Take my above comment and stick it with the rest of my post and you will see that I'm not just saying that to make a point, I'm saying that because at the end of the season if were not sat in the top two it will be because our inability to turn over a rival away from home. Yes we've done well at home against the top sides bar Leicester and Blackpool, but we've also dropped points against other teams that we really should not have and we need to make up the deficit somewhere. I'm not being negative, I'm just saying in two weeks we could be sat in 6th place bemoaning these missed opportunities.
I understand, but it's hypathetical as you could just as easily say losing to Donny and Brissle could be the ones that costs us. If we are not sat in the top two come the end of the season it will be because someone else deserved it by getting better results over the season. We have done well so far and are in a strong position and taking 4 points from West Ham is a very good return. Taking nil from Bristol City is poor, but no direct positive result for closer opponents.
Decent night for Saints overall. I would have taken six points and avoid defeat out of our last four games which included Brum and West Ham away as well as Cardiff at home. Fox's set pieces proved invaluable today and Hooiveld did a good job on Cole. Noble for West Ham should be playing at a higher level, he is a great playmaker. We are starting to build momentum again and looking at the run in, ourselves and Blackpool's look much better than the rest.
Cracking response. Always two sides to every discussion and I buy into that logic. I'm a little frustrated not to win tonight ( as with any game we don't win ) but only because I care! PS- sorry for the format of my replies. I use my iPhone and can't use the quote feature properly.
Sorry one last comment - just for the record... I'd rather lose to Bristol and then go and beat West Ham away - 6 pointers are always more important to win for obvious reasons.
no apolgies needed. Good to have a debate without being abused. I am frustratd we didn't win, but pleased we didn't lose. roll on Saturday!
Just got back from the game, thought Spiderman and Cork struggled in the middle with the latter firing mis passes all night, glad Nolan was out or we might of had a way harder night! On the plus was a good point won and Puncheon was great when he came on, did a couple of silly back heels but overall gave us what we needed, which was someone down the right! Guly was ok when linking up in the middle but played everywhere except on the right! Billy needs a little more time to settle but should of scored a sitter tonight, shame we didn't steal it at the end but a point well won COYR!
And on saturday we could just as easily be sitting at the top once again looking down at those trying to make up the deficit.
17 shots tonight 5 of them off target, not a good enough conversion rate, Skynews just showed the brief highlights, good finish by Hoover, not clear what happened with the Penalty and subsequent sending off but at first glance looked a bit of handbags.
Just got back - how on earth did we did not win????? We were by far the better team (admittedly we were playing 10 men for most of the game), Kelv was brilliant, as was Hooiveld, but dear oh dear Billy Sharp. You need to play much better than that to stay in the starting line up. Gave away the pen and a shocking miss.
Blimey the BBC report must have been written by a West Ham fan: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16921922
Until they had taylor sent off they over ran our midfield with easy. The link up play with taylor and vaz te was giving our defence nightmares. After they went player down we controlled it, should have won but I glad we got the point.
I noticed that, the most one sided report I've ever seen from the BBC! Some outrageous comments about there being a huge gulf in class between us and West Ham (us having over double the shots on goal they had implies otherwise?) and claiming Taylor was unfortunate?
Funny thing is, listening to Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore and Whispering Dave Merrington, one didn't get the impression that we were all over WHU like a rash. Now, either Solent had instinctly reverted to BBC unbias, or Saints weren't as dominant as we would like to think they were. I'm not picking holes in Saints performance, in fact, I'm quite satisfied with their evening's work but, until WHU went down to 10 men they were very much in the ascendancy. When Matt Taylor left the proceedings, Saints started to build the pressure, and they continued on a level until the end of the match. Throughout though, one didn't get the impression we were running WHU ragged. If Solent's commentary is accurate, then I think the post-match report isn't that far off the mark.
My word how did we not win?! We were the weaker side until the red card (from what I saw, definite red. Can't and won't comment on the penalty) but after that it was our game. Sharp's miss, my oh my... terrible all round performance from the lad tonight, hope he settles soon because I know he can do better. Hooiveld was top class tonight. Love the guy.
Before the red card and pen, West Ham were putting us under pressure, but we held out, and praise goes to our defence for that. Who wouldn't expect a team full of PL players at home, who are top of the leaague, to put us under immense pressure at any given period in the game? The red was definitely a red from what I saw (Taylor grabbing Sharp's neck and launching him). Good pen by Noble. From then on we dominated possession, but found it hard to break down WHU's solid, experienced, PL quality midfield and defence. They had two banks of four, well organised amd structured, and it was very tough to break down. That said, we had our chances, just didn't have our shooting boots on. How Sharp missed i'll never know. 2 yards out, goal at his mercy, and instead of placing it gently into the acres of net to Green's left, he passed it straight to Green. F*ck me it was woeful. We didn't run WHU ragged, but we dominated possession, and stifled their counters well. Felt comfortable but we didn't have the key to unlock West Ham's rigid midfield and defence.
Claridge and friend seemed to think that we were largely dominant from roughly the 35th minute onward, though worryingly prone to giving up good opportunities interspersed with our control of the ball.
Green played a blinder, with a little more luck/composure in front of goal we would have beaten them. Still, nice platform to take into the next few games, I'm feeling quietly confident.
Why oh Why are forwards used as front line defenders for set pieces.....the number of times over the years these players have cost us points. They are not natural defenders yes maybe OK if the ball is in the air but on the ground they have trouble.
