Post-match thoughts v Southampton

kirsikka said:
A night at the theatre of recurring nightmares, and after a lacklustre performance against West Ham a chance to either heap pressure back on ourselves or get within touching distance of safety.

We went back to the formation used v Spurs, with Smith again dropping out.

Tavernier was regularly in acres of space but we didn't find him enough. When he did get the ball, he was mostly wasteful with it first half, although he made up for it in the second with the goal. Fingers crossed the injury is only a little niggle.

It was a weird atmosphere. No major backing from the home fans, but also a complete lack of toxicity from them. More an air of mild disgruntlement. Bizarre. It seemed to translate itself to the pitch where things were mostly tepid as well.

First half we had more of the ball but lacked creativity when we got near their goal. They had the better chances but lacked confidence. There wasn't all that much in it. Frustrating in a way as they looked so hesitant and poor that I think if we went after them we could put them to bed.

Second half we came out and dominated them, had them totally on the rack until Tavernier finally made one of the half chances count. A well deserved lead.

When they made some subs, they suddenly had a bit more forward energy and started to control the game without looking all that threatening. GON was pretty cautious, happy to soak it up and trust to his luck rather than trying to seize back the initiative with some tactical changes. He was a pretty close offside decision away from throwing it away, but fortune was on his side again.

Whilst that VAR was purely factual on that one, we were once again denied a penalty when subjectivity came into it. Arm out from the body and moves it towards the ball to block the cross, the kind that has been given against us numerous times this season. Still not a single penalty for us. It's getting beyond a joke.

A word on the coverage. Match commentary was provided with all the excitement and charisma of a John Major policy announcement and backed up with Chris Sutton as the pundit. Sutton comes in for a lot of criticism on here for never rating us, but I can now understand it. He's never seen us play. Here's two nuggets from him as examples to prove it:

"Dominic Solanke has had a tough couple of seasons but he's much improved this one." You know, the guy that scored 29 league goals last year.

"Lerma has the range of passing and Rothwell is the more robust one in the Bournemouth midfield to make a good pair". I don't even know where to start with that. He can't ever have watched us.

BT Sport really is utter guff.

I have to say, I've seen a lot of football down the years. I can't recall a team that seemed to care less when they should be fighting for their lives than that lot. Genuinely one of the worst efforts I've ever seen from a team in the mire but still with a chance to save themselves. They really were awful. Unless things change, if they play like that next season they could easily go straight down again.

At the end, it's three points in a match we normally contrive to mess up. It's likely relegation avoided. It's close to job done. Can't complain at that.

----- Positive Performances -----

Solanke - Ran, harried, harassed, and caused their defenders all sorts of problems. Was only missing one thing... he needs to miss out on the missing. Excellent performance though, and you could see the difference in their forward compared to him.

Kelly - Restored more centrally and looked all the more comfortable for it. Stopped a breakaway with some excellent shepherding and stepped into midfield very confidently a couple of times first half, and made a brilliant tackle at the death.

Mepham - Cool and collected. Safe. Well played.


----- Room for Improvement -----

Neto - Possibly his weakest performance from us. Looked hesitant and out of sorts. Fortunately they offered all the attacking threat of an asthmatic kitten.

Vina - Going forward he looked good, but seemed exposed defensively. Could be rustiness as I hope we see more from him.


----- GON Watch -----

Made for an odd game first half where we seemed to cancel each other out. It's hard as a point away from home, especially in a place we usually fail, is always decent but, at the same time, they were there for the taking if we could have been braved. They were absolute tripe.

Whatever tweaks he made at half time had a galvanising effect, which was excellent, and we had them totally in our power. Then ceded the space to them once they made their changes with no response. Also, considering they were a team that had to take chances against us to get a win, we still didn't always leave someone up to put them under pressure. Too often in the last 25 minutes it was hoofed forward from our defence for them to pick up and start again. Fortunately, they were utter **************** and couldn't do anything with it.

It's the business end of the season and results matter more than anything else at this point. We got the points and so no complaints there, but I was still left feeling like we should have been out of sight and we gave them a chance to snatch a point that shouldn't have been there considering how bad they were.

Is that PL survivial and GON in place for next year? We'll see on the first, I'd still prefer another win against Leeds to make 100% sure, and only Bill can say for the latter part. GON is still clearly a work in progress, understandably, and the question is how much will he make before the next season kicks off?

All speculation though. For now, enjoy the points and enjoy that lot being deservedly rooted to the bottom of the table.
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Would have thought Tavernier should be included for his positive performance too?
 
