Ward-Prowse passes his toughest test yet (From Daily Echo)

I was surprised to see JWP given a run out on the first match but he did well and was pleasing to see.

Just goes to show not everything associated with that place down the M27 is bad!
I thought he did well against a big City midfield - his running and link up play was excellent. He didn't see much of the ball - but did well with it when in possession!
Well done JWP - just keep focused and the world will be your oyster!!!

Was surprised to see Fonte not captain

We have got to be the only team whose captain cant get into the matchday squad (Deano). Fonte is vice and wouldnt say he, with hopefully some additions is guaranteed a game and first player on the teamsheet. Liked adam being captain, wouldn't be surprised if it changes alot... give them all a go. At end of day, the leaders in the team dont need to have the captains armband to be heard!

damoose wrote:
Was surprised to see Fonte not captain

The captain needs to be an automatic starting 11 choice. Deano certainly won't be and neither will Fonte if last season was anything to go on. We are after new CB's.

I think we were all surprised by the starting line-up. In fact, if you'd given me a hundred goes I wouldn't have guessed it beforehand. It bloody nearly worked, though, didn't it?

Did all those that went have a lovely time?

Seedhouse the Unrepentant wrote:

damoose wrote:
Was surprised to see Fonte not captain

The captain needs to be an automatic starting 11 choice. Deano certainly won't be and neither will Fonte if last season was anything to go on. We are after new CB's.

I think it was great to see Lallana as captain. If anyone has earned it, it's him. He's a true saint, coming up through the academy to become the great player he is today.

James ward prowse had an amazing game, I was so impressed with his vision and link up play!

JWP was indeed very good. My man of the match, though, was Morgan. His passing was amazing and he does sooooo much to protect the back four. He's a bit of an unsung hero.

St Retford wrote:
I think we were all surprised by the starting line-up. In fact, if you'd given me a hundred goes I wouldn't have guessed it beforehand. It bloody nearly worked, though, didn't it?

Did all those that went have a lovely time?

My cousin did!

St Retford wrote:
JWP was indeed very good. My man of the match, though, was Morgan. His passing was amazing and he does sooooo much to protect the back four. He's a bit of an unsung hero.

Agreed! Who is it on here who keeps saying Spiderman isn't good enough?

So many positives, so please forgive this negative, for the second (or was it third?) City goal, why didn't we have anyone standing around the D? We gifted the ball to City. And, from corners, why was Clyne (a tiny player by any standards) covering a post?

Surely Clyne 'a tiny player' is better off marking a post than he is on the bigger City players who were being pushed up for the corner?

Scott_OOOSH wrote:
Surely Clyne 'a tiny player' is better off marking a post than he is on the bigger City players who were being pushed up for the corner?

Agreed, but the point I'm making is that you need a tall player who can get up and head a ball away at the post, rather than one who will watch the ball sail over his head.

The tiny ones (Clyne and Punch) should be deployed further out. I'd have Clyne in the D winning any lose balls which are only half cleared (that was my point about the D above) and Punch up front to win a clearance.

But what do I know, I'd have started with Rickie and we'd probable have been three down in half an hour.

Strasbourg Saint wrote:

Scott_OOOSH wrote:
Surely Clyne 'a tiny player' is better off marking a post than he is on the bigger City players who were being pushed up for the corner?

Agreed, but the point I'm making is that you need a tall player who can get up and head a ball away at the post, rather than one who will watch the ball sail over his head.

The tiny ones (Clyne and Punch) should be deployed further out. I'd have Clyne in the D winning any lose balls which are only half cleared (that was my point about the D above) and Punch up front to win a clearance.

But what do I know, I'd have started with Rickie and we'd probable have been three down in half an hour.

I think you'll find that the majority of teams - from pub leagues to the premiership - deploy the smaller players on the posts for corners. All the big men are needed for man marking but someone needs to be on the posts so unless you've got a full team of 6-foot-plussers it's always going to be the smaller players on the posts.

Ashley Cole is always guarding a post for corners, as an example.

I was going to state the same as above that it's usually standard practice to put the smaller players on the posts. Playing pub football at least, that has always been the case.
And again as above, Ashley Cole is a shining example of that!

I also don't believe that any of us could have predicted Lambert being left out of the starting line up. But then who are we to question the almighty NA?!

