Match Thread Southampton v Everton. 15th Aug at 12.45.

[Tubey]

Martinez has learnt absolutely nothing, he won't be manager next season that is for sure.

All he needs to do is buddy up the flanks, fullbacks bombing on with proper Wingers working with them, the rest will take care of itself, width exposes teams, getting the ball out wide pulls the opposition apart to create space in the middle.

It's how we have played our best football under Moyes's last 3 seasons and Martinez's first.

Martinez is never going to go back to that, and for me that means he'll not be here for much longer.

To be fair, that team he has selected today is a genuine change in shape. It's effectively a 4-3-3 if Barkley is given the free role in the number 10 slot.

So at the very least we're seeing some variation from Martinez today.

 

[Bilko]

come on blue lids,of course this team is capable of winning, coyb's get at them. 3-0, Kone to continue in the scoring habit,

 

[MACCA75]

4-3-1-2?

 

[Yankfootball1]

I'm liking that team, midfield diamond and two upfront

That is what it looks like to me, a midfield diamond, Barry Drops in to the back 4 when Coleman or Galloway move up the pitch....maybe...

 

[The Mighty Quint]

There is the very distinct possibility with have the best winger partnership in the Prem on the bench, can someone tell Martinez that FFS.

Hope he double subs them on 2nd half but I'm dreaming.

 

[BluePeadar]

Yes thats more like it , Kone is on his best scoring streak for 2 years

 

[chicoazul]

Wait and see. Smart move with the midfield diamond and two up front in my book.

They press from the front so this formation will help. They're also much bigger than us so the midfield will stop the crosses more. All of them it previous five goals in the the last seasons there have come from crosses or corners.

Hold your fume you depressive melons. Just because you've seen the arl fellas be dead moody doesn't mean you have to copy them to be boss blues.

 

[Scolari]

At least having all our players within 5 yards of each other should help us win the passing

 

[The Mighty Quint]

To be fair, that team he has selected today is a genuine change in shape. It's effectively a 4-3-3 if Barkley is given the free role in the number 10 slot.

So at the very least we're seeing some variation from Martinez today.

There are many ways of playing, but only one right way for us, and he's got two brilliant attacking flank players sat on the bench.

 

[Matthew mcdonnell]

The wingers aren't even fully fit anyway so we can't really blame the manager for that

 

[Deco]

There is the very distinct possibility with have the best winger partnership in the Prem on the bench, can someone tell Martinez that FFS.

Hope he double subs them on 2nd half but I'm dreaming.

I think it's more their fitness mate to be fair.

 

[harry]

The good thing about having Kone up there with Lukaku could be that it may allow Lukaku to play off the shoulder for more of the game, as Kone is much better at hold up play.

I'm ok with this team actually, just the lack of wingers is strange. Interested to see how it works.

I think he will move lukaku over to the right to give him more space/oppotunity to run at the defence. Play to his strengths, he very rarley gets to do this playing up top as he has a cb up his behind.

 

[ianefc]

If we play like we know we are capable, we win this

When did Martinez last manage to get us to do that?

 

[Verbal Kint]

The wingless wonders, hopefully it works. Very easy to fume with Barkley and Cleverly on the flanks.

 

[Titus Bramble]

There are many ways of playing, but only one right way for us, and he's got two brilliant attacking flank players sat on the bench.

They're not fully fit mate.