Southampton Match Thread

[PFKAKTF FOX]

I was at the game and IMO it was a good, solid performance, we defended very well as a team and especially in the first half played some pretty decent stuff but we do lack a cutting edge up front and it is that lack of a natural goalscorer that will be the difference between us being in the promotion shake up and finishing mid table. However against a side recently relegated it was a good bench mark and it does show the improvement we are making under Levein.

Gerrbrand was different class, he looks a fantastic buy and again demonstrates Levein's excellent judgement of players. We definately need a striker in to pep things up and take a little of the weight off Humey and Elvis's shoulders, I still believe both of these players will be decent players at this level but they need time and paitence.

I found the game quite entertaining, and both teams should be given credit for going out and trying to win and playing fairly decent football, but from what I could see both teams lacked the real quality in the final third of the pitch to be able to win the match.

 

[glyn]

Gerrbrand was different class, he looks a fantastic buy and again demonstrates Levein's excellent judgement of players. We definately need a striker in to pep things up and take a little of the weight off Humey and Elvis's shoulders, I still believe both of these players will be decent players at this level but they need time and paitence.

My worry is that CL is after 'youth' all the time. In this case, with two other 'young strikers with potential' already at the club, a fairly experienced pro would be ideal (I mean not as 'experienced' as Dion or Les!). I'm thinking of the impact Huckerby had at Norwich.

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

My worry is that CL is after 'youth' all the time. In this case, with two other 'young strikers with potential' already at the club, a fairly experienced pro would be ideal (I mean not as 'experienced' as Dion or Les!). I'm thinking of the impact Huckerby had at Norwich.

I agree we need a striker who is young enough to fit in with the high tempo, high energy football we are trying to play, but is experienced enough to come and make a real impact. IMO somebody in the 25 - 28 age bracket.

Just a name for people to think about, but what about Matt Jansen at Blackburn, surely Rob Kelly's contacts should help secure that deal. Plus I think he is out of contract at the end of the season so it can still be viewed as a long term signing, because if everything works out for both parties it could be made permanent.

 

[highland fox]

I agree we need a striker who is young enough to fit in with the high tempo, high energy football we are trying to play, but is experienced enough to come and make a real impact. IMO somebody in the 25 - 28 age bracket.

Just a name for people to think about, but what about Matt Jansen at Blackburn, surely Rob Kelly's contacts should help secure that deal. Plus I think he is out of contract at the end of the season so it can still be viewed as a long term signing, because if everything works out for both parties it could be made permanent.

Francis Jeffers ?

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

Good Shout Highland, I bet if it was given some serious thought, there will be a number of decent strikers who fit into that category. Actually just thought of another who would fit right in, not sure whether he would be available but what about Marcus Bent, not first choice at Everton.

 

[Yorkshire Vixen]

What was the reception for w*s*?
Any nasty tackles on him?

he got some stick he even had the nerve to stick his thumb up to the kop and have a perma-grin when they were giving him it :icon_evil think the little shit chickened out and didnt want to come on :icon_lol:

 

[glyn]

Good Shout Highland, I bet if it was given some serious thought, there will be a number of decent strikers who fit into that category. Actually just thought of another who would fit right in, not sure whether he would be available but what about Marcus Bent, not first choice at Everton.

Bent and Jansen are just the kind of player that we could do with, not sure about Jeffers he would cost too much in wages for very little return probably.

However - this is the kind of discussion we kept having in the summer, and who did CL come up with? Elvis and Hume!

 

[Redditch Fox]

Gerrbrand was different class, he looks a fantastic buy and again demonstrates Levein's excellent judgement of players. We definately need a striker in to pep things up and take a little of the weight off Humey and Elvis's shoulders, I still believe both of these players will be decent players at this level but they need time and paitence.

I think Levein's judgement of players is actually fairly patchy.

Gerrbrand yes...getting rid of a load of old rubbish at the end of last season...yes

but what about Gilbert? What about Hammond - £250,000 straight down the drain IMO for a player we already had on loan? What about keeping on Wilcox?

Yes, Levein is making progress albeit slow progress but he has done insufficient so far to justify comments about excellent judgement.

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

Gerrbrand was different class, he looks a fantastic buy and again demonstrates Levein's excellent judgement of players. We definately need a striker in to pep things up and take a little of the weight off Humey and Elvis's shoulders, I still believe both of these players will be decent players at this level but they need time and paitence.

I think Levein's judgement of players is actually fairly patchy.

Gerrbrand yes...getting rid of a load of old rubbish at the end of last season...yes

but what about Gilbert? What about Hammond - £250,000 straight down the drain IMO for a player we already had on loan? What about keeping on Wilcox?

Yes, Levein is making progress albeit slow progress but he has done insufficient so far to justify comments about excellent judgement.

Sorry Redditch, normally I tend to agree with a lot of your comments but as regards Levein's judgement as being patchy I am afraid I cannot agree. No manager is ever going to be 100% when it comes to transfers but IMO Levein has done a very good job, Gilbert and Hammond are players who as yet have shown little to capture the imagination, but they are young and have the potential to improve once they have settled in, remember as well that they will have had to uproot which is always difficult and it does take time.

