I don't want us to get hopeful and dream of a final. I expect Liverpool to beat us at Anfield and I want the players to dig deep and prove me wrong like tonight .
Christ, Redmond was ****. Christ, didn't Redmond play well!!? Strangely enough I could find myself saying either one of those statements after watching that. He was positive and took his goal very well, but his inability to finish chances and final delivery is shocking. Probably should've scored 1 or 2 more but at least he did get one goal. Hasn't done anything tonight to persuade me that he is good enough for us though, he will only do that by showing his final finish/pass has improved. However, despite my frustration with Redmond it is hard to completely criticise when he did indeed score the winning goal and play far better than Tadic who was absolutely invisible this evening. Also a good point made earlier that if Redmond came through our academy we would absolutely rave about him! Overall, fantastic result and the fact I am complaining that it should have been more shows just how good a performance it was! This post sounds too negative after such a good win but it is solely due to the fact our brilliant performance deserved more than a 1-0! We can do this, a draw or win at anfield is enough to take us to Wembley again!! What a time to be a SAINTS fan!!!
Just got in. Well 30 mins ago, but reading all this What a performance! Everyone played well. Fraser seemed better at his kicks (i.e. not injured) and we were in their faces all the time. I lost count how many times we won the ball back off them through grit and determination. Redmond took his goal well, and what a lovely pass by J Rod! Great to see everyone in the Farmhouse, and thank you to @fatletiss for dinner Weird seeing a game actually totally sober (Dry January), but I was surprisingly less nervous in the last few minutes than I normally am Won every game that I have been to the Old Farmhouse first...come February you'll all be having a whip round to get me there Is one goal enough? Dunno, but let's live for the moment. We comprehensively beat a good Liverpool side.
The ref tried his best, but we won despite him giving Liverpool everything! It's a shame there's another leg to play. If we play like that the rest of the season should have no worries though. Never seen Clasie intercept/ pressure the ball so much.
Back home - great to see everyone if very very briefly at the Farmhouse! Sorry we weren't able to chat more, but missed the first five picking up tickets from the box office. Very good performance which was nearly a great result. Can't help but feel it was a real shame not to have got the two or three we deserved, but hey, it's a game to savour even so. Regarding the atmosphere - our tickets were in the Itchen and my God it was flat as a pancake there, particularly first half. Not sure where the mics were placed for you to hear singing on the tv but they sure as hell weren't near us! I was also surrounded by Liverpool fans - one to my left, two on my right and three behind me! Made it all the more satisfying though. Romeu my motm - a real tigerish performance of controlled and effective aggression. Thought Jordy did a great job too. Remind me which team was 'gegenpressing'? Thought they were very, very poor tonight. Thanks Helen for being a star and enabling me to get a ticket for my mate too!
I agree with that. 2-0 would have been optimal imo. More than that and Liverpool would come out of the gates at a serious pace in the second leg, and it would be hard to contain. A single goal from Liverpool in the next leg and we'll be back where we were, with a harder hill to climb. But I'm confident we can score at Anfield, so depending what the sequence of goals are (for either team), should make things interesting, if nerve-shredding.
I was a bit puzzled by the empty seats at the start, turned out that was a problem with the paper tickets and some of the Season Tickets, 21st Century Ground still 19th Century Ticket Office?
I'd be in favour of resting him until the second leg infact. Usually I'd favour youth for the cup match threads, but am all for a bit of Mickey Thomas magic too...
I *really* hope we don't go to Anfield and just try and defend that one goal lead. We go there and try and do precisely as we did today. Aggressive press. Please!
Yes, we will need a goal i think. When we closed them down tonight they had no ansewer. That would'nt have been missed by Peul, hopefully.
Made late decision to go to game as a work colleague was over from Lille. Got tickets in 4th row up behind goal, dead centre in the chapel. What a different perspective (/no perspective up the far end!). So bloody scary being that close when Liverpool fiddling around the area and bearing in on goal. Admiration for Forster being up close - everything is 10 times faster- his handling, kicking, composure and that save from Firmino was brilliant. Also saw at close hand the hilarious moment when after Soares shooting instead of trying to square to JRod, Jay picked up Karius' water bottle and lobbed it away into the hoardings in anger! Much mickey taking of Karius followed "where's your drink gone?"! Surely Jay would have been booked had it been seen. Booking he did get was pathetic- another bent ref who gave us bugger all. Great atmosphere from our viewpoint, fair play to the lads - some immense performances- Oriel, Virgil, Maya, Davis, Clasie. Just going to enjoy it for what it was and I genuinely think it will help our form over next couple of weeks. Rinse the Fonte negativity - bet he felt like a real spanner tonight.
Just in case anyone is tempted to whinge about Claise not lasting 90 mins- he worked his nuts off, really effective pressing and tough in the tackle. Dont think Davis touched the ball for the first 20 mins but gave it all closing down. Romeu is a machine,never stops but looks so composed, vice captain material as you would follow that guy out of the trenches
