Saints 1-1 Rotherham - Match Thread

[West end Saints]

think many posts are understandable frustration and emotional. 

We played well for a decent part today. The first 25 mins or so was excellent. Apart from the  finishing no one can complain. Good possession, moving the ball quickly,midfielders overlapping etc. Could have, and should have been 3 or 4 up. 

Clearly how the manager set them up so don't think it was his fault at all today. 

I enjoyed it. 

The scary (close to me) medical emergency understandably took away some of the atmosphere and energy from both crowd and players. 

But we all knew we would suffer from not killing the game. 

In the second half Rotherham were offering nothing, sat back, seemed happy to keep to 1-0.

We started to run out of ideas and slowed down. 

I could not see why Che was even considering giving their keeper the ball, and him being a mug led to the goal. 

I am frustrated and disappointed. 

I am also unhappy about how far off the top two we are. 

But personally don't agree with booing players, and manager after 7 points in a week and a game where we played well, created loads, etc but missed out on a win due to

1) a goal keeper having the game of his life

2) missed chances

3) Che stupidity

4) a period of 20 mins or so when we looked a bit complacent and slowed down go play out the game. 

 

Not sure how we will do under Martin but he is no where near being sacked and nor should he be. 

Edited 7 October, 2023 by West end Saints

[HedgeEnder]

10 minutes ago, ElTrinidad said:

Saints were unlucky here. This was nothing down to RM, we didnt take some great chances - we created a TON

We weren't helped by their keeper pulling of a plethora of top saves to keep it at 1-0.

Che Adams' finishing is still leaving a lot to be desired even in the championship, but we honestly played well today.

I think taking off three of our best players on 63 minutes was pretty much down to RM

[The Curse of St Mary's]

We were made to pay for lacklustre second half. First half was excellent and we should have been 3 up really. Second half we reverted to type (pedestrian). The problem is when you concede you then need to suddenly find a higher gear. We should have carried the first half into the second half but we didn't and we got punished by a freak goal out of nothing. 

[SotonianWill]

How dare the fans boo. Don’t they know drawing at home to Rotherham is our level now. Trust the Process, Keep up. 

[saintant]

24 minutes ago, spyinthesky said:

With my positive hat on (a very rare situation) we should have conceded a penalty at Stoke and drawn 1-1 and then gone on to a deserved win over Rotherham providing 4 points.
The circumstances helped us at Stoke but not at home v Rotherham but the outcome was 4 points and three games unbeaten which hopefully we can continue with after the International break.

On the flip side if Stoke should have had a penalty we got an extra 2 points and then proceeded to toss them away today. 

[waylander]

We should buy their keeper come January

[Lee On Solent Saint]

4 minutes ago, waylander said:

We should buy their keeper come January

He probably won't have a game like that again all season. Smallbone shouldn't have given him the opportunity to make the save in all honesty. Even my lad said he is always told to aim for the corner of the goal and not the centre. 

[saintant]

13 minutes ago, HedgeEnder said:

I’m pretty sure he was told by the ref to throw it back to their keeper

I'm not certain the ref has the authority to tell us to throw the ball back to them when they put it out to make subs and nobody is injured. That seems mad to me. Maybe they put it out to get an injured player off and had a sub ready which is slightly different.

[JRM]

6 minutes ago, SotonianWill said:

How dare the fans boo. Don’t they know drawing at home to Rotherham is our level now. Trust the Process, Keep up. 

Has anyone blamed the fans yet? Matter of time. 

As the game drifted by it seemed inevitable they would equalise and so it proved , players looked a bit disappointed with the lack of applause at the end , Martin must have promised them a standing ovation for possession stats 

[Saint_Jonny]

Good week overall but that should have been 3 points today, only thing that stops it happening is terrible finishing. Created loads of chances, played well. 

We have some absolute melts as fans. Thick as shit, moronic twats. Saints murdered the opposition today and the only people to blame for not winning are the players not finishing the excellent chances they created, and yet the manager comes in for dogs abuse at full time when trying to clap the Northam end. I know the average IQ gets steadily lower the higher up that stand you go, but fuck me, have a word with yourselves lads. Maybe stay in Thornhill next time and boo the TV. You're not helping anyone by being in the stadium. 

[saintant]

18 minutes ago, West end Saints said:

think many posts are understandable frustration and emotional. 