Strasbourg Saint wrote:

St Retford wrote: I think we were all surprised by the starting line-up. In fact, if you'd given me a hundred goes I wouldn't have guessed it beforehand. It bloody nearly worked, though, didn't it? Did all those that went have a lovely time?

My cousin did!

So did that Devon saint fella who told us that Ricky and Davis were both non-starters at 11:00 yesterday morning.

Sainty saint saint wrote:

Strasbourg Saint wrote:

Scott_OOOSH wrote:
Surely Clyne 'a tiny player' is better off marking a post than he is on the bigger City players who were being pushed up for the corner?

Agreed, but the point I'm making is that you need a tall player who can get up and head a ball away at the post, rather than one who will watch the ball sail over his head.

The tiny ones (Clyne and Punch) should be deployed further out. I'd have Clyne in the D winning any lose balls which are only half cleared (that was my point about the D above) and Punch up front to win a clearance.

But what do I know, I'd have started with Rickie and we'd probable have been three down in half an hour.

I think you'll find that the majority of teams - from pub leagues to the premiership - deploy the smaller players on the posts for corners. All the big men are needed for man marking but someone needs to be on the posts so unless you've got a full team of 6-foot-plussers it's always going to be the smaller players on the posts.

Ashley Cole is always guarding a post for corners, as an example.

I've mentioned a former player on here a few times recently (can't remember his name). He came with Dave Jones from Stockport, played leftback and was tiny.

He only played once or twice and was used to mark a post at corners. Whoever he played against scored from a corner with the ball sailing over his head. An average-sized player would have headed clear. Many believed his size was the reason he never made it. I'm not arguing for the biggest guys to mark the posts, of course not, I'm just saying that the tiny ones are better used picking up scraps on the edge of the box.

PS Ashley Cole is 1.76m (5' 9"?). No giant but hardly a tiny tot. Anyone know how tall Clyne is? Total guess, 5' 4"?

Clyne also stands at 5' 9"....

Shame JWP is a Skunt from a family of Skunts...... :O(

BaddesIey BiII wrote:
Shame JWP is a Skunt from a family of Skunts...... :O(

wum

BaddesIey BiII wrote:
Shame JWP is a Skunt from a family of Skunts...... :O(

Oh you are brilliant, no really you truely are just great, first up Whitebait then Laffaminute and now this you user names are getting longer and longer as you read proper, constructed English on here every day.

Soon I am expecting a combination of letters and numbers in another hilarious log-in name. I won't exect miracles, you won't be able to count past 6 on your webbed in-bred fishy hands, but well done you for trying!

That's why the Number 7 (as in how many days you lot have left) doesn't mean anything to you yet, its too big a number a little like your debt

Taunton Saint wrote:

BaddesIey BiII wrote:
Shame JWP is a Skunt from a family of Skunts...... :O(

Oh you are brilliant, no really you truely are just great, first up Whitebait then Laffaminute and now this you user names are getting longer and longer as you read proper, constructed English on here every day.

Soon I am expecting a combination of letters and numbers in another hilarious log-in name. I won't exect miracles, you won't be able to count past 6 on your webbed in-bred fishy hands, but well done you for trying!

That's why the Number 7 (as in how many days you lot have left) doesn't mean anything to you yet, its too big a number a little like your debt

Think of your blood pressure sweetcheeks...... X

BaddesIey BiII wrote:

Taunton Saint wrote:

BaddesIey BiII wrote:
Shame JWP is a Skunt from a family of Skunts...... :O(

Oh you are brilliant, no really you truely are just great, first up Whitebait then Laffaminute and now this you user names are getting longer and longer as you read proper, constructed English on here every day.

Soon I am expecting a combination of letters and numbers in another hilarious log-in name. I won't exect miracles, you won't be able to count past 6 on your webbed in-bred fishy hands, but well done you for trying!

That's why the Number 7 (as in how many days you lot have left) doesn't mean anything to you yet, its too big a number a little like your debt

Think of your blood pressure sweetcheeks...... X

Wow you got me there, sweetcheeks brilliant just brilliant, two lots of double ee in the same word, I have to give it to you fishy fiddler you learn quickly

Now swim over to your site and start educating the rest of the shoal that in 7 days time it is all over

WTFILN