Why has our creativity dropped off?

[BobblesBlade]

I don’t know.
There are many issues which stem from Midfield. I think a midfield enforcer is needed but don’t think we have one and if we did get one tomorrow it would be tough to work out who the midfield 3 would be.

I guess the enforcer would be box to box but then would that mean dropping Norwood? I think Berge playing an attacking midfield role would work. It’s the third midfielder I have trouble with. Do you go two attacking mids or is third mid a defensive holding midfielder. Can Norwood play that role? Maybe he does in a way.

Our wingbacks need to better at cutting in to the box. Too many out wide crosses when we have the attackers who can work wonders in and around the box.

All that said and I think if I read it back it might all be a load of crap. I just think we have a great squad just need to have a midfield better balanced.

 

[Champagneblade]

There is also a lack of competition for places at the moment due to injuries.

It’s more a case of who is fittest rather than who is on form.

Davies hasn’t impressed so far so there isn’t genuine pressure on Wes who has a bit of a blip post WC.

At present Baldock and Stevens are injured so no matter how poor Bogle’s output was there was very little prospect of him being hooked.

Egan always gets picked. Realistically, unless he’s not fit, so does Anel. Robinson the only one under pressure really with Clark coming back and it’s probably no coincidence he was MOTM.

The midfield was pretty much anyone who was fit. Unlike when Gibbs-White was here or when everyone was fit (was that ever), not much chance of Sander doing anything other than having to play himself back into form. Osborn is not first pick, never plays like he looks like being first pick, but when it’s time for him to play it’s because there are few options. So none of these are under pressure to perform. Norwood just happens to be very consistent and fair play to him.

If Ndiaye is running down blind alleys, there is no Brewster or Jebbo to try something different and McBurnie and Sharp, for differing reasons are hamstrung by fitness and likelihood of overplaying.

So all in all, regardless of form, everyone plays with little pressure on them to perform other than that they put on themselves.

It’s working well enough because they are good players for this level, but in most cases, that extra 5-10% where if they don’t do it they’ll lose their spot isn’t there due to the injuries.

Saying all that, they probably miss a firing Fleck because he gives balance to the midfield. Osborn doesn’t do that because he doesn’t have the vision or the capability.

Think we just need a few more to be available. Let Coulibaly show he’s an option and put Berge and the midfield under pressure. Get Jebbo and Clark back. I think soon you’d see a lift in performance.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

Why do you use linebreaks in between every sentence? It's always like looking at a really shitty poem.


Generally, Southampton have been uninspiring under Hassenhutl. If you look at their premier league finishes over the past ten years:
14th, 8th, 6th, 8th, 17th, 16th, 11th, 15th, 15th and they currently find themselves in 20th after sacking him early November. (The italicised ones are seasons where he was manager). If you're going on about wanting an ambitious appointment, I fail to see how someone who presided over Southampton declining (and oversaw some catastrophic defeats too) is the right answer.

Regardless of how performances have been in recent weeks, we've been getting results. It's almost impossible to gauge how this team would do in the Premier League because we'd have to completely change our game plan for every fixture; as we wouldn't be going in as favourites for near enough any of them. Being solid defensively is part of the reason why we did so well under Wilder in that first premier league season.

"If it wasn’t for berge/Ndiaye/mcburnie/Anel/Norwood we wouldn’t even have those results" - this is quite possibly the most redundant statement ever. If you take out the spine of any team it would damage them. It's just completely hypothetical drivel. Especially when you've listed nearly half of our strongest starting XI- no shit we'd not be doing as well if they weren't in the team.

The point I am making is we are a mid table team playing boring football with very good players carrying a very poor manager

Which is why we play so poor and get carried by premier league quality players

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

Agree I was disappointed too.....really reminds me of the Gareth Southgate style.
Every interview is so middle of the road....they are almost all the same.

However some would argue this could be a positive. Hecky (unlike Wilder) doesn't show much emotion in public.
When we play well he never goes overboard and when we're poor he doesn't go overboard.

Do agree it's frustrating because I rarely ever learn anything from post match interviews.
Wilder would explain the tactical changes, the substitutions made and explain tactically why we win or lost.
Where as with Hecky it's all very vague, doesn't really make sense, often think why did I bother listening but I never learn ha ha.

In fairness to Hecky maybe he's very different behind closed doors.
Again like Southgate, Hecky does deserve credit for creating an environment where our players are very happy being here, with a great team spirit.

Regards the team...I'm not too worried.
If the criticism is.....we only do enough to prize out narrow wins....then I say....long may it continue.

It creates an environment where it’s ok to put in average performance and not play well if the manager doesn’t call them out

Much like Southgate who hasn’t achieved anything with England probably because he make out as if reaching a QF/SF is a success

J

 

[pommpey]

The point I am making is we are a mid table team playing boring football with very good players carrying a very poor manager

We're what? Mid-table?

