Saints 1-0 Leeds Utd - Post Match Reaction

[Appy]

First half we were a class above Leeds, no argument about it. Puncheon was making a mockery of their left back's defensive capabilities and our whole midfield finally looked like something had 'clicked'. Hammond had another good game and Schneiderlin once again played brilliantly. Lallana was all over the park chasing the ball and never gave up.

 

Agree with the comments about Lambert; he was suberb. His hold up play, knock ons, passing, creating chances from nothing and general presence shows his quality. Obvious statement but he is a class player.

 

Loved it that Dan Harding got the winner. Ex-Leeds and if I remember correctly he ran in front of the Leeds section with his hand to his ear? Brilliant.

 

Fonte and Jaidi were class and very professional. Thomas did a good job when he came on as well, even if there was a tiny bit of communication issues with Fonte.

 

First half we made dirty Leeds look very average, although they improved in the second, I didn't think they'd equalise. One shot on target the whole game says it all really.

 

Referee was a joke. Never seen a ref get booed like that at half time. 'Nuff said.

 

It's Sunday afternoon and I am still buzzing from the win. Like Pardew said, it was a professional performance, and to be honest we could have been 3-0 up at half time. Having said that, it was only 1-0, but we did what we needed to do to get the win. And what a win it was.

 

 

I can't be the only one that was almost glad we were not 3-0 up at half time? Due to past experiences.

[Sold To The Man @ The Bar]

I think the reason why Fonte didn't get the penalty was in the build up to us getting the corner, their goalkeeper was complaining to the ref that he was fouled.

 

I said to my mate at the time, he will give them a free kick when the corner is taken.

Seen this happen so many times.

 

I like being called your mate !!

[Sour Mash]

not sure if it's been posted, but here's a nice read from a Leeds supporter!

 

http://www.thescratchingshed.com/2010/03/former-leeds-player-harding-secures-win-for-saints/?

 

What the f**k? That link is filled with balanced and articulate Leeds fans. never knew such a thing even existed.

[Chez]

At home no one can touch us. Win on Tuesday and then lets see if we can get this away form sorted. Still smiling...

Davis 7 - some very good kicks, next to nothing to do, again.

Otsemibor 7 - didn't see how he got injured, was looking fine till then

Jardi 10 - won everything. Brilliant. One poor long ball early doors and that was it.

Fonte 7 - Beccio gave him a real tough time and he hoofed all day long, but nevertheless he had a very good game.

Harding 8 Very strong, again. Embaressed by his face holding when pushed in the chest.

Puncheon 10 tremendous game. So many tricks and skills. One very poor pass put us in trouble but other that immaculate.

Lallana 7 much better game

Hammond 7 Some decent passing but still too many hoofs when he had more time and slightly lucky to stay on the pitch.

Morgan 9 Didn't out a foot wrong.

Barnard 8 very busy and determined. The ball didn't stick quite so much in the second half though.

Lambert 8 best game for a long while. Won a lot and passing much better.

 

Thomas 8 Kept things very tight.

Waigo 7 perfect sub, stretched them and linked well.

[Whitey Grandad]

I can't be the only one that was almost glad we were not 3-0 up at half time? Due to past experiences.

I missed the two previous home games so I was disappointed that we didn't score five.

[saint1977]

At home no one can touch us. Win on Tuesday and then lets see if we can get this away form sorted. Still smiling...

Davis 7 - some very good kicks, next to nothing to do, again.

Otsemibor 7 - didn't see how he got injured, was looking fine till then

Jardi 10 - won everything. Brilliant. One poor long ball early doors and that was it.

Fonte 7 - Beccio gave him a real tough time and he hoofed all day long, but nevertheless he had a very good game.

Harding 8 Very strong, again. Embaressed by his face holding when pushed in the chest.

Puncheon 10 tremendous game. So many tricks and skills. One very poor pass put us in trouble but other that immaculate.

Lallana 7 much better game

Hammond 7 Some decent passing but still too many hoofs when he had more time and slightly lucky to stay on the pitch.

