x

Saints At Liverpool The Verdict

A game of two halves, where sadly Saints went back to their chaotic defending at the back from earlier in the season after holding Liverpool at half time.

The one thing that has to be said about this game is that it was not a four nil game, ironically we shipped one more goal than the previous two visits despite playing ten times better than we did do in those two games where we were gutless.

But we were the architects of our own downfall, in the first half we stuck doggedly to our task and went tow to toe with the home side, they had their chances but we also had ours and I doubt whether man sides had caused them this amount of problems in any other game at Anfield this season.

We were not only well drilled and organised, but we went forward with, purpose and at the break it could easily have been 2-1 to either side or even three all.

But before many fans had got out back to their seats after the break the game took a dramatic turn, firstly Danny Ings went down under a clumsy challenge, but the ref waved play on and Liverpool went straight up the other end and scored, we suddenly looked lost a couple of nice flicks from them and ex Saint Alex Oxlade Chamberlain fired home with McCarthy rooted to the spot.

Initially this did not phase Saints and we went back at them but the damage was done and on the hour the game was put out of our reach when Jordan Henderson took advantage of some poor defending to score.

But it got worse and Mo Salah's two goals to make the scoreline look a lot worse than the performance itself where again the result of our failure to read a game at the back, mark a player or make a decent tackle.

This was a Jeckyll and Hyde performance that highlighted what I have been saying all season, in the midfield and going forward we are a top 10 side, at the back we are not even top 10 in the Championship at times.

Hopefully we can put this one behind us and secure the two wins we need to make sure that we don't pay dearly for not buying a central defender in the January transfer window.

The main thing that we can take from this game though is we left with a lot more pride than our previous two visits, the Liverpool supporters were very complimentary after the match we gave them a game, ultimately we got the same result as everyone else who has gone there this season, but we did so taking the game to them.

We had more shots than them, 17 compared to their 16 and I suspect not many teams go to Anfield and have that many, we had 11 corners to their 6 we showed that we can play, but we also showed we are still a work in progress, we still need a central defender.

Hopefully this was a blip, after all we had to play JWP as a stand in right back and although that is likely to happen again at Spurs after that we will see if Kyle Walker Peters can do a job for us there, you felt that we might perhaps have nicked something if we had had Ward Prowse in our team..

Onwards and upwards we lost to the best team in the World at the moment, it was no disgrace, we just need to win two games quickly and banish any lingering thoughts that we might get sucked into a relegation fight.

Meanwhile after Manchester City lost at Tottenham, Liverpool are within 6 wins of a first ever Premier League title and it is fairly likely that they will do it with a record points total and perhaps hit that magic 100 goal mark.

What to read next:

Saints V Stoke City A Look Back In Pictures 2
In the second part of our pictorial look back at some of our games against Stoke City from the past, here we look back at more recent games, so most of you would have been at them.
Saints V Stoke City A Look Back In Pictures
We have looked through our photo archives for a look back as some games against Stoke City over the years, what are your memories of these games ?
Southampton V Stoke City The Preview
Saints go into the last two games of the season with their hopes of automatic promotion ended, even the hope of finishing 3rd is only a point away from being ended, but they do have something to play for and that is getting back the togetherness, character & fight Russell Martin has recently be moaned.
No Togetherness No Character No Fight
Not my words, but those of Southampton manager Russell Martin, who should ask himself the question why two months ago we had all those attributes and now we don't !
Southampton At Leicester The Debacle
The big question is how can a side that was so tight at the back, so clinical up front and who could pass the ball around almost with their eyes closed, become the disorganised rabble that they were at the Leicester City this evening.
Southampton Side Announced For Leicester Game
Russell Martin has revealed his side for the game against Leicester City, find out what surprises he has for Saints supporters this time out.
Southampton At Leicester City The Preview
Saints travel up to Leicester knowing that it is almost certain that they will just be in the play offs come the end of the season, however there is still the feint hope of 3rd place to play for, however the Foxes are playing for a bigger prize.
A Rough Guide To Leicester City FC
Saints head up to Leicester City this evening with their automatic promotion hopes just about over, so for the 3,000 fans who bought their tickets when there was hope here are the details.
Southampton At Cardiff City The Verdict
There can be no excuses for this defeat, a loss that effectively means that it will be a play off spot and not an automatic promotion place for Southampton, so where did it all go wrong.
Cardiff City 2 - 1 Southampton - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.