Redditch, even MON made some mistakes in the transfer market, Gunnlaugsson and Fenton immediately spring to mind, but he was still always remembered for being able to spot a player. I think CL has the same knack, McCarthy, Maybury, Gerrbrand, Johansson, Hughes, Smith, Hume all look talented players so he doesnt have a bad record considering.

 

[Redditch Fox]

Sorry Redditch, normally I tend to agree with a lot of your comments but as regards Levein's judgement as being patchy I am afraid I cannot agree. No manager is ever going to be 100% when it comes to transfers but IMO Levein has done a very good job, Gilbert and Hammond are players who as yet have shown little to capture the imagination, but they are young and have the potential to improve once they have settled in, remember as well that they will have had to uproot which is always difficult and it does take time.

Redditch, even MON made some mistakes in the transfer market, Gunnlaugsson and Fenton immediately spring to mind, but he was still always remembered for being able to spot a player. I think CL has the same knack, McCarthy, Maybury, Gerrbrand, Johansson, Hughes, Smith, Hume all look talented players so he doesnt have a bad record considering.

There is no doubt that CL seems more grounded in reality than Micky and that he is not a clown like DB nor a child let loose (by the old Board)to play on the motorway like Peter Taylor.....but it remains to be seen whether the club will make serious progress under his management.

I certainly think that any comparison with MON is misplaced..... leaving aside comparisons on footballing judgement, MON is a top drawer manager whose wider strengths include considerable communication skills... he is able to articulate the moods of supporters and win people over, frankly CL does not convey that he is in the same league in those respects, and these are very important managerial skills.

I hope that CL builds on the slow progress.... but I remain a bit sceptical ....if you are right and my doubts are proved wrong then we will all be happy

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

There is no doubt that CL seems more grounded in reality than Micky and that he is not a clown like DB nor a child let loose (by the old Board)to play on the motorway like Peter Taylor.....but it remains to be seen whether the club will make serious progress under his management.

I certainly think that any comparison with MON is misplaced..... leaving aside comparisons on footballing judgement, MON is a top drawer manager whose wider strengths include considerable communication skills... he is able to articulate the moods of supporters and win people over, frankly CL does not convey that he is in the same league in those respects, and these are very important managerial skills.

I hope that CL builds on the slow progress.... but I remain a bit sceptical ....if you are right and my doubts are proved wrong then we will all be happy

Good post Redditch, I wasnt directly comparing CL with MON, I was just trying to make the point that every manager makes mistakes in the transfer market, it's how many mistakes that tend to determine the success of that manager's tenure. For me Levein hasnt yet done too much wrong, I am confident in his judgement of players and his transfer policy is likely to reap financial benefit to the club, in that most of his signings will be a saleable asset, not something that could be levelled at the previous management team.

Why are you sceptical Redditch, is it with the club or is with CL and what are your reasons ?

My biggest concern which I believe will no doubt hinder our ability to progress is the financial position of the club, due to our not so distant dose with adminstration I fear the club are suseptable (sp) to any decent bids for our better players, just like Connolly, which was a decent piece of business but with it went any opportunity of mounting a promotion challenge. And I fear the likes of McCarthy, Gerrbrand, Hughes etc may be sacrificed in the future.

 

[Brauny Blue]

Good post Redditch, I wasnt directly comparing CL with MON, I was just trying to make the point that every manager makes mistakes in the transfer market, it's how many mistakes that tend to determine the success of that manager's tenure. For me Levein hasnt yet done too much wrong, I am confident in his judgement of players and his transfer policy is likely to reap financial benefit to the club, in that most of his signings will be a saleable asset, not something that could be levelled at the previous management team.

Why are you sceptical Redditch, is it with the club or is with CL and what are your reasons ?

My biggest concern which I believe will no doubt hinder our ability to progress is the financial position of the club, due to our not so distant dose with adminstration I fear the club are suseptable (sp) to any decent bids for our better players, just like Connolly, which was a decent piece of business but with it went any opportunity of mounting a promotion challenge. And I fear the likes of McCarthy, Gerrbrand, Hughes etc may be sacrificed in the future.

Money may not be everything in football, but without it you are nothing more than a feeder club to the bigger fish. The championship is littered with clubs with failed dreams. Teams that gambled to stay on the gravy train and ultimately lost the battle. The likes of Cov, Forest, Derby, Leeds, Ipswich, Norwich, have and are still suffering since the premier leagues conception. Other clubs like Sunderland, WBA, C Palace, have not yet fell into severe fianancial problems, but struggle to make any impact because they don't have the resources to bolster their squads. Teams like ourselves may well take a full decade to be truly competitive again. The sky money was probaly great for football, but its nearly ruined us chasing after it.

 

[glyn]

I certainly think that any comparison with MON is misplaced..... leaving aside comparisons on footballing judgement, MON is a top drawer manager whose wider strengths include considerable communication skills... he is able to articulate the moods of supporters and win people over, frankly CL does not convey that he is in the same league in those respects, and these are very important managerial skills.

