NewYorkSaint

The snark on here is mind-blowing. The boys just played a really good half against one of the world's best teams. JWP, Tella have been wonderful.

We miss Romeu. And I fear Bertrand's lost his fire. They were def the slightly better side. But their goal was actually incredibly fortuitous. There's another universe close to this one where that deflection back off Vest went in any of 50 other directions, and no goal scored. And where we're all celebrating Diallo's wonder strike. Football. Really too bad. The hate here is over done.

Can't believe the unrealistic expectations of some on here. Determined performance so far. Bednarek, who took all manner of unfair heat last few weeks, has been heroic. Vest strong too. Seems to me JWP Diallo slowly winning more of the midfield. Could go any way. More fun to believe than to moan!!

Agree with these suggestions. ...replace Walcott and Diallo.

Re WBA/Chelsea... I don't think it tells us that much. Chelsea played most of the game w 10 men. In some match-ups 10 can hold 11 for a while. But as we know ourselves all too well, once the dam breaks it can get ugly. I believe we'll win by at least a 2-goal margin.

Re all the dumping on Bednarek... On the radio commentary Sunday, Adam Blackmore suggested he was playing brilliantly, candidate for man of the match (and he was critical of Vestergaard by comparison.) Personally, I think he'll pull through. His commitment is incredible. He deserves to be in the semi-final. But I like Salisu too.

Only imaginable downside I can see is that this will increase Man City's desire for Ings. We really battered their goal today. Two teams on the same points, but if you stand back and say which is genuinely the better side, no one independent wouldn't put their money on Saints. We're a top half team. The next few months are going to be sooo interesting.

No one can accuse of us of not being entertaining...

Heartbreaking half.

So... it's been a common pattern since the start of the season. We go all out first half with our high-press game and have often stunned teams into conceding. But we always pay a price. The team isn't able to sustain it over 90 minutes. So it's no accident that we're among the best for first half goals, and worst for second half. This is core to Ralph's strategy. And in a league where many teams have vastly more to spend on their players, you can make a strong case for it. Blitz them. Surprise them. Take a lead. And then fight like hell to maintain it. It worked pretty great for the first third of the season. I worry that two things have happened. 1) Teams have watched us and started to figure out how better to play around the press. 2) We've started to pay an additional cost beyond second half exhaustion... namely, overall physical exhaustion. Our injury rate and - judging from today - overall physical vitality have taken a hit. Of course, it's not helped by numerous 'bad luck' moments such as key refereeing decisions and the bad momentum brought on by losses leading to low morale in a cycle. What to do? Dial back a bit the all-out first half blitz? I think there may be a case for it. I remain huge Ralph supporter. He'll figure this out. But it's a giant challenge at this point.

It's going to take an absolutely massive defensive effort now. Hopefully the ref has taken a look at Djen's being hacked to death and will be less lax second half. Holding on to a win would be incredible for us....

LOL. For one thing he's not a New York Saint. I am.

Yes, I believe they can. All the money is in place for current offer. And longer term they have access to further funding sources, both private and public.

I've spoken with DaGrosa several times and I've concluded he's actually a really smart investor with a compelling plan for Southampton's future. The fundamental problem clubs of our size have is how to compete against much deeper pocketed owners. DaGrosa's plan finds a way to build long-term value for the club via a network of academies, and satellite clubs around the world. Instead of only buying and selling players, we develop them, and at a scale few other clubs can match. It's ingenious, building on Southampton's academy reputation, and seeking to turn that into a global brand. But it would also require a level of financial discipline to get there. Covid has forced tough financial times on every club, and it's not unexpected that things have taken a turn for the worse since last summer when the outline of this deal was put into place. Speaking personally, I really hope Gao can find a way to come back to the table and get this done. I think it's probably the best outcome for everyone.

I'm going for 1-3 to Saints, Minamino with a key assist. Che Adams to get at least one. Pride restored.

Without defending the tackle one iota, I do think the red card rule is ridiculous. One moment of madness by one kid, and the entire game is ruined as a spectacle... for both teams. There are so many better ways to deal with this. Send off the player, and ban him for three games, fine the club, whatever... but allow a substitute so the game can be 11 v 11. Or allow a substitute after 10 mins. No need to ruin the game. I've held this view when red cards have been in our favor. It's one thing when it's the end of the game. But in the first few mins... makes no sense. I hope, one day, they fix this.

I don't think there's been a game this season where we haven't been strong in the first half. Even against Spurs. Our high press is terrifying for so many teams. But we burn a lot of energy. Second half is usually another story. Here's hoping we can find another goal....

Brilliant. My number 12. "Southampton's back-line caught napping there from the free kick..."

The pace of that half was astonishing. I hope we have the legs to stay as competitive for next 45... We deserve at least a draw... Really great to see Smallbone so strong. The confidence of our passing is pretty incredible.

Long's done nothing. Wd love to bring on Djenepo or Redmond instead. Can't believe it will be as dull second half... Diallo looking v promising to me. But has ended up wasting most of his hard-fought gains in possession. We'll sneak it 1-0 with Adams.

Big picture. We're up against one of the world's best teams... and for 44 mins of the half every bit as good as them. My worry is second half... less energy, two midfielders booked. Hope Ings is OK.

Also, how good was Che's assist for the goal...? His ability to receive the ball, hold off defenders, and turn, is something we're seeing every game.

The sustained high quality of our football is such a joy to see. Without the ball as much as with it. The coordinated instigation of panic. We are one hard team to play against. ...and so happy for Walcott.

So great to see Che Adams shine. Pretty sure he's going to become a Saints legend. Our dominance has been almost comical. And yet such is football, the score could easily have been 0-1. A couple of goals early in the half pls!

It's really exciting when a player who's seen mixed performances starts to turn into a superstar. Thought Vestergaard was so strong today. That header. Wow. That's going to put a shudder through a lot of defenses. It wasn't that long ago that default opinion on here was 'tall good-hearted guy, but clumsy, can't jump." Today he showed not just a sensational goal, but some great passing and pretty much rock solid at the back. Him, Romeu, JWP and Adams (and maybe McCarthy and Walker-Peters too) have really been the story of the season. Our own loyal boys just getting better, step by step.