Arsenal 2-2 Saints - Reaction

Persistent poor finishing is usually one of the most reliable predictors of relegated sides.

Letting in 9 goals at home is another!

Things we learnt from the game:

1) picking a team with the right players in the right positions & adopting a more attack minded gameplan will produce better performances than setting up defensively with players in their wrong positions.

2) We simply can't defend a lead no matter wether we are on top of the game or chasing it! We look scared when we take the lead & seem resigned to bottling it.

3) The performance indicated the players are capable of far more than RH has got out of them prior to this game, for me it's too little too late.

4) despite djenpos glaring misses (which have cost us) he looks the player most capable of taking the game to the opposition & causing them problems and is definitely going to be a decent player for us.

5) we need defensive reinforcements, we are conceding at an alarming rate, when was our last clean sheet?

6) two points from the last 27 available is beyond relegation form.

7) we simply have to beat Watford & not return to our usual poor performance following a decent one, beat Watford & we may just be able to turn things around a point was more than we thought we'd get at arsenal.

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Like a lot of people , I think that was our best performance for some time, brave quick passing, and a return of the pressing game.

There were still a few bad decisions at times, JWP shooting from the half way line, PEH not passing to Redmond at the end and Long and Cedric's overhit crosses could have made it more comfortable.

Normally Saints would pack our box for the last 20 minutes, hoping to block everything. This time we took the game to Arsenal, so much so that the equalised from one of their only breaks. Even then we nearly won it at the death through Boufal. I would have liked to see it again, but unfortunately MOTD didn't show it.

I would keep that team for the next few games now, swapping Obafemi/Boufal/Djenepo depending on the opposition.

Since the Leicester game, I have been numb about Saints but yesterday has given me hope.

Yes. Important to finally keep the same team. The pottering has been part of the problem. We need to build on the result, which in the final analysis was probably an unexpected point (albeit felt like a loss of two)

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Saw we were 2-1 up at 91 mins with 6 mins injury time and just knew we wouldn't take all 3 points. We're the masters of throwing away a lead. Biggest regret is not sticking £100 on Arsenal to equalise.

We are **** and definitely going down.

Just watched the highlights again. As bad as Cedric’s pass was, the worst miss for me was Djenepo’s second one after Boufal’s run. Genuinely don’t know how he managed to put that wide.

Saw we were 2-1 up at 91 mins with 6 mins injury time and just knew we wouldn't take all 3 points. We're the masters of throwing away a lead. Biggest regret is not sticking £100 on Arsenal to equalise.

 

We are **** and definitely going down.

So you saw nothing and i guess rarely do but our convinced we are going down? Another quitter who we should be glad never goes

The match thread and much of this thread are hilarious.

 

It is almost like reading Pompey On Line.

I think you will find that in part it is. Clearly some non Saints fans on here just slagging off our players.

JWP had a good game, tried hard to push forward. Passed well and did his best in tackles and scored. Yet on here he's slagged off by usual suspects.

Those of us who were there all pretty much agree it was a good performance. Just need to repeat that at home.

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I think you will find that in part it is. Clearly some non Saints fans on here just slagging off our players.

 

JWP had a good game, tried hard to push forward. Passed well and did his best in tackles and scored. Yet on here he's slagged off by usual suspects.

 

Those of us who were there all pretty much agree it was a good performance. Just need to repeat that at home.

 

 

 

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Agree totally. Before the game if you offered a draw I would have been more than delighted. Sure we could and should have won the game, but sh*t happens, and for once it was good to see the opposition panicking at the end.

This result is chalk and cheese from the Leicester one, and to turn things around in a short number of games is encouraging. As you say, we just need to reproduce this at home. Just keep a settled side, and Obi is not the answer - I would personally drop him and Redders for Jenny and Bouf, and then keep the same side.

Saw we were 2-1 up at 91 mins with 6 mins injury time and just knew we wouldn't take all 3 points. We're the masters of throwing away a lead. Biggest regret is not sticking £100 on Arsenal to equalise.

 

We are **** and definitely going down.

What an utterly daft remark. If you had seen the game you would have more confidence. We were anything but s**t in the game yesterday and play like that we'll be fine.

