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Comment | Southampton At Leicester The Debacle
at 18:32:53
There is little to be said to provide an excuse for (Yes Nick) ..debacle was a good word.
For better or worse our back line picks itself every game even when swapping the full backs
and without your favourite whipping buy (Captain Jack). Sadly recent events meant that the injuries to Downes and Stuey meant that the midfield trio picked themselves, and after Rothwell went off injured Will Smallbone was " the best of the worst " even after coming on as sub. To brag about the fact that Adam. A and Che Adams have 37 goals between them is to totally ignore all the clear cut chances they seem to waste in almost every game. Unless our form picks up incredibly we may be hard put to it to win the play-offs and certainly very few in the current squad look to be anywhere near Prem. standard.
The thing I hated most about losing 0-5 was that Jamie Vardy scored against us -yet again.
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Comment | Injured Southampton Striker Could Play Some Part In Promotion Push
at 10:43:56
Note to Tim Saint.. of course fans always focus on the misses - especially if it cost us points, but such comments reminded me of a long ago conversation about Derek Reeves who was top scorer in Saints (Div.3 South) promotion side (1959-60) when he scored 46 league and Cup goals, which is still a club record 60 years on.
In a group conversational break before a kick-off , I remarked what a feat it was to score so many...but then a moaning voice in the background muttered.." Yes it was ..but he missed a hundred ". Football is like that. When we win it's great to praise the goalscorers but on lesser occasions, there's always someone who counts those missed chances.
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Comment | Brighton Alleged To Be Talking To Russell Martin To Replace Roberto De Zerbi
at 08:06:57
Is this more "click bait " I wonder?. If we don't make it through the play-offs many think that we will have a mass kull of staff, players and not least the manager. Nonsense.
Everyone would look at the chance of some sort of advancement and stories like this are commonplace. Although not every game brings the required result we have a small group of " followers " who will even criticise when we win, because they don't like " Russball",
If we have achieved anything this season it's precisely because of this formation.
Possession denies the opponents the use of the ball , and makes them run around needlessly in attempts to regain it. Not sure it would work in every club, Brighton being one example where a move there for RM might be short-lived .
If we were to lose RM, for goodness sake get us a replacement who can talk about football and players in " football English ". At least Koeman could communicate, but I've had my fill of foreign managers who can only speak through an interpreter.
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Comment | Southampton At Ipswich The Verdict
at 14:02:57
Lots pf people have similar comments (above) about wrong selection, wrong subs etc but we also need to recall how many games / points we have won by scoring late / very late goals. In the last two games, we have dropped 5 points due to goals scored in the last minute(s) of the games.
Should we really complain now that we feel the same as fans at Sheffield (Wed), Plymouth Hull, Preston, Millwall, Birmingham and Sunderland because they also lost points because of our goals that were scored" at the death".
It hurts but what goes around, comes around and over the weekend we got our share of
" bad luck".." football karma " or whatever you call it. We are still in with a shout for the play-offs and if we are good enough.. we can still get promotion.
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Comment | Sit Back, Wait, Watch And Hope Is All Southampton Can Do This Weekend
at 13:40:40
As A1079 has mentioned above there is nothing we can do to affect their games (except perhaps aside from the power of prayer). With no game this weekend we will now have two "spare games " over Leeds and Ipswich, who we have to paly against as well, but of course we must win them to have a chance of automatic qualification.
Maybe we should look forward to a quiet weekend and a bit of gardening? |
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Comment | Southampton V Millwall The Preview
at 16:36:16
It's Millwall. I don't know who is toughest ..the players or their fans?.
I think we should be glad if every Saints player gets off the pitch without injury,
I can't speak for the fans but I won't be there to see the game on Saturday.
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Comment | Southampton V Huddersfield Town The Verdict
at 10:31:01
I somehow felt that we started a bit low-key, expecting this to be a easy win only for Huddersfield to take advantage from the start. I thought we were "a bit lazy " in midfield and the situation got worse after Downes went off. Will Smallbone fought on alone, while Stu. Armstrong - though is good in an attacking role - does not defend well.
In the event, Rothwell was an inspired substitution and it was certainly a game of two halves, and I was left wonderíng when the last time a Saints side scored 5 goals in the second half ?. I recall we put 8 past Sunderland during the Koeman regime but can't remember the timing of the goals.
Some of our best games this season have been against highly-placed sides, but once again we struggled against a relegation-threatened club and might easily have lost it, but for the second half revival, but the game will stay long in the memory for the late victory.
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Comment | Southampton At Rotherham The Verdict
at 13:28:59
Not the most exciting match of the season, more of a b*g-standard away win against a struggling side who have shown in the past that whilst they struggle at this level, they are a good bet for a top 6 spot in League One and then perhaps lose in the playoffs.
