Some of us want to win every game we play, regardless of competition.
If you're happy with that, fine, each to their own.
Match Day Thread West Brom v Southampton, Monday 12/04/21, 6pm, Sky Sports
- Thread starter tomw24
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Some of us want to win every game we play, regardless of competition.
If you're happy with that, fine, each to their own.
I was obviously joking about it being 10-0.
It's actually going to be 11.
if a professional footballer decides to be half-arsed & in protection mode in a PL game for a SEMI-FINAL, they don't deserve to play Sunday.
Whilst I’m not fussed about the result I think a lot can be said for some momentum. We should’ve been on a big high after coming back from 2 down to win our first league game in ages, then we perform like that in the first half.
Yes West Brom were always going to want it more, yes there was a good chance of us losing but the performance was terrible (again) and surely isn’t what any team would want before a big game
Yes West Brom were always going to want it more, yes there was a good chance of us losing but the performance was terrible (again) and surely isn’t what any team would want before a big game
Exactly this.
And the fact those players know they can't realistically be dropped (bar Forster) was part of the problem today.
So...
---------------McCarthy--------------
-Ramsey-Stephens-Salisu-Recall Vokins-
----------Jankewitz-Romeu on crutches---
--Armstrong-----------------Tella------
----------Adams----Nlundulu---------
Of course I want Saints to win every game but that's impossible. For West Brom, every league game until the end of the season is a cup final. For us, it's been every cup match. Tonight was all about mentality. West Brom were always going to want it more and I'm ok with that. We've got to give everything on Sunday though. The 50% we didn't put in tonight has to go into Sunday's match instead.
Yes, this was a typical end of season on the beach performance but the season has a way to go yet, we should really be targeting improvement from last season in the league not merely surviving.
I do blame the players mainly for lack of commitment, but Ralph maybe would've been better served to play fringe players with a point to prove.
To be fair it takes a very special team - a very special set of players - to give their all, risking injury, 6 days before a semi final in a game which has relatively little meaning.
If we win on Sunday, today becomes irrelevant.
But on so many levels, that was awful. We desperately missed Romeu (JWP and Diallo did a shocking job at covering in front of the CBs), and Ings was completely off it. First time in a long time that I'm really not happy with Ralph - for once, we actually did have options on the bench which we could turn to, Minamino in particular. It wasn't just kids. But we made just one change in the first 87 minutes.
I would say that Theo and Bednarek have both played themselves out of the SF (difficult to suggest many others, due to lack of decent depth). But Vestergaard-Salisu is still a relatively new partnership, and throwing them into a Wembley SF is maybe too big a risk. So that probably saves Bednarek.
But on so many levels, that was awful. We desperately missed Romeu (JWP and Diallo did a shocking job at covering in front of the CBs), and Ings was completely off it. First time in a long time that I'm really not happy with Ralph - for once, we actually did have options on the bench which we could turn to, Minamino in particular. It wasn't just kids. But we made just one change in the first 87 minutes.
I would say that Theo and Bednarek have both played themselves out of the SF (difficult to suggest many others, due to lack of decent depth). But Vestergaard-Salisu is still a relatively new partnership, and throwing them into a Wembley SF is maybe too big a risk. So that probably saves Bednarek.
This may have been mentioned/alluded to, but I think that Saints are playing the psychological 'long game', lulling Leicester into a false sense of superiority, by not turning up today.
Leicester will fall for this, and play an under-strength team on Sunday, which we will brush aside on our march to the final.
These happy pills are working better than I thought...
Leicester will fall for this, and play an under-strength team on Sunday, which we will brush aside on our march to the final.
These happy pills are working better than I thought...
I'm a big believer in momentum in football. A good win tonight would have set us up nicely for Sunday.
Instead the opposite with a demoralising defeat with our strongest side.
I genuinely can't believe people are ok with that performance tonight
They are, but only because after 14 odd games we have finally run out of excuses
This. I know it's a semi-final and not a final but it's still at Wembley and we know we can beat Leicester. It's only natural to not give 100%. The thing about the PL is that it's very noticeable when you're not playing at 100% commitment. Tonight is a perfect example. The players, the fans, Ralph all know that our season is all about the FA Cup now. If we win on Sunday who's going to worry about tonight?
I agree with the first part. The second, not so sure. Generally momentum is required from one league game to the next but from league to cup momentum does not seem to be as important.
For as bad as our league form has been we've been excellent in the FA Cup. Ok, Shewsbury was pretty much a gimme and we got a favourable QF against Bournemouth. But we were outstanding against Arsenal and Wolves. And both games came after defeats in the league.
The loan company when we are relegated?
Seriously, there's only 10 points in it, and since we will give away 3 of those, do you not think the players should be giving it their all? We aren't by any means safe yet, why wouldn't they give 100%
We will not win the cup. It's certain. I mean, it's worked in Ralph's favour because I think that's the one thing which hasn't got the fans over the tipping point yet, but I'd prefer PL safety then reaching a cup semi we can't even go and watch
I expect that Ralph is apoplectic with that performance, if he was expecting the players to not give their all tonight he surely wouldn't have picked them.
We gained nothing tonight and maybe lost a little bit.
We gained nothing tonight and maybe lost a little bit.