Match Day Thread Swansea City v Southampton Saturday 13th February 2016 KO 15:00

Here's the post-match press conference with Ronald.

 

For anyone wanting to watch the above, I recommend skipping to the 27:00 mark in the second half video, watching the next three or four minutes of video, and then doing something else.

 

Just back in from an enjoyable day in Swansea, good ground, friendly locals, found a great pizzeria close to the Liberty.Scrappy game, but we left with the points in the back pocket. Stand out player for me was Virgil, he is just so commanding and calm

 

It's that "calm" which has a shaken Guidolin so spooked, as he tries to explain "why is it so difficult to score against Southampton?"

 

How refreshing to hear a manager not blame the referee

 

Hopefully Arsenal ship a couple against Leicester, to push into second place in the least conceded table. Spurs conceded five less than us at the moment.

Top of the form guide going into the whatever-irrelevant-competition-that-Saints-aren't-in break.

 

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Fair to say that away games involving us aren't the most exciting. Only WBA, Newcastle and Villa have scored less. Only Spurs have conceded less (and that could change tomorrow).

Not that I'm complaining mind. For me, away from home it's all about the results. And four wins and five draws on the road is absolutely fine by me, I don't care that we're scoring less than one gaol per game on average.

 

Chelsea are 5th in the form guide, having won 2 of their last 6 matches. Save us, Leicester, and Spurs; there's a lot of teams in patchy spells.

 

That's two videos where Ron has mentioned Long complaining of the defenders. Probably being thick, but can't decide what he means. Any ideas.

 

That got me to look at the away points totals, and I was somewhat surprised to see us that far down the table. Man, the home team advantage has declined in recent years...being any distance removed from a point per game away used to mean that you were very good indeed, now all but the relegation strugglers are above that threshold. 15th in away points this year (Chelsea, with 13) has already eclipsed the 14th-best away club in '09/'10, and they have seven away matches yet to play!

 

In the next fortnight Saints need to get Forster to sign a new long term contract with a release clause of £60m as a minimum. In fact look at everyone's contract, extend it and raise the release clause. That would a useful two weeks work.

 

Nice two weeks break for him now to rest and recuperate. Two weeks will give him time to work on the knock picked up by that Tiggermaster ghost thread.
Maybe a behind-closed-doors friendly thread, or even an U-21 match thread to keep his hand in...

 

Fewer!

 

Good idea Ides, we're having a break, we're up to sixth, sign here. btw; Do we have release clauses?

 

Not strictly true. If he's talking about goals specifically, then yes (as in 'only Spurs have conceded fewer goals'/'Villa have scored fewer'), but as conceding and scoring in general, 'less' is fine. Infact, he hasn't mentioned goals at all, so is talking generally anyway.

 

But having read his post properly, I see he is talking about it in comparison to us, so I'll stand corrected.