Be'er Sheva vs Saints

[LaptopSaint]

We were rubbish by recent standards.

 

But it's a decent point.

 

We're still one centre forward short...

[Wes Tender]

0-0. I'll take that. Difficult away game on a hot evening. We looked much better in the second half. Good tactical changes by Puel. Long completely out of sorts, not much threat from Redmond either. But then again, there wasn't much from Be'er either.

[Saints foreva]

A point isn't exactly a bad result but that was an abysmal performance, really wish we put out our strongest lineup and went for the win.

 

Roll on Sunday I guess.

[hutch]

Positives :

Away point

Clean sheet

Top of group

No apparent injuries

Inter lost

Negatives :

Cr@p game

Not since the dodgy penalty at the Emirates

[Sheaf Saint]

I reckon Puel will have acknowledged that this would be a gruelling game with such a long trip and a hot stadium with a very hostile crowd. He put out a side with the intention of not getting beaten while saving as much energy as possible, and it worked. A point and a clean sheet away at such a place is really not a bad result at all.

[northam soul]

Lack of quality in final third, hope hourly is good although he will probably get rested

[trousers]

I reckon Puel will have acknowledged that this would be a gruelling game with such a long trip and a hot stadium with a very hostile crowd. He put out a side with the intention of not getting beaten while saving as much energy as possible, and it worked. A point and a clean sheet away at such a place is really not a bad result at all.

This

[verlaine1979]

Long can't have had many games worse than that in his career.

[SuperSAINT]

Felt like we made about 300 crosses tonight and could have made 300 more and still not scored.

 

Will be very useful to have Rodriguez & Boufal as options in the near future.

[Pamplemousse]

Terrible game, terrible performance, but an away point is not a bad result and we're still top of the group.

[Chris27687]

That was pretty dull.

 

Clean sheet away from home in Europe with a weakened side so not that bad.

[Edmonton Saint]

Long, Martina, Redmond were all awful and ineffective. Romeu probably man of the match, with adequate performances from Ward-Prowse, Virgil and Yoshida

[doddisalegend]

I reckon Puel will have acknowledged that this would be a gruelling game with such a long trip and a hot stadium with a very hostile crowd. He put out a side with the intention of not getting beaten while saving as much energy as possible, and it worked. A point and a clean sheet away at such a place is really not a bad result at all.

 

Pretty much this. I think Puel was happy to just not get beat away from home in a 7000 mile round trip to a desert. Probably hoped to nick one on the break but our forward players didn't seem capable of that tonight.

[CWD]

Decent result but we look completely toothless with Redmond and Long up front. Still short of another goal scorer.

[Bad Wolf]

I'd have taken a 0-0 before the game. Fifth clean sheet in a row. Only got out of work 20 minutes ago, could someone post a rough unbiased analogy of the game?

[CB Fry]

I reckon Puel will have acknowledged that this would be a gruelling game with such a long trip and a hot stadium with a very hostile crowd. He put out a side with the intention of not getting beaten while saving as much energy as possible, and it worked. A point and a clean sheet away at such a place is really not a bad result at all.

 

Yeah - Looked like mission accomplished to me.

[DT]

If only VVD had scored that sitter. Would have been a totally different game

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[doddisalegend]

Long can't have had many games worse than that in his career.

 

You'd think away games playing on the counter attack would suit him perfectly...but not tonight

[SO16_Saint]

We're top of our group, still unbeaten in 5 games - what's not to like

[Greenridge]

I'd have taken a 0-0 before the game. Fifth clean sheet in a row. Only got out of work 20 minutes ago, could someone post a rough unbiased analogy of the game?

 

I don't think you want to know. Just take the point as a positive.

[austsaint]

Boy, does Long need a goal. Got to be happy with an away point

 

Long is missing Mane; he and Redmond are playing like strangers at the moment - Long wasn't helped by the poor quality of delivery - so many predictable crosses coming in as if we were set up with a Pelle or Austin. Still a useful point.

[Baird of the land]

On the positive front we got the result we needed, an away draw.

Utterly abject display though, could have conceded a number in the 2nd half.

Feel sorry for Hesketh, didn't deserve to be hooked after 30 mins, especially when you consider how abject others were and how poor the the 2nd half display was and no changes were made till literally the last minutes.

Man of the match Van Dijk, because he was solid defensively as usual though that header miss early on was bad.

[saints1988]

I think prowse is finally working out

[doddisalegend]

I'd have taken a 0-0 before the game. Fifth clean sheet in a row. Only got out of work 20 minutes ago, could someone post a rough unbiased analogy of the game?

 

little quality and dull from both sides.

[SO16_Saint]

If only VVD had scored that sitter. Would have been a totally different game

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Completely forgot about that. In live play, I assumed it was offside but no, would have stood

[Cabrone]

Defending was adequate, passing was OK but toothless up front. That said I can't believe Virgil's miss, one of the worst misses I've seen in a while, other than that he's utter class. Romeu was good.

 

Martina put a few decent crosses in but where were the forwards? Long doesn't look like he wants to score. IMO Charlie would have won that for us.

 

Forget the performance, it was a decent point at a tricky place and we're on top without conceding a goal. Pretty pleased TBH.

[jamesfp1]

Acceptable result in the end. But such a weird performance, some of them looked drunk. Cuco put in a performance the likes of which we've never seen in professional football.

 

We should have taken Austin. Even just to put him on for 10 mins at the end.

 

On to the next one.