We're on our way, we're on way to the Wessex way. Very happy Riverside Rockets rolling out of Scumtown : )

Met Red house and Retro red ( sorry Retro, hopefully I'll recognise you next time )
Buzzing, like the atmosphere from our fans. Full on support tonight, great to be there with you all : )

Mr O'Neil, if you want us all behind you, stop giving us kittens like that last 30 minutes. More of the first hour with a sprinkling of shooting is the way to go
: )

Their support is indeed fecking carp, they must have watched a lot of poor football in recent years. They couldn't be arsed to get behind their team, 1-0 down at home in a must win game. Beats the Emirates for lunar atmosphere : )

I reckon they could turn some of their many empty seats into stables. At least Wimboner would be happy : )

Might not have been perfect but the best team won and it was US. I'm sure we've all got Stains fans we need to talk to soon : )
 
How on earth can you not include Rothwell in the positive performances? Poor guy must have been looking at what was going on around him today and thinking “how did I end up in this situation?” He is our most gifted player and it isn’t even close, put this guy in a top team and everyone would be waxing lyrical about him.
 
An enjoyable but nerve-wracking watch. Thought we played well enough through most of it to put them away. Kelly was excellent, really most of them were, for most of the time. Fun fact per the EPL stream: attempts on goal from minute 46 through about minute 60 were 8-0 Bournemouth. I agree that the forwards had run themselves to death by the 70-minute mark, should have gone for fresh legs by then. Obviously a huuuuuuge three points.
 
Also, Mepham should be omitted from the positive performance category based on his ‘defending’ for their disallowed goal. He literally just had one man to mark and he chose to stand absolutely nowhere near him, not good enough that. It’s why we can’t reliably sit back like that to see out games, our centre backs aren’t able to concentrate when bombarded with sustained periods of pressure. I am delighted with the win, but it absolutely shouldn’t have come down to a VAR decision today. They were God awful and the only way they were ever going to get back into the game was if we let them, and we did.

Funnily enough, despite the fact that we are now on the brink of safety, that last thirty minutes today has convinced me once and for all that GON needs to be shown the door at the end of the season, regardless of what league we are playing in. It was so blatantly obvious tonight that he just needed to get some fresh attacking bodies on, Billing could barely even walk for the last half an hour, we were basically playing with ten men. But he just couldn’t see it. Fair play to him for galvanising the squad and putting us in this position, but we really need a manager in place who isn’t learning his trade.
 
Say what you like about GON, but their manager watched our inability to defend anything in the air against West Ham at the weekend (and most of the season) and dropped their 2m tall striker from the squad entirely. That's a special kind of incompetence.

I mean, if he didn't want the job he could have just told them.
 
The average term of a PL manager is only two years. GON has had the job for just a couple of months when you remove the interim tag, but in reality it has been (or soon will be) nearly a full season.

The "learning on the job" stuff doesn't wash at this stage. He can either do it or he can't. His numbers say that he can.

And by the way, how about Bill Foley's endorsement last Christmas (and whomever tipped Bill that way).

I'm not saying Gary will be the boss at the start of next season .... none of us can know that. But in a results business, how can anyone say he hasn't earned a shot?

btw, Las Vegas Golden Knights 1 win away from winning the first round of playoffs. 16 wins needed to carry the Cup.
 
kirsikka said:
Say what you like about GON, but their manager watched our inability to defend anything in the air against West Ham at the weekend (and most of the season) and dropped their 2m tall striker from the squad entirely. That's a special kind of incompetence.

I mean, if he didn't want the job he could have just told them.
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Oh no, he is a different level of incompetent, clearly.

In a straight choice between the two then it’s GON all day long, still don’t want GON though!
 
You could also say that about us, Adams single handedly tore us to pieces at home he should have had someone stuck to him the second he walked onto the pitch.
 
One of those nights where the occasion was a lot better than the game. And what an occasion, loved every minute of it. Good to see @Monmouthred as well it’s been awhile.

I think this formation suits our personnel. It gets the best out of Kelly and Vina. It also gives us a midfield six to play close together and all of that six were outstanding tonight, better than the forward and the defenders. Finally we have someone who understands how to play three at the back so credit to GON for that.

Var, although it saved us was ridiculous tonight because that end decision was right but it was the other wrong ones… so totally unfair that the dicks can’t work out and agree what a handball is.

Anyway… we had great spells either side of half time which were very reminiscent of Leicester and Spurs away wins. Play like that for a whole game and it would be interesting! Think it’s the formation that allows it and hope he sticks with it for the rest of the season.

