Just rewatched MOTD...sad, but you can't get enough of some things! Noticed a big difference in goal celebrations. Chelsea...little pat on the back but generally look miserable. Saints...joyous as if we have just won the FA Cup. Could be that we need the points, but could it be that the joy goes out of you when you play in a top side and win a lot, so you can't get excited about a league game.
It's a lovely spring morning in the Mendips too, except that my ducks' pond is frozen for the 12th consecutive morning!
I have thought all season that Saints are a very happy, touchy feely side. When they say the spirit is good within the side, you can believe it.
This is first day proper where the motorbike is calling me to come and ride it. I might see how the New Forest is looking this afternoon. especially as the extra evening hour is now in place. That reminds me, I still have about 6 clocks to reset.
A motorbike and 6 clocks beats having a duck pond have a lovely day everyone...you never know, there may be a summer around the corner!
Just watched the hour highlights from Sky. We did look good against a Chelsea side who were getting stronger late in the second half. I liked the little feisty reaction from Ward-Prowse when Ramirez fouled him; nothing wrong with a bit of fighting spirit.
I have just heard Torres is to retire at the end of this season to work in a pub......he is good at putting shots over the bar apparently ....
I liked that too, also liked how quickly Cork and Shaw came up and calmed him. Although if Ramirez fouled JWP then I'm not sure Mauricio would have been happy, especially since he wasn't even meant to be on the pitch! I was actually very impressed with Ward-Prowse when he came on, his passing was a touch errant, and he did have a couple of opportunities to shoot from good positions, one of which he misjudged a bouncing ball and the other he tried to lay to Davis instead, but he also showed some very nice feet at times and some nice play down the right. And he certainly did his job of 'adding legs' to the midfield as they say, got around the pitch well. Danny Fox also made three tackles after coming on in the 85th minute, second most on the team and the same amount that Shaw had made all game. Maybe if he only plays in 10 minute bursts he can be a PL player after all! I'm continuing to be impressed by the impact of Poche's subs.
Nothing strange about that. A good Argentinian Malbec has always been one of my favourites. After that stuff from Burgundy of course!
Ward-Prowse continues to impress me. He is 18, Shaw is 17. Clyne is 20/21, jayRod 22, Morgan 23, cork 23 (?), Adam 24, Ramirez 22.... Bloody hell that is mouthwatering.
It would be 3 points above the relegation zone if both Wigan & Villa win their games in hand as they will leapfrog Sunderland. Please pay more attention to detail
Ah, but remember that if Saints do anything other than just achieve survival then, we have the ridiculous situation where, according to all pundits and even some of our own fans, we have to sell them all because they're obviously too good to play for Southampton FC.
JWP didn't put us into any bother but pretty much everything he did he ****ed up, the cross to Davis was piss poor, his first touch/shot was difficult but useless, he got bowled over by Ivanovic like he weighed 10 kilos, and he made a fuss over nothing with Ramires. I re-watched the game today and from memory the three things he did well were a through ball to Rodriguez, a one touch pass back to Yoshida and a 1.5 metre pass to a stationary Steve Davis. He may well have done some very impressive leg work but I would have rather have had Ramirez on the pitch even if his preparation had been poor. The through ball to Rodriguez genuinely was a good bit of play but I'm pretty sure he trying to pick out Clyne as he was passing to where Clyne was running and he never could have seen Rodriguez's run as he was looking the other way, perhaps not though. It is true that bringing JWP on meant Davis could sure up the left wing and help Shaw out and perhaps JWP is better defensively than Ramirez I have no way of really telling.
Ramirez arrived back a day late from international duty...better to use JWP who had been training than risk him after a long flight. There may have been circumstances that he would have been put on, but obviously Mauricio didn't think so yesterday. I have to say that I am beginning to get confidence in MP's substitutions...especially as there had been rumours that that was his weakness.
Play on words. FLT spelt it Gaston's way, as opposed to the Chelsea man's way (he being the one who fouled JWP).
We are fifth on the PL form guide, with only United, Arsenal, Spurs and Fulham above us. Interestingly and annoyingly, Aston Villa and Wigan are just behind us.
Beginning to expect it of Wigan. The one memorable thing Lawro has said is that Wigan begin to play after the clocks go forward. There's a grain of truth in that too, because as soon as the better weather appears, pitches get better and Wigan's ability to produce their passing brand of football becomes more fruitful. They consistently play badly when the Sun disappears for the winter. Aston Villa's form could come unstuck today. Of course, Lambert may have asked for a particular DVD from St Mary's.
