Match Day Thread Southampton V West Bromwich Albion Saturday 16th January KO 15:00

That was almost too easy yesterday, even before kick off, there was an air of "this will be a win" around the ground.

Can't recall a Pulis managed team look so disorganised and have so many gaps at the back. Might have been because having Targett & Cedric playing as wingers threw WBA off.

At last the "deadball expert" actually lived up to the hype. Hopefully JWP's confidence will be boosted and he can become the player he should already be.

Very sedate atmosphere in the ground throughout.

 

Don't believe it....was going to post the gallery from yesterday, but thought I would check that it hadn't been done. It had.....by me!! Getting old.

 

It was easy because we scored after 6 minutes. You could see from the kick off how West Brom planned to approach the game, it could have got very frustrating if we'd had to spend 40 minutes looking for a way through two rows of 5 defenders.

 

I was talking to some Baggies fans on the way home (nice chaps - they said they were happy because they'd decided they were cricket fans for the day). They've been underwhelmed by Rickie; they reckon that a year on the touchline with Liverpool left him short of match-fitness which in turn has led to his not being played enough by WBA and so never regaining match-fitness. They were clear they rated him as a player but said that he's been allowed to rot. Quite sad, really.

Vin

 

I met someone as he left for the match....said he was thinking of taking a book

 

Great post Lambo. They showed Rickie several times on the stream I watched yesterday. He has the most magnificent beard these days, but looked very thoughtful and sad, stuck on the bench at the ground he graced for five seasons. I would love to think there could still be a place for Rickie's genius at Southampton but I struggle to see how he could fit in. Maybe the current, successful 3-4-2-1 or whatever it is, would suit him but as he never seems to play nowadays it's impossible to tell.

Like you Lambo, I bitterly regret Rickie's leaving us to pursue his childhood dream, which Brendan Rodgers (curse his name) cheated him of. He is easily my favourite Southampton player since MLT, and I still miss the big guy, even after the last record-breaking season.

 

Rickie would have got game time if he stayed at Saints, but he left to play for his childhood club and a last pay day (don't blame him as he didn't get decent money for half his career, so it was a chance to provide for his expanding family).**

I said at the time that selling Rickie to Liverpool was like parting with a much loved Labrador and discovering you'd sold him to a dog fight organizer

**Cortese remarked on the number of babies arriving for Southampton players. That's what happiness does for you...quite a little rush after we got promoted.

 

Love Albion fans. As good as any in the country. This is a difficult post to read, confirming our worst fears. Deeply sad. Do we need programme sellers?

 

Need a rendition of 'Bring him home.'

 

Exactly the point which I was making towards the end of the game, and shortly afterwards. Fortunately for once we had options off the bench which could maybe have helped us to have made that break through. The goal made Tony have to tear up his game plan - first they tweaked their set-up mid-half, then they made the double change at HT to change it again. But their original set-up was clearly to defend, and maybe nick a goal from someone off their bench in the last 20.

 

You need the players for it though. We have two good attacking full-backs with slight defensive frailties and a short(ish) LB who is Englands new CB.
And 2 turbo-charged Irishmen. Does anyone match them for their running? Stats won't say as you've got to run at the right time, not all the time.

 

I'm a massive fan of Davis and Long. Particularly pleased for Long. Most of us have recognised Steven Davis' contribution, but Long has been a bit of a peripheral figure. I thought he was a very good player when he forced Jose to don brown trousers for the second half of a home game against West Brom which we lost 3-0. Lukaku was terrifying that day, but Long too was a real handful. He chases lost causes, he scores goals and he can play a killer pass.

 

People need to let the Lambert song go. The guy chose to leave and even though he was a legend I wouldn't want him back.

 

I bet you drown unwanted kittens as well don't you? Heartless bugger!

 

May I add the Adkins quotes to this!?

 

(Particularly when the most often used one isn't 'his').

 

Normally TSS posts this link, but I will. Here's the full match with the NBC commentary: http://www.footballorgin.net/2016/01/premier-league-2015-2016-southampton-v.html

 

Just watched goals again on Goals on Sunday (can never see a win enough times)...Brendan remarked what a good player Davis was and how he'd had a good career. Shame some can't see it....luckily his managers and team mates have always appreciated him. A footballer's footballer.