jasonbenali

So predictable. Score early goal. Concede soft goals shortly afterwards. Look good in patches. Concede soft goal. Start playing again in last 10 minutes but comes to nothing. Rinse and repeat until this miserable season is over.

We knew it already but that game really exposed the depth of our squad after a decent first hour when we should have been a couple ahead. I'd loan out Armstrong and Smallbone to the Championship to build up their confidence for next year as it's not doing them any favours playing in the Prem. And obviously ship out Cornet to free up a loan spot and try to get a decent loan player in to strengthen the front 3. Shame Haaland's just signed that new monster contract as HCDAJ for us... Fair play to Aribo who put in an excellent performance and I don't know why Juric took him off as he didn't seem to be tiring.

Leicester. thanks for the reminder...

Sense of deja vu from last season of actually enjoying watching Saints for the first time in a long time. With time and space Sully looks good at this level - I thought he started well in the Championship and then was poor when he came back from his injury. Prem is a whole other story as for many of them.

Too soon! Not sure I can cope with another game after Saturday...

I thought the Spurs game was bad, but this somehow felt even worse and an utter humiliation. The players simply gave up at the end. We had no shape, no ideas and no fight at all. I thought we had turned a corner of sorts with West Ham, but obviously not. Yes, the midfield was missing Fernandes and Downes, but along with the lack of organisation there was an unforgivable lack of effort which started from the first goal with not one by two powderpuff tackles. The spaces between the players were ridiculous - what do they work on all week? The one thing I will credit the players with though is that we've found a new way of giving away ridiculous goals without even passing it around our six yard box to the opposition. Just wow.

Is this the day our unbeaten 2025 run comes to an end?

If Rohl can bring back the Ralph Gengenpress, or even better the slightly more organised Slot version of it at Liverpool, then I'd be up for it. As Ralph showed, it can be effective against better teams whereas the possession at all costs just doesn't work when you have worse players. Whether we have the squad to implement it is another matter but we don't have the squad to play the way we do at the moment and it's a lot more entertaining to watch, so bring on the 4-5s.

That's the first time this season I've seen the players just down tools completely and bought back some of the PTSD from our last relegation season. I guess they were sending a message and got the desired result, but that first half was so embarrassing and not even the excuse of being down to 9/10. Strangely, I can't remember a calamitous back-pass in the game for probably the first time this season as well (not that Spurs needed one). So there's that... MOTM is a tough one.

The negatives are so obvious I'll have a go at the positives: - Chelsea's xG 5.29 expected goals is more than the 5 they scored which is the equivalent of a clean sheet (probably) - They scored less after Jack went off and we were down to 10 - Joe Aribo was excellent, really strong on the ball and scored a goal. Manning actually looked decent, with an amazing goal saving block. - MOTM the frame of the goal - We've solidified our place in the table - Erm.

Big game for both teams. If Brighton win they could go second and if we win we could go bottom.

Could have gone either way but maybe we were due a bit of luck after the deflected Ipswich equaliser. Not the greatest game or performance but we did at least move it forward quickly at times in that second half which created opportunities. Positives: enjoyed Fernandes's performance, looks a really decent signing for his age. 2 in 2 for Arma and an absolute worldy from Ramsdale.

Can't believe no one was defending the edge of the box on that late corner?!

Can Stoke win on a wet Tuesday night in Southampton? The real test of a team.

How about Osvaldo for his headbutt on Fonte? I think he also punched Lamela. Worth a spot on the bench even if didn't go to trial and he could always do the team song!

Fair play to Russell Martin - adjusted his tactics, got it spot on and did Leeds 3 out of 3. We had the better chances and the slice of luck you need with the crossbar. Fantastic achievement with the chaos of relegation.

Fair play to Russell Martin for changing his tactics. Strange sight seeing us defending deep and not getting ourselves into trouble at the back and then catching them on the break. Almost the perfect way to play against Saints - 43% possession and a win! Hopefully bodes well for the playoffs and learning to play what's in front of us.

Fair play to Leicester, they looked like a Premier League team and, erm, Saints looked like the Prem team of last season with that kind of limp, disorganised surrender I hoped I'd seen the last of. The gaps at the back for the goals were criminal considering how often Bednarek and HB have played together, so, so easy and KWP and Bree not stopping the crosses, although to be fair to them they got precious little protection from those in front. When Downes doesn't play we seem to lose all our shape with huge gaps between the lines and simple passes to play through. Such a poor, poor performance even considering it was against an excellent team.

I can see why Martin played him in this game - he clearly thinks he's better than he is, should be in a 'top' league and therefore will be wanting to turn it on against Liverpool as he did last season. And to be fair to him, he caused Liverpool a lot of problems early on being given the space he doesn't get in the Championship until the familiar failings of not knowing what to do with the ball, not being able to shoot and then the sulky body language when it's not working out. So frustrating as I was really looking forward to seeing him this season. Seems to have gone backwards.

I was looking at the goals per games stats on BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/southampton/top-scorers) and am seriously impressed that we have no less than 6 players who are averaging better than a goal every two games in all comps (arguably the benchmark for a decent striker). I can't remember a time that we've ever had that many and am struggling to think of another team that has. (OK, Rothwell doesn't have a 'representative sample' but he's allowed in on the strength of that ridiculously good volley...) Adam Armstrong - 15 goals at 174m/goal Che Adams - 10 at 159m Ryan Fraser - 7 at 174 Sekou Mara - 6 at 98 Sam Edozie - 6 at 163 Joe Rothwell - 2 at 114

My favourite is Mara's goal v Sheff Weds (4-0) with Fraser's reverse pass - a move of real beauty

Really need to increase the tempo again - when we do we look so much better. Good job we have a 2 goal cushion as you could see them getting a lucky equaliser like the home leg.

Bit of a sweaty second half but you can't fault the classy 1st. I think it was a mix of some complacency, trying to over manage the game and Swansea's press was very effective even if their shooting was poor - can't remember the last time I saw us unable to pass the ball around in the way we usually like to end games. I do feel we had another gear or two in the locker though. 21 unbeaten and 2nd - that's a good day whichever way you look at it!

Alcaraz looking up for this - tackles, runs and what should have been an assist for Mara if he could shoot properly

Also interesting that Saints are bottom of the league for aerial duels won which helps explain some of the long ball tactics we face