I try and help him out by sending him happy thoughts and the occasional feeble 'Go on Danny'. I think I'll take my leave for the evening, there's more pants-wetting in here than a nursery. Disappointing result but it changes nothing, the results we need to get are in the next couple of games (can't believe it's the end of the season already!), disappointing result with a spot of bad luck and some poor finishing. All too familiar this season and is to be lamented but it is not a result that will see us relegated. Don't have much to say about the game or feel there is much that needs to be said, but one thing I will add is that I think Poche was a little bit naive basically leaving on 3 strikers, a winger and a not-particularly-defensive midfielder playing defensive mid at the end of the game, I felt JWP really needed to come on for Lambert or Rodriguez to give us some legs in the middle and a cushion for the defence. We started to be a bit slow coming out to pressure and in the end it cost us, Bale beat Shaw a touch too easily but the amount of room he had on the edge of the box was criminal. This is really where we need another DM available to help us shut up shop late in games.
Let me put it another way me betting £20 on us to win at 240/1 pretty much guaranteed our survival. There's no way I'm ever lucky enough to win that much money!
Feel free to talk for me - I've no corrupted emotions or anything like that at all, because I 100% want Southampton to stay up, and would even if I had Downthe36's 240/1 odds. I'll be just as heartbroken as everyone else if we do get relegated - I'll just find it a lot easier to renew my season ticket (and more) next year!
I think the other players are more to blame. They just lump it long at Mayuka or try and hit through ball after through ball to him when they aren't on. So we keep losing the ball
Centre forwards don't tend to get picked for their defensive capabilities! However, there have been several times over the past years when Rickie has offered a lot defensively, particularly when defending corners.
Fair enough, I suppose it's slightly like that joke "money doesn't buy you happiness but I would rather cry in my lamborghini." Except if you're crying in your lamborghini you are one sad soul. Betting on southampton getting relegated is a special case I suppose as the pain of relegation is always going to be greater than the few grand you pick up. It would be different if you were collecting enough money to genuinely make you happy rather than soften the blow as you say you are planning for.
On that basis, I looked "alright" as well, because I did as much on the pitch in that game as he did.
A new chant got going today, as well... It's not nice to be Pompey, It's not nice to be poor, You got Whittingham, We got Pochettino, Pochettino, Pochettino!
To be fair we played really well for most of that game. You can really see how far we have come defensively against a team who are usually very dangerous. We were just outdone by a wonder goal.
was that the one to the tune of this [video=youtube;rpswrex5djo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpswrex5djo[/video]
Spurs-supporting mate on the phone: "Lucky to get a draw, let alone a win. Guly was very good for you, we took control more when he went. Hooiveld was good too, and Shaw apart from maybe letting Bale drift in. Wigan still the best to come to the Lane, but then Chelsea and you. Should be proud of your performance, got a team that work hard for the club and fans. Your support was outstanding today too. You are safe. Don't worry at all, and if your chairman carries on as he has - you will be in the top half next season. You've got pretty much all the ingredients."
Mayuka was about what I expected. I think he was partially to blame for Bale's goal but then again that was a pretty awesome goal. He made what I thought was a weak cross, but only after making a nice move to put himself in position to cross in the first place. A few other times I thought he made some nice moves but at times didn't pick out the right player for a pass or kept the ball too long. Really didn't have that many opportunities to look great or awful overall. We were worse with him in the game, but that was because Guly was having an excellent match. If Guly hadn't gotten hurt, I don't know if Mayuka would have come in. Overall my opinion of him remains the same-- not good enough for the first team, but shows enough potential that I wouldn't write him off. Would like to see him get a loan next year. Pochettino is very gutsy with the subs. He's not afraid to use them liberally and unconventionally. Sometimes they've worked, and sometimes they haven't. I'm giving him them benefit of the doubt for now. I like that he is at least not afraid to make the moves and that even if they don't work it results in some playing time for the younger players which could be of benefit in the long run. I look at it like Saints only needed to win one out of four games. That's two down, still have two to go. Can't see how I can just shrug off a day where Saints lose and the other results went against us. But not panicking either. They still hold their fate in their own hands, fortunately. I can't guarantee dry pants if they lose the next game, though!