Huddersfield 1-1 Saints - Match Thread

[derry]

Alcaraz spent the two weeks in Japan playing for the Argentine U21s in two matches which would have buggered his body clock as it's nine hours ahead. I've found it's always worse going from the East. I'm not surprised he was rested.

[Forester]

Strange lack of atmosphere yesterday I thought, and a very dull first half that only ignited when we scored.  I didn’t feel we moved the ball quickly enough throughout the game and was a bit surprised to hear RM say how good he thought we were first half.  
 

Ultimately I think it is a good point because second half Udders had two massive headed chances and on another day we could have lost that.  If you can’t win it, don’t lose it.  Again thought centre backs were good, AA looks sharp but many under par.  If we win these two home games coming up it will look an even better point, and ultimately we continue to close gap on Ipswich.
 

[Yorkshire Saint]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

I’m surprised you would have heard it enough times

😅 I was in the 1st row at the front and that bloody cold and pissed off.... especially as they could only give me a cold sausage roll and I was bursting for a piss in the toilets I couldn't get too.

[Bad Wolf]

5 hours ago, Toussaint said:

We have scraped a lot of wins and draws recently we didn’t especially deserve. I’ve enjoyed the ride, but I think it’s just as likely yesterday will be the start of a period of more mediocrity. 

We deserve every point that we've got this season. No more, no less.

Anyone who thinks we aren't having an okay (at worst) season probably had unrealistic expectations.

[Toussaint]

14 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

We deserve every point that we've got this season. No more, no less.

Anyone who thinks we aren't having an okay (at worst) season probably had unrealistic expectations.

I Disagree on the first point, we have been fortunate at times, games that have gone our way could easily have gone the other.

I don’t know what your second point has to do with anything, we are having an “ok” season, I’ve even enjoyed the odd game, but “ok” won’t be enough at the end of the season. I think we are entitled to expect a bit more.

Anyway, let’s put that one down to a post international hangover, six points to play for this week, get those points in n the bag same we’ll all feel much better.

[Dr Who?]

6 hours ago, goodymatt said:

Fratton Park is falling down

John Westwood’s a f****** clown

In league one for 10 more years

Southampton boys are on the beers

 

To much singing about hating the Skates creeping in. I prefer to support Southampton and the players on the pitch, but each to their own. 

[Fitzhugh Fella]

4 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

I agree with you on the left back area, it's one of our weakest positions as well as cover in CM imo.

Manning is just inept, he really is not up to it at all. I have no idea how he performed like he did at Swansea as he looks like a fish out of water trying to do the same here. In every game he's played he just looks painfully out of his depth. Bree isn't even a LB but we look much better with him there.

Yep I think we are all as one on this. There is Larios of course but why we let Perraud go beats me unless Martin thinks Manning is better?

[Lighthouse]

40 minutes ago, Dr Who? said:

To much singing about hating the Skates creeping in. I prefer to support Southampton and the players on the pitch, but each to their own. 

Creeping in? It seems to have been very little other than songs about the Skates for years now.

[Bad Wolf]

1 hour ago, Toussaint said:

I Disagree on the first point, we have been fortunate at times, games that have gone our way could easily have gone the other.

I don’t know what your second point has to do with anything, we are having an “ok” season, I’ve even enjoyed the odd game, but “ok” won’t be enough at the end of the season. I think we are entitled to expect a bit more.

Anyway, let’s put that one down to a post international hangover, six points to play for this week, get those points in n the bag same we’ll all feel much better.

Like I said, it's been okay at worse. And yes they could have gone either way but that doesn't mean we haven't deserved it. The 76 Cup final was fortunate and could have gone either way but that doesn't mean we didn't deserve to win it. The 2003 one could have too but we deserved to lose that one. 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

7 hours ago, sfc4prem said:

Their goal was a bit naff, but we'd had plenty of warnings. Their free header, for example, which should have been a goal

The concern was that they had more clear cut chances with their 22% possession! In fact, we looked at our most potent towards the end of the first half when Baz hoofed a couple of long balls and the wingers took on their defenders.

It wasn't that long ago that every goal kick was a thump by the goal-keeper and then it was all about who got to head it first and who picked up the ball from there. Along comes building from the back, which in itself is a good idea because you keep possession but this has morphed in to keeping possession for possession's sake. Perhaps the players should be docked some of their wages for every sideways/backwards pass! 

