John Boy Saint

Its quite interesting reading the various views on this game, some you can tell were in attendance, others from afar, some think we were a bit poor others think we did alright. One thing that was noticeable walking up to the ground and on the concourse was a bit more of a positive air about the place. There is no denying Palace are pretty justified in where they sat before kick off in the league, this season Roy has them sorted into a belligerent, stubborn, bloody minded team up for giving anyone a game. With that in mind they started the game looking like all they had to do is roll into Southampton pocket 3 points and wander back up to London. Given the effort put into Boxing Day it was pretty good to see us come out of the blocks and get in their faces, Palace certainly didn't like it summed up very well by the song "cry in a minute, he's going to cry in a minute" aimed at Zaha, who I thought we took turns in pulling his tail as we knew a negative reaction would be likely be detrimental to his game. JWP certainly had sussed out early the line the Ref was going to let the rough and tumble go before blowing his whistle, the last time I can recall such a sustained amount of precise solid tackling from him was when we played Inter Milan! As the half time whistle went and the positive applause rang out around the ground, something from a pre season interview Martin Keown had done with Ralph whilst away in the Alps went through my mind - Ralph had made a point of hunting the ball (pressing), well we hadn't seen much of that until very recently and then only in flashes. Keown had a byline in his piece where he had briefly spoken to PEH en-route to seeing Ralph. PEH had said "We want to be horrible to play against" I thought in the first half we were horrible to play against - at last! We have without doubt been a team of 2 halves on so many occasions this last few seasons, either started with a hangover or had a full roast dinner and a glass or 2 of wine at half time, so it was good to see us up and at them again pretty much from the off in the second half. Their opening goal was clever, it did seem a cheap foul sold to and bought by the ref, from where it was 9 out of 10 times that was going to whipped up and down over the wall with Palace players primed to rush in for any scraps, for it to be deftly clipped up and over onto Tomkins head worked a treat for them and no one could honestly have fingers pointed at them in the Saints defence it was clever; I bet when Matty planted the ball on Frannys head v Leicester all those years ago the whole Leicester team thought Matt was going straight for goal. I thought we had a look of more P'd off than the dejection previously seen as we walked back to re start the game. Thought we made the right subs at the right time and 2 players who seem to like going forwards, we actually looked like weren't going to take another home defeat for a change. The continued pressing certainly reaped rewards especially with a predator like Ings on the pitch. Djenepo once he was warmed up must be a nightmare to play - like a few sat around us were saying the boy is made out of elastic bands - his feet are seemingly going in the opposite direction to the one he is suddenly travelling in!!! When Ings picked the ball up and ran back to the centre circle, most of the team were ready in position, the body language was (at last) we are going for this. Their keeper certainly kept them in it. I haven't walked out of St Mary's feeling entertained for quite some while, I guess hope has been rekindled because the team to my eyes was actually trying.

Like I said in the OP we need to work Gazzaniga rifling real stingers at him that he WILL fumble and players like Ings will be on like a Piranha spotting a gram of raw liver - There is nothing wrong being set up like we have been of late, the big threat of being caught short at the back, Son, is suspended, Prowsey can pull Delle Allis tail. Spurs still have the DNA of Poch and as my mate who’s primary income is betting says “Spurs are biblically overated” we seem to have turned a corners since we last played them and should have won.

One ref who I think is leaning on it is Martin Atkinson - I thought he was deservedly top of the pile and rightfully a FIFA accredited ref. This season watching games he is officiating he seems to have lost his edge and is happy to use VAR as a crutch to eek out his top level refereeing career.

His current gig in China will probably be the biggest money with the least pressure job he has had, unless he hates Chinese life, why would you want to go to West Ham especially having left one basket case owner.

Unless my Mince Pies have failed me suppose we may as well get this next one stoked up ! Probably the easier of the Festive 4 - as they can be a bit flakey. Pepper Gazzaniga with hard shots and make sure our front line is ready to pounce on the spillages because we all know get him rattled and he gets all fingers and thumbs.

Oh great cue up Geri Halliwell Look at Me on the stadium PA Only just said watching the late game to Mrs JBS - bet we get Mike bloody Dean on Wednesday “ Spurs best player”.”

