During the match I was watching Virgil. He had (it appears) huge amounts of time and space - none of the Burnley players even attempted to dispossess Virgil. They probably thought it wouldn't be worth the effort, as he would simply produce another inch-perfect (millimetre-perfect?) pass, to a Saints player,leaving the Burnley player chasing thin air. We've got Van Dijk, Virgil Van Dijk, I don't quite think you understand....
Just watched the Match Uncovered video, I loved how Boufal stopped when he saw his picture on the wall and got his camera out to take a photo.
Saw some of the highlights on YouTube and I have to ask myself why it is necessary to have a massive bank of empty seats behind the goal at the Northam. When Chelsea play Arsenal, surely a high octane game, the rival fans are separated by just a line of stewards. It is the same at Liverpool and countless other PL grounds, so IMO is just seems utterly bewildering and unnecessary to have this space unoccupied. Do the club or police fear a massive punch-up between Saints fans and whoever they are playing?
Burnley didn't even fill up their own block. If there was massive demand, Saints would have probably opened it up, but there were gaps in our sections as well.
But even in bigger games, there always seems a considerable gap between Saints fans and the away fans. The club is thus depriving itself of some income from would be spectators. Last year I cannot recall a game that got close to 32000 and that is still 600 away from a full house. That does seem odd for a top PL side and the only one that is around (bar Bournemouth) for 75 miles. Given that a million people live within 35 miles of the stadium, every home game should be a sell out for a team currently as good as Southampton.
The gate was 29,040 for this game. They couldn't sell out. I agree we should be selling out, but we don't. Having matches generally every time apart from 3 pm on a Saturday doesn't help and neither does having so many games on TV. Another factor now is the Europa...this is another drain on supporters pockets. We have a decent catchment area but aren't filling the ground...I have no doubt that the club are looking into this as it is lost revenue.
Saints could have an undersized stadium if there were not so many plastic followers of Chelsea, Manchester Unted and Arsenal who live in the area. If only they could support a team in Hampshire where they live. You do not get Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal fans in Liverpool.
Last season the Newcastle game had virtually no segregation at all. Most of the seats in the block directly behind the goal were sent back by Newcastle and then sold on to Saints fans. That meant there were Saints fans and Toon fans sitting together, which was fun. The difference with Sunday's game was lack of demand I guess, with a busy period coming up.
To be fair the pundits and presenters seemed far more enthusiastic about the Saints v Burnley game than the preceding game with all the hype!
Okay, here's my take on the pens having watched a bunch of times - Yes, Burnley should have had the first one. The McQueen one I think was a pen for the first movement - he's bounced off balance at speed, but he then realises that's not enough to send him down, so goes down in a second movement (which was a dive). So in a funny kind of way, it should have been a penalty (for the first impediment) and a yellow for the following dive. If that makes sense? I mean I know it'll never work out like that, but that to me was how it was. The Burnley penalty is an absolute nonsense, sorry Tom, I know you were defending it, but it's twaddle. I'm all for cutting out holding at corners etc, but it's a physical game with contact. Unless we're suddenly cutting any contact out of the game, there's no way that's a penalty in a million years. Far, far, far less of a penalty than the McQueen one, but still it evens out the one they should have got.
PS - on the first penalty that wasn't given. I don't think VVD is as culpable as is being made out. It was a bit of a lazy leg-out, but firstly he does actually get a bit of the ball (before the man) and also the Burnley player is pushed into his leg by McQueen. I mean, yeah, it's absolutely still a penalty, but I don't see it being quite as lackadaisical and poor piece of defending as is being made out. It's not his finest moment, but it's not as bad as all that. It was more a combination of circumstances.
On our penalty are refs allowed to do what LTL mentioned? Give a pen but still book the player for simulation?
Young Sam will have to improve his diving technique going on that display. Mike Dean though three penalty decisions all wrong.