We played well for a decent part today. The first 25 mins or so was excellent. Apart from the  finishing no one can complain. Good possession, moving the ball quickly,midfielders overlapping etc. Could have, and should have been 3 or 4 up. 

Clearly how the manager set them up so don't think it was his fault at all today. 

I enjoyed it. 

The scary (close to me) medical emergency understandably took away some of the atmosphere and energy from both crowd and players. 

But we all knew we would suffer from not killing the game. 

In the second half Rotherham were offering nothing, sat back, seemed happy to keep to 1-0.

We started to run out of ideas and slowed down. 

I could not see why Che was even considering giving their keeper the ball, and him being a mug led to the goal. 

I am frustrated and disappointed. 

I am also unhappy about how far off the top two we are. 

But personally don't agree with booing players, and manager after 7 points in a week and a game where we played well, created loads, etc but missed out on a win due to

1) a goal keeper having the game of his life

2) missed chances

3) Che stupidity

4) a period of 20 mins or so when we looked a bit complacent and slowed down go play out the game. 

 

Not sure how we will do under Martin but he is no where near being sacked and nor should he be. 

It's a good post but you say the first 25 minutes was excellent.  Surely 25 minutes out of 90 is not good enough?

[HedgeEnder]

4 minutes ago, saintant said:

I'm not certain the ref has the authority to tell us to throw the ball back to them when they put it out to make subs and nobody is injured. That seems mad to me. Maybe they put it out to get an injured player off and had a sub ready which is slightly different.

It definitely looked like the ref pointed to their keeper when Che picked up the ball. We assumed the ball had been kicked out for an injury however it was apparent which Rotherham player was actually injured!

[saintant]

1 minute ago, HedgeEnder said:

It definitely looked like the ref pointed to their keeper when Che picked up the ball. We assumed the ball had been kicked out for an injury however it was apparent which Rotherham player was actually injured!

If they had no player injured Che should have informed the ref we weren't going to give the ball to Rotherham. We're far too compliant and should be standing up for ourselves in such circumstances.

[JRM]

14 minutes ago, Saint_Jonny said:

Good week overall but that should have been 3 points today, only thing that stops it happening is terrible finishing. Created loads of chances, played well. 

We have some absolute melts as fans. Thick as shit, moronic twats. Saints murdered the opposition today and the only people to blame for not winning are the players not finishing the excellent chances they created, and yet the manager comes in for dogs abuse at full time when trying to clap the Northam end. I know the average IQ gets steadily lower the higher up that stand you go, but fuck me, have a word with yourselves lads. Maybe stay in Thornhill next time and boo the TV. You're not helping anyone by being in the stadium. 

Posts like this make me laugh, your assumed intellectual superiority , they must be thick as shit if they have a different opinion to you eh. 

End of the day that team completely messed up the easiest chance of a comfortable home win you'll ever get. Some will see these stats as a positive but for me drawing this game is a huge failure . 

Edited 7 October, 2023 by JRM

[macca155]

Didn't lose , there's that I guess.

Probably the weakest side we'll meet all season, should have won easily, but their goalie had a blinder, and Saints simply ran out of ideas in the 2nd half.

Home form strikes again.

It happens no need to get too upset over it. Long way to go yet. Saints nicked 2 points on Tuesday, today they lost them.

There were some good performances today, but I'm starting to get irritated with Manning. He constantly slowed every attack down. The sooner Larios is given a chance the better.

Saints have to play with more intensity and be more direct. Teams like Rotheram cannot be given the chance to recover and strike back.

 

[Saint_Jonny]

3 minutes ago, JRM said:

Posts like this make me laugh, your assumed intellectual superiority , they must be thick as shit if they have a different opinion to you eh. 

End of the day that team completely messed up the easiest chance of a comfortable home win you'll ever get. Some will see these stats as a positive but for me drawing this game is a huge failure . 

Yeah, reacting like a neanderthal to a disappointing result at a football match does tend to be a bit of a giveaway. Nothing to do with differing opinions. 

[Block41 Saint]

3 minutes ago, Saint_Jonny said:

Yeah, reacting like a neanderthal to a disappointing result at a football match does tend to be a bit of a giveaway. Nothing to do with differing opinions. 

Disappointing result at a football match is the norm for St. Mary's Stadium.... 

 

[JRM]

7 minutes ago, Saint_Jonny said:

Yeah, reacting like a neanderthal to a disappointing result at a football match does tend to be a bit of a giveaway. Nothing to do with differing opinions. 