Morgan 9 Didn't out a foot wrong.

Barnard 8 very busy and determined. The ball didn't stick quite so much in the second half though.

Lambert 8 best game for a long while. Won a lot and passing much better.

 

Thomas 8 Kept things very tight.

Waigo 7 perfect sub, stretched them and linked well.

 

I'd go with a lot of those ratings. Not sure what Otsemibor injury was either - people around us suggesting calf pull but did have ankle niggles at Norwich. CBs and Davis had simple afternoons although Becchio was at least trying to make Fonte work although Fonte is too good for L1. How poor was Beckford? Awful attitude and will be back out on duty with RAC if he doesn't get his attitude in order. Morgan S was super and Puncheon caused Aiden White to be subbed at HT and he was rated as one of Leeds' best players at Man U and Spurs. Lambert was good both on the deck and air and Barnard put in a real shift. Lallana did very well but needs to work on his heading. Hammond did fine but didn't like the crude foul near the end - ref messed that up as well! Harding immense and deserved goal.

[sidthesquid]

Didn't give Leeds a chance - Jaidi was awesome and that was literally only a fraction ahead of Fonte. A great great partnership in the making, Kelvin seems more assured by them too.

 

Jaidi is immense in every sense. As some-one behind us said - the only way they'll get round him is if they build a by-pass....

[sidthesquid]

Quote from a Leeds fan. How the mighty have fallen!:

the truth is we can’t compete with the likes of Southampton who have gone out & spent £1m + on individual players. Regarding Barnard, we were never in the running when Southampton entered the race, they can pay higher wages, it’s a great stadium, they’ve got billionaire owners & Hampshire’s a fantastic part of the world. We just don’t have the same pull we used to have.

 

Reply

[brmbrm]

..........Harding 8 Very strong, again. Embaressed by his face holding when pushed in the chest................

 

I had a pretty good view and, for once, was watching and i thought he was "pushed" or flapped at in the face. Couldn't see how the ref could let the man stay on if he saw it, and he must have because he yellow carded him.

 

or maybe the ref wasn't quite 100%....

[Psycrow]

A lot of football fans are scumbags and a lot of Leeds fans aren't scumbags. It's the same at every club, even (shock horror) ours.

 

Of course they're not all scumbags, and I certainly don't live in a world where I think our fans are all sweetness and light.

 

But there just seems to be a bigger percentage of Leeds fans that are just there for trouble.

[Ricky Redstripe]

Quote from a Leeds fan. How the mighty have fallen!:

the truth is we can’t compete with the likes of Southampton who have gone out & spent £1m + on individual players. Regarding Barnard, we were never in the running when Southampton entered the race, they can pay higher wages, it’s a great stadium, they’ve got billionaire owners & Hampshire’s a fantastic part of the world. We just don’t have the same pull we used to have.

 

Reply

 

Taken from the link below,

 

 

http://www.thescratchingshed.com/2010/03/former-leeds-player-harding-secures-win-for-saints/

 

Some good quotes on here from Leeds fans showing how we are perceived.

[Psycrow]

Reaction from a fan who doesn't get to see as many games as he'd like:

 

Living out of the country, travelling to St. Mary's for a match is a rare treat. Even though I'm only in Ireland its close to impossible to get over more than once a season for a variety of reasons, not least money, so when my wife presented me with tickets for the Leeds game and flights I was more than delighted. It would be first time I saw Saints in person since beating Sheffield United 3-2 on the last day of the 07-08 season when we stayed in the Championship by the skin of our teeth.