I get the point about not making subs at the end but to be fair to GON he would have taken Vina off for Smith and moved Tavs to the left like he did at Spurs. He couldn’t do that with Senesi and Tavs injuries so had to leave him on even though he was wrecked for the last fifteen and we couldn’t attack down the left

Best players for me tonight… Tavs, Christie and Rothwell for energy and link ups with a special mention for Kelly. All good though and the defence looked better without Stephens as more height and athleticism.

Nobody had a poor game on our side. Southampton were woeful.. worse even than Leicester I thought. Had that goal stood and maybe facing a seasons end without Tavs it could have become nerve wracking again. As it is though… in the words of Kris Temple… that should do it.
 
Neil Dawson said:
One of those nights where the occasion was a lot better than the game. And what an occasion, loved every minute of it. Good to see @Monmouthred as well it’s been awhile.

I think this formation suits our personnel. It gets the best out of Kelly and Vina. It also gives us a midfield six to play close together and all of that six were outstanding tonight, better than the forward and the defenders. Finally we have someone who understands how to play three at the back so credit to GON for that.

Var, although it saved us was ridiculous tonight because that end decision was right but it was the other wrong ones… so totally unfair that the dicks can’t work out and agree what a handball is.

Anyway… we had great spells either side of half time which were very reminiscent of Leicester and Spurs away wins. Play like that for a whole game and it would be interesting! Think it’s the formation that allows it and hope he sticks with it for the rest of the season.

I get the point about not making subs at the end but to be fair to GON he would have taken Vina off for Smith and moved Tavs to the left like he did at Spurs. He couldn’t do that with Senesi and Tavs injuries so had to leave him on even though he was wrecked for the last fifteen and we couldn’t attack down the left

Best players for me tonight… Tavs, Christie and Rothwell for energy and link ups with a special mention for Kelly. All good though and the defence looked better without Stephens as more height and athleticism.

Nobody had a poor game on our side. Southampton were woeful.. worse even than Leicester I thought. Had that goal stood and maybe facing a seasons end without Tavs it could have become nerve wracking again. As it is though… in the words of Kris Temple… that should do it.
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For all the moaning from their supporters about their manager and the lack of fight in their players, they should be ashamed of themselves. This was their last shot and I understand that they have been ser
ved up some dross this season but I have never witnessed such a pathetic, timid crowd.
Apart from the usual 10 year olds to our left their support was spineless which only accentuates what a soulless , rundown bowl St.Mary's is .
Give me Dean Court under the lights any day.
 
KingKieffer said:
Also, Mepham should be omitted from the positive performance category based on his ‘defending’ for their disallowed goal. He literally just had one man to mark and he chose to stand absolutely nowhere near him, not good enough that. It’s why we can’t reliably sit back like that to see out games, our centre backs aren’t able to concentrate when bombarded with sustained periods of pressure. I am delighted with the win, but it absolutely shouldn’t have come down to a VAR decision today. They were God awful and the only way they were ever going to get back into the game was if we let them, and we did.

Funnily enough, despite the fact that we are now on the brink of safety, that last thirty minutes today has convinced me once and for all that GON needs to be shown the door at the end of the season, regardless of what league we are playing in. It was so blatantly obvious tonight that he just needed to get some fresh attacking bodies on, Billing could barely even walk for the last half an hour, we were basically playing with ten men. But he just couldn’t see it. Fair play to him for galvanising the squad and putting us in this position, but we really need a manager in place who isn’t learning his trade.
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That's the daftest argument for sacking a manager I've ever seen. A football-phone-in-tier grumble used as justification for binning off a man who has achieved something that, at the start of the season, you suggested would be equivalent to Leicester winning the title. And do you honestly think GON - former professional athlete, fully qualified coach - doesn't know when somebody is tired? Or could it be that the reasons for substitutions not being made earlier are a little more complicated than that?
 
Toronto John said:
The average term of a PL manager is only two years. GON has had the job for just a couple of months when you remove the interim tag, but in reality it has been (or soon will be) nearly a full season.

The "learning on the job" stuff doesn't wash at this stage. He can either do it or he can't. His numbers say that he can.

And by the way, how about Bill Foley's endorsement last Christmas (and whomever tipped Bill that way).

I'm not saying Gary will be the boss at the start of next season .... none of us can know that. But in a results business, how can anyone say he hasn't earned a shot?

btw, Las Vegas Golden Knights 1 win away from winning the first round of playoffs. 16 wins needed to carry the Cup.
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Commentators consistently say that afcb look a well coached team - contrast with saints today was clear
 
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