[Albion] Fitness Levels & Press of Southampton

[Tim Over Whelmed]

I'm not sure whether last night showed we're in for a really tough game against Stains or whether they put everything into last night and they'll be jaded come Thursday?

Without doubt they show superb fitness levels, they press as one, look very aggressive and dangerous on the break.

I said Thursday would be a 1 - 1 bore draw, I think I'd take that now!

 

[timbha]

I reckon this will be our hardest game of the three. A point would be great.

 

[Springal]

Agreed - especially how leggy and slow we have looked in games.

 

[Braggfan]

I'm not sure whether last night showed we're in for a really tough game against Stains or whether they put everything into last night and they'll be jaded come Thursday?

Without doubt they show superb fitness levels, they press as one, look very aggressive and dangerous on the break.

I said Thursday would be a 1 - 1 bore draw, I think I'd take that now!

I think their results since the restart suggest that it wasn't a case of them putting everything into it, but rather they have found some form / got their act together. I think it will be really tough down there. I'd definitely take a draw.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Fitness Levels & Press of Southampton

I agree with all of the posts.
Southampton have been very impressive post restart. A draw would be a good result.

You have to respect how they reacted post the Leicester drubbing

We have to get better at playing ‘the press’ and whilst we have improved on last season, we need to get better.

In fact I would say whisper it, but it is alright to go long now and again, as at the moment we are a little predictable.


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[Marshy]

Saints have looked terrific since the restart. I would be staggered if we got anything.

 

[elwheelio]

It's not just the fact they've taken 4pts off City and United but the way they've approached those games has been really impressive.

 

[southstandandy]

Suspect the team GP will put out will the reflect the importance of the Newcastle match next Monday which will be targeted as a more realistic chance of points. Expecting a weaker side to be put out for Stains than for Newcastle. I'd like to see full strength sides put out for both but would be very surprised if GP doesn't repeat what he did against City.

 

[dwayne]

We have gone to wolves, Leicester and Sheffield utd recently and drawn. No reason we cant do it at saints, who have been poor at home this season.

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[Hotchilidog]

Southampton have been very good since the restart. Tore Watford apart, stymied a rampant City with impressive discipline and deservedly get a point at a good Utd side. Saints start the game heavy favourites, a point would be very nice thank you very much

 

[dwayne]

Suspect the team GP will put out will the reflect the importance of the Newcastle match next Monday which will be targeted as a more realistic chance of points. Expecting a weaker side to be put out for Stains than for Newcastle. I'd like to see full strength sides put out for both but would be very surprised if GP doesn't repeat what he did against City.

Think fans will be SERIOUSLY pissed off if this happens. It's about time we played our best side for the last 3 games. Feels like every game we are resting players for the next game at the moment. We have 5 subs so we can make them during the game.

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[zefarelly]

We have to approach all thre of the games as if our livesdepended on it, our PL survival does depend on it.

Stains may well be on form, but we've not been too bad over the last 5 games, and we have a score to settle, we were by far the better team in September ( Or whenever the home game was!)

 

[Uh_huh_him]

It amazes me how many people don't rate our ability to compete.

Last 5 away games unbeaten.
Dogged draws against form teams.
Coming from behind to win/draw games.

What have the team/manager got to do before you stop running them down before a ball is kicked.
Potter decided we would get nothing against City and rested players.
He also had a look at Bernardo and Ali J, to assess where they were at and whether they should feature in our critical final 3 games.

Now everyone thinks we're incapable of picking up a point.

You don't think our final 3 teams will be hoping that lamptey/Trossard/Dunk/Maupay aren't playing?
That we don't pose a single threat?

Chin up people!
What would Liam think?

 

[OzMike]

It would be good if we could play the way we did against Liverpool when we play the Saints, excluding the first 10 mins that is.
Get the 3 points and job done, it will save all the anxiousness in the next 2 games and we can actually take the foot off and relax as well.

 

[Gwylan]

Suspect the team GP will put out will the reflect the importance of the Newcastle match next Monday which will be targeted as a more realistic chance of points. Expecting a weaker side to be put out for Stains than for Newcastle. I'd like to see full strength sides put out for both but would be very surprised if GP doesn't repeat what he did against City.

I think we can get a point at Southampton and he'll put out a side that can do this. Lamptey, Stephens, Maupay and Burn only played 20 minutes or so last week. Mac Allister didn't play at all, I'm sure they'll feature. I'd like to see Ali J given a good go too - he looked really up for it when he came on.

We've had four days off since the last game and there are three clear days before our next one: Saints will only have had two days, I think there's a definitely a good chance of a draw.

 

[pasty]

We have gone to wolves, Leicester and Sheffield utd recently and drawn. No reason we cant do it at saints, who have been poor at home this season.

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Quite a staggering difference. Relegation spot in home table, Champions League spot in away table.

Although I guess post-lockdown form is different to pre-lockdown, but still...

 

[Acker79]

Teams generally raise their game against the likes of Liverpool, City, Utd. We are unlikely to see as strong a southampton side as City and Utd faced. I'm not saying it will be easy, or that they won't still be too much for us, just that it won't be the same saints that took 4 points off the two of the teams that have tore us apart recently.

 

[raymondo]

Suspect the team GP will put out will the reflect the importance of the Newcastle match next Monday which will be targeted as a more realistic chance of points. Expecting a weaker side to be put out for Stains than for Newcastle. I'd like to see full strength sides put out for both but would be very surprised if GP doesn't repeat what he did against City.

If he's not careful then, he may soon put out a team reflecting the need to play our strong 11 in the first game of next season

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I think we can get a point at Southampton and he'll put out a side that can do this. Lamptey, Stephens, Maupay and Burn only played 20 minutes or so last week. Mac Allister didn't play at all, I'm sure they'll feature. I'd like to see Ali J given a good go too - he looked really up for it when he came on.

We've had four days off since the last game and there are three clear days before our next one: Saints will only have had two days, I think there's a definitely a good chance of a draw.

Good post. It's the Ali J conundrum I don't get - he looks first class at times.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

We need to be wary of the press as we struggle against teams that do it well.

Many on here think we piss about at the back too much.
In general we tend to mix it up more away from home and against teams that press well.

I strongly suspect this is why Dan Burn is preferred at Left back.
We didn't have the option against City and struggled to get any possession from the game.