Match Threads Southampton vs Spurs - Match Thread

Mr Pink said:

I hope we look at big singings in the Prem. Grealish, Zaha, Traore etc

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we need some brexit signings. established prem players. age irrelevant.

scot parker types

rabbikeane said:

Don't feel sorry for Poch, it's him that have broken the players mentally and physically, while also teaching them loser mentality. He was the best we've had in the Premier League era, but it came at a cost burning players out, leaving him also as the worst manager we've had in this era.

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Burn out is such a bollocks excuse.

jondy1 said:

Dele looked like he had been on the piss last night

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He looks like that every week!

Tony Dean said:

You, me and the vast majority of this forum have no idea what went on behind the scenes.

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Yes, true but nothing has changed? People saying Mourinho has 'only' been in charge for 6 weeks? But we're seeing the same performances, effort, players, attitude, etc. Nothing is changing. People are in denial here and its going to be too late before they finally accept something is seriously wrong.

seppo said:

Good thing Pochettino is available. We'll have to be quick though, to beat the likes of Juventus and PSG.

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I think we need to give Poch a few years so that our team can change a little for him to come back

@WHL said:

He could drop aurier at the minimum, not start a very limited Lucas every time and maybe try protecting our wide open Defense?

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Why do people keep saying limited Lucas?

Do they notice Dele, Kane and whoever else always in line with the opposition defenders and not moving around? Not one drops deep or takes a defender away. Remember when Kane used to score from the left or right side edge of the penalty area? He used to move.

Dele and Eriksen not providing options.

Stop blaming players that try to advance the ball when the attacking third players aren't providing options

Anyone interested in crowd funding a court order limiting liverpool to 4 goals against us, sort of legal facesaver.

Teddy Klinsmann said:

LFC shitting themselves.

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we will probably beat them. Spursy

Rout-Ledge said:

A five game fix is meaningless.

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At least that was instant, which you implied earlier.

handsomecake said:

we need some brexit signings. established prem players. age irrelevant.

scot parker types

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Grealish is the one imo. Would be my number one target if it were up to me.

ardiles said:

I think I need a bigger sofa to hide behind for the Liverpool match.

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I’m going to wear sunglasses to the game.... even though it will be dark.

markiespurs said:

What can he realistically do though? Today was his 11th game since he took over 6 weeks ago. Around 2 games a week has given him very little time to improve things.

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It's not Jose that's the issue or the manager in general. It's the players. And it's not talent that is at issue. The idea that Jan and Toby are now a bit long in the tooth is ridiculous. After goalies, defenders generally have the longest careers (age-wise). The idea that Dele has somehow lost the talent that made him an England core player is logically unrealistic (not saying you've said that, markie - I'm speaking generally). There are one or two players who are not quite as good as we would hope them to be, but they aren't all suddenly crap.

The issue is a psychological one, I'm convinced: I don't see any desire, any hunger, any sharpness. Be it Jose, Poch, Joe Bloggs, or Sandra bleeding Redknapp - there is only so much a manager can do if the players aren't engaged. And the difference between hungry and lethargic is a very small one, but it causes huge differences in performance.

There was some video I saw recently, while Poch was still here, which mentioned the club's practices when it comes to contracts - about how Levy kept giving the players incremental increases alongside extending their contracts. The vid mentioned that the players were feeling trapped by it - they didn't feel like they could turn down an increase but it came at the cost of reducing their career options. That, if true, is what I believe has fuelled Eriksen's refusal to sign on and his purported adamant desire to leave. When the likes of Inter are being posited as possible destinations for him, it suggests that it's not the size of club that he has an issue with. It's not the only factor, I'm not even saying it's the main factor, but I think it contributes to a wider problem:

The whole ethos around the club right now seems to be one of malaise, weariness, ennui, and until things are freshened up with new faces, new ideas (which can't really be implemented until the summer), a new impetus, we're going to see more of it.

Ultimately, we're going to have to strap in and ride out the storm, because I don't foresee any real improvement this season, even with signings in January. I think it's imperative that we do sign some new players this month, but their effect won't really be felt until Jose has the opportunity to work with the squad without the distraction of competitive games, i.e. preseason in the summer. The fly in the ointment there is that we've got the Euros this summer, so preseason is going to be shorter, but I reckon we'll see significant changes only after this season is finished.

glacierSpurs said:

At least that was instant, which you implied earlier.

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Almost all new managers achieve a bounce like that. We needed an instant fix that worked for at least a couple of seasons. That was the whole point of hiring him.

Priority had to be RB and CB to bring balance to the defence. We need defenders that can get back.

DM in the summer.

littlemandefoe said:

Nothing to do with sacking him, its the fact he had a team who did not perform for him and he took the full brunt of it. Now it's showing that he could of done nothing to help this plight.

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Poch didn't help himself in the end with some of the stuff he was coming out with. Since just before the CL final, he looked and sounded like he didn't want to be there. And according to some insiders - if it's to be believed - he said as such. I guess he wasn't going to walk away from £12m. His attitude in the end, MUST have rubbed off on the players. And now we find ourselves where we are because of that. It's a long way back for these players.

yiddopaul said:

None of this would be TOO bad if it were near the end of the season, at least we saw a break coming up to regroup. But we have a whole half season still to play and they all look shot. (Not sure why TBH, these are young men, super fit, haven't played any more football than any other top team)

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Mentally. They are mentally shot.

Six years for some of these going into a season with the goal of getting top 4 or a trophy. Each time ending in failure. It's a lot of mental effort and the response is either give up and want to leave (Eriksen) or keep going - cause you have to - but can't dig deep any longer.

Heads up.. my Liverpool ticket on exchange

Phomesy said:

Is this the beginning of the end?

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Only if you haven't been watching for the whole of 2019.

littlemandefoe said:

Yes, true but nothing has changed? People saying Mourinho has 'only' been in charge for 6 weeks? But we're seeing the same performances, effort, players, attitude, etc. Nothing is changing. People are in denial here and its going to be too late before they finally accept something is seriously wrong.

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And that is down to the players being shit. Theres absolutely no evidence to say that Poch was getting things right towards the end. In fact its the opposite. The players stopped playing for him, that's obvious to even the thickest of fans. The worlds best manager wouldn't get a tune out of this lot.

We need a couple of real fighters from the slums of Brazil.

Too many pampered pre madonas in this squad.