 

I thought the atmosphere around the ground was great. Everyone seemed to be buzzing and happy. I guess you guys are used to it by now considering the changes that have taken place at this club, but it was magic to experience it. My Dad and I made our way to our seats in Itchen Center at about 2.30, I do like to see a ground fill up and feel atmosphere build. They were great seats, with the team warming up right in front of us (Feel like a teenager writing things like that rather than a 32 year old man. At this age I shouldn't be excited about seeing grown men, most of whom are younger than me, running around and stretching)

 

The first half was brilliant, as mentioned in this thread numerous time, we made Leeds look less than ordinary. The passing and fluency was very impressive. They barely got a sniff of the ball and were reduced to long balls and a shot from long range. Puncheon was outstanding in the first half and very unlucky not to score when he hit the post (Great run by Wayne Thomas to open the gap for him by the way). Fonte and Jaidi were made defending look easy. They seemed like they didn't even have to make much of an effort to keep Leeds out. We really could have been 3-0 up at HT.

 

Leeds upped their game a little in the second half, but we dealt with them. It was a different game to the first half but the players adapted really well. We didn't look nearly as likely to score again as we did in the first half, but we also kept containing an improved Leeds team with relative ease. The only thing that made me doubt we'd close the game out was my fathers multiple, rather ominous comments; "We're in the dangerzone now" he said in the 89th minute. I'd have outted him to you all as the main culprit if Leeds had gone on to equalize.

 

The ref was a disgrace. How Gradle wasn't sent off for his assault on Harding I'll never know. I see above that a Leeds can claimed Harding almost broke his leg. Harding put in a great tackle, won the ball and got very little of the player. But even if it had been a bad tackle, retaliation is retaliation. Gradle should have walked. The ref's list of crimes was almost endless; not booking Beckford, disallowing Jaidi's goal; no free kick when Lallana was body checked off the ball... it goes on and on.

 

But a win is a win, and a win agains Leeds is always a good result. I'm glad I was there for it. It was great to see the fluent football from the first half in person especially.

 

Aside from the ref, the only other bad experience from the day was some of the Leeds fans, as I mentioned in a previous post. Outside the ground we saw one idiot, mid to late 40s I'd say, standing shouting at everyone "Come on, I'll take any of you" "We are the Leeds" etc... one girl passing by shouted a reply to his last comment "Yeah, and you were beaten 1-0". No doubt she shouldn't have said it, but this **** went after "Come here you fat *****". A middle aged man trying to start a fight with a 20 year old girl. Classy guy. There were a few other menacing types around as well, obviously waiting for someone to play up to this guy before joining in.

 

Back in the hotel I ordered a couple of drinks for myself and my Dad. On the way back to the table he was sitting at I had to get past 2 Leeds fans. I asked them could I get through and one pulled back out of my way and said "no problem". The other guy on the other hand, didn't move. I walked through and he pushed into me, making the gap for me to walk through smaller and smaller. I pushed back out against him (had my back to him) and when I got passed turned around to look at him. He said "What are you looking at you ****?". He was just waiting for me to react. I ignored it, sat down and had my drink. He was in and out for a bit, looking for anything to start some trouble. We went back to the room for an hour before coming back down to the bar for the night. No sign of the guy, but there were 4 cops taking statements and we didn't see him again. Can't be 100% obviously, but I'm pretty sure it was something to do with him.

[chrisobee]

Taken from the link below,

 

 

http://www.thescratchingshed.com/2010/03/former-leeds-player-harding-secures-win-for-saints/

 

Some good quotes on here from Leeds fans showing how we are perceived.

 

I particularly liked this :

 

"As bad as Leeds were, you can’t fail to acknowledge how well organised, hard-working and fluent in attack the Saints were. Alan Pardew is a very good manager that gets the basics right and leaves very little to chance. The strengthening he did in January should give Southampton an outside chance at the playoff positions, but if they fail to make the top six, they’ll walk this league with absolute ease next season. "

 

Very good summation of where we are at this moment in time and where we are almost certainly going to be in just over a year !! And yes AP IS a very good manager

[Foxstone]

This was the first game I have seen for a couple of months, and what a welcome return it was too.

 

To say we were by far the better side is an understatement!

As others have mentioned Jaidi and Fonte were magnificent and totally in control of the defence - Beckford worth "How many million"!!?? Jaidi and Fonte consigned him to sitting on his arse for virtually the whole game!

