Saints 1 Watford 1 - Match & Reactions

[supersonic]

Now 7 points thrown away from winning positions this season.

 

****ing pathetic. We're going down.

[Jonnyboy]

Thought we deserved the lead at half time, but in truth Watford outplayed us in second half. Felt like we were clinging on for ages, and just invited them on to us.

 

Positives for me were the whole back four plus Alex, Lemina and Gabby. Personally didn’t feel impressed by Armstrong unlike some on here.

 

We need 12 points from these seven games coming up, doesn’t look likely

 

Bertrand wasn't great imo. Always backwards and throw ins that take an age.

[badgerx16]

Not mine, but it’s here for the moment at least.

 

 

Looks like the FA are trying to suppress it. Idiots obviously haven’t heard of the Streisand effect.

 

It's up on the BBC now. What chance he is charged with 'disrepute' ?

[Norm]

Fair result from two very poor football teams. They were denied a definite penalty and we were denied a perfectly good goal. I’m no expert but some of the Saints players puff and blow and don’t seem fit.

MH, on borrowed time, doubt he will be here end of Dec.

[doddisalegend]

That was literally the only contribution he made and that was a mis-hit shot that ballooned off his standing foot. We were much better when Ings was on.

 

Austin wouldn't get a game in a top Championship side.

 

 

While agree about Austin. Ings was turd he managed about three touches of the ball before he was subbed he had literally no effect on the game at all.

[shurlock]

While agree about Austin. Ings was turd he managed about three touches of the ball before he was subbed he had literally no effect on the game at all.

 

Doesn’t help when you do your hamstring in the prematch warmup and you’re still played.

[Bananaman]

While agree about Austin. Ings was turd he managed about three touches of the ball before he was subbed he had literally no effect on the game at all.

 

Apart from winning the ball and proving the assist for the goal, you mean? He was also taken off because of injury.

[doddisalegend]

Doesn’t help when you do your hamstring in the prematch warmup and you’re still played.

 

 

Well that's fair enough just another feather in the Mark Hughes managerial cap then risking an injured player.

[Pamplemousse]

While agree about Austin. Ings was turd he managed about three touches of the ball before he was subbed he had literally no effect on the game at all.

 

I think a lot of what Ings does well is off the ball, his movement is better as is his closing down. I think him not being on the field helped Watford in an attacking sense.

[doddisalegend]

Apart from winning the ball and proving the assist for the goal, you mean? He was also taken off because of injury.

 

 

I know he was taken off for an injury. The goal was all down to Gabbi's quick thinking and long leg.

[Colinjb]

I know he was taken off for an injury. The goal was all down to Gabbi's quick thinking and long leg.

 

Ings closed down the defender, hassled the defender, and contacted the ball into Gabbi's path. Gabbi's finish was great, but Ings absolutely made it.

[saintant]

A look at the number of times we have thrown away possible wins from leading is an indication that Hughes is tactically inept, makes poor choice of subs or the players lack fitness or more likely a combination of the three. Fitness seems to be a major issue based on the fact that we often seem to wilt in the second half and capitulate towards the end of both halfs in games. Unfortunately, if the pre-season work wasn't done to the level it should have and the ongoing work is less intense than required it will be very difficult to rectify this key area and we will continue to fade in matches.

[benjii]

While agree about Austin. Ings was turd he managed about three touches of the ball before he was subbed he had literally no effect on the game at all.

 

Ings linked well several times and contributed to the goal. He was decent.

[wessex saint]

Not long back from the game.

Thought gabbi was MOM by a country mile

Please please play him in the same role for the next few games.

Frustrating not to get 3 points I know but more positives from today than we’ve had in a while.

Oh.. lazy decision from Hughes to bring on Austin rather than Obefami.

Meant the successful tactic of high press at times in the 1st half was no longer available due to Austin’s lack of mobility.

 

 

 

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[pimpin4rizeal]

Thought for majority of game this was the best we have looked this season. Why the likes of gav I and Armstrong get ignored so often baffles me.. they looked great in pre season so why always benched?

Liked what I saw from hoedt today.. made some good tackles passed the ball well and even went past a player with a roulette..

 

Regarding hughes will he learn from the positives from the likes of gabbi and Armstrong today or go back to the same dross ?

We played some good stuff today but again a bit fragile near then end of the game seems standard we invite pressure on ourselves late on

[Hodgey]

Fair result - I thought we played ok. We are not fit enough and mentally unsurprisingly we don’t have any belief. But Hoet played well again (and I’m not a general fan), Gabbi was excellent first half but tired second. Redmond non existent first but much better second. McArthy excellent and kept us in it first 20, Armstrong finally playing as a non10 looked promising but was hit and miss, Lemina also good.

