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Saints 2-3 Wolves - Sigh...


Lighthouse

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We aren’t going to win every game whether on a good run or not. The way we lost was the most annoying part, but as a few more realistic posters have said, no shame in losing to that Wolves team.

 

Pretty much every other result went our way which was a bit of luck. We won’t be getting relegated but a few need to calm down about top half finishes.

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Couldn’t break them down.

We are a much more exciting and attacking team away from home.

Its RH job to work it out!

Eh? We went 2 goals ahead, does that not suggest we DID break them down?

 

Problem was our defence reverted to type, went to pieces and allowed Wolves 3 goals in the second half.

 

A timely reminder really to the club that a temporary run of a few games does not suddenly change the fact that we have an extremely leaky defence and lack leaders and know how on the pitch when games start to turn. It's not just the defence, we could also do with more steel in central midfield.

 

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Two things caught up with us today;

 

Our settled team were knackered after all the efforts since Christmas - Bertrand, JWP & Ings were nowhere near the pace today

The subs have not had enough game time to be anywhere near up to speed - Boufal, Djenepo & Adams are good players but they need to play enough minutes to stay match fit and sharp

 

Ralph needs to use his resources more wisely, of course do not change a winning team but at least give the subs a good run out week-to week to remain effective

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Executed game plan to a tee first half and clearly found a weakness with them defending crosses.

 

Nuno got his changes spot on second half. Adama through the middle caused bednerak all sorts of problems. We should have dropped 10 yards as soon as that change was made, especially at 2-0 up.

 

Didn’t think the 2 in the middle of the park had a great game and shows are lack in depth there (Romeu just doesn’t cut it).

 

Overall, lost to the better team on the day but at 2-0 you shouldn’t be losing. Naivety from on the pitch and on the sideline today for me.

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Their first and third goals were bizarre. It was as it we almost stopped, thinking VAR would save us. There were possible offsides and handballs but we've had the rub of the VAR green so far.

 

Thought the pen was marginal. Not a "clear and obvious" error fir the ref not giving it. Can't see that being overturned against the "big" teams .

 

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Was there a handball in the build up to their 3rd but var only checked for offside?

 

It said checking handball on the big screen.

 

Just watched reply, looked like it could have been handball. A close one.

 

I thought in general, the ref was poor today.

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All the Wolves goals were good no complaints about them atall or the result we got what our second half display deserved. If i never see Stephens or Redmond play for us again i will be happy, ****e the pair of them.
Although Redmond hit the bar. That would have been 3-0 a d a different story.

 

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I think Ralph was naive to go for the win, rather than taking off Armstrong and replacing with Dejenpo it should have been Romeu. Our midfield was already totally overrun.

 

Yep. Shouod have tried to dig in for 15 minutes then put some fresh legs on up top.

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Shouldn't over-react...that game could easily have gone either way. So close to 3-0 up and game over...their first goal turned the game. Is it only me that thought Bednarak missed the early tackle on Traore that would have stopped that?

 

Anyway at 2-0 up texted my Wolves-supporter mate who had given up on his team saying they were in such poor form...knowing Saints I said it's not over...was strangely calm as the predictable comeback unfolded.

 

Bottom line is it was an even game against a strong team. Redmond inches away from a spectacular goal that would have put us ahead. Fine margins.

 

Anyone else think we are giving away teams a big advantage having their supporters behind our goal...especially when they attack that end in the second half?

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Whilst Stephens and Bednarek have been great lately they were always going to have a bad game at some point, and they did today.

 

Credit to Bednarek for the excellent goal but when he committed to the challenge on Traore for the first he needed to make sure he brought him down.

 

The penalty was Stephens not spotting the run quickly enough and then making a stupid tackle when Cedric could possibly have covered.

 

Then the third was Stephens ball watching instead of stepping up. If he took one stride forwards Traore would probably have been offside but he wasn't aware.

 

Still, no point hanging anyone out to dry after the recent run, where they've been great, but that was a really bad game to take no points from going into two tough PL matches now.

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Whilst Stephens and Bednarek have been great lately they were always going to have a bad game at some point, and they did today.

 

Credit to Bednarek for the excellent goal but when he committed to the challenge on Traore for the first he needed to make sure he brought him down.

 

The penalty was Stephens not spotting the run quickly enough and then making a stupid tackle when Cedric could possibly have covered.

 

Then the third was Stephens ball watching instead of stepping up. If he took one stride forwards Traore would probably have been offside but he wasn't aware.

 

Still, no point hanging anyone out to dry after the recent run, where they've been great, but that was a really bad game to take no points from going into two tough PL matches now.

 

Correct.

 

I just hope the club haven’t put all their eggs in Stephens / bednerak as I’m not convinced either are good enough.