Once again their goalkeeper kept the score down to a respectable level and there was always the chance that they might score on a breakaway. He might be "worth another look" in the summer - after Rotherham are relegated and McCarthy finally leaves the club.
Our normal good start with an early goal, from Jan B. who looks a commanding figure wíth time on his hands, but overall we lacked the usual aggression for spells in the game, but all things considered it was another 3 points in the bag.
Downes and Smallbone are beginning to look like a good MF pairing, and the short sub. app. from David Brooks didn't go unnoticed. |
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Comment | January Transfer Window Mixed Bag For Southampton
at 12:24:45
If the last 18 months has produced a massive turnover in the playing staff, an eventual promotion will trigger another. Not the time for discussion now, but I can't see quite so many of the present squad being good enough for a long term Prem. career.
However, a somewhat low key window. Holgate may do enough to help the Blades survive but he did seem to be a bit of a square peg in the mix. The loan possibilities we have presently + Brooks may take care of some of our summer requirements and the endless combinations around the Alcarez loan may yet work out in our favour.
Meantime , we await the return of; Aribo, Bree, Edozie and Sulemana in the next few weeks, maybe even Lavia?...and the unlikely thought that Stewart may be fit enough for a little game time in the run-in during April, (despite previous predictions of next season).
Without chicken-counting, we may even see Adams staying - if promotion works out.
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Comment | Southampton Sign Starlet From Portugal On Loan
at 20:02:09
.with Alvarez on loan to Juventus , we need a new face to make up the numbers.
Not sure how often he might get om the bench, but if he shows up well in the U21's we might see him as a replacement for Charley - IF he ends up staying at Juventus.
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Comment | Transfer Merry Go Round May See 1 Out & 2 In at St Mary's
at 16:24:18
IF ...Benson does arrive he may not be the only experienced player we sign /or/ loan.
The possible departure of ; Che Adams may yet happen, (if so, he will need to be replaced by an experienced striker PDQ ), whilst some other strange sources have also mentioned McCarthy, KWP, Bednarek as possible departures (?) ...
Don't think any of those are ever likely to happen..(stupid adolescent posts).
Kami Doyle may not be the only departure at U21 level. Last window we farmed out about a dozen Academy lads on short /season-long loans, and although a few have returned with injury issues, others have made their mark. Lewis Payne has had quite a few outings (and scored) for Newport County and even came on late in FA cup match v. Man Utd, and
Dom Ballard featured regularly for Reading and scored goals before his unfortunate injury.
Might not be too many new faces joining the first team squad, but after the U18 stage has passed by many youngsters will need real game time and not " schoolboy football " .
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Comment | Southampton At Watford The FA Cup Verdict
at 10:25:05
With all respect to those who started the game, it was almost " a Reserve team " wearing Saints 'shirts. Having said that we needed to see what our young talents are capable of, and this was a game where - if we lost....it wouldn't have cost us 3 points.
The selection of " certain players " was necessary as RM needed to assess their abilities against a strong, physical side who had already got a draw against our first choice side in a tough game back in December.
Adams, Lumley, Rothwell and Holgate were all there ..but for different reasons, and the starts for Alcaraz, Mara and Charles did little to improve our knowledge of their abilities to be (eventual) Prem. players if we are to get promotion. Meghoma and Dibling showed a lot of effort but little reward for their hour on the pitch, and Sam Amo-Ameyaw showed up a bit in the last 20 minutes.
Fortunately the " regulars" came on and levelled out the game with Stuart A. popping up with...yet another late goal ...and an SMS replay, with the prospect of a trip to Liverpool.
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Comment | Deal Close As Saints Boss Confirms One More Signing Expected
at 10:01:24
Many football deals leave a feeling of "sour grapes" afterwards, but it's still hard to understand what Burnley were complaining about. Aside from the fact that they have never been a rich club, and rarely paid " big fees ", few people could deny that Saints' asking price for Nathan Tella (16 mill.) was par for the course and even a bit low.
NT had shown up well with us before he was loaned to Burnley and helped them to get promotion on the strength of his goal tally, but when Burnley then only offered a paltry
9 million in the summer, many people thought it was a joke. Did they really expect us to do them some sort of a favour and get him " on the cheap"?
Certainly Leverkrusen didn't think so ..and forked out... 23 million (?) with no qualms.
The fact that Nathan can't get regular starts with them is, in part, because they are still topping the Bundesliga with most of the squad they had last season. .his time will come.
Now for Burnley to put some sort of " delay/ ban " on us buying one of their players is childish, and on a par with a "playground scrap," not worthy of a Premier League club.
