Southampton 1-1 Arsenal - Match Thread

[Lighthouse]

Just now, Sheaf Saint said:

WTF is Jesus whingeing about?

You’d whinge if someone nailed you to a piece of wood.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Lighthouse said:

Thankfully the case for staying up isn’t constructed solely on your performance against the team top of the league, with your five best players injured.

I agree. It is the fact we are one of the worst teams' in the league

[Saint Fan CaM]

Our corners are dogshit considering we’ve supposedly got one of the best set piece deliverers in the country!

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Are we beating them on number of corners? Get in Saints! I see they've stopped the annoying ritual of bigging up JWP before he hits anything. The utter lack of output, form corners has finally sunk in.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Saint Fan CaM said:

Our corners are dogshit considering we’ve supposedly got one of the best set piece deliverers in the country!

He puts them into very dangerous areas nearly all of the time.  We are being defended well enough against them.  Teams are weary of it.  Like highlight the last time we got a free kick 25-30 yards out, just left of centre of the opponents box?  

[Mr X]

2 minutes ago, Victor said:

Oh yeah, that's an original thought.

True though 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Oh saints. a passing move where we really struggled to pick someone out, or pass to the recipient's advantage. Gave it away really quickly.

[danjosaint]

1 minute ago, Lighthouse said:

Thankfully the case for staying up isn’t constructed solely on your performance against the team top of the league, with your five best players injured.

No its the results against Everton Wolves Villa but guess you forgot them

[OttawaSaint]

Hopefully we've found some fine print and we'll bring on an angry Ronaldo in the 2nd...

[Saint Fan CaM]

Lyanco is our best player. Let that sink in!

[Saint_clark]

Just now, Saint Fan CaM said:

Lyanco is our best player. Let that sink in!

...ok? He's actually a good player. 

[AngusHyd]

At what point do we swap who is taking corners to mix it up a little? That or at least JWP could try a different type of delivery rather than the same old low ball near post. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

That was nearly a second. It's just a wild guess, but perhaps having a tctic that doesn't pick up runners and dropping deep to contain will allow them chances? I must be wrong. I'm sure Ralph will have picked up on that. 🙂

[igsey]

What is the point of Adam Armstrong in a game like this? He's meant to be quick but he's had a few chance to run on the break now and he's fucked it up every time.

[Saint Fan CaM]

1 minute ago, AlexLaw76 said:

He puts them into very dangerous areas nearly all of the time.  We are being defended well enough against them.  Teams are weary of it.  Like highlight the last time we got a free kick 25-30 yards out, just left of centre of the opponents box?  

But that’s the point - they have apparently been practicing set pieces in training, so clearly that coaching is piss poor!

[Fabrice Fernandes no.1 fan]

I have never seen a player walk as much in a game as Aribo has today. Few minutes ago he did what I try and get away with at 5-a-Side, watched Saka run away from him and pointed it out to Perraud to sprint further to track him rather than running himself. He’s a quality player on the ball but we can’t carry his lack of effort at the moment.

[OttawaSaint]

Just now, AngusHyd said:

At what point do we swap who is taking corners to mix it up a little? That or at least JWP could try a different type of delivery rather than the same old low ball near post. 

It's Ralph ball. We do it over and over again until we get it right!

He had the team watch Karate Kid last night to emphasise this. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

2 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Lyanco is our best player. Let that sink in!

I quite like him 🙂

[Saint Fan CaM]

Brilliant save from Bazunu!

[Saint_clark]

Bazunu fortunate with where that save dropped.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Small victory if we are only one down at half time

[obelisk]

Bazunu good save

[OttawaSaint]

Can the ref give out yellows for diving please!

[Sheaf Saint]

Great save Baz!

[Holmes_and_Watson]

>Whew< straight at Bazunu thankfully, or that was 2.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Mo's pass was never reaching AA. He just did it because that what he thought he should do.

[obelisk]

In the attacking third Saints give the appearance that they really haven't a clue.

[Chez]

Great foul by Salisu. We were in brig trouble there. Our press is horrible. so easy to play through.

 

[Sheaf Saint]

That shot came from a fluky deflection off a defender. When was the last time that happened in our favour? 

