SAINTS 0-3 West Bromwich Albion // Post-Match Reaction

Belgium have done well then.

Not entirely sure whats been in the water over there TBH

Vertonghan, Anderwerield, (worlds best CB) Kompany, vermaelen, courtois, mingolet, meertens, hazard, benteke, lukaku, vossen, dembele, fellaini, Witsel, dufour

Wow

The pace and power of Lukaku worried me before the game and boy was I right,their front 3 and Lukaku in particular ripped us to shreds. Why Chelsea want to spend a fortune on another forward is a mystery,when he is on their books.

Shows how daft they are, he's a mile better than what they have now

We need a decent striker next year to back up or spell SRL, he's not getting any younger and he's looked a mile off the pace the last few weeks. Someone like Jordan Rhodes or this Spanish lad

Also can't understand why Punch isn't playing as cant imagine Poch is hugely impressed by Lallana

We were ****e! Very slow, square & lacking ideas. Why have we lost our width?

Said before the game we needed 2 centre halfs & a pacey winger. Still think we do!

Can we please leave someone up from their corners. I know I go on about it, but all it does is let them flood our box.

All those talking about Champions League or top half are complete muppets IMHO!!!

The worst home performance since Leiberrs took over. West Brom came with a game plan which they managed to work to perfection. Brom were utter ****e, timewasting from 6 minutes onward. But we made them look good.

Behave yourself. You're saying that was worse than Rochdale at home or Swindon the JPT??!! have you been before this season?!

The biggest concern for me is the tactics used by WBA which totally nullified us and we failed to adapt. I was expecting a change second half but we got pretty much more of the same. Others will have taken note and will follow suit.

Better team won,

Poch failed to realize RL was winning nothing, not the ball or fouls and at times looked disinterested, first sub should've been RL not Cork. We could of gone 3 3 midfield and attack, denied them the luxury of overload in defense.

Think JP or Mayuka in place of RL

Still with any luck last time we see Fox in a Saints shirt, Gaston, sorry last game i though he was finding his feet, personally dont think hes going to make it. Mayuka and J Rod running at defenses with JP or AL as third option, but means AL gets no starting place, now midfield is JC and MS just another enforcer needed not GR style.

Defense still needs a talker in the middle,

Boruc

Shaw

?

?

Clyne

Davis

Cork

Schneiderlin

Puncheon

Rodriguez

Lambert

Thats the best we have as it stands, Yoshida and ****s knows who as we wasted that chance or chances previously, nice one Nicky.

Really poor performance with only Schneiderlin, Clyne, Cork and Davis coming out of the game with any credit. Ref missed most easy things. I have to comment on yet another p**s performance by Lallana closely followed by Fox but if I was Fox I would hate to play behind Lallana in his current form. Centre of defence pulled apart by simple three forward combinations - switching between one up two running off or two up with one playing deeper sorry if too simple I used to coach this in the tyro. This is why Clyne was being pulled back as cover for the two statuesque central defenders.

Boruc

Shaw

?

?

Clyne

Davis

Cork

Schneiderlin

Puncheon

Rodriguez

Lambert

 

 

Thats the best we have as it stands, Yoshida and ****s knows who as we wasted that chance or chances previously, nice one Nicky.

Add Fonte for me our best defender. Last full game we kept a clean sheet at Norwich.

Add Fonte for me our best defender. Last full game we kept a clean sheet at Norwich.

We kept a clean sheet against Swansea and Reading.

Agreed ....Right from the start....WBA Manager/coach..spot on with 3 up front..

Pulled Saints defence all over the place...

Poor ..very poor Saints all over the park..

WBA fought and challenged/out muscled us...

They had desire to win.........We were the team already laying on the beach.

Sort it out FFS

We kept a clean sheet against Swansea and Reading.

Yes we did you're right but I think over the course of time Fonte is our best centre back. Especially when there is someone as fast as lukaku playing its madness to leave out our fastest centre back.

We're still very much a confidence team and having to play catchup after 6mins was very going to be easy for us, and then with the West Brom tails up after seeing what movement and power in numbers can do to our defence it escalated from there.

We lack a lot of natural leadership and know-how, but with a young team and / or players inexperienced at this level this sort of games will happen. At the end of the day we have a team capable of beating the best in the league but also fragile enough to perform as poorly as they did today. It can sometimes be a fine line as to which way we go each game.

