Saints 5-1 Millwall - Match Thread

[Oldandtired]

1 hour ago, SouSaint said:

Let's see where we finish, the guy cost me season ticket money for null and voiding an entire season. 

That's a man whose glass has never ever ever been more than a quarter full.

He is to be pitied.

[Hawkswood]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

Thought a midfield of Bragg and Ward Prowse was going to get bullied?

Ill happily be proved wrong about JWP if its for the good of Saints.

[CSA96]

Scienza's reaction in this clip 

 

[Greenridge]

14 minutes ago, Oldandtired said:

That's a man whose glass has never ever ever been more than a quarter full.

He is to be pitied.

It doesn’t sound like he even has a glass. 

[The Kraken]

1 minute ago, CSA96 said:

Scienza's reaction in this clip 

 

That’s brilliant. Delighted for Tom, I really think there’s a player in there who can cause mayhem, just needs a bit of confidence and self belief. Also really lovely to see Leo’s reaction, he’s legged it from the sub’s bench to be there for that. A team 🙏

[Patches O Houlihan]

Millwall fans a bit salty about the first half refereeing - I felt he was equally shit for against both sides.

Apparently their first choice keeper has suffered a broken leg and is out for six months. They've started a thread wondering if they could get Ramsdale 😁

https://millwallonline.com/forum/threads/the-saints-v-the-mighty-lions-match-thread-saturday-3pm.59084/page-10

[The Kraken]

'There is more to come' - Eckert

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert speaking to BBC Radio Solent: "No start to the season is easy. 

"As much as we all want things to get up and running from the start, it takes time.

"We've seen in moments of the game how good we can be. Even after today there is a lot more to come.

"There is a long way to go. We managed to stay humble and hungry last year and that is the job. Tuesday's game (at Birmingham) is going to demand a lot from us.

"Today and tomorrow it is about recovery and then we will focus on that."

[lambtiss]

Well, at 1-0 and Milwall in complete control I didnt see that coming. But what a fabulous comeback. 

Azaz and Larin were simply outstanding today. We need  replacements for both. 

Manning, Scienza and Keven were excellent. Great to see our new CB go toe to toe with a very physical forward line. Stephens would have been completely bullied today. 

Everyone else very good. Particularly Matsuki. 

Hopefully some of the bed wetters after the West Ham match will realise you can't judge players and a manager from one match in a cup and with a team still in flux. The West Ham that we are sitting above in the league after giving them a 4 point start. Nice club switch Prowsey. 

 

[Oisin]

FWIW - against a good team there was loads to like and very little to dislike.

May as well start with the negatives; Bragg 1st half looked out of his depth; Manning could have blocked the cross and then closed down the shot - his positional sense defensively is and always has been awful. Larin deserved his hat-trick. We started both halves terribly, deserved to go a goal down and were dominated until we equalised out of nowhere.

Positives - pretty everything else. Average performances from Peretz, Downes, JWP, Dobbin, Mubama, Fellows

Mannings offensive work just about makes up for his defensive frailties. And Bragg performed much better in the second half which in itself shows enormous courage and character from a young kid.

Leo was more like himself, Wood looked good with some leadership beside him, Bree had one of his best games for us, Azaz ran the second half, Larin was a beast, the new cb looked outstanding to me - what a debut. But possibly my MOTM was Matsuki. Maybe OTT given Larins performance but I thought he was excellent; full of energy, barely missed a tackle or pass. Nightmare for the opposition.

Finally, a special mention for Captain Jack who didn’t put a foot wrong.

[Football Special]

29 minutes ago, Oldandtired said:

That's a man whose glass has never ever ever been more than a quarter full.

He is to be pitied.

He sure is. Fill up your glass man FFS 

[Football Special]

4 minutes ago, Oisin said:

FWIW - against a good team there was loads to like and very little to dislike.

May as well start with the negatives; Bragg 1st half looked out of his depth; Manning could have blocked the cross and then closed down the shot - his positional sense defensively is and always has been awful. Larin deserved his hat-trick. We started both halves terribly, deserved to go a goal down and were dominated until we equalised out of nowhere.

