Okay, I have tried to stay with Russ, but I am now done with him. Observations Lallana wanted to attack, others wanted(instructed to play safe) We introduce Tall Paulon 85 minutes and the game completely changes = why so late Free kick on 96 minutes, surely everyone in the box and Ramsdale launch it....no passit around till the whistle. Give Lallana player/ manager to end of season. He looked like the one individual who really cared today
Still no more points though so same result as a humiliating defeat. I don't know where we will get any points this season unless there are significant changes in the way we set out to play
An aggregate score of 1-4 against Arsenal and City away is very respectable. Just a shame about the result in between.
Even ignoring the insane idea to make Lallana the player manager... how do you sit through Leicester and stick with him, but decide a 1 nil loss away at City is the final straw?
I have to say very odd timing for being done with Martin. Last week or next week when we fail to win are more appropriate times!
Because I have tried to be patient with him and give him a chance. We are still taking ludicrous chances at the back. There was a chance to be brave today in the last 10=15 minutes to snatch an unlikely draw, he left it too late and seemed happy to play out a respectable 1=0 defeat. I would gave rather lost 2=0 but gone for it at the end
For ne, it's not recognising in the game there is a possible point to be had, not reading the game situation, and I k it this can be argued for other games too, but my patience has gone
I think the gulf in class between the top of the table team and the Saints was superbly illustrated by the possession stats and where that football was played. Citeh ( even though they weren't up to their usual standard ) played their possession football in and around our box - we unfortunately did the same! Lallana could be seen trying desperately to drive the team up the pitch but again a lot of the time we wanted to play suicide football where on quite a few occasions we were nearly caught out. Anyway nevermind the result was the same a loss is still a loss and we are still searching for points -
To be fair the only way to have got a point would have been to equalise with the last kick of the game.
Completely agree - what's the point of a "respectable defeat?" IMHO it just builds and enables a losing weak mentality of the "Oh well we tried didn't we?" All the great teams of the past across many different sports had that tough refused defeat, strong desire to win that made them into Champions. I can't see that from our manager and more importantly not from the majority of players out on that pitch
Player of the Match on the BBC? Aaron Ramsdale - with this sort of improvement we'll be climbing up the table in no time. I personally think that fans seemingly taking heart from a 1-0 defeat where we tried our hardest to give them more goals by losing possession easily in and around our penalty area and not really wanting to attack but instead just pass the ball to and fro in our own half is madness but hey-ho each to their own. It wasn't a humiliating defeat but don't worry that'll come, probably someone like Everton will thump 6 past us, Saints usually get pasted by the most random teams and in the weeks to come these players heads will drop more and more. They are only human after all.
Getting over the line for that first win will be huge psychologically. We are not getting battered every week and have had our chances in nearly all of the games. I think that there is still a good spirit in the squad and hopefully we will beat Stoke well and take some confidence into the next two PL matches.
Had a very interesting and open chat with Phil Parsons and Henrik Kraft post game. Not really got time right now, but will pass across some of the snippets that I think are appropriate (not all of it, because you have to be respectful with these things). Nice guys though, both of them.