OK, like your slagging off of Thornhill, tell us all where you live so we can decide how clever you are 

[Vancouver Saint]

I am as disappointed as the rest..but let's be honest, there are some fickle fans on here and it's fine margins. Che's glancing header goes in instead of being brilliantly saved, it's 2-0 we're done and dusted and he's the striker we've been waiting to get back...Smallbone finishes that and he's the attacking midfield genius instead of turn-backwards guy.

We got 3 points at Stoke when we should have probably got 1. We got 1 point here when we definitely should have had 3. 

I forecast a 4-1 win and it should have been that...would have been bar their keeper standing on his head and lack of a clinical finish from us. Not RM's fault today IMO...subs, perhaps - didn't make us better for the second time in a row...but then he'd get criticised for not injecting more energy (the commentators were just saying Sulemana wasn't making the overlapping runs he was in the first half...implied looked tired).

The only thing that really frustrates me in this 'new way' lark is how ponderously SLOOOOOOOOOOW we are in the build-up. We need to mix it up with some zippy long diagonal balls (yes that may not connect) and much faster movement of the ball. Teams have time to get back behind the ball, make a cup of tea, watch the video of the 'attack' build-up, discuss defensive options and then pack the box to clear.

Still think Charles is better than Smallbone and Alcaraz should start. 

[JRM]

11 minutes ago, macca155 said:

Didn't lose , there's that I guess.

Probably the weakest side we'll meet all season, should have won easily, but their goalie had a blinder, and Saints simply ran out of ideas in the 2nd half.

Home form strikes again.

It happens no need to get too upset over it. Long way to go yet. Saints nicked 2 points on Tuesday, today they lost them.

There were some good performances today, but I'm starting to get irritated with Manning. He constantly slowed every attack down. The sooner Larios is given a chance the better.

Saints have to play with more intensity and be more direct. Teams like Rotheram cannot be given the chance to recover and strike back.

 

I'd caution against pinning your hopes on Larios to be honest mate. 

The slowing down of attacks and allowing defenders to get back in position is so incredibly frustrating, we do it time and time again. 

[AlexLaw76]

They have lost all away games this season until today. They will probably lose many more

fucking appalling result

Martin can F-off

[Dan Johnson]

Frustrating result, should have won but 7pts out of 9 from the those last 3 games is a decent return. 

hope the fan who suffered a medical emergency is recovering, very distressing scenes

[JRM]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

They have lost all away games this season until today. They will probably lose many more

fucking appalling result

Martin can F-off

Worst away record in the football league I think, no wins since last November! No wonder their fans were expecting the worst. 

The ones I had a chat with were proper sound down to earth football fans, got to be really to follow Rotherham home and away, pleased for them after making the journey 

[FarehamSaintJames]

We’re a world apart from the top two in terms of quality and being clinical.

 

[OttawaSaint]

It's like the work they do all week isn't too bad but then RM can't help himself and starts fiddling with the team and/or instructing them to go into walk and pass mode.

Even just looking at the last 3 games, the second halves have been diabolical for reverting to toothless RussBall.

[Dragon_man]

Any news on the person who suffered the medical emergency? Hope they are OK ...

[davefizzy14]

Really frustrating result, however on another day we win that comfortably. 7pts out of 9 is a good return. We have to be more clinical as RM points out. 

[Jazzfunk]

Enjoyed the first half. The delay and incident sapped the crowd and probably the players, too.

I thought that Rathbone, the veteran Peltier and the excellent Johannson in goal for the Millers were outstanding.

Very frustrating result and it leaves us a ton of points away from where we need to be.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

43 minutes ago, Saint_Jonny said:

We have some absolute melts as fans. Thick as shit, moronic twats. Saints murdered the opposition today and the only people to blame for not winning are the players not finishing the excellent chances they created, and yet the manager comes in for dogs abuse at full time when trying to clap the Northam end.

You shouldn't be so harsh on the fans, Russell Martin agrees with them. Martin was “angry and annoyed” and "frustrated" with the Rotherham draw  https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/martin-angry-and-annoyed-with-rotherham-draw  he feels like that after his first half a dozen or so home games so fans are entitled to vent their 'anger, annoyance and frustration' after fuck knows how many shit results at St Mary's season after season.

[OttawaSaint]

4 minutes ago, Dragon_man said:

Any news on the person who suffered the medical emergency? Hope they are OK ...