Add Fonte for me our best defender. Last full game we kept a clean sheet at Norwich.

Yoshida is our best defender

Yoshida is our best defender

Don't agree.

Yoshida is our best defender

Nope - that's our 17 year old left back!!

Thought we were complacent today, already on our holidays. Their game plan worked a treat and we never handled Lukaku all game. Thought Boruc could have done better with the 1st and 3rd. We were lucky to only lose by 3 tbh. Jos was dreadful and Yoshida had his worst game since his nervy start. Defensively we were awful (apart from Clyne) all game.

Gotta mention Lukaku, best player to play at SMS this season.

Get in the queue behind the planks having a pop at me for saying we won't finish tenth. See you all in May where you can all apologise.

Apologise for what exactly ... That you have an inflated ego and think that your opinion matters at all. It's quite funny.

Thought we were complacent today, already on our holidays. Their game plan worked a treat and we never handled Lukaku all game. Thought Boruc could have done better with the 1st and 3rd. We were lucky to only lose by 3 tbh. Jos was dreadful and Yoshida had his worst game since his nervy start. Defensively we were awful (apart from Clyne) all game.

 

Gotta mention Lukaku, best player to play at SMS this season.

Think a cheeky bid for Lukaku should go in at summertime.

Don't agree.

Dont agree on much do we ?!

Bloody Hell.

One bad day at the office and you'd think we were never going to win another game judging from some of the reaction on here.

West Brom changed their tactics, got an early goal, and we never recovered from that. They did us over today, just like we did to Chelsea, Liverpool, and Man City.

Add in to that we had a ref who might have got the big decisions right, but was shocking on the small ones, and it's a weekend to forget, but we're still on a run of what, five defeats in four months?

On to the next game.

Oh f*ck here we go, we're on MOTD.

Terrible performance. But to be honest WBA are a far better outfit than Saints, stronger, bigger, faster, tackle (we don't). They outclassed Saints and it was a marker that shows with the current setup and substitution tactics we are not going to get above 16th this season. And saints can still get relegated so the team need to pickup quickly as I cant see more than 1 draw from last games.

 

I think Fox played well in championship but has been struggling this season and today he should have been subbed on 10 mins, so why put Fonte on with 4 added mins, why put punch on bench and Gaston. Some strange tactics.

 

I just hope we don't need 1 point vs Stoke to stay up as they will batter Saints with their `Bolton/Wimbledon` style football and we can easily get another red card for that game.

 

39 points and even 42 is not safe in any season with 4 games to go so I think the team have all but given up on getting any more wins and think they have done enough

Yep, have been saying it for weeks.

We were comfortably second best, on and off the pitch today.

Onto the next one. Fairly sure we'll react, and grab another 3-4 points from the last few games.

Get in the queue behind the planks having a pop at me for saying we won't finish tenth. See you all in May where you can all apologise.

Not for the first time have I said that you are a busted flush we zero credibility.

Not for the first time have I said that you are a busted flush we zero credibility.

Ever looked in the mirror?

You try very hard though, so well done for that.

As MP said to Solent: Mal Dia - Bad Day.

Clarke had done hs homework on us and fair play to him he has done a very good job for WBA this season.

It will be interesting to see how Pochettino lifts the players from this, but then this is what he is paid for.

The one thing that made me seeth more than a disappointing performance from the team was the fickle pathetic attitude of the fans who got up and walked out at 0-3. I so wished we had miraculously pulled off the feat we did against Liverpool a few years back when at 0-3 with about 10 minutes left we battered it back to 3-3 at the final whistle.

At least we have a decent hardcore of fans.

Ever looked in the mirror?

 

You try very hard though, so well done for that.

I could say the same to you my friend, and very few would disagree.

Not for the first time have I said that you are a busted flush we zero credibility.

I could say the same to you my friend, and very few would disagree.

Even for you that is complete nonsense

Even for you that is complete nonsense

Really ?

Even for you that is complete nonsense

Even for you that is complete nonsense

That Argie manager is a phoney. We have had a few at this club but none more so than him. It is Nigel's work that he has been riding on. Get us out of this trench Poch. Past experiences show that they cannot take pressure. He needn't learn English, hopefully he and his cronies won't be around too long.

