Holmes_and_Watson

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.

ooooh. I was thinking Theo was going to get that.

JWP... that was poor.

Hoof! Good to get that one clear.

Into injury time. C'mon Saints!

That was a weird booking to get from Theo. Ref quite right, but theo battles for it on the floor, after he's dived. Silly.

Good from Edozie, Theo and Mo there. Just don;t forget the containment part and give away something silly.

Yeah, I thought it was odd when he assaulted their keeper, like they would have doen in the late 1800s. 🙂

Crumbs! We can't even get our injury break right. What's it doing on 82mins?! 🙂

Oh, offside from Walcott. But the ball could have been hit by Perraud into the space. #pickysupporter

>whew< just a little slow in picking up the runners there.

Nice little bit opf pressing there.

Mo there? well done.

Ball was out surely...

The ref has rightly pegged Arsenal as a bunch of cheaters right from the start, and the first booking for diving. That's helped us a fair bit today, as they fall over. Even their coach has now been booked for moaning. Man children.