 

Puncheon gave their full backs a nightmare game and while their midfield worked hard to close down our space they never did anything with it. Even the ref was trying to help them and it made no difference - We outplayeds them!

 

It was the most comfortable 1-0 I can remember in a long, long time.

 

Well done Pards for getting the tactics spot on, and well done the team for giving such a committed and entertaining performance.

 

My MOTM - Fonte

[Greenridge]

At home no one can touch us. Win on Tuesday and then lets see if we can get this away form sorted. Still smiling...

Davis 7 - some very good kicks, next to nothing to do, again.

Otsemibor 7 - didn't see how he got injured, was looking fine till then

Jardi 10 - won everything. Brilliant. One poor long ball early doors and that was it.

Fonte 7 - Beccio gave him a real tough time and he hoofed all day long, but nevertheless he had a very good game.

Harding 8 Very strong, again. Embaressed by his face holding when pushed in the chest.

Puncheon 10 tremendous game. So many tricks and skills. One very poor pass put us in trouble but other that immaculate.

Lallana 7 much better game

Hammond 7 Some decent passing but still too many hoofs when he had more time and slightly lucky to stay on the pitch.

Morgan 9 Didn't out a foot wrong.

Barnard 8 very busy and determined. The ball didn't stick quite so much in the second half though.

Lambert 8 best game for a long while. Won a lot and passing much better.

 

Thomas 8 Kept things very tight.

Waigo 7 perfect sub, stretched them and linked well.

 

In broad agreement. Best game I've seen Jaidi have by a long way. Puncheon was fantastic in the first half but seemed to run out of puff in the second and was a bit surprised he didn't get replaced. Lambert has been immense for the last few games (and most of the season for that matter), I didn't think he was any better today but he certainly seems much happier alongside Barnard than he ever has with Connolly. Just a really good solid all-round performance today, fantastic.

[broncoboy]

It was a brilliant peformance by the Saints.

 

Towards the end of the second half Leeds were reduced to blindly hoofing the ball as they were struggling to contain Saints in front of their 18 yard box.

 

Might have slagged AP off before but he got this one dead right

[AndyNorthernSaints]

At home no one can touch us. Win on Tuesday and then lets see if we can get this away form sorted. Still smiling...

Davis 7 - some very good kicks, next to nothing to do, again.

Otsemibor 7 - didn't see how he got injured, was looking fine till then

Jardi 10 - won everything. Brilliant. One poor long ball early doors and that was it.

Fonte 7 - Beccio gave him a real tough time and he hoofed all day long, but nevertheless he had a very good game.

Harding 8 Very strong, again. Embaressed by his face holding when pushed in the chest.

Puncheon 10 tremendous game. So many tricks and skills. One very poor pass put us in trouble but other that immaculate.

Lallana 7 much better game

Hammond 7 Some decent passing but still too many hoofs when he had more time and slightly lucky to stay on the pitch.

Morgan 9 Didn't out a foot wrong.

Barnard 8 very busy and determined. The ball didn't stick quite so much in the second half though.

Lambert 8 best game for a long while. Won a lot and passing much better.

 

Thomas 8 Kept things very tight.

Waigo 7 perfect sub, stretched them and linked well.

 

Agree with those ratings apart from maybe giving Lallana a 8 for first half display when Puncheon and him ran Leeds ragged.

Just back from game/weekend in the sunny south and looking forward to seeing two Leeds fans in work tomorrow. A great win against Leeds and the ref who was nearly on par with the Tranmere ref at times.

[Andy_Porter]

In broad agreement. Best game I've seen Jaidi have by a long way. Puncheon was fantastic in the first half but seemed to run out of puff in the second and was a bit surprised he didn't get replaced. Lambert has been immense for the last few games (and most of the season for that matter), I didn't think he was any better today but he certainly seems much happier alongside Barnard than he ever has with Connolly. Just a really good solid all-round performance today, fantastic.

 

I haven't seen a more complete performance from a centre back in a long time, such a shame the goal was disallowed.

 

If only Burley had signed a player like Jaidi rather than Pele.