[Convict Colony]

Starting wingers who dont score, midfielders that dont create and a off day for KWP.

Good job by huddersfield, again disappointed by our inability to score more

[Challenger]

57 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

Creeping in? It seems to have been very little other than songs about the Skates for years now.

The irony is that "we" will probably be singing it directly to the gimps next season.

[AlexLaw76]

8 hours ago, goodymatt said:

Fratton Park is falling down

John Westwood’s a f****** clown

In league one for 10 more years

Southampton boys are on the beers

 

This is quite problo-matic. People who have a cervix have been excluded from the chant

Do better!

[Badger]

6 hours ago, The Kraken said:

 

 

In another example of Saints’ originality it’s just a copy of the one Man City have started singing this season. “Old Trafford is falling down, Ten Haag is a fucking clown, Glazers here for ten more years, Man City are on the beers”.

lIke signing kids from their YOP scheme, our fans take their songs.

Out of interest, when was our last 'original' song ? (OWTS aside of course)

[The Kraken]

2 minutes ago, Badger said:

lIke signing kids from their YOP scheme, our fans take their songs.

Out of interest, when was our last 'original' song ? (OWTS aside of course)

Originality should maybe be discouraged, allowed to run free we end up with “he’s the Kenyan, the mighty Kenyan” 

 

[Badger]

2 hours ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Yep I think we are all as one on this. There is Larios of course but why we let Perraud go beats me unless Martin thinks Manning is better?

Wasn't Manning in the Championship Team of The Season last year ?  Can't see it myself from what we've seen of him.

Don't disagree with you about keeping Perraud , but if Manning was in the TOS then I can understand why RM might have expected more from him this time round.

Edited 26 November, 2023 by Badger

[Convict Colony]

34 minutes ago, Badger said:

Wasn't Manning in the Championship Team of The Season last year ?  Can't see it myself from what we've seen of him.

Don't disagree with you about keeping Perraud , but if Manning was in the TOS then I can understand why RM might have expected more from him this time round.

Just checked he's doing nothing at Nice

 

[east-stand-nic]

Just saw on a Facebook post that in our promotion year of 1977, after 17 games we had this record

P17  W9  D4  L4  GF26  GA18  PTS22  Position 3rd (two points for a win system of course) An almost identical record, save for the GD of course.  I would have saved the image of the league table and posted it but still cannot figure out how to add pictures on this forum.

[StrangelyBrown]

13 hours ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

The concern was that they had more clear cut chances with their 22% possession! In fact, we looked at our most potent towards the end of the first half when Baz hoofed a couple of long balls and the wingers took on their defenders.

It wasn't that long ago that every goal kick was a thump by the goal-keeper and then it was all about who got to head it first and who picked up the ball from there. Along comes building from the back, which in itself is a good idea because you keep possession but this has morphed in to keeping possession for possession's sake. Perhaps the players should be docked some of their wages for every sideways/backwards pass! 

I can't quite get my head around russball. Strangely we seem under instruction not to take risks in the final third whilst being told to take risks at the back. The result being that we're susceptible to gifting ridiculous chances to the opposition (albeit fewer recently) whilst frustratingly recycling the ball back from decent positions without taking a gamble on making something from them. It's almost like the belief is that defending is soooo good now that the only way to break a team down is to suck the entire team out of position.

[Harry_SFC]

57 minutes ago, StrangelyBrown said:

I can't quite get my head around russball. Strangely we seem under instruction not to take risks in the final third whilst being told to take risks at the back. The result being that we're susceptible to gifting ridiculous chances to the opposition (albeit fewer recently) whilst frustratingly recycling the ball back from decent positions without taking a gamble on making something from them. It's almost like the belief is that defending is soooo good now that the only way to break a team down is to suck the entire team out of position.

The aim of playing our from the back is to suck the opposition in and then exploit the space behind their midfield once they've committed themselves. We seem to do this, get behind them and then decide to pass it backwards or sideways again? It makes no sense to me. 

 

[Whitey Grandad]

59 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

The aim of playing our from the back is to suck the opposition in and then exploit the space behind their midfield once they've committed themselves. We seem to do this, get behind them and then decide to pass it backwards or sideways again? It makes no sense to me. 

