[DomesticTadpole]

Martial has been completely and utterly absent from the game. I can’t see why we would want to play him in the second half when we have Sancho available, and Greenwood to play central.

Greenwood was great last week, why move him and bring someone in who is nowhere near as good or bothered.

 

[Random Task]

Agreed,

When a team plays so well last week why the feck are you changing it so much ! Sancho for James would have been an obvious choice and alright Scott’s injured maybe use the 35m midfielder you signed last season instead,

The whole teams is out of sync which is a shame as we were electric last week ! Making life difficult for no bloody reason

Yeah, the thing is, we created 3 chances inside 12 minutes. Put one of those away and everything changes.

You can't fault the manager for everything. The players have to take responsibility too.

 

[Jaxa]

So the "changing it so much" you think Ole has done to this team is a massive 1 player more than you'd have done?

Changing it doesn’t just mean players ffs

Greenwood also being shoved out right who by the way was amazing last week up front to accommodate a very poor out of form Martial is mental

 

[Annihilate Now!]

That's how most blocks are done. It was unfortunate, nothing else.

No they're not.. If you move forward/towards with your leg it's a a forceful block and more likely to divert the ball further.

If you just dangle a leg limply like that anything can happen.

 

[mav_9me]

I have no major issues with McFred, even if I realize their limitations. The bigger problem is IMO lack of depth. We have numbers but none of Matic, Pogba and VdB are good enough options for CM for different reasons. Matic is done. And Ole doesn't trust Pogba (I don't either) or VdB (probably right in that too).

Sorry for quoting myself but if I can see it.....

 

[tenpoless]

We have enough players to turn it around now. It was like playing with 10 players without a CF. Fred for Donny? he's having a bad game. Not a good sign.

 

[swooshboy]

“Patterns of Play”

Armchair manager throwing out buzzwords to sound like he knows what he’s doing

You just clearly hate armchairs.

 

[Nytram Shakes]

Greenwood has one of his best performances playing up front…. Following week he is on the wing . Terrible management and player development

 

[Mr Smith]

title challenging squad with a championship manager

we batter Leeds at home with a strong line up then change to a weaker one against Southampton away
Ole is sadly not a top manager

the same line up but with sancho instead of James, that was all that was needed

Behave FFS. We're not losing because of the manager. We have a numerical advantage in midfield and haven't taken advantage of it because Fred is having an awful game. We should have been 2-0 up after 15 minutes with the chances we had.

 

[Mike Smalling]

We might win this game, but it is clear that we won win anything major without more quality in midfield.

 

[lex talionis]

Keane is spot on. Stephens nicks it off Bruno from the side rather than behind. If Bruno shifted his body across, it would've 100% been a foul.

Fukking hell. 100% foul.

 

[JPRouve]

I don't think the issue is collective. We have been wasteful with the chances we created, albeit from set pieces. Certain players like Fred, Matic and Lindelof are making telegraphed hospital passes when we immediately lose possession and have to defend. Martial consistently stands and waits for the ball to feet instead of running towards it and a Southampton defender gets in early and intercepts - I counted at least 3 instances of that happening, there were more earlier.

All of these kill our tempo and flow, and it's the first time our players have had to deal with a vociferous away stadium in ages. We need to get the basics right across the board for 5-10 minutes and we'll be back with confidence into the game.

I don't see at which point the other players did better during the half. When you have 10 players giving you a subpar performance and when you have someone as important as Bruno barely involved in your game, the issue is collective. There is no way around it.

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

Was decent until that jammy goals. Some days those 3 chances we had go in, and some days, like today, they don't.
Hopefully we will come out in the 2nd half and make it right.

The main problem was the lack of reaction to the goal, if anything we got worse once we conceded. Need to get our arse in gear 2nd half, start by taking Martial off for Sancho who’s been invisible and move Greenwood up top and we’ll see an improvement right away.

 

[noodlehair]

Martial would genuinely more use if he just sat at the side of the pitch cheering the team on.

And I wouldn't blame ole except this is exactly the same as how he was playing before he got injured, for months.

People moan about James but at least he actually does something. Martial instead of James last week with greenwood shoved out wide just to fit martial in, and no chance in hell we score 5.

 

[Solius]

Baffling how that foul wasn’t even checked. One of the more bizarre decisions I’ve seen.

 

[SirAnderson]

Yeah, the thing is, we created 3 chances inside 12 minutes. Put one of those away and everything changes.

You can't fault the manager for everything. The players have to take responsibility too.

This.

 

[laughtersassassin]

That's how most blocks are done. It was unfortunate, nothing else.

Needs to get Infront of it. Go in aggressive.

Hie the foul wasn't given is insane. Stonewall

 

[Jaxa]

Yeah, the thing is, we created 3 chances inside 12 minutes. Put one of those away and everything changes.

You can't fault the manager for everything. The players have to take responsibility too.

You can fault the manager for tinkering too much, that’s literally his job to choose the team, why play an out of form player in Martial and move a player who was amazing up front last week to the right ?

 

[Foxbatt]

Martial motionless again? Listening to radio5 and he’s barely been mentioned (same for greenwood to be fair)

He won't be mentioned because the midfield is unable to make a decent pass to him. Matic is playing as the 3rd CB.
Every time we have the ball in defense Matic drops. It is leaving our options to play the ball forward very limited as they drop deep.
This is utter madness.