Poor bastard will wake up and find out we pissed it away too.

[Lighthouse]

That was frustrating but sadly all to predictable. When had them on toast for the first 25 minutes, right up until the substitution. Second half, especially after we made the triple sub, we just looked useless. Everything was done at 1mph, we’d get the ball with space in front and just turn back inside, recycle possession, and politely wait for the whole Rotherham team to get back into defensive positions. Be badly need a decent striker, Adams and Mara are useless.

As an aside, I hope the fan receiving CPR in the Itchen is okay, not a pleasant thing to see. I still find it astonishing that we need to stop the game and delay the second half for that. I swear we always used to have medics in the stands who could deal with situations like this, without the team doctor.

[Dragon_man]

Any news on the person who suffered the medical emergency? Hope they are OK ...

[markr27]

Just now, Dragon_man said:

Any news on the person who suffered the medical emergency? Hope they are OK ...

Nothing officially, but multiple chest compressions and use of a defib will hopefully help a positive outcome.

[Smirking_Saint]

One of them, played some good football and if it wasn’t for a great deal of poor luck again we would of won comfortably

Despite my restraint though Im really annoyed, we simply play with an arrogance at times that we can pass teams of the park… but we just aren’t positive enough

Im not sure the substitutions were that bad, or to blame really. We just never push our ascendency enough, and thats the real difference between the likes of us, Leeds or Leicester. We’re simply, at times, too easy to play against

[JRM]

11 minutes ago, Dragon_man said:

Any news on the person who suffered the medical emergency? Hope they are OK ...

Looked very distressing, cpr went on for ages, looked from a distance that the patient got up and walked down the stairs? 

[yellow&blue]

2 minutes ago, JRM said:

Looked very distressing, cpr went on for ages, looked from a distance that the patient got up and walked down the stairs? 

No they were carried out strapped on a stretcher and a mask on to help them breathe…..

Edited 7 October, 2023 by yellow&blue

[trousers]

Just back from the game, my first of the season...

How the f**k did we not win that? One of the biggest gulfs in class between two sides in the same division that I can remember seeing before.... yet we draw. Baffled.

The subs made us weaker & less cohesive.

Oh, and why the F**K did Che Adams throw the ball back to them when they put it out of play just to make a sub?! Absolutely no need/reason to give it back to them. I wish footballers weren't so thick sometimes....

Hey ho... We march on... Sort of...

Edited 7 October, 2023 by trousers

[Midfield_General]

Just now, trousers said:

Just back from the game, my first of the season...

How the f**k did we lose that? 

I’ve got some good news for you

[The Kraken]

14 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

That was frustrating but sadly all to predictable. When had them on toast for the first 25 minutes, right up until the substitution. Second half, especially after we made the triple sub, we just looked useless. Everything was done at 1mph, we’d get the ball with space in front and just turn back inside, recycle possession, and politely wait for the whole Rotherham team to get back into defensive positions. Be badly need a decent striker, Adams and Mara are useless.

As an aside, I hope the fan receiving CPR in the Itchen is okay, not a pleasant thing to see. I still find it astonishing that we need to stop the game and delay the second half for that. I swear we always used to have medics in the stands who could deal with situations like this, without the team doctor.

This was the thing I noticed the most. On the rare occasions Rotherham had possession and lost it, from us there was no intention to break quickly or play at pace. Just safety first, pass backwards, let them get back, and repeat the whole snorefest.

A complete and utter lack of bravery, despite which Rusty tells us we are actually great at. Rubbish.

[johnnyboy]

6 minutes ago, trousers said:

Just back from the game, my first of the season...

How the f**k did we lose that? One of the biggest gulf in class between two sides in the same division that I can remember seeing yet we draw. Baffled.

The subs made us weaker & less cohesive.

Oh, and why the F**K did Che Adams throw the ball back to them when they put it out of play just to make a sub?! Absolutely no need/reason to go e it back to them. I wish footballers weren't so thick sometimes.

Hey ho... We match on... Sort of...

We didn’t lose mate !

[trousers]

4 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

I’ve got some good news for you

Ha! That'll be the 3 hour journey messing with my head! Post duly edited

[Long Shot]

1 hour ago, West end Saints said:

think many posts are understandable frustration and emotional. 

We played well for a decent part today. The first 25 mins or so was excellent. Apart from the  finishing no one can complain. Good possession, moving the ball quickly,midfielders overlapping etc. Could have, and should have been 3 or 4 up. 