 

But does it actually suck the opposition in? At St. Mary’s all they need to do is maintain their shape leaving a couple up front to run and chase whilst waiting for us to make our predictable mistakes.

Another aspect of this possession obsession is that it does nothing to get the crowd warmed up to anything like a fever pitch. Where is the passion?

[Saint_Jonny]

Spent the weekend up north so not shared my thoughts on the game as yet. Agree with many on here, crap atmosphere from our fans despite the high turnout, from what I can tell, most of the Saints fans were just too drunk to get going. Queuing to get into the stadium before the game all the songs were about how much of a shit hole Huddersfield is - have you seen Southampton? It's a fucking dump.

Anyway, crap game, crap atmosphere. Move on.

[Wade Garrett]

17 hours ago, Dr Who? said:

To much singing about hating the Skates creeping in. I prefer to support Southampton and the players on the pitch, but each to their own. 

I agree, it’s boring.

[Saint_Jonny]

1 minute ago, Wade Garrett said:

I agree, it’s boring.

100% - it's fucking tedious. But look at our traveling and vocal home support. You could pick most of them out in a lineup - the quadruple XL replica shirt, traveling in packs with blokes that all look eerily just like them, pissed as a fart and dribbling out some bollocks about Pompey. 

[Wade Garrett]

2 hours ago, StrangelyBrown said:

I can't quite get my head around russball. Strangely we seem under instruction not to take risks in the final third whilst being told to take risks at the back. The result being that we're susceptible to gifting ridiculous chances to the opposition (albeit fewer recently) whilst frustratingly recycling the ball back from decent positions without taking a gamble on making something from them. It's almost like the belief is that defending is soooo good now that the only way to break a team down is to suck the entire team out of position.

To be fair, the manager was pretty scathing of the team afterwards for not being brave on the ball.  I guess he means playing it too safe in forward positions.

Saturday followed the typical pattern of a Saints game.  Poor second half where we play too much tippy tappy.  That’s on the manager, and he has to address it.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Wade Garrett said:

To be fair, the manager was pretty scathing of the team afterwards for not being brave on the ball.  I guess he means playing it too safe in forward positions.

Saturday followed the typical pattern of a Saints game.  Poor second half where we play too much tippy tappy.  That’s on the manager, and he has to address it.

Surely he’s been in charge long enough that the players must know by now how they are supposed to play?

[Challenger]

This style of football is akin to aiming for 50% in an exam in order to get the pass.

However one unexpected question or slight fuck up and you're left with a fail on your hands.

[BERMUDASAINT]

2 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

To be fair, the manager was pretty scathing of the team afterwards for not being brave on the ball.  I guess he means playing it too safe in forward positions.

Saturday followed the typical pattern of a Saints game.  Poor second half where we play too much tippy tappy.  That’s on the manager, and he has to address it.

Post-game, Martin lamented his side’s mentality in games, particularly when it comes to being 1-0, “We have a bit of a problem at 1-0 up, at the minute. Everything we spoke about in the break, the opposite happened really”.

This is not the first time he has stated the team has not done what was discussed at half time. The players seem to fall back to bad habbits?

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Challenger said:

This style of football is akin to aiming for 50% in an exam in order to get the pass.

However one unexpected question or slight fuck up and you're left with a fail on your hands.

It’s reactive. Waiting for the opposition to make a mistake. Or maybe fall asleep through boredom.

[obelisk]

Wasn't the idea of the possession and endless passing designed to wear out the opposition and nick the game at the end? Certainly didn't work at Huddersfield where Saints looked much more likely to concede. I'm still to be won over by this turgid stuff and it looks like other teams have started to work us out.

[davefizzy14]

1st half we were excellent and went one up through another smart finish from Adam Armstrong after a lovely cross from Stuart Armstrong second half we didn't keep up the same level of intensity. Still we got a point on the road, onto tomorrow night now and hopefully another victory to keep the momentum going - COYR

Edited 28 November, 2023 by davefizzy14

[CeeBee]

Got to say that this possession football is as boring as heck. Watched City, Arsenal as well as Saints, passing endlessly, with little or no end product.