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Saints 1-0 Man City... No, Seriously


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Man of the Match  

350 members have voted

  1. 1. Man of the Match v Manchester City

    • Alex McCarthy
      97
    • Kyle Walker-Peters
      41
    • Jack Stephens
      157
    • Jan Bednarek
      11
    • Ryan Bertrand
      1
    • Oriol Romeu
      0
    • James Ward-Prowse
      5
    • Stuart Armstrong
      8
    • Nathan Redmond
      0
    • Che Adams
      13
    • Danny Ings
      10
    • Shane Long
      0

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  • Poll closed on 08/07/20 at 19:00

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F*ckaduck! What a win. Prime time Sunday night on BBC 1, and at home where we've been dodgy, and we've shown the world what we're capable of. Best defensive performance in years. Very much felt like the Leeds win in the Championship. City might say they played a changed team but they still had the quality there to dick is 9 times out of 10. Thankfully not tonight.

 

Hard to pick a MOTM but without the McCarthy saves we would have been sunk.

 

McCarthy - 10 - great saves. Nuff said.

KWP - 9 - a couple of knocks but got up and kept going. Best RB since Clyne? Should definitely look into signing him.

Stephens - 10 - was first to everything and decent distribution.

 

Bednarek - 9 - some great blocks and headers.

Bertrand- 8 - had a tricky game against Mahrez but did well. Nobody deserves less than 8 tonight.

 

JWP - 10 - was absolutely everywhere.

Romeu - 8 - when he got booked I thought uh oh but a great defensive performance.

Redmond - 8 - worked hard and was an outlet but a touch too selfish on occasion...

Armstrong - 9 - good assist from constant closing down. Couple of iffy moments right at the end but another solid game.

 

Adams - 8 - wonderful first goal and was an outlet but faded.

Ings - 10 - close to my MOTM. Was as good if not better defensively as in attack constantly making interceptions I just wish he could have stretched his leg out for that goal. His fitness levels are something else.

 

I'm not rating the subs but Long did OK when he came on. Only 2 shows how fit the first XI are, but also maybe how weak the squad is. That was a young bench.

 

Hasenhuttl - 10 - that was a Hasenhuttl team playing in a Hasenhuttl way. Long may he reign. Great faith in Adam's dutifully rewarded.

 

Two tough games now. I'd have taken 3 points from the three (including City) and we already have that in the bag. I struggle to see anything against a brilliant United side but we should go to Everton with confidence. 

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Great performance and great result. So nice to see that Che has broken his duck.

OK, City did rest some of their key players but it was mentioned on the radio before the match that the City bench cost £280 million. Their team cost over £400 million. Any team put out by a club with those resources has to be taken seriously  ….. and we bloody beat them!!! :lol::lol:

 

 

 

 

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1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

I'm not having that. We've been completely and utterly awful at home for about two seasons. Absolutely fantastic that we seem to have turned a corner but they've given no indication that they were going to play like that at home before tonight. 

I'm not having that. Probably because I'm just tired of negativity.

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tremendous commitment from all the players. With something to defend they gave it all. Danny Ings was bloody everywhere. They were all excellent. Really enjoyed the first half. Less so the second as it felt a goal was coming.

Really pleased Che got his goal. It has been coming. He has looked confident since the restart.

We looked a threat on the break with Redmond and Armstrong creating issues for City.

Slightly surprised more subs were not made. We were ran ragged for the last 15 minutes. 

I don't want to end on a negative, but... despite Danny Murphy loving KWP, I was really unimpressed by has back post defending of crosses. He missed a few headers that on another day could easily have led to goals. He looked as bad as Cedric ever did. Hope that was a one off. On the ball he was decent though, and made a lot of good decisions...there I didn't end on a negative after all. 

Edited by Chez
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Fantastic stuff. Really chuffed for Che, and what a goal to get off the mark. Defensively as a team we were excellent, and although we rode our luck at times, Ings/Armstrong/Redmond all had great chances for us to get a second. Special mention for Walker-Peters. Thought he was out of his depth against Arsenal, but he certainly redeemed tonight. Didnt give Sterling a kick. He could be an option for us after all, but only if Levy sticks a sensible price tag on him

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Fantastic defensive performance second half, but also don’t overlook how many turnovers we achieved on the break first half.  An excellently coached performance, the type of game when you can see how a game plan has been prepared brilliantly by Ralph.

 

9 points out of 12, 5 points off a likely European slot and two of the teams just above us yet to play suggests it is not ludicrous to imagine we could just sneak eighth as the players look very hungry.