Burnley only have themselves to blame if they didn't want to pay the price for a player who was a big fan favourite and almost single-handedly helped them to promotion.
The Premier League is also a place for smaller clubs but only those with big ambitions, and Burnley may soon pay the price for their stinginess in trying to survive ..on the cheap.
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Comment | Southampton V Watford The FA Cup Preview
at 09:02:30
Another chance for the "up-and-coming talents" and some minutes for the "also-rans" who often warm the bench every week. It may be a chance for them to show their best side, and a chance (in the event of injuries and the like) in the remaining League games.
Barring injury, or a new " star-signing " in the next few days, there is no way RM will want to change his (now 21) unbeaten side.
Watford were a tough ask for the first team a while ago, I see this as a real challenge for those "occasionals" who will be playing today. Getting a replay would be a good result, unless we can convert those half-chances more effectively, and win the game outright.
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Comment | Southampton Target Reveals His Stance On Loan Move
at 09:55:35
If these two fellas are open to a move ?..then Brooks may be the best option just now.
Despite the rave reviews about Benson, he hasn't played much football either and there are considerations for any player considering a change of club, not least family issues.
IF ..Brooks has a family ? he won't want to be away from them too much ..wife's lifestyle?, small children in nursery school? ..are all major factors in a decision, and even a shorter term loan to Leeds (!) may be a move too far (away) whereas a short journey eastwards on the motorway might resolve both situations.
By the end of the season both player and club will be able to make a permanent decision
about the future. Lack of playing time may mean that Benson's case may not be resolved in January and he may end up an alternative choice for next season - if he's still available.
One thing is certain, in that RM's squad is still young and to some extent "experimental", and looking back one can recall that Notts. Forest bought in over 20 new names the season after they were promoted, and only just survived their first season.
A " type " of fit Brooks (or even Benson) and a few others will be an absolute necessity if we are to hold our own... back up in the Prem.
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Comment | Steven Davis An Appreciation In Pictures For A Southampton Legend.
at 08:20:25
Certainly a major player in the post-Koeman sides, and the fact that he could accumulate 140 caps for N.I (more than 50 of those in his time with Saints) says something about his longevity at the top level when he was still able to command a start place in the Premier League at age 34. His consistency in the Prem. squad may well have kept JWP out of the reckoning during those earliest years with Saints.
Had this injury not been so serious he may well have played on with Rangers past the age of 40, at a time when many players are already beginning to count the days after they get past 30.. Well done Steven Davis. |
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Comment | Celtic Game Substitutions Hint At Saints Team Selection For Watford
at 15:17:36
The lads mentioned ...(Meghoma, Sam A-A and Tyler Dibling) have all travelled with the first team, and got a few minutes game time so far this season and now they have an opportunity to DAJFU, and regardless of the result, show what they are capable of.
This is Watford in the Cup, so we don't have to worry about losing 3 points -especially as the first team were fortunate to come away with one point back in December against a very aggressive side whose only chance of glory this season will be a Cup run.
Expect most of the first team to be on the bench at the start...unless RM has a Plan B. |
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Comment | Calum Chambers Shock Departure From Southampton Cited As Prime Example
at 14:55:41
Chambers was part of the most successful Academy generation that we have ever had along with; Stephens, JWP, McQueen, Reed, Shaw and Targett ..(have I missed anyone) and I was surprised that Pochettino was happy to let him go..or was it because Cortese wanted the money? ..but moving to a club like Arsenal, with a manager like Wenger would have been a dream move for any teenager ( CC was 19 at the time).
I was even more surprised when he leapfrogged a line of senior pro's and got several England caps shortly afterwards, but in the final analysis his lack of experience in a squad packed with top rate internationals proved too much. We know that almost everyone looks good in a good side, I fear he has suffered the same fate in his subsequent moves, and is perhaps just ....not quite good enough for that level.
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Comment | Southampton V Sheffield Wednesday The Verdict
at 16:58:55
We're running out of superlatives every week .. the experienced heads like KWP, Stuart A. and Bednarek are steadying the ship, but Adam Armstrong and Ryan Fraser really stand out in every game ... as well as adding goals and assists to their names.
Many of the younger lads are still finding their way in the senior game, and both Alcarez and Mara are beginning to show up when they come off the bench, and Tyler Dibling looks to be a handful for defenders when he comes on late in the game, surely due a goal soon. |
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Comment | Saints Make Their First Signing Of The January Window
at 11:36:04
Really ? ....you mean a real signing? Are we sure the ink is dry on the contract?.
Good that he recognised that Saints are a good idea for young players and there has been a fair amount of positive articles about him.
Having Bazunu and Smallbone already at the club might have played a role in his signing. |
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