This lot are going to struggle to stay up. Irrelevant of manager, they have lost belief that can only come with some wins. So my only complaint on Hughes, and an unforgivable one, is to get them fitter,

Chatting to Watford fans on way back - their opinion was that if we had gone for it after 1-0 we would have won, but sitting back helped them. To be honest not my view of the game but thought I’d share.

[benjii]

Not long back from the game.

Thought gabbi was MOM by a country mile

Please please play him in the same role for the next few games.

Frustrating not to get 3 points I know but more positives from today than we’ve had in a while.

Oh.. lazy decision from Hughes to bring on Austin rather than Obefami.

Meant the successful tactic of high press at times in the 1st half was no longer available due to Austin’s lack of mobility.

 

 

 

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Exactly right.

[doddisalegend]

I think a lot of what Ings does well is off the ball, his movement is better as is his closing down. I think him not being on the field helped Watford in an attacking sense.

 

I agree bring Austin on didn't help. What helped Watford attacking in the second half was Deeney coming on. He took up a position between our midfield and defence and they put balls into him all through the second half he was winning plenty in the air and causing us real problems which caused us to drop deeper. Hughes should have changed the formation to a three in midfield and had someone (probably Lemina in the absence of Romeu) man mark him I reckon but instead he did nothing.

[Lighthouse]

Chatting to a Watford fan on the way back into town, he seemed to think Lemina ran the show for us. I'd have to agree. I also thought Hoj had a better game than some on here are giving him credit for. Gave the ball away a bit but got stuck in and covered a lot of ground.

 

I think the team that started has potential, it's the subs that did it for us. Should have been O'Bafemi for Ings and Romeu for Armstrong. Rom should have been on the bench instead of JWP, who seems to just come on and lose games for us.

[striker]

Getting 2 goals in a game is a good step forward, even more so that they came from strikers. I also think Austin's post game rant is a riot, and he's right. The refs sucked, and the PL makes plenty of money. They should do more to improve the refereeing (such as VAR for every goal, etc.).

[saint77]

Chatting to a Watford fan on the way back into town, he seemed to think Lemina ran the show for us. I'd have to agree. I also thought Hoj had a better game than some on here are giving him credit for. Gave the ball away a bit but got stuck in and covered a lot of ground.

 

I think the team that started has potential, it's the subs that did it for us. Should have been O'Bafemi for Ings and Romeu for Armstrong. Rom should have been on the bench instead of JWP, who seems to just come on and lose games for us.

 

Thought Hoj was dreadful

[doddisalegend]

Thought Hoj was dreadful

 

yes back to the Hoj from last season giving the ball away left, right and centre. I think he has improved this season but today he was poor.

[kitch]

Giving Austin a positive for caring?

 

**** me. He was dire. Complete passenger.

 

Yeah, I did. I can either say he's slow, immobile and normally in poor positions, or I can say all that but at least know that he gives a ****. One is better than the other, and given the apparent lack of ****s seeming to be being given by the majority of the team at the moment, I'd class it as a positive.

 

You have to dig deep to find positives these days, you see.

[Micky]

Hoj did give the ball away a lot today, but to be fair so did lots of other players, conditions were pretty difficult out there. Not Hojs best game but at the end he was still trying to drive people forward to get a winner. Good attitude, but not his best game today.

 

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[Shroppie]

Ings closed down the defender, hassled the defender, and contacted the ball into Gabbi's path. Gabbi's finish was great, but Ings absolutely made it.

Yes. This

 

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[saintwbu]

Hojbjerg did give the ball away a lot today but he's one of the only players with a decent mentality and I think we do need his fight.

 

Look how many of our players were on their knees, head in hands when Watford scored. It's pathetic. There was plenty of time to get the winner but they just send Watford the message that the game is now theirs for the taking.

 

We've managed to assemble a right group of fannies.

 

Yeah I agree completely, I wouldn’t question his inclusion in the side at all, but when he is bad he is really, really bad. The first half today was almost Inter Milan at home levels of painful to watch. But I can’t fault his effort and I know next game he’ll probably be better and is definitely worth his place. But people need to see beyond his good interviews and he needs to work on his concentration in games.

[Isla Wight]

It seems to me that we seem to concede shortly after JWP puts in an appearance .. He is too lightweight, too slow and his apparent skill at dead ball situations is at best debatable .. Was not impressed with his contribution nor the fact that he just matched off down the tunnel at the end of the game (as did a few others) without any acknowledgement to the crowd.

