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Post by sotonian on Aug 23, 2021 9:25:42 GMT
For me an unexpected decent performance, when the team was announced i feared the worse but pleasantly surprised, we can go to Newcastle with confidence
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Post by channonite on Aug 23, 2021 9:43:18 GMT
The first on the march to 40 ffs! 1.) A great battling point but still a lot of questions. McC is poor, Stephens not consistent, etc. 2.) We need to get both Tino and KWP on the pitch at the same time from the start, we looked a lot better once Diallo came on and what is the point of Walcott? I understand that doing well in the PL is a very complicated thing but how the f'k is the club so consistently awful at the things that should be piss easy? 3.) A couple of seasons back we had the f'k up with the kit so we didn't have a first team kit for the players, much less fans, until a day before the opening game (even Sunday League teams can do better than this) and this season they can't even manage to get the s/tickets out before the time and when fans do turn up they can't actually get into the stadium! I love how the club always blame 'supplier issues' for each and every f'k up.... It's a rhetorical question, I know the answer is that we have absentee owners and a laughably incompetent set of people 'running' the club for a business which turns over in excess of £100m per year. However, in football, a decent manager can paper over a number of cracks. (If not get the turnstiles working and mail out season tickets....) Some interesting points there, some i agree with, some I don't 1.) McCarthy actually played well for most of the game, but I would still have preferred Forster in goal. Stephens actually had the best game that I have seen him play for years, but that is part of the issue with him - inconsistency. 2.) Totally agree with this. Livramento looked good in Walcott's position, put KWP at right wing back and that is a real threat. Diallo looks better each time I see him. 3.) The club is where it is financially, particularly with the hit from the pandemic, so they have to look at ways of cutting costs and that includes outsourcing. They are by no means the only club to have issues with providers and the way they swiftly dealt with making a decision about compensating the fans was impressive. Also, the absentee owner is the main issue yes, but the people actually running the club on a day to day basis are doing a very good job IMHO.
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Post by jickster on Aug 23, 2021 9:56:58 GMT
I really enjoyed that game, the first time I've been to St Mary's for a while (even going back pre-Covid) and it was a great atmosphere.
I worried when I saw an unchanged team, but the players were really up for it and we fully deserved the point. More of that and, while I don't think we've got it in us for a 'good' season, we can stay safe.
A few thoughts on players: McCarthy, did quite well in crowd scenes at set pieces, one really good punch nearly reached the half way line, also a couple of decent stops. But the goal was saveable. As I said, he's a 2 star goalkeeper. I read something vaguely referring to Ralph choosing him because Forster's contract situation has tipped the balance, but I haven't seen much about it, anyone any the wiser?
Livramento was excellent, one lung busting run a good 60 yards down the wing, holding off defenders, absolutely superb. An interesting match up with Luke Shaw, his play reminds me a lot of the young Shaw.
Perraud not quite so showy as Livramento, but the fact that he didn't stand out as weak link when he was up against a really dangerous set of attackers tells us that he's fit for the PL. And I think Ralph made the right choice in putting on KWP for the closing stages for his experience.
Djenepo, I'm on Channers' side with this one. Not a lot of end product but he kept trying to take on his opponent and his general gusto was an asset to the team. From very early on, the way that he would move in from his wing to snap into tackles really helped to set the tone from Saints' perspective and make it clear that United were not going to find this easy. Again, Ralph was right to sub him when he did because on a yellow card you could easily see him mistiming one of his challenges, but on balance he had a good game.
Walcott was the real disappointment. Not on it all, I hope he was injured because it was a poor performance otherwise. Given the way KWP played so nicely when he came on, it's clear that we have 3 good full backs and the logical way to get them on the pitch is to put Livramento on the right wing, we've all suggested it so let's see if Ralph follows our logic.
Adams and Armstrong- a lovely link up for the goal, they both work very hard and between them they are going to get a good number of goals. Obviously the big deflection was key to the goal, but was it definitely off-target before? A bit harsh to give it as an og. Seeing Ings stick away that overhead kick the day before means I can't help wondering if he'd have put Armstrong's late chance a bit further into the corner instead of giving De Gea a chance to save it, but let's credit the keeper anyway.
JWP and Romeu, full effort, well played.
