Saints 1-0 Wycombe - Post Match Discussion

[Justin C]

How many were there today?

[S-Clarke]

Not the best of games - but we did deserve to win, if we weren't' so wasteful (and didn't keep taking one touch too many) we could have had a few more tonight.

 

Wycombe didn't really offer too much threat, other than a late surge in the final 15mins - but we were pretty comfortable i have to say.

 

I thought our midfield was good tonight, esp. Morgan who has ''dirted'' himself up. He's no longer this mercurial french man who goes missing in the ugly games...he was well up for it.

 

Lallana was busy again, floating around with some great touches.

 

Special mention to perry too - i thought he was excellent, made a couple of fantastic saving blocks and tackles and reads the game superbly.

 

I wouldn't play that pairing against pace though tbh....

 

but what a great feeling - we're out of the bottom 4 and actually clear by a point or 2 - now we can really start forgetting about struggling and look higher and higher.

 

let's keep winning!

[gjphilsaint]

How many were there today?

 

16K

[eelpie]

Out of the bottom 4.

 

The only way is up, baby! (except for down and that aint gonna happen).

 

Good tactically, well done Pards et al.

 

If we draw agin Walsall we'll go sideways!

[Toomer]

I no we won but we could have lost to a better team and I know I am going to get pelters but at times tonight Lambert put me in mind of a certain Polish forward who is no longer with us.

[S-Clarke]

I no we won but we could have lost to a better team and I know I am going to get pelters but at times tonight Lambert put me in mind of a certain Polish forward who is no longer with us.

 

As i said in another thread, he looked a bit laboured to me - maybe he's carrying a knock? hasn't looked the same player as a few weeks back.

[mcjwills]

Had a bloke behind me slagging off Papa because of the offside, and was calling him to be taken off, but I personally thought he was one of if not man of the match tonight, because Wycombe just did not know how to handle him and at time had 2 players on him.

[kpturner]

I no we won but we could have lost to a better team and I know I am going to get pelters but at times tonight Lambert put me in mind of a certain Polish forward who is no longer with us.

"I no" - what does that mean? Anyway, I thought Lambert had a blinder, ran his socks off and was naturally completely knackered in the last 15 minutes. I expect he stayed on as there was nobody else who could lead the line as well as him even when he is blowing out of his @rse.

[S-Clarke]

Had a bloke behind me slagging off Papa because of the offside, and was calling him to be taken off, but I personally thought he was one of if not man of the match tonight, because Wycombe just did not know how to handle him and at time had 2 players on him.

 

that's the beauty of him, no one has a clue what he's going to do next.

 

He's such a random player , but he creates an outlet that gets us in behind (ala the first goal).

 

But he really really needs to work on his offside - it's getting a bit silly now...!

[kpturner]

He's such a random player...

What about Antonio tripping over himself so many times he had three defenders and the goalie on their arses and still couldn't score? He never really seems to have the ball completely under control does he? Comedy moment for sure, if we hadn't been hanging on for a win. Edited 1 December, 2009 by kpturner

[corsacar saint]

Some good points tonight, however lets put the win in perspective, Wycombe are the

worst side I have ever seen at St Marys. They were arguably the worst league side I have ever seen.

The negatives are if we start as poorly against one of the better sides we will be out of

the game by half time. The other negative is that the finishing was totally woeful.Just my

honest opinion, before some of the normal suspects with tinted glasses jump down my throat. Finally I thought Morgan was superb tonight.

[sussexsaint]

Lol at gillingham only 9 made it to the game and they had to play in the oppositions away kit.

 

Superb result only 3 points away from mid table and I hope it is many many years before we are back in a 'relegation zone.

 

I think I'll have a woot

[S-Clarke]

What about Antonio tripping over himself so many times he had three defenders and the goalie on their arses and still couldn't score? He never eally seems to have the ball completely under control does he. Comedy moment for sure, if we hadn't been hanging on for a win.

 

that was a mental moment...! he just didn't want to score did he, then just confused himself. Funny player - but gives us an outlet, pace is so important these days.

 

I was reading a piece on him in the program and he sounds like he really wants to make it - he had a few bad moments at Tooting and Mitcham too, where they kicked him out for bad discipline - but he kept coming back and answering his critics.

 

I hope we can sign him as with the right coaching he could be a good player imo.

[Leicestersaint]

Clean sheet -well done Bart. Well done Perry.

 

Well done Lambert - he is earning us a lot of points.