That Argie manager is a phoney. We have had a few at this club but none more so than him. It is Nigel's work that he has been riding on. Get us out of this trench Poch. Past experiences show that they cannot take pressure. He needn't learn English, hopefully he and his cronies won't be around too long.

Not having a go, but are you serious ?

Seeing the light eh Wes?

I called it as I saw it. Which is what I always do. The last match opinion I gave had me accused of an anti-Pochettino agenda. Have you just woken up?

Yoshida is our best defender

More reliable than Hooiveld & Fox perhaps, but that's as far as it goes.

 

 

West Brom changed their tactics, got an early goal, and we never recovered from that.

 

On to the next game.

Are we not allowed, or capable of changing our tactics as well then ? Especially as we had 85 minutes at home to overturn that early setback.

My god, the tackle from Fox was a horror show.

Oh well we are out the cup.....

In reality WBA had 3 chances and BURIED ALL 3, wee had 1 chance and managed to threaten someones mother with BLAZING IT OVER THE BAR SO MANY TIMES.

So they weren't great but by god were we **** poor. Worst home performance of the season and only 2nd worst performance of the season behind the Arsenal away game. Fox is so SHÎT he needs shooting out a cannon and well Jos the boss is not much better and its embarrassing. The 3rd goal was so badly his fault for not playing off side and being done for pace by SHANE ****ING LONG its EMBARRASSING.

Lukaku for the second was amazing though.

Urm awkward but why was the first a goal and not a Boruc save? As from block 3 it looked like it hardly made it into the 6 yard box...

Oh well we are out the cup.....

 

In reality WBA had 3 chances and BURIED ALL 3, wee had 1 chance and managed to threaten someones mother with BLAZING IT OVER THE BAR SO MANY TIMES.

 

So they weren't great but by god were we **** poor. Worst home performance of the season and only 2nd worst performance of the season behind the Arsenal away game. Fox is so SHÎT he needs shooting out a cannon and well Jos the boss is not much better and its embarrassing. The 3rd goal was so badly his fault for not playing off side and being done for pace by SHANE ****ING LONG its EMBARRASSING.

 

Lukaku for the second was amazing though.

 

Urm awkward but why was the first a goal and not a Boruc save? As from block 3 it looked like it hardly made it into the 6 yard box...

That's got to be the most blinkered assessment of an opponent's performance that I've ever seen. "WBA had 3 chances". F*ck me. Thay had that many within the first ten minutes.

Yep, have been saying it for weeks.

Smartass!

We were comfortably second best, on and off the pitch today.

 

Onto the next one. Fairly sure we'll react, and grab another 3-4 points from the last few games.

Very optimistic I would say - can't see anything from the two away games and can see a damp squid of a draw to drag us over the line against Hoof City. 1 outta 9 for me.

Completely unacceptable performance. Not enough desire. Your job Pochettino - you sent them out complacent.

Should have stayed in dubai at the bar rather than pitched up at the game! Poor performance by everyone! they look so much better on the screen in the pub! or is it the drink?

We need you back, not only were we crap when you watched you swapped our weather round - 21C and rain all day yesterday. Even the beer tasted crap.

Apologise for what exactly ... That you have an inflated ego and think that your opinion matters at all. It's quite funny.

Err, quite the opposite sunshine. I make throwaway comments which then get pointlessly analysed and requoted by divs for weeks afterwards until such point I am proven right.

If you want hilarity, ask the plank who has never met me who put ten quid on WHU going down purely to prove me wrong. It's like something off of The Day Today.

The joys of being a saints fan. Constructive criticism is fine but all these 'told you so' trolls are just tedious. credit due to WBA for their performance. When we beat Liverpool, city and Chelsea we laughed our socks off at the visiting fans who said the only reason we won was they had an off day. WTFILN? It's been a great run that had to end sometime. Fox and jos are probably two of our more inconsistent defenders but have been a very significant part of he recent pod run. If we strengthen in the summer so be it but they have more skill between them than most of the trolls put together. This isn't FIFA 2013. This is real life where you are always looking to strengthen but in between you work with what you have and try to train the players to produce a consistent performance. I'm off to WHL next week and WILL e cheering te team on, whoever is selected to play.

Thought we were complacent today, already on our holidays. Their game plan worked a treat and we never handled Lukaku all game. Thought Boruc could have done better with the 1st and 3rd. We were lucky to only lose by 3 tbh. Jos was dreadful and Yoshida had his worst game since his nervy start. Defensively we were awful (apart from Clyne) all game.