Clearly how the manager set them up so don't think it was his fault at all today. 

I enjoyed it. 

The scary (close to me) medical emergency understandably took away some of the atmosphere and energy from both crowd and players. 

But we all knew we would suffer from not killing the game. 

In the second half Rotherham were offering nothing, sat back, seemed happy to keep to 1-0.

We started to run out of ideas and slowed down. 

I could not see why Che was even considering giving their keeper the ball, and him being a mug led to the goal. 

I am frustrated and disappointed. 

I am also unhappy about how far off the top two we are. 

But personally don't agree with booing players, and manager after 7 points in a week and a game where we played well, created loads, etc but missed out on a win due to

1) a goal keeper having the game of his life

2) missed chances

3) Che stupidity

4) a period of 20 mins or so when we looked a bit complacent and slowed down go play out the game. 

 

Not sure how we will do under Martin but he is no where near being sacked and nor should he be. 

Disagree strongly. This tip tappy cross circle negative always play safe backward looking football is shit. It caught us out today. While Martin is our manager we will go nowhere and remain a tedious team to support. 

[St Steve]

 

[trousers]

47 minutes ago, Vancouver Saint said:

(the commentators were just saying Sulemana wasn't making the overlapping runs he was in the first half...implied looked tired).

He didn't look tired to me from my vantage point in the stadium. Just looked to me like he had been told at half time to reel in his runs...

[saints-til-i-die]

How slow was some of that football! Tedious. Players were static. Again. The pedestrian nature of RM’s football is clear to see. 

[Long Shot]

2 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

Win that 1-0 and it would be viewed as a comfortable, no issues win. Absolutely baffled as to how they got anything out of that, a total and utter freak of a result.

Their keeper played a blinder, but our play 2nd half was all too slow and predictable. And when it goes on like that, you're only one random moment away from an equaliser.

9 times out of 10 we win that game, first half there was nothing wrong with us, but we went into a shells a bit second half.

Plainly obvious to me that auto promotion is going to be no where near us this year and I have to say I'm pretty devastated by that, we shouldn't be a play off hunting team with the squad we have. But that's the position we've got ourselves in so we've got to run with it. We'll probably go on a winning run when it doesn't matter.

Let me sort out your bafflement. Rotherham got back into it because we let them by playing ultra cautious sideways backwards unadventurous football. Forwards afraid to attack, midfielders afraid to hit a through ball etc etc. Tedium personified. Negative sideways football. That’s Martin’s style. Not his fault. Blame Wilcox for thinking this is the way forward. 

[madge]

We’re just too bloody slow and appeared at times to pass for the sake of passing.. too much side ways and way to safe. We allow teams to get back into shape far too easily. 
Those first 3 subs killed us today.. as for Fraser, dreadful, 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 minute ago, Long Shot said:

Let me sort out your bafflement. Rotherham got back into it because we let them by playing ultra cautious sideways backwards unadventurous football. Forwards afraid to attack, midfielders afraid to hit a through ball etc etc. Tedium personified. Negative sideways football. That’s Martin’s style. Not his fault. Blame Wilcox for thinking this is the way forward. 

Went to shit after the subs were made. Same as Selles last season, around the 60 minute mark, just make subs for the sake of it. None of them made a difference in a positive way.

[Southner]

12 minutes ago, trousers said:

Just back from the game, my first of the season...

How the f**k did we not win that? One of the biggest gulfs in class between two sides in the same division that I can remember seeing before.... yet we draw. Baffled.

The subs made us weaker & less cohesive.

Oh, and why the F**K did Che Adams throw the ball back to them when they put it out of play just to make a sub?! Absolutely no need/reason to give it back to them. I wish footballers weren't so thick sometimes....

Hey ho... We march on... Sort of...

Wondered the same. Che and the keeper were talking it through, but who knows?!

Also, what was the ref thinking giving a free kick against Frazer after getting blatantly barged over in the second half? 

[Long Shot]

2 hours ago, Midfield_General said:

Classic Saints. Incredibly frustrating and of course we should have won that, but 7 points from 9, and 3 points off third place - I would have taken that a week ago. 

You are taking three games in isolation. Stoke we got away with it, today we were garbage and Leeds ok in the first half. And let’s not go back any further. Martin is not the answer no matter how long you happy clappers want to give him