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The thing that has stuck me in the last few games, including the second half of the Arsenal game, is that some serious chemistry has developed among this group.

They're playing their butts off for eachother, on and off the ball, and actually look like they're enjoying their football rather than doing it for a job.

A very good squad seems to be coming together, and results like that won't hurt us on the recruitment front.

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My pre match thread prediction 😏🤣 - Che certainly had a crack 😄

"KWP should keep the right back spot, and I'd actually keep Romeu in midfield because his technical ability is far beyond PEH's. Smallbone did well, but you have to start Armstrong on current form.

I'd start Che Adams up front and give him a crack.

We've got nothing to lose in this one, and i bizarrely fancy us to get a result."

Edited by Saint86
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42 minutes ago, Chez said:

 don't want to end on a negative, but... despite Danny Murphy loving KWP, I was really unimpressed by has back post defending of crosses. He missed a few headers that on another day could easily have led to goals. He looked as bad as Cedric ever did.

Nah, I normally agree with your analyses, but on that bit I disagree: he got his head to a few vital balls and I thought at the time that he was better than Cedric in that respect. He might not be the be all and end all, but in the last few games he's certainly looked a lot better and may be worth keeping. I didn't think that earlier in the season.

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Edge of the seat game despite not really having anything to play for, which showed real professionalism on their part. A true team performance and difficult to choose just one of them as Man of the Match. Pleased for Che with his 1st Saints goal and what a goal. Pleased for Ralph who has had his ups and downs and pleased for us supporters who have certainly had our ups and downs. Well done Saints!

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17 minutes ago, OttawaSaint said:

So a draw tomorrow night between Everton and Spurs and then we try and go above both of them in the last 5 games. 

Finishing above both Spurs and Everton would make this an incredible season!

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Magnificent display. As I said on the pre-match thread, I liked our odds of 10/1 and shoved £20 on it (sadly, the poster who said he rated our chances at worse than 100/1 wouldn’t come back and offer me odds! Which is a shame, because betting is basically a pretty efficient way of taxing bullshit!)

KWP was Motm for me, but obviously several worthy candidates!

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There was a funny feeling in the air about this game, just something niggling in the back of my head 'We don't win at home, City just score for will''......and the rest writes it's self.

We were always going to need bucket loads of luck and boy did we have that, but...you make your own luck. Through blocks, harrying, hassling, pressing...it was a proper backs to the wall performance, I love those sorts of wins more than any other to be honest.

The players look like they have bought into Ralph's style more than ever, everyone is in sync, everyone knows their jobs and the press is the most well executed I've seen - even better than the MP days. (we just lack a little bit of the quality from those days).

Stephens has gone from being average as hell to what he is today. A very competent, strong, powerful premier league centre half. I still hope we bring in another CB to give both him and Jan some competition, but any new addition will need to be a bit of a world beater to oust either of those today.

KWP was good, but what worried me was how Silva pulled on him - a couple of times - at the back post, his lack of height was being exposed at times - but technically he's very capable, but he did panic a little in the 2nd half with some clearances.

We resumed the league a couple of weeks ago and we were sat on 34 points, still looking over our shoulders a tiny bit. Now we're on 43 points and 13 points clear, and unreal return from us. Something looks to have clicked fitness wise and tactically over the last few months. It looks like everyone at the club have been working their arses off and results like this are the proof.

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2 hours ago, Pamplemousse said:

FUCKING BRILLIANT

I love this team so much, I love Southampton, so proud to be a Saints fan.

So proud of this club! So proud to support the Saints. The best club in the world. They make me happy and I feel they are a true community club, which makes me even prouder. Long live King Ralph!

Edited by CylonKing
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49 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Really chuffed for Mccarthy as well. To think some people were calling for him to be dropped. 

Forster coming back maybe a bit of motivation?

Ralph only really substituted for 1 player in the entire match (if you dont count Smallbone's during stoppage time). I loved that.. stick with what was working.. the players on the pitch were in sync and in the zone.

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A truly magnificent performance.

What has really struck me about our performances this season is the exceptional fitness, and the obvious team spirit

and the players seem really comfortable with the tactics and respect the manager.

Also I hope we can buy Walker Peters, but on this showing will TH let him go?

 

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11 minutes ago, Saint-Armstrong said:

Here's a nice stat from the BBC match report...

  • Southampton have won 11 points against 'big six' sides in the Premier League this season - only Wolves (12) have won more outside of those 'big six' sides

To think we pissed away 2 vs Arsenal at the Emirates, City got a late winner at their place and Ings missed a sitter to equalize vs Liverpool.