[Lazlo78]

Some good points tonight, however lets put the win in perspective, Wycombe are the

worst side I have ever seen at St Marys. They were arguably the worst league side I have ever seen.

The negatives are if we start as poorly against one of the better sides we will be out of

the game by half time. The other negative is that the finishing was totally woeful.Just my

honest opinion, before some of the normal suspects with tinted glasses jump down my throat. Finally I thought Morgan was superb tonight.

 

Sometimes the worse sides drag us down to their level... against Charlton, Norwich etc. we probably played a much better game than today.

 

So I don't find it useful to make conclusions on upcoming top games based on today's performance...

[Um Bongo]

I don't think Waigo knows what he's doing half the time. Though I do think the lino struggled tonight with his pace.

 

Scrappy game, but got the three points. Wycombe were very poor, and that's why we won. Waigo with miss of the season and Antonio with his awesome run and ball control - Why he didn't shoot I don't know - will always frustrate us.

[saint_stevo]

didnt go.....

 

what can i moan about?

[the saint in winchester]

Good result.

Saturday's game now massive. If we won, and went to 22 points that would take us midtable! Of course, that supposes the half dozen teams just above us all lose, which isn't going to happen, I know, but tonight I say we have finally overcome the stagger and are back in the competition. Well done, the lads.

The season starts here!

[dubai_phil]

Well done Bart 1st clean sheet for ages

 

Thx Eric for txting me updates while I was out taking daughter, her BF & my GF to dodgy bars on the Dubai tour.. Seaview was humming tonight damned shame the band wouldn't play OWTS.

 

Next

[The Cat]

Antonio's shot from near the halfway line was worth the admission fee alone.

[S-Clarke]

Antonio's shot from near the halfway line was worth the admission fee alone.

 

that was world class

[Nexstar]

Waigo was offside every 6 and a half minutes on average, says it all. Both him and Antonio looked dangerous upfront, just Michail was able to time a single one of his runs.

[stevegrant]

Painful viewing, but a clean sheet and out of the bottom 4, so really can't complain too much.

 

Can't help but feel that semi-competent opposition would have beaten us tonight, though.

[kpturner]

Antonio with his awesome run and ball control

Tongue firmly in cheek I hope. You don't seriously think he had the ball under control at any time in that run do you?

[Kingsland Red]

Winning ugly - something we haven't seen at St Marys for many a year.

COYR

[saint_stevo]

Painful viewing, but a clean sheet and out of the bottom 4, so really can't complain too much.

 

Can't help but feel that semi-competent opposition would have beaten us tonight, though.

 

This reads almost word for word as a text i received from a mate about 7 mins ago!

[Bailey]

Not the best game of football, but we fully deserved the 3 points and great to see us keeping a clean sheet too!

 

Make no mistake about it, Wycombe were poor and on another day we could scored three or four, but it wasn't to be. However, if you shut the opposition out then one goal is enough, and that's exactly what we did tonight. I'm absolutely delighted to see us climb out of the relegation zone for the first time this season too. Hopefully it's onwards and upwards for us now!

 

Special mention to Morgan Schneiderlin who had his best game in a long while in my humble opinion. He was everywhere tonight, got stuck in and put himself about. I've often thought of Schneiderlin as a 'fair weather' player, but he played through the terrible conditions this evening and put in a MOTM performance, full credit to him.

[Um Bongo]

Tongue firmly in cheek I hope. You don't seriously think he had the ball under control at any time in that run do you?

 

Tongue was firmly in cheek! He just runs. How the ball stays there I don't quite know. Oh and for Murty to play another full game so soon after comeback from an injury is immense. I'd make him Captain.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Painful viewing, but a clean sheet and out of the bottom 4, so really can't complain too much.

 

Can't help but feel that semi-competent opposition would have beaten us tonight, though.

 

Agree 100% - that was painful!

[Minsk]

Great to be out of the bottom 4. Would be 9th if not for the -10. Only 6 teams with a better GD.

 

Really looking forward to the Tranmere match!!!!!!!!

[kpturner]

Agree 100% - that was painful!

Funny in places too - in hindsight.

[kpturner]

Really looking forward to the Tranmere match!!!!!!!!

Is that the Tranmere side on a roll? (3 goals at Huddersfield not to be sniffed at).

[Red And White Barmy Army]

16K

only 1k less watching saints v wycombe than watched skates v villa tonight!

 

one team in hampshire...