Was also disappointed that a large section of the crowd booed at the final whistle

[supersonic]

It seems to me that we seem to concede shortly after JWP puts in an appearance .. He is too lightweight, too slow and his apparent skill at dead ball situations is at best debatable .. Was not impressed with his contribution nor the fact that he just matched off down the tunnel at the end of the game (as did a few others) without any acknowledgement to the crowd.

Was also disappointed that a large section of the crowd booed at the final whistle

 

What the hell do you expect - Three cheers for Mark Hughes?

[cloggy saint]

It's kinda sad that the majority of people here sound like customers rather than fans.

[Lighthouse]

Why the frig are we after a 0-0 at Leicester on MOTD?

[benjii]

Why the frig are we after a 0-0 at Leicester on MOTD?

 

Gary Lineker. Dosser, dwad and compleme cunm.

[austsaint]

It seems to me that we seem to concede shortly after JWP puts in an appearance .. He is too lightweight, too slow and his apparent skill at dead ball situations is at best debatable .. Was not impressed with his contribution nor the fact that he just matched off down the tunnel at the end of the game (as did a few others) without any acknowledgement to the crowd.

Was also disappointed that a large section of the crowd booed at the final whistle

 

Continuing to play the likes of Austin,Long and Ward-Prowse will see the end of Hughes and maintain our birds eye view of the relegation trap door. I thought Hughes picked a good side today - but the subs were awful. Romeu was the player we needed to bolster the midfield; Obafemi for the injured Ings. Lemina, Gabbiadini, Hoedt, Yoshida and Armstrong in patches were all good today. McCarthy made several important saves.

[saint lard]

Blimey Austin’s aftermatch interview will get into trouble. L

 

 

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[macca155]

Holberg may have had an iffy game but remains one of the first on the teamsheet for me.

 

I thought Yoshida and Gabbadini were really good today. They showed what we've been missing. Scandelous that a proven international defender has been benched.

 

I'm gutted JWP's form has dipped. For a while last year it looked like he was going to cement a place. However now he simply doesn't seem to be at PL standard. I suspect its because he hasn't had a run of games, he needs a decent loan abroad at a good level to get some confidence back.

 

I thought it was harsh on Stephens to be dropped. I'd have him over Cedric any day.

 

Relegation isn't a cert plenty of time to resolve that but some players need to be rested.

 

More than anything they need a win just to boost their confidence.

 

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[Shroppie]

All in all it was a good team performance from a good, sensible starting eleven.

 

What's missing is simply confidence and a winning mentality, and the team know that. That's why Charlie was so angry post-match. Today should, and could have been the day to secure a comfortable win against a decent side. We outplayed them and deserved it, but were robbed of a crucial win by incompetent officials

 

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[Hodgey]

We didn’t outplay them - they had good periods and so did we but we definitely didn’t outplay them (look at the stats for balance - what was it 58pc Watford possession ?). We need to be very careful over this victim mentality - we didn’t deserve to win, yes on another day the ref doesn’t give their pen and gives our goal - but that is luck, with a neutral hat on we didn’t deserve to win.

[Millbrook Saint]

Holberg may have had an iffy game but remains one of the first on the teamsheet for me.

 

I thought Yoshida and Gabbadini were really good today. They showed what we've been missing. Scandelous that a proven international defender has been benched.

 

I'm gutted JWP's form has dipped. For a while last year it looked like he was going to cement a place. However now he simply doesn't seem to be at PL standard. I suspect its because he hasn't had a run of games, he needs a decent loan abroad at a good level to get some confidence back.

 

I thought it was harsh on Stephens to be dropped. I'd have him over Cedric any day.

 

Relegation isn't a cert plenty of time to resolve that but some players need to be rested.

 

More than anything they need a win just to boost their confidence.

 

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Are you mental?????

[Dusic]

All in all it was a good team performance from a good, sensible starting eleven.

 

What's missing is simply confidence and a winning mentality, and the team know that. That's why Charlie was so angry post-match. Today should, and could have been the day to secure a comfortable win against a decent side. We outplayed them and deserved it, but were robbed of a crucial win by incompetent officials

 

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We didn't outplay them. If anything, especially first half it was the opposite. By PL standards it was a 'meh' home performance.

 

Whilst the starting XI did well, the Hughes subs ruined us.

[striker]

Blimey Austin’s aftermatch interview will get into trouble. L

 

 

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That rant was funny. It sounded like a drunk fan calling TalkSport after the match.

[Kingsbridge Saint]

Good to see Yoshi back, thought he had a decent game. Done up like a kipper by the officials today. Legitimate goal disallowed and Doucoure was on his way down before Bertrand even got near him. Robbed. Hughes is on borrowed time. Got to beat Fulham or he will probably be gone. And rightly so.

