Biton, Johansen & Griffiths.

Definitely agree, the point is that none of our players will be perfect. Even Wanyama was guilty of lapses in concentration and effort. It just happens to players at our price range. Van Dijk seems to be an exception, maybe he gives a few too many fouls away at the SPL level but that's really nitpicking. Every single other player we have is prone to some sort of repeat fault (again, this isn't a bad thing at all. It happens at every club outside the top 2-3). My point was that discussing Brown's in the reasonable way in the last two pages (while knowing that some people can be irrationally hating of him) isn't scapegoating. The fun of this place is to discuss. Scapegoating and bashing happens enough, we don't need to use that accusation to other members on the rare occasion where everybody's being pretty level-headed.

 

I would add Lustig along with Van Dijk as an exception, but otherwise could not agree more with this

Off topic, I know, but this is exactly why Sammy's contract situation is such a worry. If he's staying we need to know now. The guy has more genius and more flaws than the rest of the team put together. If he's staying we need to be planning now how to use him in the CL next year for precisely the sort of reasons you mention.

 

So true.

He looked REALLY bored against lower opposition, at times.

My biggest complaint about Victor.

 

I don't think it was just that. If I'm being honest, I don't think he was that good in possession, and it has showed down South. He was very careless at times I thought with the ball at his feet. To begin with, I thought it was down to switching off, but if I'm being honest, I think it was down to his ability. I haven't seen a lot of Southampton games where he has been involved, but the ones I have, he has looked poor. Mainly due to giving the ball away far too cheaply.

 

His ability with the ball is a major weakness but he had class,some of his break up play and distribution aswell as some of his exquisite cultured finishes were out of the top drawer so he does have it in him..
Maybe it's the brain rather than the talent that's lacking and holding him back..

As for the 3 mentioned all 3 have impressed me but still work to be done..
Biton looks the real deal,lovely range of passing,positionally good and very rarely gets brushed off the ball,i'd like to see him once he's setting up the pass that starts the attack,move with the play abit more often as i think he's got alot more to his game in terms of scoring from range and linking up play like big virg does when he breaks..
Weakness,he still dallies on the ball and wants to much time for me...needs to keep it quick and moving..

Johansen is another one who's slotted right in,the work rate/engine is phenomenal the way he harasses and turns over possession i've enjoyed watching as well as his quick short passing and this guy is another who looks like being a great signing..
Early days and not played football for months when he signed here so will obviously have a few more flaws to iron out..weaknesses,too lightweight,positionally not always sound and gets dragged too far out and looks for the long spectacular pass which isn't always on leading to him looking silly when it doesn't come off..

Griffiths is really early days in but looks a good player, bit nippier than I thought and a bit stronger than I thought,lovely left peg as we already knew and a deadly finisher..
I've been most impressed by 2 things so far his attitude on and off the pitch of playing for us and we can all see that for a non celtic man it means more than most and secondly his link up play is really smart in and around the box..
Weaknesses,caught offside too much and a bit rash in tackles but the latter well both could be put down to trying to hard to get going here and off the mark..

All 3 i expect to improve drastically as they get used to the surroundings/team mates and full fitness and improve us as a team..
Good signs!

 

whit?

naw, just naw.

 

Can't say I agree with that. A lot of Southampton fans put their team's drop in form down to the fact that Wanyama has been out of the team with injuries. Him and Schneiderlin worked really well together and that's why Southampton had such a great defensive record for the first ten or so games of the season.

 

I'm only going on what I've seen of him. Have you seen them play this year with him in the team?

Any time I have watched a Southampton game, he has been poor in my opinion. You have to question why he is out of favour at the minute.

 

Biton and Johansen are fitting in well but it means having to leave out Mulgrew who I'd rather have in there. Suppose having back up and competition in certain positions is always good though.

 

It's hard to be in favour when you have a broken leg though :icon_mrgreen:

At least I think he is injured and has been for quite some time. Can anyone confirm that?

 

He played last weekend just coming back from that injury

 

I think he was dropped prior to getting injured though IIRC. First of me hearing it was a leg break also. I'm not sure what he was out injured with, but I thought I would have heard if it was a leg break.

 

The thing with a player like Wanyama is that unless you actually watch full Southampton games and not just match of the day etc, then its hard to judge how he's getting on, as he is not going to show up much in the highlights with the role he tends to play.

 

Definitely broke his leg. It was back in December

http://www1.skysports.com/football/...anyama-suffers-a-hairline-fracture-to-his-leg

And he wasn't dropped before that he being played very consistently, many Southampton fans linking their great defense up to then with Wanyama.

It's no surprise that their defensive record has faltered heavily with his injury.

 

Any time I have seen him, it has been full games. I find it very strange that they don't send him forward for corners, as we seen from his time here, he is a massive threat. His passing not being great is nothing new to me. We all seen that he can be very careless in possession. I'm not trying to run him down here, I thought he was excellent for us.

 

Boruc getting injured didn't do their fantastic defensive record any good either to be fair. He was keeping them in a lot of games at the beginning of the season.

 

Absolutely, I'd go as far to say he was the best keeper in the EPL for a good few months before he got injured, going on form of course.

 

On the subject of Scott Browns technique, well his assist last night, deft touch and turn, a quick knock away from the player and a well weighted pass to James Forrest.

He definitely has it in his locker.

 

Spot on mate. It's a total myth that Brown isn't a technically sound player.

 

Some of the pish being spouted about Scott Brown makes me wonder if people actually watch Celtic games.

We are a far better team with him playing.