Positives - pretty everything else. Average performances from Peretz, Downes, JWP, Dobbin, Mubama, Fellows

Mannings offensive work just about makes up for his defensive frailties. And Bragg performed much better in the second half which in itself shows enormous courage and character from a young kid.

Leo was more like himself, Wood looked good with some leadership beside him, Bree had one of his best games for us, Azaz ran the second half, Larin was a beast, the new cb looked outstanding to me - what a debut. But possibly my MOTM was Matsuki. Maybe OTT given Larins performance but I thought he was excellent; full of energy, barely missed a tackle or pass. Nightmare for the opposition.

Finally, a special mention for Captain Jack who didn’t put a foot wrong.

Was Captain Jack responsible for injuring the Millwall players near the end who had to be stretchered off? Good contribution in a short time 

[Football Special]

8 minutes ago, lambtiss said:

Well, at 1-0 and Milwall in complete control I didnt see that coming. But what a fabulous comeback. 

Azaz and Larin were simply outstanding today. We need  replacements for both. 

Manning, Scienza and Keven were excellent. Great to see our new CB go toe to toe with a very physical forward line. Stephens would have been completely bullied today. 

Everyone else very good. Particularly Matsuki. 

Hopefully some of the bed wetters after the West Ham match will realise you can't judge players and a manager from one match in a cup and with a team still in flux. The West Ham that we are sitting above in the league after giving them a 4 point start. Nice club switch Prowsey. 

 

When Azaz hits form he is unplayable, looks like he's at walking pace but they can't get near him 

[BarberSaint]

1 hour ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

 

 

Was excellent in real time. Shame he couldn't get his hat-trick. Nice to see on the telly him slightly nudging the Millwall CB in the back before running off to celebrate.

 

Was also brilliant to see Fellows score at last. Looked like it might not sneak over and then did and you could see how happy everyone was.

[Sarnia Cherie]

And up to 18th. The 4 point deduction didn't hurt too much. Onwards and upwards then. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Have to say after the first 20 odd minutes didn't see that result coming. They are a decent side that will cause problems to a lot of teams. Thought Azaz was immense, no better number 10 in the division. Really pleased for Fellows, you could see that he wasn't even sure if he scored and has to ask Manning if it was his goal! Loved Scienza's reaction too. 

[Lighthouse]

Well, after a dreadful first 10 minutes of each half we were superb thereafter. I voted for Azaz as MotM but it could easily have been Larin, Matsuki or even Slotty on his debut. Delighted for Fellows, from the Northam it looked like Mubama had bundled it over, so hopefully that doesn’t get taken off him on review. I don’t think there were any bad performances. Bragg wasn’t great with Downes, as we’d expect, but he looked a lot better alongside JWP.

Larin’s second goal… pure Bergkamp, loved it.

Who had us above Burnley and West Ham after three games, with minus four?

[coalman]

26 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Was Captain Jack responsible for injuring the Millwall players near the end who had to be stretchered off? Good contribution in a short time 

I'm not sure he was ever close enough to any of their attackers to stand a chance of injuring them.

[SambaMaverick]

Larin the best finisher we've had since Ings? I know the level is different but he has that instinct about him

[Cuddles]

Just now, SambaMaverick said:

Larin the best finisher we've had since Ings? I know the level is different but he has that instinct about him

Was Ings able to do that at a World Cup?

[SambaMaverick]

Just now, Cuddles said:

Was Ings able to do that at a World Cup?

Would Larin score 22 Premier League goals for Southampton... fair is fair, I think Ings was a different level

[S-Clarke]

That was a really positive performance, one to blow the cobwebs away for sure. Once we settled, which took us about 15-20mins, we pulled Millwall all over the shop. The 3 in attack (Azaz, Leo, Larin) caused them absolute mayhem, Azaz particularly kept picking up clever pockets of space. He was immense once we got him into the game.

Larin, as we all noticed last season, is deceptively quick. His movement in between those two centre halves was so sharp and quick, Millwall's defenders aren't the quickest - but they're not mugs, but he spun them a couple of times. His second goal though, fuck me, just outrageous.

I was pleased to see Leo back in his groove, he was much more like the Leo I remember. Running, committing players, carrying the ball forward etc - made a huge impact today. He seems like such a top bloke as well, he's got a real connection with the squad and seems a really likeable guy.