Salisu and Stephens, full effort, well played. Salisu excellent defensively, still needs to pass a bit more accurately but I'm happy to have him.
Channers mentions COVID safety, I'm interested to hear more about you and your friend's perspectives. I dunno, we stayed in our seats in the Family Stand through half time and waited until the concourses were clear before we left. I wore a mask inside (but not in my seat, maybe I should have?) and took my own hand sanitiser. I mean, you're in a stadium at full capacity, strangers sitting all around, shouting and singing, lots of people milling around and queueing to get in. It was pretty much what I expected from that perspective- you take your chance and if you are vulnerable then sadly you have to stay away from events like this. I wonder what was different at other venues, because these things all involve human beings who have become quite lazy generally in the way they take precautions, they just don't socially distance in my experience.
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Post by spot51 on Aug 23, 2021 9:57:22 GMT
How was that considered an own goal? The Powers That Be decided that shot was missing the far post (not unusual for Che's left foot) but Fred's boot deflected it in by the near post. They all count!
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Post by Furry Frank The Combat Wombat on Aug 23, 2021 10:06:23 GMT
I loved that game and best of all it was free! The queues caused by the new scanners taking about 20 seconds for each ticket were ridiculous. Two of our group got in with ten minutes to spare, but there was one who only got in ten minutes after the match had kicked off. All credit to the club, they didn't mess about making excuses, there was an announcement at half time that we would all get our money back for this match. A lesson in turning a possible PR disaster into a resounding PR success. As for the match, great game and a draw was just about the right result. Even McCarthy was relatively OK. Successes were Salisu, Livramento, Perraud and Adam Armstrong. Excellent, as always were James Ward-Prowse, Romeu and Adams. Djenepo was much improved, although he had to be taken off, before he got sent off. Even Stephens had a good game. The subs were Kyle Walker-Peters, Diallo and Bednarek and all made a positive contribution. Finally great credit must go to Ralph. His line-up was generally rubbished before the match, but it worked. Walcott had zero effect on the game, but there was a general suspicion that he might have been injured. After half-time Ralph replaced him by moving Livramento forward, Stephens to right back and Bednarek into the now vacant CB slot. It didn't work as expected, but he simply adjusted the line-up to go to 3 at the back, which did work. So now that Ralph has proved that he CAN use substitutions effectively, there will be no excuses. As for the crowd, I can't say that I felt that safe, given the number that seemed to think that wearing a mask at all made them less of a person in some way. One of our number is a minor league referee and a member of the 92club (been to all 92 grounds in the four leagues) and has been to eight matches so far this season and he says that today's match was by far the worst display of selfishness by the crowd. A lack of respect, as he put it. Disappointing. I will feel better if my lateral flow tests later in the week are negative. Concur, some credit to Ralph for learning from the previous game and trying to shore us up before the inevitable collapse. The first sub made some sense as we were winning nothing in the air so putting JB on to help with that I can see the logic; just a shame McColander struck before he could further steady the ship by bringing on the 3rd CM... I just hope some of this learning sticks (although I'm still doubtful) this time. If Stuey's still unavailable for Newcastle, I hope he tries the Livra+KWP right side.. I like Theo, but I can't see he's any more than a supersub nowadays. Ambivalent about Djenpo, there were some good bits, but not enough; but I guess it makes some sense to try and bed in a settled partnership for Perraud on the left. Similarly ambivalent about Stephens.. yes he had a great game outside the box, but inside where he's really needed he was a waste of space...how we weren't a couple down in the first half is anyone's guess (well, Salisu is the answer, but he can't bail us out every time). Still, overall a decent performance. 1 point from a probable 0 in the first 2 fixtures; but have to get something at Newcastle with City up after.
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Post by THE BEAST on Aug 23, 2021 14:08:08 GMT
I don't get this thing about Moussa, yes he runs around, yes he's enthusiastic, yes he scores one good goal a season (maybe 2 if we're lucky)
Does he always look like he's going to get a red card… Yes
Does he always miss his tackles… Nearly always
Is he anything like as effective either going forward or backward as Stuart Armstrong… No
for me, this is a bit like everybody really liking Shane Long, yes he tries, yes he's probably a very nice bloke, should he be in the first time, no he fecking shouldn't
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