Played advantage when there was no advantage to often - that cobblers when PEH changed his shirt after having it ripped from his back - and has been said already letting Palace players harangue him, it was only his 4th Prem game so they obviously targeted him like a novice left back.

Thats Eilidh Barbour she works for the BBC normally took over from Hazel Irvine on the Golf (when they had it) pretty certain she was on the Beebs Women’s football too - professional sports reporter which often make better sports hosts as they ask the right questions. Most of the folks we see each week on sports coverage are freelance - Amazon obviously have oodles of cash so plenty of carrot to throw at the priject [h=1][/h]

Well deserved for nearly doing himself a mischief raising money to help others

Very hard to pick out a man of the match as the whole team put in a shift, I have no issue with JWP getting the nod off the taters as he reliably set the tempo, knowing the liability PEH can be so avoiding the pass when danger is about, but knowing what Armstrong can do and which way he is most likely to be going. Lovely finish from Obafemi and nice play from Adams stepping backwards from Michael as he approached, opening the gate wider for him as Rudiger had to stay on him. Against Spurs Willian ran the show, against us he looked pretty inert as we collectively snuffed him out, Skate Boy Mount when he came on probably didn’t help himself as he looked to be on a personal mission with p*rtsm*uth v Saints in his head, good to see JWP getting stuck into him midway through the half - That must have smarted losing out to The Pompey supporting lad turned Scummers Poster Boy. That second goal just summed up the performance of both sides. It started just outside the Chelsea box, and was stroked through the team in a bloody great big loop via the defence and ended up with Redmond about 10 yards from where it started for him to score - Chelsea just watched it unfold mesmerised. Watching MOTD later when Danny Murphy was blowing sunshine up our backsides his final analysis was an attacking move by us at 2-0 up and we have 5 attackers waiting to pounce - that’s the kind of nonsense you would see from Ralph’s Leipzig - Just need to hope that this isn’t another false dawn. 100% record on Prime too, seeing the other issues some folks had, as a child from the 60’s technology still gives me eyes like saucers at times, getting an internet signal round our house is a pain I get Amazon Prime via an App on the DVD player - Christmas Eve the damn thing chooses not to connect, Christmas morning the same, “hang on” Vodaphone gave me 100gb to play with FOC until 2nd Jan “I wonder?” Personal Hot Spot on login the DVD player Bingo! Crystal clear 55” picture - turned it on for Spurs v Brighton eventually turned off after the Leicester game 18gb used - if you spoke of such wizardry not that long ago you would have been burned at the stake after being dunked in the village pond!

If that goal had been scored by today’s Oppos or any of the big clubs, and cast European ones in too, the Kleenex factory would be offering double time tomorrow for an extra shift to meet the sudden increase demand every time it was played in its entirety. As a Saints fan seeing a goal calmly constructed like that gives you the hope that seemed miles away in recent times.

Leicester are chasing shadows!

Football was played on Christmas Day up until the 1950s and the return match was on Boxing Day. - the introduction of floodlights (of which Saints were one of the pioneers) removed the need to squeeze in games during public holidays. That last ever Christmas Day game was in 1967 I think Blackpool v someone else. This thread is now Football related Ebenezer.

Gosh! Someone better get another bottle of Advocaat before Granny gets round for Christmas - seems like the finessing of her favourite tipple, a Snowball, has gone a little too well (hic)!

He was just getting his eye in for Saturday at Villa :p

At the end of the Watford game flossie from Sky interviewed Troy Deeney on the pitch she said something about working hard, love him or hate him he came back with a very down to earth comment “that’s not hard work - seeing your Mum hold down 3 jobs to make ends meet at Christmas, that’s hard work”.

United Probably thought it would be a breeze - they obviously hadn’t factored in Nigel Pearson who had Leicester ticking before Ranieri and also when he had a spin with us, we suddenly had a backbone - I can imagine with Deeney backing him up there will be no BS in the Watford dressing room and nowhere to hide.

