Southampton vs Leicester (A) - October 19th

[Deeg67]

But mystifying to me that anyone wants Winks and Skipp in the same eleven, especially against a weaker opponent.

[FosseSpark]

Herman

Ricardo Okoli Faes Justin

Skipp Winks

Fatawu Buona  Mavididi
Vardy

Ndidi has spent 2 days detained in Libya. No way should he start.

Kristiansen was like a lost kid v Bournemouth and Ricardo deserves his shot.

Fatawu tore Saints a new one last time he played so should get a start with Buonanotte undroppable.

 

gives us the chance to draw Ndidi and Ayew from the bench to.shore things up without resorting to drastic measures like when choudhury/coady get called on.

 

[Grebfromgrebland]

Herman

 

Ricardo Okoli Faes Justin

 

Skipp Ndidi 

 

Fatawu Bilal Mavididi

Bouna

 

I think bouna could be our saviour this season.

[lcfcbluearmy]

On 15/10/2024 at 22:15, Aus Fox said:

I don’t think Skipp and Winks can play together, also Ndidi? You can’t leave out the player who is number one for tackles in the league and number 2 for assists this season.

We all know it will be JJ in for Ricardo, but add Ndidi in for Winks and I think that’s the team I’d go for.

I'll be honest skipp, Winks and ndidi it can be any 2 of those three and I change my mind on the best combo all the time

[J. James]

6 hours ago, murphy said:

 

The eleven that I was talking about had a good balance with Skipp and Winks behind the forward three, not a Carsley team full of attackers and not a Cooperball drudgery XI.

I agree, great team on paper... But (you knew it was coming).. Whatever else Cooper is or is not, he is not a fool, nobody gets to where he is if they are, so logically he is picking HIS best TEAM to achieve his given remit, i.e. survival.

 

It's incredibly hard to have faith in someone when we think we know better but in reality we dont have all the facts and frankly it's so easy when our job/career isn't on the line.

 

Personally l never wanted him here, I hoped for Corberon, but the owners in their boundless wisdom chose him and i simply think that atm he is doing what was asked of him and deserves a bit more time ( and... 😬... Faith).

[foxfanazer]

This is such a huge game already. The next 3 league games could be a real spring board if we apply ourselves correctly 

[volpeazzurro]

4 hours ago, FosseSpark said:

Herman

Ricardo Okoli Faes Justin

Skipp Winks

Fatawu Buona  Mavididi
Vardy

Ndidi has spent 2 days detained in Libya. No way should he start.

Kristiansen was like a lost kid v Bournemouth and Ricardo deserves his shot.

Fatawu tore Saints a new one last time he played so should get a start with Buonanotte undroppable.

 

gives us the chance to draw Ndidi and Ayew from the bench to.shore things up without resorting to drastic measures like when choudhury/coady get called on.

 

Agree with all bar JJ. He's been a liability on the right and showed last season in a weaker league that he's even worse on the left! Personally I don't think Kristiansen has done that, they all have off games. There's certainly been more goals and opposition chances from down the right than from the left.

[The Doctor]

1 hour ago, J. James said:

I agree, great team on paper... But (you knew it was coming).. Whatever else Cooper is or is not, he is not a fool, nobody gets to where he is if they are, so logically he is picking HIS best TEAM to achieve his given remit, i.e. survival.

 

It's incredibly hard to have faith in someone when we think we know better but in reality we dont have all the facts and frankly it's so easy when our job/career isn't on the line.

 

Personally l never wanted him here, I hoped for Corberon, but the owners in their boundless wisdom chose him and i simply think that atm he is doing what was asked of him and deserves a bit more time ( and... 😬... Faith).

debatable. I'd suggest only a fool would spend 8m on a winger/striker who gets booked more than he scores, and then play said winger over two wingers that had come off fantastic seasons the year before 

[LCFCJohn]

6 hours ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

It's not difficult is it. Only contentious points would be leaving out our top assister in Ndidi, and dropping VK would be harsh imo.

Agreed. Ndidi has been quite good and I think maybe him with Winks or Skipp.

 

And I’m not sure what the obsession with putting JJ at left back over VK is. People blinded by the fact he scored a couple!

[J. James]

1 hour ago, The Doctor said:

debatable. I'd suggest only a fool would spend 8m on a winger/striker who gets booked more than he scores, and then play said winger over two wingers that had come off fantastic seasons the year before 

No, sorry, it's not debatable, as l said in the post , you dont reach the heights he has being a fool.

You and l may not agree with his team selections but thats our opinion.

 

Every manager has a different style and players they like or not to fit that style (Maresca did and does this too, look at Chilwell and others).

 

I dont like my 2 favourite players being frozen out any more than the next bloke but he has to be allowed to do it his way, painful as it might be.

Edited 17 October 2024 by J. James

[Ric Flair]

16 minutes ago, J. James said:

No, sorry, it's not debatable, as l said in the post , you dont reach the heights he has being a fool.

You and l may not agree with his team selections but thats our opinion.

 

Every manager has a different style and players they like or not to fit that style (Maresca did and does this too, look at Chilwell and others).

 

I dont like my 2 favourite players being frozen out any more than the next bloke but he has to be allowed to do it his way, painful as it might be.

Managers make mistakes regularly, certainly on team selection. Yes there are certain systems that make certain players unsuited but the irony is both Ricardo and Fatawu are versatile. But even if they weren't, we don't have a strong enough identity that means we have to play one way only. 

