On paper we put out a pretty good side, but for a while they were outplayed by an ordinary side. Think this really shows how important playing together as a team is. Our players last night could probably slip seamlessly into the first team as individuals if required, but are not match ready when exposed by playing together. I don't know what the answer is...I really want to do well in the League Cup (OK, I want to win it)...these players appear good enough to do well...but then we struggle for a while against Bristol City. Be interesting to see the team Mauricio puts out if we draw Spurs for instance. He must be pleased with the result, but surely not the performance. Am I being unreasonable (answers on a postcard, please).
Bristol were up for it and we werent. Compare it with last year when our second team went out with a whimper and we've improved a lot. We should just be happy to have got through with no first teamers injured.
My verdict on last night. Defence were solid, with special mention to Chambers, he was our best player, great going forward. Cork and Davis played well, but second half struggled mainly because of our toothless attack repeatedly just doing **** all. Guly not as bad, I thought, as some others on here. Gaston absolutely useless. Yes, nice goal, but his control, passing, pace, attitude were all dreadful. He should have been made to look like Mesut Ozil tonight. Tadanari, I'd be happy if he never wore a saints shirt again. Nothing against him, he tried hard first half, but he looked like a clueless 14 year-old in the second half, I could have marked him out the game. He will never will be premier league standard. Ward-Prowse was average. Really feel Guly should have been the main striker last night, not wasted on the wing, felt sorry for him. Reed looks a real prospect.
Strange game in many ways. It felt like a reserve match. The way I looked at it was, if I were the manager, who impressed me enough to step up to the 1st team. And the answer is, nobody. Davis played well in goal with a couple of very good saves, some dodgy distribution though, but I was expecting to see mega displays from Cork and Ramirez. Ramirez scored a lovely goal, showing that he does have ability but after that was poor. The stats will show that he made quite a few successful passes but these were mostly 5 or 10 yarders going sideways or backwards. His basic control let him down a lot (although there was one sublime lay-off, again demonstrating that he has the ability) and any meaningful passes mostly went astray. Cork was OK but didn't dominate as I'd hoped he would. He gave the ball away at one point which led to Jos getting booked and he seemed to lose a bit of confidence after that. So, no changes to the '1st team' then. The only one who looked ready if required was Yoshida.
Main thing is wee are in the last 16 and must have a good chance of landing a London club. So far Fulham, West Ham. Chelse and Spurs all through.
See Jesus Perez singled out Lee for praise...never thought he would get back into the reckoning after so long on the side lines...Mauricio must see something in him (at least as a back up). How cool does Jos look after he scored...like he does it all the time I hope the draw is favourable to us...we can beat anyone on our day, but sometimes you need a little help from fate (as we did when we got to the FA Cup Final against Arsenal).
I think we have to bear in mind most of these players are pretty rusty, and may not have had complete pre-seasons, so they're not going to be at their best yet. I see Gaston's tweeting in English now as well as Osvaldo. I suspect they may be getting some help with that (that or they could teach Shaw some things about spelling and grammar )
A good result. I was worried when i saw the line up. I know we need to give the second string a run out in the cups but i actually would like to win a cup now and then. Which we simply won't do if we continue to field a much weakened team in them all the time. I hope now that we are in the last 16 that we will put out a side with at least half the positions filled with our number 1 choices.
Take your point Saint S but look at the profgress 6 of that defence and midfield were regular starters at the beginning of last season.I'm sure if we draw a big tem in the last 16 we'll be up fot it. Personally I'd like West Ham!
On paper, I don't think it was that weak a team. 10 have played in the Premier League and they should have been easily good enough to win especially after getting off to such a good start. They simply didn't play well and tactically, with Lee as the main striker, it didn't work. We did win though!
This was a very strange game played in a very strange atmosphere! As noted by others there was a 30 min episode in the second half when Brizzle were "in our face" and I thought unlucky not to equalise. But hey, quality came through in the end. Good goals both but the overall feel of the team last night was often one of being unsure of their roles. Guly got some stick and he did offer some great entertainment by actually tackling himself at one point. Mostly though he again and again was offered little movement or options when in possesion so made to look a complete dork. Re the attendance, I agree you could've got 15000+ by reducing the price to £10 and letting little people in for bugger all but then then whole ground would need to be opened. I'm guessing the Don has done the maths?
Suggested by Whispering Dave that it may have been Bristol City who wanted the higher price. Little advantage to them to have a bigger crowd of Saints fans and perhaps the maths suggest that their share would not be improved by more fans at cheaper prices. We will never know. Don't expect cheaper prices if we draw at home in the next round.
I'm sure it suited them just fine, but why would we go along with their wishes? Surely it's in our interest to have more saints fans in the ground?
Really? I'd have thought home side sets price as for league games. I could be wrong, but I can't imagine how Arsenal and Altrincham for example would ever agree on a price!
The difference is that in a cup game the gate money (minus costs) is split between the teams unlike in the league.
