I am completely astounded how Jonny Howson continually - in Tettey's absence, gets selected ahead of David Fox. He's NOT a holding midfielder and looks more out of his depth trying to do that role with every game he plays. Gave possession back to Saints with virtually every touch today. Lucky we weren't made to pay.
This is bang on to me. I don't know how long Tettey is out for, but Fox must have slept with Mrs Hughton if he gets overlooked for the next game, that was a dreadful performance from Howson. He had no ideas on the ball, and kept getting caught in possession, and whilst I can't blame an entire performance on one player, I'd really like to in his case. We were crying out for someone to put their foot on the ball, control possession and let us build, Howson didn't offer that. Neither did he offer the box-to-box style he supposedly plays with. Yet he played the full 90 mins, and I believe we only used 2 subs.
I didn't watch the first half, but by all accounts we were poor then too. I don't think Pilks going off helped us, as we looked too lop-sided, as any forward runs pretty much had to go through Snodgrass from then on. I was surprised we didn't drop Kamara into a more left sided position, and bring Wes into the middle. To be honest, I'd have preferred it if Becchio had started, leaving Kamara to be an impact sub, as he looked less effective, and didn't seem to have the fitness for a full game, he was knackered after an hour.
I haven't slated Norwich too much this season, but things had really better improve next season! We were really lucky Southampton seemed to have left their shooting boots at home, because despite their dominance (and I think it's fair to say they did dominate large periods), I can't remember Bunn having to make a genuinely decent save. We were so, so poor! Without Wes in the middle we had no creativity, and whilst the conditions probably favoured a style based more on crosses and long balls, we failed to work decent positions pretty much all game.
Again like the Newcastle game, we had some very good chances to win it, not least the penalty, but Snodgrass should have been on the scoresheet before then. But a win really would have been mightily unfair on Southampton, who played very well in the middle of the park, if not in the final third.
I don't know how our squad this season seems to thin on quality. Howson has been dire, Pilks underperformed greatly, Tettey has been poor since Christmas and Hoolahan isn't playing as well centrally, and looks lost out wide, to name but a few. Those on the fringes though don't seem to have had a chance, the Luton game reminds of a game against Plymouth, just replace Lappin's name with Fox and Surman. Coming into this season I thought our midfield looked full of talent, and now it seems to be the area requiring the most work.
Still, trying to find positives, it's yet another clean sheet (but 10 men behind the ball at all times is pretty conducive to that), it's a point closer to survival, and Sunderland looked poor again. And now I'm stuck.