This is the first time I've had access to my computer since the match, but I'm not the sort of person who has knee jerk reactions straight after the game and then calms down the next morning, so this will not be a diluted version of my view. I am rarely very critical of our team's performances and usually one of the more positive posters on here, but as the title of this thread alludes to, I am not happy with what I saw yesterday. The first thing I would like to say, is that ignoring the horrible football I had to endure in the freezing cold for 90 minutes, a draw and a clean sheet isn't really a terrible result. It's not a good result; we should probably be able to beat a team below us the league table at home (Or at least muster more than 3 shots against them!) but it is a point closer to staying up. I guess that is how it will be from here, we will limp/stagger across the finishing line, playing the most f*** ugly football along the way! But I am certainly very worried that, aside from the Tottenham game, I can't recall a recent match were we haven't been very, very poor going forwards. The weather was 'not great', but it is not an excuse. Southampton passed excellently all match and when they did resort to long passing it was always accurate! I don't really recall them missing a pass all afternoon, so if they can do it why can't we? Now onto the match itself: For the first ~35 minutes of the game, it was all Southampton. They pressed us high up the pitch at all times and it paid dividends; they would pass the ball around for a while, when we eventually got it we would hoof it straight down the pitch and the Southampton defenders would control it (We never had a player within 20 yards to contest the ball and that IS Hughton's fault! Absolutely no ambition at all to win the match) and restart the process. Somewhere in here, Pilkington got injured (Looked like an off the ball injury to me) and was replaced by Hoolahan, who all though did actually do ok, to be fair to Huhgton, the loss of width made a 4-4-2 with two big guys up-top much less effective. At the end of the first half, we started to look something resembling competitive, but still Southampton were far better than us, and had they had their shooting boots on, they could have taken us 0 -3/4 in spite of Bunn's heroics. But at least we did actually win a corner. After half-time we did improve a bit, and we almost matched Southampton in terms of playing the ball, although they still had far better chances than us. I only recall us having three shots all game; a direct free-kick from Snodgrass, a header off-target from Turner on a set-piece and the penalty (more on that later!) Towards the end of the game, Hughton put Becchio on in place of Kamara, who was equally as ineffective as the man he was replacing, though for my money I thought it should have been Holt was taken off. Apparently some fans booed the substitution, although I didn't hear any, the man next to me gave Kamara a standing ovation of the pitch, when I thought he had been pretty poor to be honest. The highlight of the match for me came a little bit before the end, when Southampton brought on JP and the now infamous chant of 'Jason Puncheon, he ****s when he wants' rang around the ground loud and clear. I was tempted to join in to be honest. I was roughly the opposite corner of the pitch to the Southampton fans, and I could hear all the chants loud and clear and absolutely nothing from ours except a few brave attempts to get something going in the Barclay. The people nearish me were more concerned planning an alternative route home due to the A47 (?) being closed! And just like the fans, the Southampton players seemed far more up for this match then the home equivalent. Then deep into stoppage time, one of our players hoofed the ball forwards, and shock horror, it actually found one of our players! Someone amongst this chaos, Holt clashed with a Southampton defender (Luke Shaw) and went to ground. I was right in the corner near it, and to me there was almost no contact what-so-ever. Never a penalty in a million years (Though that didn't stop the fans near me calling for Southampton defender to be dismissed ) in fact, considering Holt was already on a booking for a horrible slide tackle from behind early in the first half, he was probably lucky he didn't collect a second yellow for simulation. As it was, Artur Boruc was determined not to be the victim of injustice and pulled of a superb save off what was actually a pretty decent penalty. At the full-time whistle, there was audible booing from areas all around me. I didn't join in, in fact I clapped our players off the pitch because at least they had given it their wholly insufficient all. But I certainly do not begrudge to boo boys their chance to make their feelings known because I myself paid £20 for the ticket (And that was an under 16 ticket for f***'s sake!) and £40 on the train their and back (And I somehow managed to book return tickets for the 31st March and spent the whole journey back to