Pellegrino Got Tactics Right Says Yoshida Monday, 23rd Oct 2017 09:50 Saints win on Saturday was down to Saints manager Mauricio Pellegrino getting his tactics right according to defender Maya Yoshida. Yoshida spoke to the press after the game on Saturday and said that the 1-0 win was down to the manager and his ability to change tactics in the game. Some Saints fans might perhaps disagree, as the game entered the final 10 minutes although the team were enjoying almost all the possession and the game was being played in the West Brom half, the fact still remained that we had barely troubled the Baggis keeper and were struggling to break down the visitors who had clearly come to set out their stall and look for a clean sheet with perhaps a goal nicked from somewhere. There were those that thought that the starting XI was too defensive whilst no one would argue about the class of Steven Davis he is not the most creative of players and it effectively meant we had three holding midfielders, a tactic that works away from home but not when you are playing a side like West Brom, however having seen sides already this season stifle at St Mary's and nick a goal, Pellegrino seemed to be taking no risks. Indeed many thought that Pellegrino left it a little late to try and change the game, the introduction of Nathan Redmond in place of Romeu was a change in tactic and a more attacking approach but with 20 minutes left was perhaps 10 minutes later than it should have been and when Charlie Austin and Sofiane Boufal came into the fray there were only 9 minutes left on the clock. But their introduction was like for like,replacing Tadic and Long and was more about fresh legs than trying something different to break down the Baggies. But Maya Yoshida sees it slightly differently and that the manager got it spot on. “That was the plan of the manager,” he said. “We play attacking football and dominate and we were going to put Redders [Nathan Redmond] and Sofiane on to make the difference." "After the second half it became open and there were so many spaces in the midfield. If that kind of player has space, they can do what they want." "That’s what the manager wanted and Sofiane showed his quality.” Yoshida does have a point, but the issue is about how late the change was made and it gave no real time to try and change the game, certainly the pattern changed little in the final minutes either before or after the goal and it took that moment of skill to secure all three points. But you cannot legislate for a run like Boufal's it is a one in a season goal, a manager does not put a player on and expect him to do something like that, sometimes you just get lucky. Hopefully though this will give confidence to the side, the squad is as good as any outside of the big six sides and there are those that would say that given Liverpool's defensive issues it is better than their side, but wheras the likes of Watford, Burnley and Huddersfield have played out of their skin, we are playing nowhere near our potential. That brings hope we can start to pick up and win games, when a side is playing badly and still picking up points it can be a good sign, certainly we sit in a good position to surge up the table, all we need to do now is start to win games and we can climb up the league. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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