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Went in at half time 2-0 up against a tired looking Wolves side and thought it was job done, incredibly naive to not come out and apply the same level of pressure that we did in the first half.

 

Would have taken a point before the game and am even more fuming we didn’t get that given the lead we had.

 

A sobering reminder to stop with the silly talk of Europe and that Stephens is the next Alderweireld - there’s still a long way to go yet.

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On the Solent interview before the game RH seemed to be talking some nonsense about not needing any players during this window. That immediately raised some flags that a bit of complacency had set in and my first thought was it lined us up for a loss today. Plus the talk at half time about not having lost to Wolves in the league at home for 50 odd years. It is pretty clear we are still lacking strength at the back and in midfield. This was a classic Saints defeat.

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******. Redmond actually did very well today, especially first half.

 

Also thought redmond was pretty awful .. he always really slows the play down imo.. completely lightweight and very overly cautious for someone who’s meant to be one our creators.

Thought ward prowse had another good game. Worked hard and some decent deliveries .. Cedric also one of our better players.

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Thought the pen was marginal. Not a "clear and obvious" error fir the ref not giving it. Can't see that being overturned against the "big" teams .

 

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I was right in line with it in the Kingsland and it was a stonewall pen. Shocking the ref didn’t give it, everybody sat round me knew it would be overturned. Nothing to do with the size of the team, it was a pen.

 

 

 

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It said checking handball on the big screen.

 

Just watched reply, looked like it could have been handball. A close one.

 

I thought in general, the ref was poor today.

 

Think it was his first PL game.

 

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Yes, he seemed to me to be trying too hard. There were a few decisions that I might have given the other way but his biggest fault was not signalling for the free kicks. JWP got booked for only two fouls which was harsh but I thought he got the penalty decision right. I shall look at it again later but you couldn’t say that there was a clear and obvious error.

 

2-0 is always a dangerous score. Next goal will win it.

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Ummmm Chez Adams - really .... Ralph is a bit obsessed with him and I can’t see for the life of me why. Would rather we progressed Obefemi and I wouldnt like to see Adams blocking his opportunities.

Ralph’s weakness seems to be personnel choices and favourites...

Undone second half tactically too...

Good run though but another one where Ralph needs to look inwards.

 

Obsessed with him?? He has started like one game since his early run in the side so I’m not sure why you think this?

That said he really didn’t offer much at all when coming on.. beaten in the air the majority of the time and hardly got involved

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Obsessed with him?? He has started like one game since his early run in the side so I’m not sure why you think this?

That said he really didn’t offer much at all when coming on.. beaten in the air the majority of the time and hardly got involved

That’s all very true, but Ings wasn’t a lot different.

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Also thought redmond was pretty awful .. he always really slows the play down imo.. completely lightweight and very overly cautious for someone who’s meant to be one our creators.

 

Fair enough, imho your assessment would be accurate of his season generally but not so much today.

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We were decent enough in the first half but I never felt we were in control of the game. They put Traore up top 2nd half and that is why made the difference. Our Centre backs could not cope with his pace and power. Stephens had a very poor game - there was absolutely no need to give away that penalty, Cedric was round on the cover and would have got to the ball before the wolves player.

 

There can't be any other Central Midfield players in the league that pass as badly as Hojbjerg surely? He must have given the ball away about 20 times today.

 

I thought Long and Cedric were decent but Ings didn't get much of a sniff at all. We need to get something from the Palace game with Liverpool away in a couple of weeks.

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We were decent enough in the first half but I never felt we were in control of the game. They put Traore up top 2nd half and that is why made the difference. Our Centre backs could not cope with his pace and power. Stephens had a very poor game - there was absolutely no need to give away that penalty, Cedric was round on the cover and would have got to the ball before the wolves player.

 

There can't be any other Central Midfield players in the league that pass as badly as Hojbjerg surely? He must have given the ball away about 20 times today.

 

I thought Long and Cedric were decent but Ings didn't get much of a sniff at all. We need to get something from the Palace game with Liverpool away in a couple of weeks.

That's largely rubbish. Neither Stephens nor Hojbjerg had bad games. It would be good to get something at Palace but not critical.

 

But I am annoyed that some slack defending cost us.

 

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Had a sneaky feeling this was going to be 2-3. Wish I'd put money on it. When we were 2 up at half time a colleague said "You're 2 up, that's your prediction out of the window". I laughed and said "Saints are the masters of throwing away a lead. They'll probably lose 2-3".

 

I was busy and didn't get chance to check how the 2nd half was going. At full time I saw the score, showed it to my work mate and he just stared at the screen, open mouthed. I told him to go home and look at how many times Saints have lost from a leading position this season.

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