Southampton vs. Villa Post Match Thread

[The Edge]

Just watched MOTD and jeez were we lucky to get a point

MOTD was kind to us. It didn't show some of the worst bits. Like when Sanchez threaded a perfect through ball for their striker to run on to. And when Bacuna was trying to beat Steven Davis to a cross into our box and under no pressure tried his hardest to bat the ball away with his hand but couldn't quite reach it. Shambolic and bizarre are 2 words that spring to mind.

They also left stuff out like some decent forward play and Gana having a goal bound shot blocked.

We did ride our luck but we also deserved the point.

That's also true. I thought our attacking play was pretty good at times.Ayew is getting better by the game. But its the individual errors that are costing us dearly and we can't ignore that. How many times does Sanchez give the ball away needlessly? How many times is Guzan going to make great saves then fuck it all up with moments of calamity?
The defence is comically bad at times & no matter how much we improve our attacking play we are doomed if we don't weed out the ones making basic errors time after time.

[Bad English]

I'm sorry, but a point is no use whatsoever whatever the circumstances, and the time-wasting at the end was bordering on the farcical.

I can't agree here Risso. It's an away point at a place where others around us will drop points and where most predicted we'd lose. It's not an exciting result, but not a bad one by any stretch of the imagination.

Absolutely. And it's a point more than Norwich, Swansea and Sunderland managed, all of whom we should be targeting to overhaul.

I know what you mean Martin but the point against Citeh was quite unexpected. That makes two now.

[Chris Smith]

There are some obvious deficiencies in the team but also some promising signs, particularly in midfield. What I also liked was a clear show of determination to fight for everything. Garde seems to be gradually getting his ideas across and it at least points towards a better second half of the season. Might be too late but if the players do not give up then neither will I.

[andyh]

Next game I'd stick Adama up front with Ayew, keep the ball on the floor and see what happens.
There is no way on gods green earth that he wouldn't offer as least as much as Gestede.
He certainly couldn't be worse.

[aj2k77]

Did they even scout Gestede thoroughly or base it on a computer game? He looks completely unsuited to our team and just top flight football in general.

[Clampy]

Next game I'd stick Adama up front with Ayew, keep the ball on the floor and see what happens.
There is no way on gods green earth that he wouldn't offer as least as much as Gestede.
He certainly couldn't be worse.

I think there's a point to playing Gestede away from home like we did yesterday. He can hold the ball up and get back and defend like we needed to quite a lot yesterday. At home though, yes i'd probably agree.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

for me there is no point to gestede whatsover the bloke is a carthorse

our plight is down to the clubs and our wilingness to accept shit

baker
clark
gestede
westwood
gabby
guzan
bacuna
lescott
richardson
bennett
senderos
cole
cissokho
nzog

[pbavfckuwait]

Good point, shame it was not more, but my major concern is we have not won a league game for 4 months and that will mean only one thing relegation, because we are not going to have a champions league run anytime soon and anyone who thinks we are needs to see a Doctor. Not being pessimistic just realistic.

[aj2k77]

We do make excuses for a lot of the signings and performances.

Bennett has potential.... no he doesn't he's 25/26 and been shit from day 1 and can't get in to the Bournemouth team.
Baker and Clark are kids learning their trade.... they have over 200 league games between them, theyre approaching mid 20's and still make the same errors they did when they started. They're rubbish.
Kozak, the longer he's out the better he gets. He's barely scored any goals in a top flight in his career, one Europa campaign and we buy him for £5m+, he's looked a carthorse, terrible signing.
Westwood, for years the ticking dynamo of the team, well that's exactly why our midfield have been soft as shit, slow and weak because we have players like him in it. 5 yard passes do fuck all, he hasn't kept us ticking over, he's helped hinder us. We've made excuses for him for years.
The list goes on, we've had some truly terrible players who have had the honour of playing for us the last few years and to be fair to them they haven't even given they're all on the field, they've folded, they've not competed and at times they've given up. It hasn't been acceptable but we've made numerous excuses for nearly all of them. Hopefully next summer we complete the clear out and chop the rest of the dross, the problem being that we will probably replace them with equal shite because our recruitment team are fucking crap.

[saunders_heroes]

We do make excuses for a lot of the signings and performances.

Bennett has potential.... no he doesn't he's 25/26 and been shit from day 1 and can't get in to the Bournemouth team.
Baker and Clark are kids learning their trade.... they have over 200 league games between them, theyre approaching mid 20's and still make the same errors they did when they started. They're rubbish.
Kozak, the longer he's out the better he gets. He's barely scored any goals in a top flight in his career, one Europa campaign and we buy him for £5m+, he's looked a carthorse, terrible signing.
Westwood, for years the ticking dynamo of the team, well that's exactly why our midfield have been soft as shit, slow and weak because we have players like him in it. 5 yard passes do fuck all, he hasn't kept us ticking over, he's helped hinder us. We've made excuses for him for years.
The list goes on, we've had some truly terrible players who have had the honour of playing for us the last few years and to be fair to them they haven't even given they're all on the field, they've folded, they've not competed and at times they've given up. It hasn't been acceptable but we've made numerous excuses for nearly all of them. Hopefully next summer we complete the clear out and chop the rest of the dross, the problem being that we will probably replace them with equal shite because our recruitment team are fucking crap.

