need to be told to talk to Lowton, Bennett, Stevens and Lichaj.   Talk to each other.   Bollock each other if they stray out of position and leave acres of space for the opposition.  Whoever has the captain's armband has to be told to be constantly communicating with the rest of the team, directing them, encouraging them, organizing them not just occasionally clapping his hands.   N'Zogbia needs to be told to stop shooting from stupid positions and not be allowed to take corner kicks.

The list goes on and on but they are all simple, glaring faults which should be able to be remedied instantly by the manager and his coaching staff.   The players are either not being told or alternatively refusing to take any notice of what they are being told.   Either reason is totally unacceptable.

[Clark W Griswold]

The biggest problem is that we dont have a single player to take charge and take responsebility in the midfield to build up the play and urge players to work and hassle. This should've been completely clear for Lambrt in preseason but he didnt do anything about it.

No, he signed a Fabian Delph clone from the Dutch league, another lightweight no mark in a squadfull of midfield lightweight no marks. He didn't do enough defensive re-shaping either, he added several players with no premier league experience to an already atrocious defencive 'roster'. I was reasonably happy at the time with many of the gambles, but it was obvious to anyone that we lacked real proven players who could strengthen the spine of the team. And really, they were the most important signings we needed at the time, and of course still are.

[myf]

No width. No experience. No leadership.

that sums it up for me with the addition of no physical or mental strength

[PaulWinch again]

The most amazing thing of all is how we all can see the problems, here on this thread and on the others covering the same analysis of our downfall and the manager and his staff seem blind to them.   Take Barry Bannan for example.   He is not a top class player but he can do a job for us.   He needs to be told to keep it simple.   Just that.   Keep it simple.   Fabian Deph needs to be told to stop giving away stupid free kicks.   Play the game more calmly.   Just that.   Baker and Clark need to be told to talk to Lowton, Bennett, Stevens and Lichaj.   Talk to each other.   Bollock each other if they stray out of position and leave acres of space for the opposition.  Whoever has the captain's armband has to be told to be constantly communicating with the rest of the team, directing them, encouraging them, organizing them not just occasionally clapping his hands.   N'Zogbia needs to be told to stop shooting from stupid positions and not be allowed to take corner kicks.

The list goes on and on but they are all simple, glaring faults which should be able to be remedied instantly by the manager and his coaching staff.   The players are either not being told or alternatively refusing to take any notice of what they are being told.   Either reason is totally unacceptable.

Indeed and it also goes further up the club. It's alarming that most fans can see we are crying out for experience and you can't just throw in a load of untried players in together all at once. However we have done and there doesn't seem to be a realisation from the board or management team that it isn't working.

[Kevin_Brum12]

The biggest problem is that we dont have a single player to take charge and take responsebility in the midfield to build up the play and urge players to work and hassle. This should've been completely clear for Lambrt in preseason but he didnt do anything about it.

Exactly.  What is needed is a Mellberg type player, or two, or three, someone with a bit of experience behind their belts and good leadership qualities.   We need to improve defensively, stop making so many sloppy mistakes and end the hoofing of the ball up the pitch - which lets face it, all of our recent opponents have identified as our weakness.

[paul_e]

We have 2 major issues.

The players aren't confident in themselves or the rest of the team.  Defensively this means we have a tendancy to back off to the edge of the box and then go completely the other way and get drawn to the ball, mainly to cover each other.  On top of that none of them is willing to take command which leads to things like the baker/stevens none clearance before the penalty.  The biggest problem this leads to is that we end up with 6 at the back so the only way out is a punt to Benteke.  Once that happens the attacking support players all get up closer to him which causes us to be 6-0-4, leaving their midfield with acres to play in.  From an attacking point of view we're taking too many touches or trying to overplay it.  Check how little space there is when we get the ball into the box, it's generally because we've fannied around with somewhere 'safe' before we put it in the box.  The attacking players we have would all look much better with space to break into.  Oddly the only one who's trying to do that is Benteke and he's being slated for being caught offside because of it.  a lot of the time if the player with the ball was more aware he could put Benteke clean through.

We don't have leaders on the pitch.  Clark tries and Weimann is very vocal (too much so at times) but the rest of the team are too quiet.  Getting a leader in there to kick them up the arse and get them playing in the right areas is the key to turning things around.

[PaulWinch again]

Oh and our movement off the ball is atrocious, they all just stand there. That's why we're struggling to create.