Southampton 2-1 Watford FC - 30/11/2019

I was thinking something similar to this shortly before I read your post; in retrospect I actually think it was the attack last season that was the weakest link and not the routinely maligned defence. The 59 goals against was mostly due to the collapse in the final few games of the season and in the home game vs Bournemouth, and our as usual terrible record against top 6 sides. Against the rest and in games where we had all 11 players on the field throughout, our defence was actually pretty solid, letting in 23 goals in 24 games. But yes, still not the most solid foundation to build a defensive formation on when you have increasing problems scoring (unlike in Flores' first season when it was really good until after the Arsenal cup game when just about everyone tired).

 

You’ve told me I’m wrong several times. You should look back at your own posts.

 

I really can’t be bothered but I will be surprised if I’ve said you are wrong apart from the Mazarri season when you said we were lucky to stay up when we really weren’t but let’s not go down that route again.
I think we will win today, you?

 

No matter how bad our season is or continues to be, it will now no longer be worse than Bournemouth’s. They just let Sissoko score.

 

A completely rubbish analysis. KnightGT has never said, as far as I'm aware, that he thinks we will stay up. He just, like me, has more difficulty with separating his heart from his head. And prefers his glass to be well topped up as opposed to your preference for dregs at the bottom. You on the other hand exhibit a monochrome view having had some sort of His Dark Materials incision performed upon you. A bleak world.

In addition, kindly quit claiming you understand the distinction between opinion and fact and using phrases like 'you don't understand' and 'what we all know' like it's the Second Law of Thermodynamics or something when, self-evidently, your opponents do understand but your 'opinion' isn't 'what we all know'.

Like me, you seem to have too much time on your hands despite driving past London Colney a few times a day. Are you using your mobile at the wheel? Should the police know?

 

At least we won’t have to play scum next year

 

5-3-2. Predictable. But Sarr starts

 

Masina as a centre back, bloody hell. Pace up front is nice though

 

I’m not sure how anybody can have too many complaints about that. Our defence is even more shot now due to injuries, so it needs all the help it can get but Sarr is actually starting. Hughes also not stuck out on the left either and Bobby rightly in the bench because he’s been rubbish for so long.

 

Sigh.

 

What a twisted, contorted mess of a team selection. That’s all over the shop.

 

5 players out of position? Is that a record?

 

Trouble is how many owners/chairmen would sack a manager after just 9 games, let alone 8 when we have just won our last game (no matter how badly we played)?

My two cents, and this may surprise those who are at all familiar with my posts: I wasn't at all happy at the reappointment with QSF, and though I was slightly won over by the more optimstic fans on here, I was determined not to watch any of our games while he was in charge until if and when we had shown a clear improvement in at least results under him. The comeback and the 31 shots against Arsenal was great granted (though it was put into sharp perspective last week when a Southampton side only slightly less **** than us outplayed them at their place and almost got a win and then Emery got the sack) but the jury was still out, and only if we were at least competitive in an expected defeat at Man City, I would give him a go. Then we lost in a defeat abject even by our none too elevated standards against them.

A few games later and still no win, we finally break our duck at Norwich. OK, it wasn't pretty by all accounts, but maybe this would give us the confidence to finally get back-to-back wins and our first home win since early April. Another capitulation which suggests our next home win won't be until well into 2020, by which time it will likely be too late, and my last watched game remains the one at Newcastle that gave Gracia the boot.

I still don't think we should fire Flores though whatever happens today, and despite HB1's admittedly convincing argument in favour of us going down, we have to remain optimistic that both he and the team (plus some magic rabbits out of the hats come January) can find some spark and sustained form to pull us out of the mire. But until that happens and he proves me wrong, I'm afraid I'll remain a self-imposed game-watching exile for at least another couple of games.

 

Go to a back 4. Play strikers and wingers.

Dream world.

 

Masina at third CB again after the second half debacle a week ago is a real hostage to fortune. We'll see ...

 

When we signed him I thought he would be good in a back 3.
He has height, heads well, has speed and an awareness of tight marking from Italy. Admittedly he would be a work in progress which we don't need right now but we have a very bad injury crisis on top of poor form.

 

Just horrendous. With all these injuries, we have to play to our strengths. QSF forces players into his formation. That line up is set up to counter attack, which means we will invite pressure, which we are crap at.

 

I wonder if it'll be Chalobah or Foulquier that replaces Cathcart in the back three after his 31st minute injury?

We knew it was coming, but my god. Just go back to a back four. Properly depressing.

 

Who are the 5? Masina obviously but the other 4?

 

Interesting lineup. SF in no uncertain terms is telling GP that he has no fullbacks that he thinks can defend in a back 4. He's not wrong.

 

Absolutely cowardly and pathetic team selection. We have 2 fit CBs and are playing one of the only teams to concede more goals than us. We now have all our attacking players available and that's the best we can muster?

With their defensive record and the players available to us why not even try to have a go? Play a back 4, Hughes, Capoue, Doucs with Deeney through the middle flanked by Sarr or GD. Or even a 442. Anything but ******* Masina at CB. Pathetic.

 

Masina, Holebas, Feminia, Sarr and Deulofeu.

 

Shut up Nath!

Oh wait.....

 

Yes,usually have little treats inside the window or if from CP (Cats Protection not Mr Tumble's lot),they have a picture of a rescue cat or kitten. Ford and Arthur have one every year.

Thank goodness for Brentford!

 

The scum are 7-0 down. Whatever happens today, that is bloody funny

 

It makes me terribly sad to see our record signing being played so horribly out of position.

 

Yes, so that's 3 not 5 yet they are attacking players playing in attack away from home so there is some leeway there. Hopefully suggests we are not going to just thump it up there and with Hughes playing in position for almost the first time since he joined.

 

QSF Still won't change from 5-3-2 even though we only have two available centre backs. So stubborn it's unbelievable.

How is Troy still not fit enough to start?

Be interesting to see how Sarr does, but the issue is he's a winger. We're playing him up top to accommodate this pathetic formation.

Happy to be proved wrong but deep down we all know we're losing this.

 

And with this lineup, we have surrendered.

 

Christ on a bike, that defence.