The difference is a team playing with confidence will anticipate these things and get in positions to capitalise. Whereas we have A Armstrong up front. 

[Saints foreva]

HT. Lucky we're only 1 down. 

Woeful performance, far too easy for them at times. 

[niceandfriendly]

I never expect us to beat teams like Arsenal, but the saddest thing is we're just crap at the basics. Our high press is so pathetic these days, we're always 5 yards too slow meaning we often give away moronic fouls. We give the ball away so much especially when playing out from the back. 

We're doing ok, it's only 1-0, but we are depressing to watch these days.

That was almost a shot on target from Stu! BOOM BOOM!

Edited 23 October, 2022 by niceandfriendly

[Saint NL]

What's happened to Stu Armstrong?

From one of the most important players in the team to a non entity.

[AlexLaw76]

HT

Lyanco best player, Bazunu decent.

That is about it.

Not much different from the other night, just the opposition are better.  

We are pretty bad

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Lyanco tok care of that overlap nicely, and it's the whistle.

[egg]

Could have been much worse. Bazunu and Lyanco the shining lights. Ely and Aribo been proper shite. 

[obelisk]

Getting to half time at only 0-1 is better than I thought after 10 minutes. Saints have improved but look like they don't have a goal in them.

[Saint NL]

2 mins injury time? It took that arsenal guy more than that to put his boot back on.

[Mr X]

Very successful first half really as we stopped arsenal reaching top gear... Not that they need to anyway but it could have been much worse than 1 - 0

[jamesfp1]

Lyanco the only player up for it as usual

[Chez]

Aribo with lively twinkle toes. He has pretty much nothing else though. As I have said all season, we have one of, if not the least threatening attack in the league. 

[egg]

Just now, Saint NL said:

2 mins injury time? It took that arsenal guy more than that to put his boot back on.

You wanted that half to last longer?! The less injury time the better. 

[Viking Saint]

3 minutes ago, obelisk said:

In the attacking third Saints give the appearance that they really haven't a clue.

It's not just an appearance, unfortunately 

[saintant]

If Ralph had anything about him as a coach he would tell his players to do exactly what Arsenal are doing - play between the lines. It's not rocket science Ralph, when will you learn!

[Saint Fan CaM]

Only positive is that we’re just one behind.  Ralph has to get more presence into midfield somehow - think get Edozie on for Aribo, put Larios in at RB and put Lyanco into CDM allowing JWP and Diallo a more forward role. I don’t know, its as likely to work as what’s happening out there so far. Otherwise we might as well hand them the three points now and have an early tea.

[Baird of the land]

Not the worst display by us. Good goal by Xhaka. Don't really feel we carry much threat though, even when we have a spell of decent passing.

Most disappointing thing is the set pieces. Zero Threat from the 6 we've had. Surely we should at least throw in the odd play it short or threat of it.

Also still dislike how we pull everyone back for their corners. Makes it difficult for ourselves when we win the first ball.

Perraud really struggling with Saka.

Also not sure how the ref only came up with 2 minutes added time. Though was sure he was going to give one of those penalty shouts, so positive from that point of view.

Edited 23 October, 2022 by Baird of the land

[Chez]

2 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

What's happened to Stu Armstrong?

From one of the most important players in the team to a non entity.

he does his best work running off the ball. We never have the ball so his whole game is gone. You are right though. He really is a non entity these days.

[Pilchards]

I looked at a stat on how many of our shots in the last two years have been blocked by defenders 

Staggered to read 84% of our shots hit the first defender, 40% more than any team.

Then you think unlucky or do we shoot at them standing in front of them? Why can’t they do a shimmy or something to make an opening. Stuart Armstrong used too while Adam always  hits the first defender every bloody time.

[Viking Saint]

11 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Lyanco is our best player. Let that sink in!

He actually looks like he gives a shit and doesn't like getting embarrassed. I'd take that from most of our underperforming XI atm

[Micky]

Done really well first half, even got into their box.  Who knows, we may make their keeper touch the ball in the second half - promising stuff...!

I'm very easily pleased these days...!

[Manuel]

Lyanco, over commits, the odd lunge but so entertaining to watch and has a bit of determination about him.  Can only get better.