Holmes_and_Watson

We had a lot of rain here, which might have put them off. Or it was the mine field. One of the two.

After

Fox

Creek

Oar

2143 side/back passes. You can take the player out of RalphBall, but... 🙂

On Tiss' version of Royal Match, the King is actually a shape changing alien seeking world domination. So, well in keeping with his views. 🙂 It doesn't seem that long since I watched a loony conspiracy link someone posted on here. Possibly the camera angle, but I agree he does look to have aged quite a bit.

Swear

But like the rest of his play acting, the ref was having none of it. 🙂

Exactly what I thought. O'Neil had been booked earlier I heard, but was pointing at the ref and saying something at full time. Happy to keep Bournemouth as low as possible. Any 3 below is at the end, will do me fine, and it's more likely to be them than West Ham.

I thought we all came from previous lives which impact this one, mainly resulting in us not getting picked for England? That's what I get for listening to that Hoddle bloke, when he was our manager. 🙂

Richie Cunningham, bringing Happy Days back to the country? Richie Rich, bringing Happy Days back to himself and his chums? 🙂

Service

Thanks for that.

I only noticed it with Mo, and then some players picking up his previous positions. Probably loads I missed. All the chopping and changing. All the odd looking selections. All to build a successor to classic Dutch football. Welcome to the fluid tactics of Total RalphBall! 🙂

Disorderly

Wasn't it AA who was the decoy runner for the goal? He got into some good areas throughout the game. He has no confidence, and the entire team struggled to complete a pass until into the second half, and he was no different to them. He does a fair bit of running to close down the opponents, stretches the play when we have it, gets as much service as the other attackers (not much). Had a one on one and fluffed it. Edozie looked fearless and attack minded when he came on. Leaving aside me thinking he takes on too many, it's good to see. I don't think Ralph's looking for that when he puts his team out. He might see Edozie losing that ball, as offering our opponents room to attack and catch us out. AA is a safer bet, with an Edozie or a Djenepo to come on later, when their energy can pin teams back. Not to say this couldn't change as Edozie gets a bit more experience. But I think AA gives Ralph most of what's expected of him (some goals would be nice)

I noticed that Lloris was at fault for the second goal too. Could Forster be getting some minutes soon? 🙂

Hugo Lloris comes out to clear, and collides with Wilson, not at full speed. Lloris decides that even this contact is enough for his legs to no longer support him, and he falls down to try and claim the foul. Wilson regains the ball and chips into an empty net. Cue the ref being surrounded by Spurs players incensed that Lloris' cheating and poor decision for the clearance hasn't resulted in the goal being chalked off.

I'd have put Lyanco, but I'm huffy about the elbow first half and headbutt in the second. He even checked the colour of the card himself. 🙂 So, I went for Perraud, who put in his usual hard working shift, and also helped drive us back into the game.

Ouch! I hadn't even sat back to enjoy the moment. 🙂

Ralph will be looking at that as a good day. After the first tactic failed, we switched it (arguaby would we have conceded if we'd played that from the start). We closed the space and contained them (with which there's always some risk, but they didn't take their chances). We grew into the game a bit. We worked a bit more to shut down their centre. Not anything scintillating. But we mixed it up, turning on a press on a couple of occassions, doubling up on others. Someone mentioned guts. Lyanco and Perraud showed that throughout. On the front foot, physical (where Arsenal mewled and the ref was happy with us doing it) and giving the team some purpose and drive. Edozie runs himself into trouble, losign the ball too often (but other players lost it doing far less), but was fearless in pushing Arsenal back when it mattered. Ralph will be pleased that his subs did a job. It's part of how he's trying to shape each game. Theo is well off his best, but seeing him take up a striker's position late on, is something Saints need to have availalble.Mo will have won back some critics. He put in a shift. Tracking back well (which Ralph highlighted as why he's there), while still involved in some link up at the other end. With so many missing, as well as the issues we discuss elsewhere, it's a good point to have agianst the leaders.

Well done to get back into that, and to have posession near their box towards the end, so we weren't hanging on.

Mo is man of the match! This is also the secret password for a takeover of the country. A phrase considered so unlikely, that there could be no confusion if it was used*. 🙂 *I've not complained when Ralph has been picking him, so kidding.

Lyanco had an elbow in the first half, then a head butt attempt there. EIther of those could be very costly for us, and the manager will have to have a word.