Yeah we've definitely been more vulnerable to counter attacks but we've actually dealt with them fairly well as we attack the ball and then get back into a shape so quickly I can't actually remember us conceding from one. That is the frustrating thing, it would've been easy for our defence to suffer from having to over commit in attack but it's not even that, it's just really basic soft goals that have killed us.
Just looked at remaining games...we have a slightly better run out than Spurs and have a far better goal difference. Think that could be enough to get us a 6th place finish.
Has been partially responsible for some of the softies, methinks. Crouch was able to isolate against JWP because, IIRC, none of the other mids were back, and that led to the scramble and goal. And crosses/passes have been easier to come by for opposing attackers owing to pockets of space left by players upfield.
I won't punish myself by going back through the goals we've conceded and checking them all out haha but think that may be the only one where you can attribute that to it, and even then it was a late goal and the reason we didn't have anyone back was because of the gift of a goal conceded earlier. The West Brom one was a floated diagonal free kick with enough of our players back that was headed down to Berahino in a ridiculous amount of space thought it was a great finish. Against Chelsea Toby let Costa float off him with ease and then Forster didn't come out for a high ball with not much pace on it well within his reach. The Everton one was just a scramble from a not exactly devilish corner. Stoke a ball that should've been dealt with by Kelv and then Diouf was more alive to it than the defence and then a scramble that may or may not have been down to committal of men forwards.And then today both goals our shape was pretty well set, first a bit of a stroke of luck but the cross was allowed in far too easily and then both the CBs and Kelv could've done better, and then the second was really poor from Maya and probably like to see Davis do better again. Other than that going back to the New Year I can think of Coutinho and Shelvey's screamers which there's not much that can be done about and Gouffran's fluke. So yeah, all in all I don't think there's been too many instances of hard counter attacks or times when we haven't been able to set our shape and have left room for people, just poor and uncharacteristic mistakes mostly with a few unavoidable ones.
All teams make errors or there would be no goals at all. Most of the time mistakes lead to nothing, so are quickly forgotten. Some poor sods make errors that leave a goal seared into fans' brains. I prefer to look at the whole season...we have had a good season (which we can hopefully build on) and will finish in our highest position in the EPL. And we have done this in the right way.
I have said this repeatedly, slipping cost at least three very good opportunities today. Players are picking up injuries too.
I can understand that some people, maybe a lot of people, would feel like that. But not me. I never truly bought into us competing for a top four space. For months now I've said 7th place is our most likely finish. I'll have the smallest little tinge of disappointment that we ultimately failed to finish above a single one of those six teams who we have spent the season competing against, if we do indeed finish 8th (well, four teams to be honest, as Chelsea and City pretty much have to be excluded). But 99.9% of me will review this as a complete success. Alas, going forward, I will also see it as us having reached our limit unless we sign a real class striker. But in many ways, being faced with that closed door may be compensated somewhat by the opening of a European football door, should we get there.
Indeed, like I said both overall and just defensively we have of course done excellently and I have no complaints but with all the moaning there's been about our attack it shouldn't be overlooked that our defence has now made a decent number of costly mistakes, more than just the standard variance.
One observation, we found someone that can take a decent corner kick, every one that Elia took was a threat.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32462908 Koeman says he is a little disappointed having led twice, but thought it was a good game and he was proud of the team. So a good point.
Poch: "I was focused on my job but was a very tough and emotional game for me. It was difficult because I still love Southampton and I have very good memories here."
Tottenham had a lot of ineffectual possession where they probed a bit, went back a lot, probed a bit, went back a lot, went back some more, kicked it away. The MoPo way.
Really enjoyed the game and we played some cracking football. Pelle grabbed a couple of great goals, first in particular because he didn't give up. Play like that for rest of the season and europa will be ours.
First and foremost this was an absolutely cracking game of football, probably the best since Arsenal last season at SMS. I thought our defence was actually really sound except for the two obvious instances. I really don't remember Spurs being much of a threat, otherwise. Lastly, for the amount which pro footballers are paid, for Davis to not even work the keeper is very disappointing indeed. They were excellent chances. Still, we march on. Great points total, the only sadness being, only one more home game left. How many will I see in the stripes for the last time, I wonder?
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/572906/Mauricio-Pochettino-Spurs-fans-Southampton MP thanks the Spurs fans for their support as that was the first time he had heard that from them. Wait a cotton picking minute.....he has never heard his name sung by his own fans before. Tough crowd
Apart from one cross which led to the goal, what happened to Kane today? Who kept him quiet? Noted in the replay it was Diers cross and Kanes knock on, misheard it first time.
Liverpool's draw today means all to play for...though they have a game in hand.....5th still possible.
