Southampton Post Match Thoughts

[flourbasher]

Wow. A lot of dummies spat out today. For me, the best team we've played all season. I thought the lads kept trying the all match against a much superior side, playing well within their selves.
It's not defeats to Southampton that's done for us, it's failure to beat anyone in the bottom six.

Compare and contrast the home and away games vs Soton
Away from home we limited them to one goal, got them frustrated and then made some astute substitutions with 25 minutes to go.
After then we got one back by pressing them into errors and then matched them and could have won it. We actually scored in injury time but we got caught offside just inside their half which was silly.

So for a Third of the game at the business end we were good and took the game to them but I didn’t see that yesterday . We hardly laid a glove on them and we were at home too.

Don’t think it’s as simple as shrugging the shoulders and saying the opposition were better so we had no chance

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Compare and contrast the home and away games vs Soton
Away from home we limited them to one goal, got them frustrated and then made some astute substitutions with 25 minutes to go.
After then we got one back by pressing them into errors and then matched them and could have won it. We actually scored in injury time but we got caught offside just inside their half which was silly.

So for a Third of the game at the business end we were good and took the game to them but I didn’t see that yesterday . We hardly laid a glove on them and we were at home too.

Don’t think it’s as simple as shrugging the shoulders and saying the opposition were better so we had no chance

And that was the tactic for yesterday’s game. A starting lineup that’s designed to frustrate, get to 80 or so minutes and then use subs to see if we could snaffle goal and get a home win.

That idea went out of the window with some dodgy defending leading to an early goal. A plan B was then needed which we didn’t have.

Our chances were limited with 1 up front ( should that be a half up front) midfielders petrified to play a forward pass and basically too many players wanting to hide and not wanting to commit to a battle.

One thing is for sure, yesterday’s tactics and performances didn’t do much for those considering scrapping their season tickets

[flourbasher]

And that was the tactic for yesterday’s game. A starting lineup that’s designed to frustrate, get to 80 or so minutes and then use subs to see if we could snaffle goal and get a home win.

That idea went out of the window with some dodgy defending leading to an early goal. A plan B was then needed which we didn’t have.

Our chances were limited with 1 up front ( should that be a half up front) midfielders petrified to play a forward pass and basically too many players wanting to hide and not wanting to commit to a battle.

One thing is for sure, yesterday’s tactics and performances didn’t do much for those considering scrapping their season tickets

I accept they were two different games in different eras but the requirement to take the game to the opposition and at least try and get back into it doesn’t change in my view. Even at 0-2 get a lucky deflection and a dodgy penalty, put them under some kind of pressure. We would probably have still lost but give it a go. Far too easy for Soton.

I’d actually employ the same tactics vs Leeds to stop a demoralising cricket score but from then on we need to see something better than what’s being served up. It’s gone on for too long now and it’s predictable.

[Derbymiller]

Compare and contrast the home and away games vs Soton
Away from home we limited them to one goal, got them frustrated and then made some astute substitutions with 25 minutes to go.
After then we got one back by pressing them into errors and then matched them and could have won it. We actually scored in injury time but we got caught offside just inside their half which was silly.

So for a Third of the game at the business end we were good and took the game to them but I didn’t see that yesterday . We hardly laid a glove on them and we were at home too.

Don’t think it’s as simple as shrugging the shoulders and saying the opposition were better so we had no chance

They were a different team then, they were still getting momentum not on a 22 game unbeaten run, it could have been 6 by half-time in that game as well. However I do see the point about not being more attacking minded at home. Away from home we should play it tight, pack midfield and counter attack, in Nombe we have one of the fastest players in the league, yet we play Hugill, who is getting worse. At home just playing two up front won’t make a difference we need to find a system that enables us to get the ball wide higher up the pitch, perhaps a 343 approach but that would require a fit Humphrey’s in the back 3. We should be more aggressive at home, but you lay the foundations by tightening up at the back and build from there, that is what LR is trying to do. No idea why we wasted a loan on a wide right defender, Kioso easily fills that role, unless there are still issues between him and the club, but watching him yesterday he seems up for it. Success for me now is finishing above Wednesday at least that would be something