[Saints foreva]

Good win, but we did make it hard for ourselves. The game should have been over by half time but some awful finishing stop that. How Waigo missed that chances to put us 1-0 up I will never know.

 

Same again for the 2nd half tbh, awful unfront.

 

We could have easily dropped points against a very poor Wycombe team who look certain for the drop.

 

Thought Morgan, Jaidi and Perry were our best players. Perry's tackle just after we took the lead was quality.

 

16,000? Looked much less. Very poor turnout from both sets of fans imo - made a very horrible atmosphere.

 

Papa Waigo - Awful tonight, has failed to impress me tbh. Why don't we just send him back?

 

Wouldn't be suprised to see him go back to Italy after tonight, he looked very annoyed a the crowds chants of 'hes always offside'. Think he even had a bit of a mood after sitting down.

[theeoutlaw]

Felt sorry for Papa when he was taken off. He worked his arse off and there were a fair few of those offside decisions down to his pace making it look like he was yards off. He launched his gloves at the bench when he passed Pardew, can see him getting dropped for that.

[St Landrew]

Wasn't even able to tune in tonight as I was working until about an hour or more ago. I couldn't even come here first, but had to go to the BBC Football website just to see it in cold figures. Oh le god, please let us have won. Please, just 1-0 will do. Don't let us have drawn, or horror of horrors, have lost. Perhaps we tonked them, really good..? I don't care, just as long as we won. 1-0 will certainly do.

 

Phew..!

[maysie]

As i said in another thread, he looked a bit laboured to me - maybe he's carrying a knock? hasn't looked the same player as a few weeks back.

 

who scored the winner?

[Gemmel]

If you’ve supported Saints for more than a couple of years, you show know that we rarely make things easy.

If you’ve supported them for over 30, you should now expect us to never make things easy and today was a case in point.

 

What a bizarre but enjoyable game. One minute were playing smooth passing football and ripping them apart, the next were plagued by individual sloppy, schoolboy errors. But in between our moments of uncertainty, we murdered them – quite literally. The switch to one up front and the long ball, opened them up time and time again and another day it would have been 5 or 6 (That’s on top of the other 3 we should have had in the first half).

 

The ref came in for some stick, but I actually thought he had a decent game, he was consistent in his decisions. The linesman got a few things wrong, but apparently is suffering from a new medical disorder called “ Papa Elbow”.

 

I’m not going to score the players, everybody has different opinions anyway, but special mentions to;

 

Lloyd James (Best game in a long time)

Perry ( very solid, with one outstanding tackle/ block – He will keep Trotman out on that form)

Lambert (Still not fully fit imho, but what he does he does sooooooo well and scares the ****e out of defenders)

Hammond (Would have been MOM in most other games – was everywhere, but Morgan just pipped him)

Scheneiderlin (MOM- Outstanding in every department)

Harding (Solid as ever)

Jaidi (Bar two stupid mistakes, which both nearly led to goals, he was a giant and won everything)

Lallana (Faded a bit in the second half but what that boys does with a football is amazing- pure quality)

 

Overall we’ve got to be happy that we are out of relegation. Pardew I’m sure will want to get to the bottom of the fact we are making things so hard on ourselves in the last few minutes of games, but a win is a win and as I said, another day it would have been 5 or 6. The other thing to mention is we were physically knackered (To a man) and may be the last few games have taken their toll.

 

I hope today was the last day I look at the relegation places for a long long long time (Unless of course I want to laugh at our fishy neighbours)

Edited 1 December, 2009 by Gemmel

[oggiee]

Lets have some player ratings then, seems to be a hugely varying opinion on Waigo.

[Arizona]

I can't decide if Waigo was brilliant or sh*t. He was by far our best outlet all match and offered more than Lallana who was very subdued IMO. I am sure half the offsides were the wrong decision, but he was offside a LOT.

 

Bart good and all four defenders were excellent IMO. Wasn't convinced by the midfield, Lambert looked a bit jaded, but better when Waigo was along side him in the 4-4-2. Morgan is a good player, but I don't think he drives forward enough. Hammond and James/Wotton do the defensive stuff, Morgan should be a bit braver.

 

Lol@ Antonio's shot from the halfway line, taking on 3 defenders and the goalie before tying himself in knots. Waigo "he's always offside" and their ginger striker "you f**king look like a Wotsit!"

 

Kudos for Bart. A clean sheet and he got down very well to a long range effort second half. It was going about 5 yards wide, but then the wind/swerve caught it and swung it back towards the right hand post. Great reaction to tip it round the post.