[adrian lord]

I reckon Puel will have acknowledged that this would be a gruelling game with such a long trip and a hot stadium with a very hostile crowd. He put out a side with the intention of not getting beaten while saving as much energy as possible, and it worked. A point and a clean sheet away at such a place is really not a bad result at all.

 

Sums it up.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[saint lard]

Professional display ....good result

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Restark19]

Good interview from Virgil, future captain for sure if he stays

[doddisalegend]

Felt like we made about 300 crosses tonight and could have made 300 more and still not scored.

 

Will be very useful to have Rodriguez & Boufal as options in the near future.

 

Don't understand why we cross so much with a front pairing of Long and Redmond and a midget midfield. This team was set up for threaded through balls or ones over the top with Long and Remond playing on the shoulders of their defence. No hope with high over hit crosses into the box from out wide.

[redkeith]

Saints played a low energy game, never pressing that much, just keeping their shape.

 

Going forward, Targett was not pressing forward like Bertrand does, and Martina had a shocker on the other flank, 2 seconf half crosses aside.

 

Redmond was ananymous and Long had a shocker. His confidence is so low at the moment that he seemed to be hiding from any half chances. His touch just on the final whistle summed him up to day, playing the ball behind himself, to the two men he was trying to beat.

 

The midfield was solid though, Romeou was MOM by a mile, and Claiise was good too. Yoshida did ok, bar hsi casual cleareance that was belted wide, and VD was good, apart from missing an early sitter.

 

All in all a decent point.

[doggface]

Decent result - ****e performance

[Saint_Jonny]

Turd of a game but that is a good result.

[BARCELONASAINT]

That was an awful game to watch.....but i will take the positives from a very long trip in a hostile stadium. We have kept another clean sheet and never really looked in trouble and fingers crossed no one has picked up an injury.

[Convict Colony]

I think prowse is finally working out

 

Said no one ever

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hackedoff]

Best result possible with that striking combination.

[Batman]

Decent result

Feel we will beat them at home

 

Appalling miss by VvD

[Saint86]

Personally think we played a very tactical game tonight. Harsh conditions, 5 hours flight, time difference, 2 hour drive through the desert to reach the city. And yet we coasted to a draw vs a team that have beaten Celtic (who should have beaten city) and Olympiacos.

 

Fans may not like it, but a draw was all that was required to win the group - where as on Sunday we need to aim for a result. Puel is managing the squad excellently, and it was clear that he told the team not to press first half to conserve energy.... If fans can't understand the above I would question their intelligence. Whether you like it or agree with it is a different story.

[striker]

Austin makes a huge difference. Yes for his scoring and runs, but also for being the target. His hold up play, and general good skill in the air, provide something the others don't.

[doddisalegend]

Personally think we played a very tactical game tonight. Harsh conditions, 5 hours flight, time difference, 2 hour drive through the desert to reach the city. And yet we coasted to a draw vs a team that have beaten Celtic (who should have beaten city) and Olympiacos.

 

Fans may not like it, but a draw was all that was required to win the group - where as on Sunday we need to aim for a result. Puel is managing the squad excellently, and it was clear that he told the team not to press first half to conserve energy.... If fans can't understand the above I would question their intelligence. Whether you like it or agree with it is a different story.

 

It could be argued the best way to conserve energy is not to give the fecking ball away so much.....

[OldNick]

watching Saints for nearly 50 years a 0-0 away is a cracking result. Most of you have been spoilt, we were always easy pickings away in the past.

Feel sorry for those fans who went spent their money and went to the game

Edited 29 September, 2016 by OldNick

[washsaint]

Agree Old Nick - you look at the dreadful displays against Mijtlland last year. Chalk and cheese.

 

1 win against Inter (home or away) and we have 1 foot in the next round.

[ErwinK1961]

Long doesn't make our strongest once everyone's fit. Couldn't trap a bag of cement.

[Colinjb]

I'll take that 0-0.

 

Could go on a long ramble about the group being a marathon, not a sprint and how Be'er Sheva are probably the strongest side we are up against...... But, I'll take the 0-0 away draw.

[niceandfriendly]

In the end a point is a decent result especially considering how poorly we played.

 

Martina was incredibly poor and I like him usually. James Ward-Prowse is just bizarre, when is he going to put in a good performance for the club? Long looks lost and Redmond gave the ball away too much. Without Davis or Hojberg we were always going to lose the midfield, and thank fook for VVD otherwise we probably would have lost. Blimey he should have scored though.

 

We can consider ourselves very lucky we weren't one of the 300odd who made the journey. That's a couple of days they'll never get back. They deserved more than that performance.

[OldNick]

Agree Old Nick - you look at the dreadful displays against Mijtlland last year. Chalk and cheese.

 

1 win against Inter (home or away) and we have 1 foot in the next round.

true, but I was thinking of the 70's 8-0 at Everton 7-0 at Ipswich, 7-2 (Watford) there are loads more that I cant bear to bring back to my memory!!!

[S-Clarke]

Can't read too much into that, your typical hostile away game. Excellent point, we're in a very strong position.

[niceandfriendly]

 

Fans may not like it, but a draw was all that was required to win the group - where as on Sunday we need to aim for a result. Puel is managing the squad excellently

 

Agree, Puel's impressing a lot on that front. Not afraid to make early changes either.

[Pilchards]

Love how ruthless Puel was for taking off Hesketh, he was having a stinker in the first 32 minutes.