Southampton match thread

[Chris]

Everything positive in the attacking sense has been through Coutinho.

For all of Southampton's possession and bluster, they've mainly relied on the dink up to Pelle. Wanyama's done no more than Henderson apart from the odd burst into space. Reading your comments, you'd think they were poles apart.

You get on your high horse about people bringing up Skrtel's incompetencies, yet I reckon every match thread for the last three years will have a quote from you saying 'Henderson is terrible'.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

Conditions like these you really need a more traditional centre forward to play the ball up to. Any of the 3 on the bench would do.

Need them to hold the ball up and win free kicks (as Mario did when he came on on Thurs, but any of the three will do it).

Stay with this formation and we lose.

This 100%

They are going long to Pele when they need to and its sticking nearly all of the time, Sterling is too isolated.

Ballet maybe? Even Lambert would be an option I suppose for that role.

[BobTheCharmer]

Why does lallana insist on keeping the ball, slowly it down and running into people? There was a bit about 40 mins in.

The weather is ****ing awful, I'll forgive the ****ness.

[Daniel 7]

Conditions like these you really need a more traditional centre forward to play the ball up to. Any of the 3 on the bench would do.

Need them to hold the ball up and win free kicks (as Mario did when he came on on Thurs, but any of the three will do it).

Stay with this formation and we lose.

Something in that. Sterling hasn't really done much, but then the midfield hasn't exactly helped him out - though I think the main problems are at the back in this game.

Hope there's changes at half time - the panic at the back is so obvious.

[Fosterbloke]

Get Johnson on and swap Lovren for Can. Johnson can play on the left of defence.

Also, look to get Moreno and Balotelli on for Markovic and Sterling.

[Kenneth]

Lovren is a trainwreck.

Yes, a complete disaster. God knows what's going on in his head.

Southampton are no mugs and you can see why they're where they are, even if this isn't their best game. I don't know how we're still winning, hopefully we can look more composed second half and stop giving the ref decisions to make.

[danperkins]

Henry really is a terrible pundit

[McDermotX]

My arse.....that was handball

[BubbaZanetti]

Is it Mario time yet?

[Fosterbloke]

Lovren is a pub player. Total ****ing **** and a fraud.

[captainfog]

Not bad considering we are playing with 9 men. I was one of those who got sucked into think Allen was better than this when he was out injured. Wrong. He's adds nothing. As for Lovren.... my god.

Can really struggling on the left which was a really strange decision considering Lovren has played on the left of central defensive partnerships all his career.

We also desperately need a striker on the pitch.

Hopefully Rodgers will ring the changes at half time and we can start to exert some control on the game because at the moment we're hopeless.

[Red_Polo]

Southampton forum bemoaning Koeman's team selection and saying they've created **** all. On here our defence is **** and we are a shambles, funny old world!

I think both are probably true. Elia getting in behind was probably the one moment of their making. We've come close to gifting them a number of goals though with our defensive dullardry.

From our pov we need to look to correct that rather than rely on their continued ****ness in final third. Plus try to get some sort of grip on the midfield.

[Myo]

I think the rain has been a factor in the refs eye level decisions et Al. .We could have seen a few more goals in this by now..and at least one to them

[danperkins]

Southampton away really is a tough fixture. Would have thought they would have faded away at this stage in the season but they've done well to keep up with the pace. I thought Koeman would have been a disaster there.

[G]

Toure has to come on, I'd even bring Johnson on too and get Can into midfield.