Agree with nearly all that apart from the bit where you've blamed the recruitment team. The quality of players we sign is 100% down to the transfer/wage budget, and that is totally dictated by the chairman. No point in constantly blaming the symptoms but ignoring the root cause.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

We do make excuses for a lot of the signings and performances.

Bennett has potential.... no he doesn't he's 25/26 and been shit from day 1 and can't get in to the Bournemouth team.
Baker and Clark are kids learning their trade.... they have over 200 league games between them, theyre approaching mid 20's and still make the same errors they did when they started. They're rubbish.
Kozak, the longer he's out the better he gets. He's barely scored any goals in a top flight in his career, one Europa campaign and we buy him for £5m+, he's looked a carthorse, terrible signing.
Westwood, for years the ticking dynamo of the team, well that's exactly why our midfield have been soft as shit, slow and weak because we have players like him in it. 5 yard passes do fuck all, he hasn't kept us ticking over, he's helped hinder us. We've made excuses for him for years.
The list goes on, we've had some truly terrible players who have had the honour of playing for us the last few years and to be fair to them they haven't even given they're all on the field, they've folded, they've not competed and at times they've given up. It hasn't been acceptable but we've made numerous excuses for nearly all of them. Hopefully next summer we complete the clear out and chop the rest of the dross, the problem being that we will probably replace them with equal shite because our recruitment team are fucking crap.

great post

at least the french lads are rolling their sleeves up and looking interested

the acid test would be who would come in for the shit we have

[kippaxvilla2]

On Westwood I actually shouted loudly at the TV when he blazed that chance over.  A cultured player would have bought that down, thus wrong footing the defence and hit it in with his right foot.  A cultured player he isn't however.

[saunders_heroes]

On Westwood I actually shouted loudly at the TV when he blazed that chance over.  A cultured player would have bought that down, thus wrong footing the defence and hit it in with his right foot.  A cultured player he isn't however.

And never will be. He has been a stain on this club since the day he signed.

[kippaxvilla2]

I'm sorry, but a point is no use whatsoever whatever the circumstances, and the time-wasting at the end was bordering on the farcical.

I can't agree here Risso. It's an away point at a place where others around us will drop points and where most predicted we'd lose. It's not an exciting result, but not a bad one by any stretch of the imagination.

Absolutely. And it's a point more than Norwich, Swansea and Sunderland managed, all of whom we should be targeting to overhaul.

I know what you mean Martin but the point against Citeh was quite unexpected. That makes two now.

It's a good point in isolation but it makes last weeks result all the more terrible.  4 points from Watford and Southampton and the place would have had a whole different feel to it.

[aj2k77]

We do make excuses for a lot of the signings and performances.

Bennett has potential.... no he doesn't he's 25/26 and been shit from day 1 and can't get in to the Bournemouth team.
Baker and Clark are kids learning their trade.... they have over 200 league games between them, theyre approaching mid 20's and still make the same errors they did when they started. They're rubbish.
Kozak, the longer he's out the better he gets. He's barely scored any goals in a top flight in his career, one Europa campaign and we buy him for £5m+, he's looked a carthorse, terrible signing.
Westwood, for years the ticking dynamo of the team, well that's exactly why our midfield have been soft as shit, slow and weak because we have players like him in it. 5 yard passes do fuck all, he hasn't kept us ticking over, he's helped hinder us. We've made excuses for him for years.
The list goes on, we've had some truly terrible players who have had the honour of playing for us the last few years and to be fair to them they haven't even given they're all on the field, they've folded, they've not competed and at times they've given up. It hasn't been acceptable but we've made numerous excuses for nearly all of them. Hopefully next summer we complete the clear out and chop the rest of the dross, the problem being that we will probably replace them with equal shite because our recruitment team are fucking crap.

Agree with nearly all that apart from the bit where you've blames the recruitment team. The quality of players we sign is 100% down to the transfer/wage budget, and that is totally dictated by the chairman. No point in constantly blaming the symptoms but ignoring the root cause.

I understand what you are saying but then I take a look at some of the gems signed by Swansea, Southampton, Palace, Watford, Stoke and the wages they are on. They are/have been in a different league to nearly all of our signings. I understand we overhauled the scouting system and it may come good but again with Lerner it's too little too late and the chickens have come home to roost.