Telegraph Artice

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/11187565/Southampton-1-Stoke-City-0-Sadio-Mane-hits-winner-as-Ronald-Koemans-side-move-up-to-second.html

Just loved reading this article so had to post it up.

Take a bow: Jonothan Liew

Southampton vs Stoke City, Premier League - Hosts also hit woodwork four times in first 50 minutes as fans chant "we're going to win the league"

Is it an illusion, or do*Southampton*look so much better after shifting all that dead wood from their squad in the summer? Here, the outstanding team of this Premier League season took another giant leap away from the relegation battle many had predicted for them, moving above Manchester City and into second place. “We’re going to win the league,” their fans chanted, and they were only half-joking.

It may not have been the 8-0 demolition of Sunderland last weekend, but what will have made this win all the more satisfying for Ronald Koeman was the way it showcased both sides of Southampton: not just the team that have scored more goals than Manchester City, but the team that have conceded fewest goals in the Premier League. Time and again, Stoke pounded against the door in the second half, only to be met with a wall of tactical discipline and an immaculately-laid offside trap.

“It’s nicer to win like this,” said Koeman. “Defending is not only for the defenders. Defending starts in front. That’s the key to our position, that’s the reason why we stay so high up in the table.”

Besides, Southampton should really have been out of sight by then, hitting the woodwork four times in the first 50 minutes. Having seemingly begun the season as the team nobody wanted to play for, Southampton are now the team nobody wants to play. Once again, the new signings had a terrific afternoon. Sadio Mane scored the only goal of the game and ran circles around Phil Bardsley on the left.

It was from that flank that the early chances came: Steven Davis and Graziano Pelle missed one each. On the other wing, Dusan Tadic started making an impression after about 20 minutes. Stoke left-back Erik Pieters was clearly under orders to stick to him like cling film, but when Tadic was able to shake him off, he looked dangerous, forcing Asmir Begovic into a sharp save at the near post. From the resultant corner, Morgan Schneiderlin rattled the crossbar.

Stoke City*were not entirely passive: Victor Moses used his familiar feint-and-shuffle to dart in between Nathaniel Clyne and Jose Fonte, but could not shoot cleanly under pressure.

Yet you sensed Southampton were getting closer, and sure enough, just after half an hour, a free-kick from the right was headed weakly away to Pelle.

Pelle’s first shot, a left-footed bullet, smacked against the bottom of the post. Mane reacted quickest, slamming the ball into the roof of the net.

Southampton were cruising, but to a large extent Stoke were letting them. To combat this sort of multiple threat, you need plenty of running and a midfield prepared to plug gaps wherever they appear. And here Mark Hughes erred in selecting Charlie Adam rather than the more logical option of Steve Sidwell.

Adam is one of those rare footballers who – in the nicest possible way – already looks a couple of decades into retirement. In his languid yet gently teetering gait can perhaps be glimpsed the Adam of the very near future: legends tournaments on Sky Sports 4, cheesy adverts for betting companies and roofing supply contractors, long afternoons in his favourite armchair.

For all his undoubted gifts on the ball, containing one of the most dynamic midfields in the Premier League proved sadly beyond him here. After taking a blow to the calf in the first half, he looked neither willing nor able to press at pace or support his full-back, and it was little surprise when he was hooked just seven minutes into the second half and replaced with Mame Biram Diouf. Adam’s substitution allowed the more mobile Steven Nzonzi to sit deeper, and with Diouf offering tenacity as well as pace on the break, Stoke instantly looked more threatening. But although Stoke saw more and more of the ball, Southampton continued to create chances. Pelle hit the crossbar with another header.

Koeman introduced Victor Wanyama as midfield sentinel, almost a third centre-back, snuffing out trouble before it happened, like a crime-fighter of the future. Even with the introduction of Marko Arnautovic for Jon Walters, Stoke never quite had the guile to unpick them, although Bardsley’s cross would certainly have been prodded in by Diouf at the far post had his legs been just a couple of inches longer.

Four minutes of injury time offered few alarms for Southampton. “They’ve had a great run,” Hughes admitted. “They’re going to have a period when they go up against the bigger sides, but they’ll go into it with good heart. Perhaps we showed them a little bit too much respect.”

Stoke will be fine. They are not a bad team by any stretch, but here they simply came up against a side at maximum confidence, assured in their roles and full of players demanding the ball. And as Liverpool found out again today, confidence does not have a transfer release clause.

Southampton*(4-2-1-3): Forster 6; Clyne 7, Fonte 8, Alderweireld 8, Bertrand 7; Cork 7 (Wanyama 62), Schneiderlin 7; Davis 8 (Gardos 90); Tadic 8, Pelle 7, Mane 8. Subs: Davis, Yoshida, Mayuka, Reed, Long.

Stoke: (4-2-3-1): Begovic 7; Bardsley 5, Shawcross 7, Wilson 6, Pieters 6; Cameron 6, Adam 5 (Diouf 53); Walters 5 (Arnautovic 69), Nzonzi 6, Moses 6 (Assaidi 79); Crouch 6. Subs: Sorensen, Huth, Sidwell, Bojan. Booked: Shawcross, Wilson.