He did that against West Ham - bit like “if none of you buggers are going to move and keep letting them come onto to me and Jan - well I may as well do something about myself and off he went” - he also gave Højbjerg one hell of a roasting against West Ham for putting him and Jan under unnecessary pressure following a standard slipshod pass. There are times when both Jack & Jans timing in the tackle is impeccable, I think their errors are often as a result of both full backs with international experience on their CVs both playing with a laissez faire attitude and not 100% application. Most centre backs like keepers ripen with age, there are the odd exception like that lad who was at Ajax and Van Dijk who are just wired up early on, many good centre backs are into their late 20s when they become notable figures in a team.

Golly gosh!! i walked in the house and the first thing Mr JBS said “right that’s it you’re going out on Saturday afternoons when Saints are away and not watching any more streams!”. My Daughter bought me and Mrs JBS tickets for the Christmas with the Stars at SMS this last Wednesday night - Fanny, Matty, Beatts, Jo Tessem, and Glenn Cockerill it was a very pleasant evening and nice gift. Late on it was announced that Cedric and PEH were coming in for an hour, when they arrived I was stood next to PEH the missus mouthed “be quiet”, she had no worries there was a Lady who got certainly got her tuppence ha’penny in........looking at the result this afternoon seems like her pep talk worked.

Right lads(sorry ladies) I have just seen the score do you want me to stay out Christmas Shopping?

I always thought that game was the moment the heat was turned up under the team and the lid welded shut - we looked pretty pants until Johnno Quick came on - First touch "oops we've signed Ali Dia MKII" groans all around, 2nd touch back of the net likewise with the 3rd touch all within minutes. We had 9 games after that and bagged 24 of the 27 points left on the table, and it was a pretty competitive league that year. Hard to choose the best goal of the Decade - i could throw in Dean Hammond against Leeds first day of the season back in the Championship just ran across the top of the Leeds box then Bang!!!!! Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls please fasten your seatbelts because we are going on a ride. I liked Martinas goal because that is one of those lightening never strikes twice moments that football throws up. Boxing Day - Bloody evening kick off - Wet - Too Sober for a Boxing day - Saints had not been playing well in recent weeks - It was Arsenal who were on their usual roll - Then from nowhere miles out what looked like an aimless punt is suddenly lighting the blue touch paper. Come the final whistle ho cares its late and your stone cold sober on a boxing day. ...............I wonder if that Long goal at Anfield was the one where he did the deal with the Devil, and his little run of goals last season was when the Devils back was turned.

............Actually just as an aside and no point making a fresh thread as this is slightly on topic. I was looking on the official site ticket page last night and saw that you can once more buy a Half Season Ticket for £320 starting from the Palace game, firstly I thought the PR on that has been invisible, but what tickled me slightly was the line "if you intend to give this as a Christmas present please order by 15/12" - What kind of message does that send to the recipient "hey I have pots of money - so I can give you (on current form) what will likely turn out to be the most disappointing Christmas gift ever".

They tried that at Burnley at the back end of the 1960's - they put under seat heating into the Cricket End Stand - first time they used it the Chairman saw the wheel in the electric meter glowing as it spun round at light speed and it never got switched on again........So I guess that is still being used as the bench mark to avoid doing so!

Quite a few Dutch friends said when he was with us that Erwin is without doubt the tactical brains in the partnership, but doesn't have the gravitas as a manager to get the message across and that's where Ronald steps in.

Being a cynical old Hector - Where we have been disappointed with in bound Saints players more than likely planning to use us as a stepping stone to a bigger club, given the Mickey Mouse way professional football is run where no one actually gets proper sacked unless they really do something seriously wrong. Whats to say that we haven't become a means to finance a few months off for a manager its not as if they become unemployable for years into the future - I think I am correct in saying that Puel, MoPe, and Hughes are still on the wage bill at Saints as we pay down the remains of their contract (Puel might be off it now). Andre Villas-Boas was binned off by Chelsea with £16m of his remaining contract paid off, he got the job at Spurs not long after and got binned off by them and had a reported £16m of his remaining contract with them paid off too. Whats to say that Ralph has just squeezed as much as he can out of what he has to work with shrugged his shoulders and gone "hey!- whats the worse that can happen?", being battered 9 zip at home is normally enough to see the trigger pulled - that didn't work, then to say post match that the style of play West Ham turned up at SMS with on Saturday evening surprised us does make cynical me go Hmmmm?