 

[One Night Only]

He has been poor but with that sort of rashness good think you are not the coach.

I'll stand by that, he's nowhere near good enough today, he's somehow even got worse after the first 20mins and that is some feat in itself

 

[fergieisold]

title challenging squad with a championship manager

we batter Leeds at home with a strong line up then change to a weaker one against Southampton away
Ole is sadly not a top manager

the same line up but with sancho instead of James, that was all that was needed

We’re only at HT. Calm down. One thing Ole always seems to do is correct a poor first half.

 

[SAFMUTD]

Did you talk about Rashford being lazy last season when he was walking on the pitch most of the time?

It's so clear some on here are just waiting to spew their preconceived opinions the moment someone is not doing a Messi up front.

Martial looks isolated and maybe not that fit. Neither of those are his fault.

Our full backs have done nothing to help our width, Pogba and Bruno have been ineffectual and somehow everyone on here decides it's our striker's fault.

The Daily Mails of this world have really done a job on our fanbase.

Rashford was putting the numbers and playing through injury.

I don't know, I expected Martial to show hunger trying to get his place back after loosing which poor performances last season.

Look at Bruno for example, things are not going his way but he runs, tries, gets involved. Seriously Martial seems like he doesn't give a single feck, that may be ok to you but for most of us that infuriating.

 

[Shane88]

It was never a fecking foul.

 

[KennyBurner]

You know it's a bad day when Souness is the only pundit speaking sense.

It was a blatant foul on Bruno.

It wasn’t. Bruno is too weak on the ball. He needs to shield it better rather than stand over it while taking forever to make a decision on a pass. I feel like the refs this season have decided to ease off calling minor fouls.

 

[ghagua]

The midfield is stinking up the joint, time to give VDB a runout. Get Sancho in, play Greenwood through the middle.

 

[Heinzesight]

A few changes early doors and we win this.

 

[Marcus]

The Beek's time has come.

 

[DickDastardly]

Come on now. Wake the feck up.

More energy. Give them all a red Bull or a snickers.

Also, Sancho asap.
If that doesn't work, add more attacking players. VDB....James, feck, even Mata. He's so slow he's gonna get fouled again and again.

 

[TheMitz]

Matic off, Donny on.

Martial off - Sancho on.

Mason down the middle.

Yes please

 

[The Purley King]

The agenda is real.

It’s not an agenda when it is demonstrably true.
I’m watching him stroll about, not pressing and not moving towards the ball to receive it.
He is a handicap

 

[Redlyn]

I don't think Fred is the biggest problem. I feel Matic is the biggest issue today.

Definitely. Bring McT in for Matic the midfield instantly improves. Fred needs to improve this second half. He's been playing for Soton.

 

[RedSky]

We were in complete control in the first 20mins, should have scored at least 1/2 goals from their awful defending at set pieces. They fluked a goal and we lost our heads, recovered a bit in the final 10mins, but they've defended well on the whole from open play. Martial was a complete non entity that half, bring Sancho on to help unlock the Southampton defense and give us another creative outlet.

Still should win this, just annoying to go behind again.

 

[slored1]

Martial motionless again? Listening to radio5 and he’s barely been mentioned (same for greenwood to be fair)

Greenwood looked very bright. Martial AWOL.

 

[Ranchero]

Even if we do, this is simply not a good enough midfield to win anything. We can't carry so many deficiencies in our squad and management and expect to challenge for the top titles.

That is why prioritising the Sancho signing was so crazy to me. The lack of creativity and football intelligence in central midfield is the real issue that i fear wont get addressed this season.

 

[Richter]

Martial would genuinely more use if he just sat at the side of the pitch cheering the team on.

And I wouldn't blame ole except this is exactly the same as how he was playing before he got injured, for months.

People moan about James but at least he actually does something. Martial instead of James last week with greenwood shoved out wide just to fit martial in, and no chance in hell we score 5.

This made me laugh but is true Martial offers nothing today...

 

[PoTMS]

Fukking hell. 100% foul.

Well, it's clearly not 100% when the "experts" don't fully agree. I know I would be pissed if that was goal ruled out for us just as I was when we had our perfectly legitimate goal against Spurs taken off due to a "foul" on Son. Anyway, it's done now.

 

[ivaldo]

Keane is spot on. Stephens nicks it off Bruno from the side rather than behind. If Bruno shifted his body across, it would've 100% been a foul.

He doesn't nick it off him. He shoves him over, then collects the ball. You're supposed to play the ball in the tackle, not afterwards.

 

[Alemar]

Matic off, Donny on.

Martial off - Sancho on.

Mason down the middle.

Immediately

 

[RepardReece]

Nope. The problem is we have to much control of the ball deep with our players not moving it quick enough. The only player who has been below average has been Fred and Bruno. Fred is misplacing passes and Bruno is either losing the ball in dangerous areas or rushing things as per. Martial has had few moments but he has been in space to receive the ball but hasn’t due to interception or mishit passes.

Agree with your first comment but disagree about Martial, having Cavani or Greenwood up there would have made a big difference I feel, both of them will have got on the ball more than Martial. He's still lazy as ever

 

[Marcus]

Matic off, Donny on.

Martial off - Sancho on.

Mason down the middle.

This