Thanks, that makes nice reading and warms the cockles of you heart. I like the phrase 'after shifting all that dead wood'.

The Deadwood stage has left town

And as Liverpool found out again today, confidence does not have a transfer release clause.

Good to see some in the media revelling in the poetic justice of our success.

Nice bit of writing, with a couple of lassie lines.

Deadwood? Really? Taking the Saints tinted specs off and stowing the bias....Lallana is a class act and will come good. Lambert is getting slower, but was he deadwood? Sad to say but possibly. Shaw and Chambers were hardly deadwood. Lovren is either having a shït season this one after a brilliant one last year, or last year really did flatter to deceive. So OK he is bombing this season, but I would hardly describe him as deadwood.

Deadwood? Really? Taking the Saints tinted specs off and stowing the bias....Lallana is a class act and will come good. Lambert is getting slower, but was he deadwood? Sad to say but possibly. Shaw and Chambers were hardly deadwood. Lovren is either having a shït season this one after a brilliant one last year, or last year really did flatter to deceive. So OK he is bombing this season, but I would hardly describe him as deadwood.

Indeed!

thanks 4 link - enjoyed report.

Sorry but I am a little too old to go into all these rather childish facepalm things. If it is because the Telegraph "deadwood" was sarcasm, so be it. But who knows after all the crap the papers have written, as well as it being the lowest form of wit (and hardly the place to be a wag is it). And not least because some of our supporters seem to think this way.

Sorry but I am a little too old to go into all these rather childish facepalm things. If it is because the Telegraph "deadwood" was sarcasm, so be it. But who knows after all the crap the papers have written, as well as it being the lowest form of wit (and hardly the place to be a wag is it). And not least because some of our supporters seem to think this way.

Have you taken your medicine today dear?

Someone's just been told they're not getting any tonight.

Sorry but I am a little too old to go into all these rather childish facepalm things. If it is because the Telegraph "deadwood" was sarcasm, so be it. But who knows after all the crap the papers have written, as well as it being the lowest form of wit (and hardly the place to be a wag is it). And not least because some of our supporters seem to think this way.

Have you taken your medicine today dear?

Another WAG

Is this a new face in the press corps?. Nice article. I liked the tongue-in-cheek humour (examples quoted above), and a fresh appraisal our new side that has gelled well, whilst not spending £100+ million

Jonathan Liew wrote from a neutral's perspective, and didn't follow the media tradition of downgrading " smaller clubs " in favour of praise for a Liverpool side who salvaged a 0-0 draw at home to Hull !

more please.

Koeman introduced Victor Wanyama as midfield sentinel, almost a third centre-back, snuffing out trouble before it happened, like a crime-fighter of the future.

:D

Great article. The Guardian has the better overall football coverage, but I've always liked the quality of the Telegraph's match write-ups.

Great article. The Guardian has the better overall football coverage, but I've always liked the quality of the Telegraph's match write-ups.

Guardian has some excellent journos. Always like Jacob Steinberg who was there on Saturday,

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/25/southampton-stoke-city-premier-league-match-report

Guardian has some excellent journos. Always like Jacob Steinberg who was there on Saturday,

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/25/southampton-stoke-city-premier-league-match-report

I tend to find the Guardian coverage of saints fairly poor to be honest, though as you say the do have some great football journos. The Telegraph tends to be the best for most sport, there's not a paper i've found that can hold a candle to their coverage of cricket for example

full of players demanding the ball

I think this is a critical point: not one player is hiding, and I've seen plenty of that watching football.

Is this a new face in the press corps?. Nice article. I liked the tongue-in-cheek humour (examples quoted above), and a fresh appraisal our new side that has gelled well, whilst not spending £100+ million

 

Jonathan Liew wrote from a neutral's perspective, and didn't follow the media tradition of downgrading " smaller clubs " in favour of praise for a Liverpool side who salvaged a 0-0 draw at home to Hull !

 

more please.

Same guy posted this article the next day.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/southampton/11188859/Southampton-reaping-the-benefits-of-their-home-grown-plan-after-moving-into-second-place.html

Same guy posted this article the next day.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/southampton/11188859/Southampton-reaping-the-benefits-of-their-home-grown-plan-after-moving-into-second-place.html

"The disparity is illustrated by the fact that the £30 million Southampton got for Shaw is almost as much as Stoke have received in transfer fees in their entire history."

"The disparity is illustrated by the fact that the £30 million Southampton got for Shaw is almost as much as Stoke have received in transfer fees in their entire history."

I find that surprising, and sobering.

Enjoyed that

Same guy posted this article the next day.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/southampton/11188859/Southampton-reaping-the-benefits-of-their-home-grown-plan-after-moving-into-second-place.html

......and another very good report, too. Liked his use of stats. (comparing clubs, stadium size, population etc) . A bit more interesting than the " 5 wins in the last 6 " type of typical media comment.

Think the guy writes well and I look forward to reading many more such positive articles from someone who appears neutral and obviously doesn't wear " rose-tinted, top-four type " glasses.