[Andy_Porter]

Playing crap and winning 1-0 is never pretty but it's very important.

 

Glad to see we can grind out results like today when we need to.

[saintmonkey1979]

I thought Waigo had a decent game. He set up our goal and ran his socks off. He tracked back well too and even made a few tackles. Always looked a handfull for the Wycombe defence. His show of frustration when he was taken off shows that he cares and wants to play IMHO. I also think that some (at least 3) of his offsides were more down to late passes than early runs. I'd much rather see a player try to make runs to where the ball should be played than not bother. Although, many were down to poor timing. Overall, probably 6/10 would be fair for Papa Waigo.

[S-Clarke]

Bart 6 - Hard to mark him, as he had pretty much nothing to do. He made a couple of good claims from corners and his distribution was decent.

 

Murts - 7 - Solid, you can tell he's played right back all his career. He's not the quickest in his feet, but he's still got it up there. Knows exactly where to be.

 

Jaidi 7 - bit sloppy and casual at times, but he is always a dominant presence in the middle. Esp. from set pieces.

 

Perry 8 - was outstanding i thought. a great block after a Jaidi back header, and just reads the game fantastically well.

 

Harding 7 - Solid -. Put in a couple of great crosses, but we didn't have anyone on the end of them

 

Papa - 6 - frustrating. How many times can he be offside? does my head in. Sometimes looking at him, you wonder how the hell he's played in serie a! but to give him credit, he got an assist and his pace caused them problems all game. He's a good outlet to have, if somewhat frustrating.

 

Morgan - 9 - Brilliant. A all round midfield performance, won the battle on his own. Sprayed the balls around, tackled and won headers in the middle. Was a dominant presence and my MOTM.

 

Hammond 7 - solid, was a bit sloppy at times in possession but you feel safe with him in the side. good player.

 

Lallana - 7 - wasn't outstanding but did some good things, probably should have scored at last 1 - but he's got all the ability in the world.

 

James - 7 - He was good, used the ball well and put some good crosses in. He's not as exposed as he is when played at right back, and he's actually technically quite an accomplished little player.

 

Lambo - 7 - good goal and won his fair share in the air - but still doesn't look 100% for me.....well he's not as impressive and dominant as he was against the MK Don's for e.g

 

Subs -

 

Antonio - 6 - ahhhhhhh, mental moments from him. a funny player...but will improve. He's a great sub to be able to bring on though, he just runs..and runs...and runs........and runs.

 

Mellis - n/a only had 2 mins, didn't really touch the ball tbh

 

Wotton - 6 - came on to shore it up, but didn't really see an amazing amount of the ball.

[Rod Le Shearer]

I don't know. I'm only 53!

 

hahaha,good one

[Rasiak-9-]

A good win, and obviously we're all delighted with the clean sheet as well we should be.

 

But lets not get too carried away, from a STH who been at a few away games as well; that was definately the worst team we've played all season.

[Roger]

I thought lallana and james were shocking tonight. Morgan was class and thought papa played well other than the offsides. If pards can teach hm will be a fab player for us.

[St Landrew]

A good win, and obviously we're all delighted with the clean sheet as well we should be.

 

Whilst I completely agree with your sentiment, isn't it about time you stopped holding a candle for Watford's striker..?

[St Will]

Whilst I completely agree with your sentiment, isn't it about time you stopped holding a candle for Watford's striker..?

 

Or even Reading's striker

[Arizona]

Whilst I completely agree with your sentiment, isn't it about time you stopped holding a candle for Watford's striker..?

 

Heidar Helguson?

[SaintBobby]

Just got back. We thrashed them 1-0. Should have been 3-0 at least. We didn't finish as clinically as usual - to put it mildly. I think Bart only had one save to make all night.

 

Papa was awesome apart from the ridiculous number of offisides (maybe as many as 8?). Given his pace it's maddening - he doesn't need to push that far up.

 

We were better when we switched to 4-4-2 after about 30 minutes. I prefer Papa as a centre forward than a winger.

 

As otehrs have said, Schniederlin was utterly amazing. A flawless display - and could develop into our "quarter back".

 

Hammond was a bit poor. Lambert was clearly knackered for the last ten minutes.

 

Antonio is as mad as a goose on stilts, but terrifies the opposition.

 

Jaidi was a brick wall and Perry's positioning and timing was top notch.

 

Overall, am pretty pleased.