You've got a point there, personality-wise CL really does not get the supporters going. He comes across as a bit dull. Thoughtful maybe, but like watching paint dry. That is a real problem for him as he continues to build a side, as he needs whatever support he can get.

 

[Redditch Fox]

Why are you sceptical Redditch, is it with the club or is with CL and what are your reasons ?

QUOTE]

Just a gut feeling that CL is nothing special as a manager coupled with my long term disappointment that we came out of administration without any serious financial backing....which is not to belittle the genuine efforts and generosity of those who put in money. I think another problem with the way we came out of administration was that Gary Lineker felt unable to continue with a role after the immediate crisis was resolved and the club lost for quite understandable reasons a figurehead who might just have attracted financial backing. As it is the board is well .....anonymous.

I think we need leadership at this club that will inspire....and I am doubtful whether CL has the capacity to do that..and there is nobody else at LCFC who is going to provide that spark either.

The sale of DC is also a bit of a touchstone. Of course, it was good financial business because Wigan - at that time - were prepared to pay over the odds for any half-decent striker who would sign for them....but to me his departure has made the difference between the club having an outside chance of making the play offs and bobbling around in mid table.

 

[Joe_Fox]

Why are you sceptical Redditch, is it with the club or is with CL and what are your reasons ?

QUOTE]

Just a gut feeling that CL is nothing special as a manager coupled with my long term disappointment that we came out of administration without any serious financial backing....which is not to belittle the genuine efforts and generosity of those who put in money. I think another problem with the way we came out of administration was that Gary Lineker felt unable to continue with a role after the immediate crisis was resolved and the club lost for quite understandable reasons a figurehead who might just have attracted financial backing. As it is the board is well .....anonymous.

I think we need leadership at this club that will inspire....and I am doubtful whether CL has the capacity to do that..and there is nobody else at LCFC who is going to provide that spark either.

The sale of DC is also a bit of a touchstone. Of course, it was good financial business because Wigan - at that time - were prepared to pay over the odds for any half-decent striker who would sign for them....but to me his departure has made the difference between the club having an outside chance of making the play offs and bobbling around in mid table.

That is a damn good post Redditch - give yourself a well deserved pat on the back mate.

 

[Polar Bear]

This might sound odd but what I LIKE about CL is that he is "nothing special." I feel we have been harmed by our own Messiah Complex regarding managers which, for understandable reasons, we have had since MON. We need someone who will measurably progress the club but without making his own personality central to it - with hindsight whoever followed MON was on a hiding to nothing.

Other clubs with talismanic bosses have often had the same problem (Leeds, NF, Man U with Busby, Ipswich), and I've heard older Liverpool fans say that Shankly was rather wistful about the success they enjoyed after he left - could it be that he did such a good job that they were actually equipped to progress despite his personality cult?

Successful medium-size clubs in Europe have a structure where the team manager is not the be-all and end-all. That is precisely what we need, because if you have a really good manager you will lose him to a bigger club. What pleases me is that I can see CL leaving us in a decent position and ready to push on with a good successor.

 

[bocadillo]

I feel we have been harmed by our own Messiah Complex regarding managers which, for understandable reasons, we have had since MON.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!!

Somebody talking some sense!!

 

[Redditch Fox]

This might sound odd but what I LIKE about CL is that he is "nothing special." I feel we have been harmed by our own Messiah Complex regarding managers which, for understandable reasons, we have had since MON. We need someone who will measurably progress the club but without making his own personality central to it - with hindsight whoever followed MON was on a hiding to nothing.

Other clubs with talismanic bosses have often had the same problem (Leeds, NF, Man U with Busby, Ipswich), and I've heard older Liverpool fans say that Shankly was rather wistful about the success they enjoyed after he left - could it be that he did such a good job that they were actually equipped to progress despite his personality cult?

Successful medium-size clubs in Europe have a structure where the team manager is not the be-all and end-all. That is precisely what we need, because if you have a really good manager you will lose him to a bigger club. What pleases me is that I can see CL leaving us in a decent position and ready to push on with a good successor.

Your comments are much too intelligent for me.

I just have doubts based on how he projects himself in the public arena as to whether CL has the personality to get a team to play 'above itself'. This may be an unfair comment ... but I sense that many people think that the whole atmosphere around Leicester City is somewhat flat.

I also think that we started the season with a problem in terms of potential goal scorers and then increased those problems with the sale of DC because the club had an offer which it felt it could't refuse.

 

[glyn]

I just have doubts based on how he projects himself in the public arena as to whether CL has the personality to get a team to play 'above itself'. This may be an unfair comment ... but I sense that many people think that the whole atmosphere around Leicester City is somewhat flat.

But perhaps better a period of quiet rebuilding than yet more Harchester United-like rollecoaster rides?

 

[Redditch Fox]

But perhaps better a period of quiet rebuilding than yet more Harchester United-like rollecoaster rides?

'Quiet' doesnt fill football grounds Glyn.