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


Saint-Armstrong

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That was embarrassing today - the players looked like they have already gone on holiday. Clyne, Lambert and Lallana all had bad games. Hooiveld was worse and Fox was truly awful. I hope that was the last we'll ever see of him at St Mary's.

 

Cork was the only one having a great game and we took him off.

 

Ramirez made a real difference but lost his head a bit. He has great ability but he just doesn't deliver enough for all that. I think that was probably the last we'll see of him at St Mary's for that reason. I think he's just better suited to Italian football - and if Fiorentina want him - and they've got champions league football he'll go. And I'd wish him well if he does - but I'd also be happy if he stayed and progressed next season.

 

My worry is we're going to get nothing from the next 2 hard away games - and then we'll need to get something on the final day of the season against Stoke who could be in the same boat. Villa and Wigan are more than capable of closing the gap on the teams above them.

 

The Baggies fans were great today - whereas our support was awful.

 

All in all it was just embarrassing today.

 

I agree with all of that except Clyne - he had little cover today and was bullied by two big players at times. WBA are a clever, pacey, well organised team - one of the best I've seen in the Prem. They outshone us at our own game and won. MP needs to do some careful squad surgery early in the summer recess or we'll be fighting at the foot of the table again.

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This stats website like Benteke more but like everything its down to preference and I don't know how Carroll got to 6 so it maybe illustrates stats are meaningless.

 

http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/3389/Stages/6531/PlayerStatistics/England-Premier-League-2012-2013

 

Whoa they have Romelu down as 106th most influential guy this season, Morgan was 26th for us, Luke Shaw 76th and Danny Fox our lowest rated player at 266th.

Edited by Convict Colony
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Just seen the highlights and Ramirez and Fox can have no complaints. Utterly atrocious and hope they both get heavy fines from the club.

 

In the grand scheme of things it's not the end of the world after an unbeaten run of 6 games. We were always going to lose eventually. As long as we bounce back in the right frame of mind I'll be happy, no need for knee jerk reactions.

 

There are only two slight concerns I have at the moment, the first being the now weekly goal mouth scramble we seem to find ourselves in, so far we've got away with it but today Fortune scored and we were one down. Our defending is still poor and today we were punished by not having a commanding defender to get rid of it first time around.

 

My second concern is the nagging feeling that our tactics are not as effective against more mediocre teams as try are against the top teams. Tbh I'm far more confident of a win over Tottenham than I am about the Sunderland game. Hopefully Pochettino can work out a plan B.

 

But still, not the end of the world, just a bad day at the office.

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Nice to see people leaving after the second goal- what's the point in turning up?? Despite us being utterly awful today you support your team until the end no?

Back to the game we just never got going from the off and their early goal just completely deflated the players and the crowd. Next week would like to see puncheon given a go and hooiveld dropped for fonte. Not sure what we will do about left back, unless shaw makes a good recovery. At least that's the last we will see of fox in a saints shirt

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Possibly the worst I have ever seen. Start to finish we were abysmal.

 

What concerns me most is that when we were really struggling, we didn't change anything. Ramirez came on but nothing changed. It was so easy for West Brom, just as it was for QPR when they came to our place. They waited and waited and just played long balls over the top.

 

Next season, if we're still in this division, and until Spurs equalised at Wigan it looked doubtful again, we need to invest heavily. I don't think we have the quality to play as we do and get results week in and week out. We could quite easily fall victim to second season syndrome.

 

So, so poor today. Unbelievably so.

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Mauricio Pochettino conceded that the 3-0 defeat to West Brom was the worst performance of his tenure as Saints manager.

 

We have shown a side of ourselves which is completely opposed to who we really are"

Mauricio Pochettino

 

A forgettable loss at St Mary’s was compounded by two red cards for the hosts as both Gaston Ramirez and Danny Fox saw red in the second 45 which was made worse by goals from Romelu Lukaku and Shane Long, after Marc-Antonie Fortune had given the Baggies a first half lead.

 

“It is clear to me that West Brom were better than us today and I can’t really say anything other than that,” Pochettino told Saints Player after the game.

 

“That is the worst defeat since I have been here in Southampton, the team didn’t show any positive aspects, which makes it the worst defeat in over three months.

 

“We weren’t really in the game from the start and that is what happens when you are not. When we conceded the goal in the sixth minute we just started having problems, we were against a current and not able to get hold of the game.

 

“We conceded a goal from a corner and then became really nervous and anxious and weren’t able to recover from that. Nothing was working for us today and basically we weren’t on the ball.”

 

The gaffer didn’t place any of the blame on the dismissals of the two players, but admitted that he hadn’t had the best view of the incidents.

 

“I did not see them clearly and I need to see the reviews on the TV before I can comment properly,” he said.

 

“In the first half Jack Cork could have gone off as well for two yellow cards so it is something I need to review.

 

“From my point of view on the pitch it is very hard to see what has happened.

 

“There were other incidents that occurred during the match that could have also meant a red card or a yellow card at least, so we will review that but more importantly we need to review our performance today. We weren’t very good today and need to correct our mistakes.”

