M271

Maybe we are also a bit naive how we play, with us pushing forward the other team just sit back and snuff out our final 3rd play. Kasper Schmeichel said a few weeks ago that Leicester success (so far) was in part due to them (words to the effect of) 'sitting back and letting the other team have possesion until it breaks down and then counter on the break'. Some of our goals against Arsenal were of this ilk, so we do have the speed of attack in the right situations. Our play seems so predictable and slow a lot of the time that the opposition just pack the final 3rd and we rarely find a way to unlock them, and when we do we miss goal chances or make the wrong pass or shoot decision many more times than we should.

I thought that we did 'go for it' today in the first half and looked more like the home team.

I agree Chez. We're having one of those spells were not alot goes for us, we not exactly being smashed during our defeats, mostly losing by the odd goal and looking the equal of Man City and Spurs when we played them IMO. We nearly got back to 2 - 2 against city before they got their 3rd and we had a bad 5 mins against Spurs. If we had converted a few more chances and cut out some defensive mistakes the whole situation would be so much better, but you don't get points for being 'nearly' men. and as for the Westham goals u know when the football gods are against you. Today it was definately a mistake to not replace Wanyama after 60 mins with his yellow card and Mane coming on at the same time after serving 60 mins punishment!! I think that we have the players and manager to be comfortably in the top 8 of the league but the team spirit doesn't seem as good this season which in the past has made the team better then the component players, RK needs to find a way to get the players firing again. My fear is that losing these winable games gradually saps confidence more and more into a downward spiral which gets increasingly diffucult to pull out from. I was hoping that it had changed after the Arsenal mtch and the 1st half v Westham. I would also like to see our youngsters being given more of a chance at least on the bench ready to come on as Reed did today, I'm not sure that a succession of relatively cheap foreign players with little allegiance with saints is the way forward whilst blocking progression. This shouldn't be the Southampton Way. Come on you Saints, next 3 matches at St Marys lets put in Arsenal match performances and turn this season around.

Taking my Saints blinkers off West Ham played a blinder in the 2nd half, after being completely out played in the 1st half brought on Carroll and Lanzini at half time (typical both just back from injury ala Sturridge!!) then had tactics spot on press and press until got the lead then sat back to defend the lead. Unlike alot on here I don't think that most of our players are cr ap in one match and brilliant the next but our team many times this season have 'run scared' when put under pressure and look like conceding easily i.e. we can totally dominate for 45 mins and score 1 or 0 oand other teams 'turn up the wick' for 20 mins and score more than we do. The scoring gods were with the opposition today but we brought it on ourselves by again panicking and making mistakes in defence.

U18s are 3 - 0 down after 20 mins to Birmingham, we were playing really well earlier in the season!

Why do we always seem to be so bad in November and December each year?

On the other hand...........

Enough of this defeatist talk get the next goal and it's game on. Come on you Saints.

I know that it is a different level of game but it is the speed of play, taking of half chances and shooting on sight that our first team lack.

I agree, I wish that the post match interviews addressed some fundamental questions such as set up and substitusions rather then mundane say what you saw type questions.

Not happy with the so called supporters on here. I don't understand why they slag off the team so much, constructive criticism yes but lashing out with ill thought out and frankly inaccurate emotional clap trap is laughable. We could have done better but for one or two incidents going another way it could have been a wholly different story.

It seems to be the simple things that we can't get right at the moment. Our passing to inaccurate and rushed, over hitting passes. Making the wrong decision when close to the opposition goal such taking a shot when playing someone in would be better and conversely looking to pass when in a good position to shoot. As others have said the result is OK but it's the performance and way which we are playing which is of concern to me where has the possession football and silky passing gone and where did the hoof ball come from, a la Stoke and West Ham in the past? We seem to have lost the art of passing through sides to create chances.

Bitter sweet feeling after this match as could have won it at the end but on balance a draw is OK. Newcastle played much better than I remember seeing them at any time last season but they faded towards the end and gave us more space to play in. Overall our passing was poor and inaccurate, and also there seemed to be a lack of understanding between our players as a number of times 2 of our players went for the same ball and often a Newcastle player came away with the ball. Team should improve when Bertrand and Clasie are back.

At about 1.50 into the video he says something about Toby leaving, competition for places and 'for sure' someone coming in. Does he mean someone new coming in or someone from within the existing squad taking Tobys place?

Earlier in the season if we had a bad game i.e. Sheff Utd we managed to turn 1 poor performance around quickly and kick on again, now RK doesn't seem to improve things and all the the team rather than individual players seem to be having ongoing poor games.

Early in the season all areas of the team were 'firing' OK and we had a solid defence, creative midfield and dangerous attack. Since Christmas midfield creativity and attack has been poor but at least the defence kept the results coming, since Frasers injury even that has also gone to pot. The whole team just looks dis-jointed and our play is predictable and lacking individual skill to create chances. I'm glad we got the points early in the season the way that the bottom clubs are rallying in recent weeks.

I was hoping that both Leicesters good recent form and our bad would end today, unfortunately not the case. At least while we are in a safe league position Koeman can see our weaknesses and plan for the summer transfer market.

Has Maya returned back to Saints yet? I haven't seen anything mentioned on the OS. Could do with him at least on the bench for Swansea game.

Maybe we could tempt them with a cash and swop deal for a Zambian International Striker, just hope they don't have a 'black box'.

I enjoy watching these matchday uncovered clips, when we don't lose! 2 questions: 1) What does Tadic have in his box? Maybe it's his lucky black cat!! (can't see any air holes though!) 2) What are in the envelopes which the players bring back from the pre-match lunch?

I would rather that we hadn't had to play tonight. 5 yellow cards, 1 Red so players suspended fortunately haven't heard of any injuries, another poor game to shoot our confidence. A week of rest and recovery would have set us up better for the tough Christmas programme, it seems ridiculous to have the League Cup Quarter Final just before a tough Christmas period of games. It's not a question of just the next league match it could be the knock on effect for several league games to come. I would sacrifice being a few places lower in the league for a cup run but does being knocked out tonight rather then in the last round really have achieved anything? It sums up for me that I'm not sad about getting knocked out but I am about the performance and the accumulation of unnecessary yellow/red cards. Having said all that I do understand why some find the drama of the cup compelling and in the past I felt the same but the prestige of the Premier League wins hands down for me now a days.

Really worth getting those disciplinary points for our side (not), team going to look very threadbare at weekend. Typical saints from Dream world to nightmare in 3 short weeks, unfortunately at a time that the games come thick and fast with no break to recover.

Where is a 2 week break when you need one?

Yes my tickets have 'duplicate' stamped over the barcode. Upper tier bought firstday of general sale.

Get Adam as our physio, he can predict injury status before assessment, medical rehabiliation etc... He's probably right though, unfortunately, but it is speculation all the same.