 

I do wonder if Cooper will alter that eventually to suit the players if that's what needs to happen. Talking of examples of managers getting systems and team selections wrong. Look at Pearson in 2014/15. Didn't play Albrighton for pretty much the first 25-30 games. Didn't play Vardy through the middle either. Add in Drinkwaters sporadic involvement too and it would be fair to say whilst Pearson's far more equipped than fans to judge team selection or tactics, he was getting it wrong.

 

Went 3-4-1-2 and used Albrighton, Drinkwater and Vardy and we clicked. Fatawu not being used alongside Mavididi is just madness. Especially when he's excellent defensively too.

[PhillippaT]

10 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Managers make mistakes regularly, certainly on team selection. Yes there are certain systems that make certain players unsuited but the irony is both Ricardo and Fatawu are versatile. But even if they weren't, we don't have a strong enough identity that means we have to play one way only. 

 

I do wonder if Cooper will alter that eventually to suit the players if that's what needs to happen. Talking of examples of managers getting systems and team selections wrong. Look at Pearson in 2014/15. Didn't play Albrighton for pretty much the first 25-30 games. Didn't play Vardy through the middle either. Add in Drinkwaters sporadic involvement too and it would be fair to say whilst Pearson's far more equipped than fans to judge team selection or tactics, he was getting it wrong.

 

Went 3-4-1-2 and used Albrighton, Drinkwater and Vardy and we clicked. Fatawu not being used alongside Mavididi is just madness. Especially when he's excellent defensively too.

Yep - I definitely think we'll struggle more than we need to without our FataWOW moments   

[LinekersLugs]

3 hours ago, foxfanazer said:

This is such a huge game already. The next 3 league games could be a real spring board if we apply ourselves correctly 

With cooper in charge ? Can’t see much springing 

 

but I’ll try not to be too cynical 

[Unabomber]

It is weird how cooper can get it so wrong with ayew and fatawu. It’s objectively the wrong decision based on factual stats let alone the fact that anyone can see how much better Abdul is. 

[foxfanazer]

49 minutes ago, LinekersLugs said:

With cooper in charge ? Can’t see much springing 

 

but I’ll try not to be too cynical 

I fear we're stuck with him regardless but there's a possibility there's still 3 worse teams than us

[fox_favourite]

Come on coops #freericardo. He scored a screamer in training. Do it, you know you want to!

[J. James]

6 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Managers make mistakes regularly, certainly on team selection. Yes there are certain systems that make certain players unsuited but the irony is both Ricardo and Fatawu are versatile. But even if they weren't, we don't have a strong enough identity that means we have to play one way only. 

 

I do wonder if Cooper will alter that eventually to suit the players if that's what needs to happen. Talking of examples of managers getting systems and team selections wrong. Look at Pearson in 2014/15. Didn't play Albrighton for pretty much the first 25-30 games. Didn't play Vardy through the middle either. Add in Drinkwaters sporadic involvement too and it would be fair to say whilst Pearson's far more equipped than fans to judge team selection or tactics, he was getting it wrong.

 

Went 3-4-1-2 and used Albrighton, Drinkwater and Vardy and we clicked. Fatawu not being used alongside Mavididi is just madness. Especially when he's excellent defensively too.

Yep, we never stop learning and l guess Cooper is the same, Pearson had the wisdom to change his thinking, Ranieri had the wisdom to keep a winning team and not change too much.

Others do things differently and most take a while to cotton on, Cooper perhaps falls into both of these.

But we are not in the bottom 3 and we've won so personally l find the vitriol thrown at him harsh.

I get why people want him to fail and find reasons to criticise the man, but his failing means our demise, so atm I'm very happy for him to succeed, and if he succeeds with no Ricky or Fatawu then so be it - and lets remember what success looks like, it's not being in the zone at 6pm on the 25th May '25.

That's it and all about it.

 

BTW. I do believe he will start to play both of these guys, and Vesty too - if only due to injury/fatigue and how often does a necessity turn into a virtue in football.

[The Doctor]

12 hours ago, J. James said:

No, sorry, it's not debatable, as l said in the post , you dont reach the heights he has being a fool.

You and l may not agree with his team selections but thats our opinion.

 

Every manager has a different style and players they like or not to fit that style (Maresca did and does this too, look at Chilwell and others).

 

I dont like my 2 favourite players being frozen out any more than the next bloke but he has to be allowed to do it his way, painful as it might be.

eh, by absolute standards sure, but it's like saying Liz Truss isn't a fool because you don't become a politician and reach the office of PM while being a fool, but by the standards of other politicians, she's a ****ing clown, much as this depressionball merchant is by the standards of other top flight managers.

[Vacamion]

 

Chris Sutton, here, with insight so sharp you could cut subatomic particles

 

 

 

[Fazzer 7]

Skipp has to start in front of Winks for me

[Ric Flair]

I want a bat shit crazy game. 4-3 Leicester.

[Happy Fox]

We lose this Cooper has to go, cannot afford to give him the game against the Redshite.

[J. James]

2 hours ago, The Doctor said:

eh, by absolute standards sure, but it's like saying Liz Truss isn't a fool because you don't become a politician and reach the office of PM while being a fool, but by the standards of other politicians, she's a ****ing clown, much as this depressionball merchant is by the standards of other top flight managers.

Lol.. Dont get me started on politicians!

 

My comments on those lying, self serving, hypocritical, con artists would make the most extreme views on Cooper look like heartfelt support!

 

 

[John rayner]

25 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

We lose this Cooper has to go, cannot afford to give him the game against the Redshite.

Agreed 👍 

[Chelmofox]

With the other fixtures going on a won would be massive! Lets just go for it!