Southampton Post Match Thoughts

[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.