The Kraken

Perfect result. Quite humorous how much Sky dialled down the microphones all game. So much vitriol from the Pompey mutants and barely a thing got through, just a gentle nerring sound and a distant OWTS. Tepid background noise from all sides of the ground all the way through. And at the final whistle they turned off sound altogether at our end.

Woeful from the manager and team. Not sure where the positives are. Danso looked utterly terrified about everything. Second choice right back at left back, wholly inadequate player at right back, our best left back on the bench because he has had a tiff with the manager. Defence looked awful, Vestergaard is an accident waiting to happen. Third goal.....well. Ah well. Can’t get worse on Tuesday. Can it?

Awful, awful half from manager and players

It’s tough playing with zero attacking full back threat. Danso looks terrified of everything.

Seems longer than that. Great stuff and a really good win.

RIP Leon, a true saint. Did many good things for the club and was a shining light through the bad times.

Yes, good point. The link for ticket prices is below. £20 for under 18s in the family section or Itchen South, then starting at £30 for behind the goal and the wings. https://www.southamptonfc.com/tickets/match-tickets/2019-20-match-ticket-prices

Yes, no doubting that’s where the value is at. Matchday tickets for the big games though are just through the roof. I just don’t see how 13-18 year olds can go in numbers together like I used to all those years ago. The market has changed. Good for revenues though.

I haven’t looked through the records but that seems to me like a surprisingly low attendance against Man United. On tv it was quite obvious there were plenty of empty seats. My point. At £65 a ticket in the Itchen or Kingsland, or £50 for about the cheapest adult tickets, I’m in no way surprised. From a commercial perspective the club have got it right, now. Fill the stadium to 95% at hugely inflated prices, good price model, people will pay it (well, some will). Just seems like football is lost to me. I grew up on going to the dell with a bunch of mates as a nipper and all getting in for two quid. That culture is long gone, I reckon. How do we attract a swathe of young fans when attendance is becoming so expensive? I thought twenty is plenty was having an effect, it obviously isn’t.

Shane Long was basically himself, looked a bit clumsy but did some bits well to hold up play and wear the clock down. Thought he did well, considering. I also thought Armstrong did well, he looked very comfortable on the ball and got us out of one or two tricky situations. Plus held the ball up well. i don’t disagree that the ball sometimes came back quickly but I also thought those two did a good job.

Danso quite clearly isn’t a left back IMO, so the sooner whatever is going on with Bertrand is settled, the better. I guess with a Danso suspension it leaves us with fewer options outside of Bertrand, none of which are a step up.

As said a great performance from Vestergard and Bednarek, Romeu was a monster in the centre too. Pretty poor game from Adams, Ings wasn’t good either. Would quite like to see Boufal through the middle with Redmond and Djenepo either side, if Obafemi can ever be not injured that would be a lively front 4 (probably get ripped defensively though...Chris Nicholl style football).

Jesus, what a bloody moron. There was plenty of cover there.

Took a while to get going but Second half was a different story with 15 shots to 1 so a complete turnaround. Injuries especially to Redmond are a big downside, hopefully they’re both ok.

Not a good night for injuries at all

Play anywhere nice?

Great result, albeit the red card turned the game. Palace have burst Man United’s bubble so need to get at them next week.

Get in there

Any good? I saw the Lawrie Mac video of it being introduced and thought the branding (and beer itself) was akin to Hop House. But I believe that's brewed by Guiness, so can't be the same (I do like a Hop House though).

I still don’t get it

Each game VAR studio has a Premier League referee and a VAR systems specialist. So they're the ones who are making the call (well the ref is but he'll ask the systems guy to get the video to the point he deems is correct). They did quite a good feature on Sky of how it all works pre game on Friday night.

Christ, Mayuka. I’d almost forgotten about him. Utterly useless.

You’re basically describing what they currently use, multiple cameras from various angles plus a 3D digital mapping application. The lines shown on TV screens are only for visual reference for the audience. Im not sure I can get on board with the whole “it’s too accurate” argument.

The laws were originally written over a hundred years ago. And they’ve changed immeasurably since. The idea that the laws are sacrosanct is very strange. So many changes have been made that have made the game better: the use of red and yellow cards, the use of substitutes, the back pass law, GLT, countless other minor changes. the game evolves, so do the rules. As for the ideas that local parks should have the same regulations as the top level, nice idea but utterly impractical and it happens in most other sports and has done for years. Cricket, tennis and rugby are the other big games played in this country and they all have technology applied at the highest level, they’ve all benefitted from it, and the grass roots doesn’t suffer one iota.