 

Gotta mention Lukaku, best player to play at SMS this season.

Spot on!

Pochettino and his coaches must take much of the blame for not reading the game, choking off the threats and changing tactics to counter WBA's. It's all very well blaming the players for everything but it was clear early on that WBA were getting on top by playing fast through balls along the ground and over the top and that they were super fit and had pace. Our composure and morale dropped after that stupid first goal and mistakes crept in everywhere.

One of the problems seems to have been all the hype amongst the players before the match about how "we owed 'em one" "we're out to show them how good we've become since last time" etc. Once they believed that their mindset couldn't cope with the reality of a WBA side who were real class and on their game and frankly a far better side than Saints.

As always we should follow the mantra, "Never underestimate the opposition". Obviously we did and as a result didn't bother to do our homework and preparation properly. You don't win matches by talking crap about how good you are day-after-day, you study how the opposition play and make sure you can deal with it as well as practising playing your own game for the periods when you are on top. This is down to Mr Pochettino and his pals as well, who seemed to me to sit on their arses in a grey suited row for far too long chatting a lot but not actually doing anything. One would guess that the first notch has been etched on Nicola Cortese's shot-gun. Plenty of manager's around after all!!!

We haven't suddenly become a bad team but when things go wrong it usually takes a while to lift players and get the machine working properly again. If we get turned over next week by Spurs we could end the season on a real low; maybe getting only one more point at home to Stoke. It could still be close but luckily it is unlikely that all the teams below us will suddenly click and win everything. At least we have the points and they don't, playing catch-up at this stage of the season is never easy. I'm sure we will stay up but in the usual Saints way

In the cold light of day after a long journey home, not made more pleasant by moronic Bolton yoof, and marginally less moronic Cardiff yoof.

We were out thought and outplayed. Some similarities with the away game - we had possession but no end result.

Pace and strength through the middle tore our CBs apart. Badly missed Shaw and Jos really struggled. RL and AL not in the game. Agree with poster who said Gaston should have come on for RL, not Cork. That weakened us, unless he was carrying a knock. Also why no Punch? Would have been more effective IMO.

Also Boruc less than impressive. Actually think KD would have made a better attempt at all 3 goals.

Need Fonte for Jos next week, start with Punch, Davis and J-Rod. Try RL but if no better than today, push J-Rod up.

LB? All suggestions welcome. Please not Jos/Yoshida.

This is where we see whether MP's blue lines are as good as NA's. We're probably safe, but if we lose at WHL and other results go against us, it'll be squeaky bum time. It's the Southampton way.

Err, quite the opposite sunshine. I make throwaway comments which then get pointlessly analysed and requoted by divs for weeks afterwards until such point I am proven right.

 

If you want hilarity, ask the plank who has never met me who put ten quid on WHU going down purely to prove me wrong. It's like something off of The Day Today.

in what sense?

Am I actually reading this properly ? We have been on a decent run of form, not lost in 7, beaten Liverpool, beaten City, generally been playing some very good football. Starting to see the best out of J Rod etc half the board were talking about Europe etc (over the top yes but shows how well we were playing)

We had a bad day at the office yesterday, the players were already on holiday IMO. It was a lazy performance which WBA capitalised on and thoroughly took the game away from us. Lallana was poor, Lambert non existant and even a reliable cork went missing at times. Thus gave WBA more oppurtunity to get the ball to their front men. All pace and power, and basically overturned our defence. Perhaps with a better equiped midfield we could have reduced the service, without one it was hopeless.

But to then come here and read such dross as Clyne, Yoshi, Lallana (poor season ok) arent fit to wear the shirt, that Poch has no clue and is riding on Adkins baby ?!?! Really ?!? I was never impressed with Nige this season, our play lacked passion, tactics and the right substitutions, the defence leaky and no e of it for me was sorted until Poch's arrival.

What Inam saying is get some perspective and dont get dragged in by the trolls, it was a poor poor game but it happens. Even the best have off nights. And no it doesnt mean we are in trouble, not does it mean we need a brand new 11. What it does mean is that thr boys will now realise they still have to turn up, play with the intensity that they have been and push on. Im sure Poch isnt one to just brush over it in the training ground.