[Football] Mark Hughes - Southampton Tactics

CH tactics get discussed a lot. Personally I thought individual performances were at fault first half for us, preventing a high press as we just didn't have enough of the ball. You don't often see CH so animated but what was happening was not what he had planned or instructed.

Over to Mark Hughes. I thought Southampton got on the front foot and a goal was coming, it was a worldy, but you would have to say with the run of play. What I couldn't understand is that with Brighton reeling, Southampton clearly retreated to consolidate their lead. It wasn't a slow process because we had more of the ball, it looked tactical as it was a clear change. I thought that was a massive mistake and ultimately what led to them dropping 2 points.

Southampton started cautiously 2nd half, and despite passes and final balls still going astray, Brighton battled into the ascendency through force of will rather than outstanding performance. The penalty was a gift to them in all honesty, a result of our need to get forward but not playing fluently. And yet, still Southampton retreated giving us the impetus to press forward. Sometimes you don't get forward simply because the other team pin you back, I didn't see that with Southampton, I saw a side revert to a defensive shape and mindset even when we were still making errors and not showing enough fluency.

I don't think we do that at home, I think CH gives our team a lot more freedom that if we're on the front foot, we continue to get at the opposition whether we're in the lead of not. As much as Brighton did well to dig out a draw, I think Southampton's tactics cost them a win.

The longer the game went, the more S. looked like a team who didn't believe they could win at home. Credit to Albion for keeping going and creating chances, Ali J and Knocky looked incisive and added to their nervousness. One key difference from the first half was getting players near to Murray to feed off scraps, together with moving the ball more quickly.

Since the start of last season, it's the games where we have started passively, surrendering the initiative, that have sown the seeds of our poor away record. Huddersfield, West Brom and yesterday come to mind. Bassouma is a threat, but is understandably still adjusting to the pace of the PL. We need to get players near him more, to make it easier to keep the ball.

PG

Biggest tactical error was bringing on Gabbiadini and not Austin. When he played in the cup game at the Amex he looked so far off the pace, and again last night nothing stuck with him and just allowed us to win the ball back and stay on the front foot.

It was a bit like watching us a little while ago when we would take the lead and try and soak up the pressure, invariably leading to us conceding. Southampton have not got the defenders to sit back and hold on and they gave up all the momentum to us. Maybe a side lacking in confidence and trying to hold on, but Hughes got it very wrong and I would worry if I was a Saints fan and he stays in charge, the bloke is stealing a living.

Postman Pat said:

Biggest tactical error was bringing on Gabbiadini and not Austin. When he played in the cup game at the Amex he looked so far off the pace, and again last night nothing stuck with him and just allowed us to win the ball back and stay on the front foot.

It was a bit like watching us a little while ago when we would take the lead and try and soak up the pressure, invariably leading to us conceding. Southampton have not got the defenders to sit back and hold on and they gave up all the momentum to us. Maybe a side lacking in confidence and trying to hold on, but Hughes got it very wrong and I would worry if I was a Saints fan and he stays in charge, the bloke is stealing a living.

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I don't agree with the notion that we used to accept soaking up pressure and that was down to us. I still argue this a lot. I think there is a difference between a clear tactical decision that hasn't happened because of the pressure exerted by the other side, and the ability of another team playing well enough in the search for a goal to push you back.

My point of starting this thread is that we didn't put Southampton under pressure in the first half, they got their goal and made a tactical decision to sit back. That to me is different to us finding it difficult to keep the ball when a team comes at us. 2nd half, yes we did start to exert pressure, but Southampton had already retreated well before then.