Your
Report

Southampton v Preston North End Your Report added at 07:54:56
First half excellent. Second half forgettable.

Did Preston even have a shot on target? Could have had Fraser , Ryan not Forster, in goal last night and still got a clean sheet.

Good to see the back 4 in place that built out unbeaten run. Must have helped settle McCarthy. McCarthy's hesitancy on playing with his feet almost caused an issue. Shea getting a run out was also good.

Players crowding to receive a long kick was a bit of a throwback.

Nice touch Che scoring as well were doing a round of applause for a fan.

COYR

Your
Report

Southampton v Watford Your Report added at 20:41:14
Could criticise various players, subs choices but so what! cracking game of football to watch. With the other results, I'm starting to believe again. Leicester and Leeds games looking like huge matches.

COYR

Your
Report

Southampton v Coventry City Your Report added at 09:09:29
As I understand it Jan B had a knock and so wasn't risked. When available, on current form, he should always start in front of Stephens.

At the risk of teaching my granny to suck eggs our defence between now and the end of the season should be Bazunu, KWP, Bree, THB and JB, with Downes in front.

Your
Report

Southampton v Coventry City Your Report added at 09:05:28
This was a side in form. We rode our luck at times but in the balance of play I thought we deserved the win.

While I share a lot of people's concerns regarding Jack Stephens, this was a game that he actually should have played in - covering for Jan B at CB. To give him his due I thought he played well.

Bree and KWP should definitely start as Full backs. Aribo, Downes, Smallbone, Adams and Armstrong also need to be on the teamsheet.

This was pretty much our strongest line up last night and they played well together.

I can't see us making the automatics now so we just need to stay in good form so that we hit the playoffs in the strongest position that we can. Got some tough matches right up until the end of the season. If we play like we did last night we have an excellent chance of winning promotion.

COYR

Your
Report

Blackburn Rovers v Southampton Your Report added at 17:38:50
Blackburn looked like the ones going for promotion, not us.

We sleep walked through that match. Arma and Adams again failing to convert 2 good chances.

These constant backwards passes that just play us back into trouble in defence as well. Stephens even seems to specialise in crossfield backwards passes that usually miss the player as well. FFS.

After this match, if Martin says he is proud of his players 'bravery'....

COYR

Your
Report

Ipswich Town v Southampton Your Report added at 20:16:16
Had enough chances but failed to convert them. Subs didn't really add anything.

Not too sure why KWP didn't start.

Wilcox announcement was an annoyance.

COYR

Your
Report

Southampton v Middlesbrough Your Report added at 07:08:31
Just don't seem able to capitalise on a period of good play. Seem to get a goal in front and then conspire to waste chance after chance.

Will another PL team even want Adams on a free?
Given our excellent crop of wingers why isn't Arma in the middle and one of them starting instead?

Your
Report

Southampton v Sunderland Your Report added at 00:14:36
'Rothwell at the double' is becoming a review not a request.

Regardless of how we got there, catching up 3 points on Ipswich and 2 on Leicester is a great result.

COYR

Your
Report

Liverpool v Southampton Your Report added at 05:38:45
Played really well in the first half but just couldn't score. Nasty deflection for the first goal.

Second half the errors crept in, again had a few good chances.

Concerns for me are KWP going off and Arma looks really out of form. Thought that Aribo, Edozie and Bree were all excellent.

COYR

Your
Report

Southampton v Millwall Your Report added at 18:45:52
Just look devoid of ideas in attack. Teams seemed to have sussed how to play us and we don't seem able to change how we play.

Losing Fraser was unlucky but the other subs seemed to make no real impression and taking Aribo off actually made us weaker.

Today we squandered a golden opportunity to get back in the pack.

COYR

Your
Report

West Bromwich Albion v Southampton Your Report added at 22:29:31
Really controlled performance and two really excellent finishes

Completely on top for most of first half, cool finish by Fraser, was even a bit disappointed that we weren't more in front.

West Brom came back into it but then some excellent subs took us back on top and extended the lead.

Thought Aribo and Edozie were excellent when they came on. Again another cool finish from Brooks.

Fir the starters, I thought Stu Armstrong was excellent, Bazunu made some small mistakes but made an amazing save and Jack Stephens- it wasn't a handball- got away with it at left back. Mara got stuck in up front and Harwood-Bellus, KWP, Smallbone and Bednarek just got on with it!

Just got to keep winning

COYR

Your
Report

Bristol City v Southampton Your Report added at 04:59:42
Comprehensively beaten in all areas.

Too many changes maybe and key players just off form. City played well for 90 minutes and we didn't. Couldn't complete passes in the first half, unfortunately Charles didn't do a great job of replacing Downes and got replaced at half time. We just couldn't finish chances.