Bragg struggled for quite a bit of the game, but he grew into it once we had a bit more time in the middle. JWP didn't do any extraordinary, but he kept the ball and was always available for the ball - so it helped us slow it down and dictate it a little bit in the closing stages.

Toss up for MOTM is between Larin, Azaz and Keven all 3 9/10's - I'll give it to Larin as he got the goals, but Keven didn't look out of place at all - in fact, he read the game like someone above Championship level. One of the best debuts we've had in recent years.

When you look at the team playing like that, with the attack and then the options from the bench (Fellows etc) you do feel excited for the coming year. My dream would be to have THB right side and Keven left sided CB, that would be truly ridiculous.

Edited 15 minutes ago by S-Clarke

[sockeye]

1 minute ago, SambaMaverick said:

Would Larin score 22 Premier League goals for Southampton... fair is fair, I think Ings was a different level

maybe we'll be fortunate enough to find out yet

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Have to say I was surprised Scienza took the penalty. Feared the worst when he danced to the ball and stuttered run up bollocks. 

[SNSUN]

5 minutes ago, Sarnia Cherie said:

And up to 18th. The 4 point deduction didn't hurt too much. Onwards and upwards then. 

Although without it we'd be 5th now, 3 points behind a very catchable Charlton. 

Actually without a punishment we'd be in the Prem but even so, just talking about the minus 4. Still you're right that we needed to get rid of that deficit and we've done it (and more) after 3 games. 

I still think the League is competitive and will take a while before it straightens out but it would be very sweet to go up this season after the debacle of Spygate.

[SNSUN]

1 minute ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Have to say I was surprised Scienza took the penalty. Feared the worst when he danced to the ball and stuttered run up bollocks. 

Especially when Manning smashed his last one in and JWP was on the pitch with his record. Pleased for Leo but it surprises me that a striker of Larin's calibre doesn't take them. I wouldn't put it past Azaz to score a good penalty too if I were to guess. 

[Willo of Whiteley]

Having gone to the game today, wow it’s amazing how a few bright moments can change a game.

The first fifteen minutes we were poor and couldn’t get out our own half, the bright spark in that time was Schlotterbeck who mopped up everything from headers to clearances. (Unfortunate with the deflection for the goal).

Manning post-shot and then assisting Larin to get our first and suddenly our tails were up.
Refreshing to see Scienza run at a defence and Azaz with the most casual tap in going. Clearly great rapport though based on how he pointed to Leo for that goal.
His penalty scared me with the stupid stutter, really wanted Larin to belt it.
Then Larin for that fourth was dreamy, just wow, I expected the scuff and he hit it so cleanly.
Fellows - it doesn’t matter how it happens just that it now has!

Some things worth noting though are:
- Great debut for Schlotterbeck
- JWP extremely calm and composed
- Very little backwards passing today, there was lots of direct turning and running forward with the ball which was excellent to see.

There was not a single bad performance on the pitch. Everyone did their bit and clearly there is a strong rapport around the squad and dressing room.

The West Ham game may well have been the kick up the arse needed.

Very encouraging result. It’s about continuing that into the next one now!

[dsrdorset]

Just back from the game......wonderful afternoon!!!! Get in there!! 

[Willo of Whiteley]

Having also sat near the Millwall fans, some of them are absolute cretins and dare I say it a shambles to society.

You get that breed with every club, lots of ours in that corner by the Chapel are embarrassing.

Grown men encouraging their kids to give the wanker sign. Absolutely laughable.

Some absolute specimens on both sides, but Millwall certainly up there as some of the worst I’ve had to listen to.

Didn’t have to listen to them much after our second. 👀

[Lee On Solent Saint]

6 minutes ago, SNSUN said:

Especially when Manning smashed his last one in and JWP was on the pitch with his record. Pleased for Leo but it surprises me that a striker of Larin's calibre doesn't take them. I wouldn't put it past Azaz to score a good penalty too if I were to guess. 

Fully expected it to be Manning, so was thinking Scienza was acting as a decoy. Maybe he's the designated taker if he's on the pitch, as not sure he was for the Stoke game.