2 for the forum whipping boys were excellent (JWP and Stephen). Would like to see more of Boufal and Djnepo together: they look so dangerous.

And a shout out to 2 of the players that get a lot of love on here: PEH and Cedric. Both were utterly terrible and PEH is about 5 seconds of thought too slow for the Prem.

What an utterly daft remark. If you had seen the game you would have more confidence. We were anything but s**t in the game yesterday and play like that we'll be fine.

 

2 for the forum whipping boys were excellent (JWP and Stephen). Would like to see more of Boufal and Djnepo together: they look so dangerous.

 

And a shout out to 2 of the players that get a lot of love on here: PEH and Cedric. Both were utterly terrible and PEH is about 5 seconds of thought too slow for the Prem.

Er..... what?!

Was at the game and it was a very good performance .........lots of attacking threat . Would like to see PEH dropped as he was gash! Armstrong was always looking to attack instead of passing sideways ....made a real difference in my opinion .......Boufal should start next week looked such a threat

Was at the game and it was a very good performance .........lots of attacking threat . Would like to see PEH dropped as he was gash! Armstrong was always looking to attack instead of passing sideways ....made a real difference in my opinion .......Boufal should start next week looked such a threat

Yeah wondering what boufal has to do to get a run in the side looked amazing again yesterday with not even much time to make a impact he could have had an assist and a goal.. even though Obafemi done alright I think we would have been even better with boufal playing from the start

I can't really comment as I've only seen brief highlights (Cedric's cross, aargh) but it's interesting that those who were actually there are so much more positive. I think we're in the deep do-dos, but some on here just love to be knee-jerk negative.

For my sins I shall be there next Saturday, and will make a bit of noise in the quiet part of the Itchen, but please Saints, give me something to make a noise about.

I can almost here the arsenal players in my head...

 

"Okay, we’re going to give you this one because you guys need a break. Right, you’re 2-1 up so that’s a good start, here’s another chance, 3-1 should make it comfortable.... okay, you missed that, not to worry, here’s another.... okay you missed that too, don’t worry you can have another go... okay don’t worry about all those chances you missed, it’s 2-1 in the third minute of injury time, just stick this one in from 8 yards and you’ll be fine... okay you missed that too, just see out the last 4 minutes, we haven’t got a clue.... okay, here’s one last ball into the box, just clear this and you’re fine... oh FFS, well we tried our best to give it you."

Love it this is the sort of thinking to myself that i go through watching Saints week in week out and its arecourring nightmare atm and has been for some seasons far far back ,we always always seem to find away of shooting ourselves in the foot.

Yeah, page 1 of this thread is why I don't post straight after a game. Emotions are too raw then.

So, what a decent performance, at last. A return to the way we should be playing, to maximise our strengths. Obvious again we can't defend for toffee. But when we go forward we are red hot. If only we had shown more calm in front of goal, we could have been going to time added on with 5 goals scored. A little coaching on finishing for Djenepo needed.

Next two games are crucial. Boufal in for Obafemi please.

Generally, much improved. Play with that level of commitment and desire, close down the oppo and look to transition quickly. If we do that, we will be a different proposition second half of the season. But if we now return to ball retention at all costs and drop the tempo, we will sink like a stone.

Love it this is the sort of thinking to myself that i go through watching Saints week in week out and its arecourring nightmare atm and has been for some seasons far far back ,we always always seem to find away of shooting ourselves in the foot.

I'm now picturing the a bunch of Arsenal players tied to chairs whilst a very angry group of Chinese triads hook a car battery up to their nipples.

"You were supposed to throw the game! We told you we put the money on Southampton to win!"

"We tried *sobbing* I promise we tried everything but they're just so, so bad!"

Whilst I couldn't believe how many chances were being missed right in front of me on Saturday, that was the best performance we have had in long time. Both sides were on a poor run of form, but our form has been far worse than Arsenal's, so to go to their ground where we are historically poor in the league and out play them for large parts of the game is hugely encouraging.

It's not rocket science that putting players in their natural positions helped, but we played on the front foot from the off and countered extremely well. The next 5 games are vital, my only worry is we don't seem to play the same way at home and we are not good at breaking down teams we are meant to beat.

I'd play the same side again against Watford