 

Pochettino vowed to quickly put right the wrongs from the performance, and believes his side’s true character will return.

 

“We have to learn from this defeat,” he acknowledged. “It has been a real tough defeat and we didn’t think that we would be defeated in such a way. We need to be intelligent, learn from this result and learn from our mistakes.

 

“The team was not showing any of the negative signs that we have seen today through the week, I think we were uncomfortable from the beginning and I think overall we have just had a complete blackout today.

 

“We have shown a side of ourselves which is completely opposed to who we really are.”

 

Read more at http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/gaffer-we-were-second-best-794581.aspx#bYBtcGYUwMdDccXj.99

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Steve Clarke had us sussed and playing with three up top meant we just couldn't handle the their forwards. They won most of the midfield battles and their defence kept Lambert and Rodrigues at bay.

 

In short, beaten by a better team, who were better set up.

 

Didn't help ourselves with some very below par performances.

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Just back. Worst home game since the Championship relegation season.

Clarke out thought MP. Three up and pressing, and constantly switching. Defence had no idea. We just tried to play our normal game when it was crying out for a change in tactics. Bit like the Bristol City game last season but much worse.

Hooiveld's limitations shown up. Fox just dreadful. Boruc made some smart stops, but there did not seem much confidence between defence and keeper.

Lukaku was superb. If his finishing was as good as his movement then it would have been more than three.

Watching the attempted Mexican wave from the Chapel end was mildly amusing.

 

Only consolation is that we should never see Fox in a Saints shirt again and we won't be playing in Europe next season via the fair play league.

 

Also wonder if that is the last we have seen of Ramirez

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Pretty poor today. Wouldn't say abject. Thought we'd get a point until they hit us for 2-0.

 

Morgan was good. Boruc okay. Everyone else below par.

 

I left with 6 mins to go to cheer on Spurs. Would have got a tad nervous if Wigan had won. But we are possibly even safer now than we were at 3pm as the games are running out. No change, at worst. Wigan prob need 8 points and Villa 6 points. At least. Even assuming we lose all the last 3 games.

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Just back from the game.

 

We were absolutely appalling today, West Brom could've been 3/4-0 up just in the 1st half alone if it wasn't for some great saves from Boruc.

 

Didn't see the Ramirez red card so can't comment, others saying it was a definite red.

 

Was sat close to the fox sending off and to me it looked like a yellow at most, just a 50/50 challenge and both plays just slid along next to each other in tandem, that's what I saw anyway.

 

Thought the whole team was poor today, particularly Rodriguez, Hooiveld, Lallana, Lambert, Ramirez and Fox.

 

Thought the only players that had a decent-ish game were Clyne, Davis and Schneiderlin.

 

Thought Lukaku was unplayable today, best player I think I've ever seen live.

 

The atmosphere inside the stadium was absolutely Kieron today, up there with the notoriously bad QPR/Sunderland/Wigan atmospheres earlier on in the season.

 

Thought we'd lose today, and I was proven correct. Think this'll be the start of our slide towards eventual relegation.

 

Might put a bet on Spurs 12-0 Saints for next week.

Edited by BlakeySFC
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In short, beaten by a better team, who were better set up.

 

Their back four were very organised and it was quite obvious what they were doing. I can't believe a manager who, according to some, is a 'tactical genius' didn't see what was happening and make adjustments. We played into their hands.

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Steve Clarke had us sussed and playing with three up top meant we just couldn't handle the their forwards. They won most of the midfield battles and their defence kept Lambert and Rodrigues at bay.

 

In short, beaten by a better team, who were better set up.

 

Didn't help ourselves with some very below par performances.

 

Entirely true. And perhaps a little reminder of how far we have to go yet. West Brom will probably finish no higher than 8th but their performances against us this season have been miles above our own level. Today they were better in every single department, very impressed with them.

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Just back from the game.

 

We were absolutely appalling today, West Brom could've been 3/4-0 up just in the 1st half alone if it wasn't for some great saves from Boruc.

 

Didn't see the Ramirez red card so can't comment, others saying it was a definite red.

 

Was sat close to the fox sending off and to me it looked like a yellow at most, just a 50/50 challenge and both plays just slid along next to each other in tandem, that's what I saw anyway.

 

Thought the whole team was poor today, particularly Rodriguez, Hooiveld, Lallana, Lambert, Ramirez and Fox.

 

Thought the only players that had a decent-ish game were Clyne, Davis and Schneiderlin.

 

Thought Lukaku was unplayable today, best player I think I've ever seen live.

 

The atmosphere inside the stadium was absolutely Kieron today, up there with the notoriously bad QPR/Sunderland/Wigan atmospheres earlier on in the season.

 

Thought we'd lose today, and I was proven correct. Think this'll be the start of our slide towards eventual relegation.

 

Might put a bet on Spurs 12-0 Saints for next week.

 

I am guessing that you are about 12 years old. Am I right?