What fucking alchemy is this?

Oh, hang on. I get it. You got me again. Hooked. Ha-h-ha.

Very funny. Or it would be if I wasn't entirely convinced that you actually mean it.

pommpey

 

[Willglynning]

The point I am making is we are a mid table team playing boring football with very good players carrying a very poor manager

Which is why we play so poor and get carried by premier league quality players

Alternatively, we have been a very solid team all season and have the best defence in the league. We've been extremely consistent, despite having a major injury crisis for much of the season and even now some key players are still missing/coming back to full fitness.

For all this posturing about a lack of creativity, we've also got some of the best attacking stats in the league- for example, we have more shots per-game than any other team in the division, barring Norwich, and comfortably the most shots on target. We have the best xGD in the league- and we have been comfortably better than 22 other teams so far this season. If we were a bit more clinical, and Burnley not outperforming their xG by nearly 16 goals then we'd almost certainly be running away with the league.

Stats don't paint the full picture, admittedly; but I do not understand how people can't be encouraged by how well this season is going, even with recent performances taken into account.

 

[robbiez666]

I don’t know.
There are many issues which stem from Midfield. I think a midfield enforcer is needed but don’t think we have one and if we did get one tomorrow it would be tough to work out who the midfield 3 would be.

I guess the enforcer would be box to box but then would that mean dropping Norwood? I think Berge playing an attacking midfield role would work. It’s the third midfielder I have trouble with. Do you go two attacking mids or is third mid a defensive holding midfielder. Can Norwood play that role? Maybe he does in a way.

Our wingbacks need to better at cutting in to the box. Too many out wide crosses when we have the attackers who can work wonders in and around the box.

All that said and I think if I read it back it might all be a load of crap. I just think we have a great squad just need to have a midfield better balanced.

If we had a midfield enforcer, I'd play enforcer and Norwood in midfield and then you play Berge/McAtee in a more advanced (free) role. Norwood would be able to concentrate on the playmaking side with less need to be the main defensive tackling midfielder. The wingbacks are partially reliant on Norwood to bring them into play. I think that's a lot easier if his main focus is getting the ball and moving it on.

 

[pommpey]

If we had a midfield enforcer, I'd play enforcer and Norwood in midfield and then you play Berge/McAtee in a more advanced (free) role. Norwood would be able to concentrate on the playmaking side with less need to be the main defensive tackling midfielder.

Norwood likes playing and plays best sat in front of the back three. As long as he does his job and doesn't start whumping every ball up to marked wingbacks for claps and flowers and does the tackling and foraging spadework he's okay. In front of him we need two playmakers. Berge could be one, if he pulled his head out of his arse, and possibly McAtee the other. Those two need to have NDaiye and their sided wingback in their windscreen and the instruction is that once they get the ball, forward is the direction. McBurnie just needs to occupy the centrebacks and the we need to stop concentrating on getting bogged down wide outside the penalty area trying to find the goldilocks moment when to cross it.

pommpey

 

[AnotherBlade]

The point I am making is we are a mid table team playing boring football with very good players carrying a very poor manager

Which is why we play so poor and get carried by premier league quality players

You're smacked off your tits you really are.....

 

[blade too long]

Chris wilder as these are his tactics

Just without the intensity & consistency of performance

chris wilder was 2 and a half years ago and he trained what hed brought in to get relegated

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

Just watched heckys pre match press conference

Reckons we have have been playing well apparently

Really Paul

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

chris wilder was 2 and a half years ago and he trained what hed brought in to get relegated

Same players that are now our best players and carrying us to promotion

 

[blade too long]

Same players that are now our best players and carrying us to promotion

down to Heckys magnificent tutorlidge they were rudderless under slav

 

[manxblade]

Because of all the flack that fallowfield gets on here I think people are afraid to say it but I agree with him. We have good players and a crap manager. A good manager with these players and we would be 12 point in front of Burnley

 

[robbiez666]

Because of all the flack that fallowfield gets on here I think people are afraid to say it but I agree with him. We have good players and a crap manager. A good manager with these players and we would be 12 point in front of Burnley

Bring back Slav. He's a good manager. I remember being clear at the top by 12 points

 

[Hackey Blade]

link to what Hecky has to say about fans view on this subject

 

[Sheff de party]

because what we’re doing is working. If it wasn’t we’d have to take more risks and go for it more.

As it is, the team think/are told they can turn it on for 25 minutes, score twice and sit on it until full time. Largely because they can.

Let’s be honest - we should be battering teams frequently but we take out foot off the gas. It must be a mentality thing.