[skintsaint]

Armstrong proving to be a costly purchase, missed a sitter v Bournemouth and another last night to kill the game.

 

Team needs a shake up and we need to start with the Manager.

[Batman]

Good to see Yoshi back, thought he had a decent game. Done up like a kipper by the officials today. Legitimate goal disallowed and Doucoure was on his way down before Bertrand even got near him. Robbed. Hughes is on borrowed time. Got to beat Fulham or he will probably be gone. And rightly so.

 

Sorry mate. It was a very obvious penalty for them. Bertrand would have probably gone also

[Batman]

All in all it was a good team performance from a good, sensible starting eleven.

 

What's missing is simply confidence and a winning mentality, and the team know that. That's why Charlie was so angry post-match. Today should, and could have been the day to secure a comfortable win against a decent side. We outplayed them and deserved it, but were robbed of a crucial win by incompetent officials

 

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It was not good at all. It was average at best

[jasoneuelllfanclub]

We didn’t outplay them - they had good periods and so did we but we definitely didn’t outplay them (look at the stats for balance - what was it 58pc Watford possession ?). We need to be very careful over this victim mentality - we didn’t deserve to win, yes on another day the ref doesn’t give their pen and gives our goal - but that is luck, with a neutral hat on we didn’t deserve to win.

This is spot on. Watford had more chances. We were poor after Ings went off. We are devoid of confidence and mentally very weak. Hughes subs are awful but the bench is really uninspiring.

 

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[LuckyNumber7]

Whatever people say about Austin, you certainly can't accuse him of not caring!

Gutting to be denied a home win yet again but after a good first half performance we sat back too much in the second and barely created anything.

Gabbi motm, him and Yoshi showing why they should have been starting every week, it's utterly baffling how they have been continually frozen out. Thought Hoedt had a very good game also.

Still one home win in thirteen months now, an utterly appalling record. Scary thing is I can't see where the next one is coming from.

[Mr X]

Draw was what we deserved IMO. Officials obviously horrendous, but for both teams.

 

Hughes got all the subs wrong and it cost us.

 

1. Austin is busted at PL level. Obviously he 'scored' but also became extremely isolated as his movement is awful. Shouldn't have come on that early IMO. Could have shifted Gabbi up front and added Elyounoussi or JWP.

 

(Gabbi had a good allround game, as did Hoedt and Lemina for me).

 

2. JWP is a terrible sub and at that stage we needed Obafemi or Moi to keep a bit of pressure on them. Instead we gifted them momentum and allowed them to pin us back...

 

3. Obafemi should have come on as soon as they scored.

 

We are ****e, clueless in the boardroom and on the pitch.

I vote we stick with Gabi all season & get him a decent top class partner in January, the others are a waste of space, maybe someone he's already played with in Italy etc

 

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[hypochondriac]

I vote we stick with Gabi all season & get him a decent top class partner in January, the others are a waste of space, maybe someone he's already played with in Italy etc

 

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We obviously aren't going to buy another striker in January. We badly need something else in midfield but we would probably have to get rid of a couple of the others first. Maybe Davis and jwp? Unlikely but one can dream.

[qwertyell]

Whatever people say about Austin, you certainly can't accuse him of not caring!

 

About his goal bonus, perhaps.

 

If he really cared, he wouldn't have let himself lapse into such appalling physical condition that he can't run for more than five minutes before he's absolutely knackered and a huge burden on the rest of the team.

 

 

 

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[Sheaf Saint]

So having seen a few replays of the disallowed goal, I think I can see why the officials made the decision they did, even if I disagree with it...

 

It was a poor, mis-hit shot that any keeper worth his salt would have saved. If you watch Foster, he seems to stumble and delay before finally deciding to dive for it and missing. You could make the argument that, although he was static and didn't try to play the ball, Yoshida being where he was in an offside position influenced Foster's judgement and prevented him from making what really should have been a routine save. Therefore he was interfering with play.

 

It's the only justification I can think of for it.

[Batman]

So having seen a few replays of the disallowed goal, I think I can see why the officials made the decision they did, even if I disagree with it...

 

It was a poor, mis-hit shot that any keeper worth his salt would have saved. If you watch Foster, he seems to stumble and delay before finally deciding to dive for it and missing. You could make the argument that, although he was static and didn't try to play the ball, Yoshida being where he was in an offside position influenced Foster's judgement and prevented him from making what really should have been a routine save. Therefore he was interfering with play.

 

It's the only justification I can think of for it.

 

but the officials told the players (and Hughes I assume) that it was ruled out because Yoshida touched the ball...