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I think i'd rather see Fox in the team than Hooiveld.

 

He has cost us so many points this season.

 

WBA's front 3 absolutely murdered us, Lukaku and Long especially.

 

I think the only 3 decisions the amateur ref got right were the blatant reds.

 

Clyne at LB next week?

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Definitely a wake-up call. The team played as if the game didn't matter which isn't true as long as we stay on 39 points. We made WBA look better than they are - on results since New Year they would have been in the bottom 3 but they thrashed us on our own turf. Those players are better than this.

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Entertaining game anyway and fair play to West Brom. Thought their team and fans came out of this very well today.

 

I thought we were shocking defensively and have been due a lesson for a few weeks in that department, with Hooiveld and Fox returning to early season form more each week. Any talk of top half ambition will need to be backed up by keeping Luke Shaw this Summer, for my money.

 

The Ramirez thing was a shame. I like watching him play and thought he was doing well. Mayuka came on and I thought he looked capable of getting on to a Ramirez pass. Then Ramirez is pulled back; the ref thinks its an advantage to drag another player 25 yards and Ramirez isn't mature enough to keep his cool!

 

We would have a lot to do to be anywhere near top six. I think there is more than one window needed to make that happen personally, if it is possible for us. Centre backs are not good enough, and the squad is too thin all over, but talk of us going down now is just tosh.

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We had an off day today; collectively and individually. WBA showed why they are a top 8 team; some class players, a clear gameplan - pace, movement, speed of thought.

 

I see no value in finger pointing or wrist slitting. First loss in seven ain't too bad. We won't go down, but I really don't want us to peter out into mid-table dullness.

 

Clearly shows some blatant weaknesses in the squad though, which can only be a good thing for MP longer term. Need to nail down new signings early - going to be a very interesting window.

 

Oh yeah........to the wrist-slitters, doom-merchants and trolls - grow up FFS.

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Nope, I'm 23.

 

I'm guessing you're about 45 years old. Am I right??

Quite a simple 23 year old then. One defeat and suddenly it is the "start of our slide to eventual relegation"? Get a grip!

In those 23 years you have seriously not seen a better player than Lukaku live?

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Ok. We were due a bad game. WBA played great. 2 things.

 

1. Why on earth is Danny Fox playing. I don't care who is injured or whatever, I don't like people like him at our club.

2. Looks like we need a plan B for when teams come having done their homework and have sussed us out. Great managers show they've got aces up their sleeves. At the moment it's all been very fine and dandy playing the ultra aggressive hard working high line, it's not going to work against every team.

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Shocked. Never got going but WBA ensured we didn't get going. Nullified us brilliantly with the direct play. I've said it before and I'll say it again, how Hooiveld gets in that team is beyond me. Nowhere near good enough. Fox did OK until the sending off. Ramirez was unlucky to be fair if you analyse the situation. If the ref had stopped the play back on the halfway line when the pulling started, then he would've never had the chance to elbow him. however, i don't condone what he did and it was idiotic. Steve Davis was our best player. Lallana - utter tripe. Too many sub standard performances. We need to find a way of playing direct and into the channels to frustrate teams who know our main game plan. We need to pick ourselves up - and quickly.

 

It was just one of them days. Lets move on and not dwell on it.

 

Brush it under the carpet you say!!! Thats a fools philosophy. With attitude you will end up

In the COnference!

What has worried me about MP is that whilst he is tactically quite aware his awareness of personnel capabilities is poor......

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Just back. Worst home game since the Championship relegation season.

Clarke out thought MP. Three up and pressing, and constantly switching. Defence had no idea. We just tried to play our normal game when it was crying out for a change in tactics. Bit like the Bristol City game last season but much worse.

Hooiveld's limitations shown up. Fox just dreadful. Boruc made some smart stops, but there did not seem much confidence between defence and keeper.

Lukaku was superb. If his finishing was as good as his movement then it would have been more than three.

Watching the attempted Mexican wave from the Chapel end was mildly amusing.

 

Only consolation is that we should never see Fox in a Saints shirt again and we won't be playing in Europe next season via the fair play league.

 

Also wonder if that is the last we have seen of Ramirez

 

 

I hope now people will start to see the charlatan Ramirez is, Fox has always been ****e and so has Hooiveld so no surprises there, the thing is why are they picked, that has to be the question to the manager, will Adkins try and steal them away if we stay up?

 

 

LIKE ****

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Another backdoor positive from today was sh*tting massively in our own nest when it comes to "fair play".

 

After watching Newcastle starting to pay the price for competing in Europe with a relatively small squad, we're probably on the road to dodging one bullet for next season.

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I don't like people like him at our club.

What sort of attitude is that? Has he run over your pet cat or something?

 

Great managers show they've got aces up their sleeves. At the moment it's all been very fine and dandy playing the ultra aggressive hard working high line, it's not going to work against every team.
Bit of a simple observation really. We lose a game and suddenly the manager is not one who has "aces up his sleeve" and doesn't have an alternative approach to the high line. So what would you suggest he should have done differently?
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