Hopefully we can get back on track on Friday.

Always going to be a dog fight to get an auto promotion spot. Got to be up for the twists and turns.

COYR

Your
Report

Rotherham United v Southampton Your Report added at 23:25:54
Game over in first half really. Free header for Jan B for the first goal and then a brilliantly worked second goal - THB long pass, RF direct run plus perfect backheel and then Arma put it away. Rotherham weren't a great side but their keeper played out of his skin.

Brooks looks v exciting.

COYR

Your
Report

Watford v Southampton Your Report added at 17:33:15
Goal gifted to Watford by 2 players showing why they need minutes on the pitch to improve.

Fairly nondescript game, Meghoma and THB were the only players who shone.

Quadruple sub brought on the old hands and we started to look a lot better. Sam AA really stood out and a cool headed goal from Stu.

Back to St Mary's and the unbeaten run continues.

COYR

Your
Report

Swansea City v Southampton Your Report added at 15:16:50
Where's Roy Castle and his trumpet when you need him...Record Breakers!

Great first half, foot off the gas second half. Subs didn't work. But really who cares for now.

After Leicester v Ipswich on Monday, one or both will be a few points closer. We may stay second.

What a team.

COYR

Your
Report

Southampton v Sheffield Wednesday Your Report added at 07:15:22
General thoughts are that we seem to start slow but then our performance builds throughout the match. The passing is now quicker and we seem to link up better in the final third.

A very dominant performance. SW were a form team. However they we were on control for most of the match.

Can't really fault the team picked. Subs were made to give some minutes to a few players and possibly so that Fraser could get some sole applause from the crowd, which he deserved.

Dibling and Mara look real units. Think Che and Stu's days are coming to an end tho.

There will be bumps in the road but yesterday was a good day.

COYR

Your
Report

Southampton v Plymouth Argyle Your Report added at 22:54:23
Although it would be great to win these games easily, I am impressed how we dig in and get results. Stats don't lie, we dominated Plymouth but the 2-1 score is also true in that they defended in numbers and the win was hard work.

Che had 2 great chances, did the hard work and then couldn't find the finish, the score came from timing his run perfectly to receive a great pass and then hitting the ball while sideways with the wrong side of the wrong foot. Go figure.

All of a sudden, we seem to have a lot of options in attack, Edozie again took his man apart. Alcatraz's strike was class. THB hit the post, Aribo almost got a third when he came on. Fraser through on goal went for the wrong option, plus Mara looked good pushed the Plymouth defence around in the short time he was on seems to have got quite sturdy all of a sudden. Arma was full of hard work and almost got a cheeky chip in.

Aside from Bazunu's howler, Plymouth never really looked like creating much. Defence handled them well. Edozie made a great tackle to snuff out an attack.

Plus Ipswich drop 2 points and Leeds fall 3 more points behind.

Quite a satisfactory end to the year.

COYR

Your
Report

Queens Park Rangers v Southampton Your Report added at 18:38:54
A win is a win. Made fairly hard work of it tho.

Aribo looked good. What a turn around. Shame he's about to disappear for a few weeks.

Subs were good, Fraser particularly. Silly Red card for Charles tho.

Looks like Manning could be back in the side for a bit which is an early Xmas present for some fans. Not sure he did too much wrong today tho.

Other than that end to end game without much actual goal threat from either side.

Stonking miss from Che shows we really need a striker if Stewart is out all season.

Catching Ipswich up by 3 points and 5 goals is pretty pretty good.

COYR - Merry Xmas to all at TUI

Your
Report

Coventry City v Southampton Your Report added at 04:58:54
We were just too slow in build up play to get past a team that were very well organised in defence.

Yet again we let another goal in to a quick direct attack helped by a few individual errors.

Things improved when we brought on Edozie and Fraser. Heads didn't go down and we got a quick goal to get back on level terms.

Overall a bit dull but a point earned away from home may prove to be useful at the end of the season.

COYR

Your
Report

Watford v Southampton Your Report added at 17:46:51
50:50 game, so right result in the end.

Watford were up for it and it was end to end stuff but without much final product for either team.

Agree that THB, Bednarek and Bazunu had been great up to the goal. Oh well.

To win these types of niggly game you really need that second goal and we never really looked like getting it.

Aribo looked good, Che didn't really do much apart from the goal.

A point away from home against a form team isn't that bad.

COYR

Please log in to use all the site's facilities

SaintPaulVW

Site Scores

Forum Votes:	0
Comment Votes:	2089
Prediction League:	0
TOTAL:	2089