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Incredible, such an intense game too, it was good to forget there were no fans. What a turnaround from Ralph, I've been so critical of the likes of Stephens, Ward-Prowse and others, but everyone stepped up tonight. There must have been some serious work going on behind the scenes in the last few months

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2 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

I'm not having that. We've been completely and utterly awful at home for about two seasons. Absolutely fantastic that we seem to have turned a corner but they've given no indication that they were going to play like that at home before tonight. 

I really do disagree. Yeah we have had awful form at home. And deservedly bottom of home form. But I don't believe it is lack of heart, or that the players dont care as some have suggested, It is a lack of set up.

So even within out shit home form to say 'they've given no indication that they were going to play like that at home before tonight.' is simply wrong.

I can show enough home games where there has been heart and conviction but not the result. We played Spurs in league and FA cup in quick succession and put in brave and good performances. We thumped a shit Villa. We drew to United when we should have won. That's not to say our home performances have been acceptable. The results and a good chunk of performances have not. We are low down on the home table for a reason. But my point it is not passion or heart why we are down there, it is because we are still working our how to break down sides who sit deep and counter.

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Win, lose or draw I was proud of the players fight today more than anything.  

Need to show this attitude at home every week as they do regularly away.  If they do we could push top 8 again.

The win is an unreal result, delighted for Adams 

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Everyone drawing up comparisons of this win being exactly like the win at Leeds in 2012... Adams scored in the 16th minute today. At Elland Road the winning goal was scored by Lambert in... you guessed it, the 16th minute!

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1 minute ago, tunit said:

Everyone drawing up comparisons of this win being exactly like the win at Leeds in 2012... Adams scored in the 16th minute today. At Elland Road the winning goal was scored by Lambert in... you guessed it, the 16th minute!

Spooky! 

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3 hours ago, Halo Stickman said:

One of the most committed Saints performances I’ve ever since. Huge respect and credit to the manager and players for the amazing turn around since October. 

It really was.  What a way to end the "St Marys" drought.  So many good players on the day, but the back four and McCarthy were great, Stephens in particular a colossus.   What I loved about the performance was not only the committed defending and the odd bit of luck but there was a willingness to counter attack and put pressure on MC for most of the game.      So good for Adams -  liked Armstrong's game too.   

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1 hour ago, Jimmy_D said:

Just realised we ended another drought almost without realising it. That was our first win over a Guardiola team.

Commentators on DAZN were saying that if we’d lost it would have been a Saints record for most consecutive losses vs a single team (7).

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just looking at other Stats. Its the first clean sheet we've had against City since we returned to the Premier League.

The last time we had a Clean Sheet against City, Wigley was manager.

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6 hours ago, sydney_saint said:

I really do disagree. Yeah we have had awful form at home. And deservedly bottom of home form. But I don't believe it is lack of heart, or that the players dont care as some have suggested, It is a lack of set up.

So even within out shit home form to say 'they've given no indication that they were going to play like that at home before tonight.' is simply wrong.

I can show enough home games where there has been heart and conviction but not the result. We played Spurs in league and FA cup in quick succession and put in brave and good performances. We thumped a shit Villa. We drew to United when we should have won. That's not to say our home performances have been acceptable. The results and a good chunk of performances have not. We are low down on the home table for a reason. But my point it is not passion or heart why we are down there, it is because we are still working our how to break down sides who sit deep and counter.

Think you need to have attended the majority of games over the last two seasons. There's been a load of games where we looked like we had just given up and were going through the motions. Let's not let an amazing result airbrush history, fans were getting absolutely fed up for a reason. 

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10 hours ago, Shroppie said:

On the build-up thread I nearly commented that it was more like a Man City appreciation thread. 

I'd like to mention to all those who used the thread to say how brilliant City are and we should be honoured to be in the same pitch as them that I did ask why we couldn't beat them and, for the record, I was right.

Well done Saints. Just brilliant.

Me too. I just wish we could have all been there in person.Reckon most of us would still be at or around the Stadium totally inebriated Geoff 🥃🥃🥃

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9 hours ago, OttawaSaint said:

I’m a bit worried that we’ll lose the last five 10-0 and 3 teams below us win out...

We have 43 points and the most that any of the bottom three can get is 42.

It’s a long time since we’ve been safe with five games left to play. Relax and enjoy!

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10 hours ago, SNSUN said:

Two tough games now. I'd have taken 3 points from the three (including City) and we already have that in the bag. I struggle to see anything against a brilliant United side but we should go to Everton with confidence. 

Why shouldn't we get a result at the other Manchester club? Are they better than City?

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