University praying the inspectors wouldn't notice) to freeze to death watching my team put in a dismal performance and generally be made to look like the away team by a side who many would have expected us to beat. But that is not to be condescending to Southampton who were excellent and definitely deserved all three points. The weather and the cost/my incompetence of booking train tickets weren't the clubs fault, but all in all it was a terrible weekend were I can honestly say I would rather of sat in my room and revised! Ok, so player ratings. Norwich: Bunn - 7.5 - Other then his at times wayward kicking, this was a superb game for the man. He pulled off a few smart stops, the best of which was tipping a chip shot by someone I can't remember over the bar. R. Martin - 5.5 - Very, very average. Never really got forwards at all, and whilst there is nothing I can really fault him on there is nothing I can praise him on either! Turner - 8.0 - Our best player, as he has been for most of these last games. Funny, isn't it how Turner and Bunn are out two best players at the minute? Aside from something that looked alarmingly a failed attempt to pirouette a Soton player from defence, he was excellent. Dominant in the air, I recall two perfectly timed sliding challenges to help out teammates when they were out of position and a superb sliding interception in the penalty area that I think denied Soton an otherwise certain goal. Bassong - 7.0 - Considering the Southampton nearly always had the ball outside our box, Bassong had to be in good nick. A dependable performance, similar to Turner's but not so good if that makes sense! Garrido - 5.5 - Far more of our play was on the left wing than the right which meant Garrido got the chance to get forwards a put. Early on all he ever did was just a short gentle pass to Pilkington (To be fair, it is probably what he was told to do) but when Hoolahan came on he was able to overlap and link-up with more effectively, but with two big guys to aim for, it would of been nice to see him put some crosses in! Snodgrass - 6.5 - As with most of our recent matches, the only decent attacking player. At least he beat his man from time to time, made good runs and good passes and as always, put in a great shift. For a winger he is superb defensively. Had two situations in the penalty area, one of which after he rounded Artur Boruc, in which he was in a great position to score, but couldn't (Or at least didn't) get a shot away. Howson - 4.0 - Absolutley f***ing appalling today. We all know he is a far better player than this, but other than vs Swansea he just hasn't either had the chance or when he has done, he hasn't taken it. He was actually modestly effective at breaking up play, but on multiple occasions he get tackled when he should have passed, and on the occasions he did pass it was straight to a red and white shirt. Johnson - 5.5 - The sponsor's man of the match! They must never actually watch the football, because I have never once agreed with one of their choices. Didn't really pass or break up the play well, but might have looked better had he not been surrounded by such mediocrity. Picking up his habitual booking and surely he MUST be suspended by now! If he is, it is a shame because we don't have much going on in the CM department right now. Pilkington - 5.0 - Wasn't on the pitch very long, but looked very blunt for the duration he was, before going off injured. Kamara - 5.5 - Pretty anonymous, with the odd flash of promise. Put in a good cross, made the occasional run, and used his strength at times, but certainly didn't justify being included ahead of fifth midfielder as served Southampton so well. Didn't really compete in the air for all the long balls. Holt - 5.0 - Completely ineffective. Struggled to make any sort of contribution to the team at all. Won the penalty with a dive and saw it saved. Subs: Hoolahan - 6.0 - Came on as a left winger, but spent most of the game cutting in. Looked better than most of our forward players, and had he been surrounded by decent players, he would probably have had a real influence. Has a glorious opportunity to shoot in the box, but daddled and had the ball taken away. Becchio - 5.0 - Came on far too late to make any difference, but showed no signs that he would of during his ~15 min spell on the field. Southampton's players were much better than ours. Hoovield was my man of the match, never seen someone so comfortable against Grant Holt (Add Kamara to that equation too!) but all their players could at least pass and not get tackled. Ok, so that's it. Sorry about the dissertation, but I feel strongly about this. OTBC IHWT.
You didn´t think much of it then Mr. Marsupial? I enjoyed the point (and pint) at the end of it, and also the fact that I was sitting nice and snuggly at home, instead of out in the sleety conditions.
Love your passion but would point out that the weather meant for a nearly unplayable game of football. Also Hughton seems to have bowed to pressure and started playing 4-4-2. The players don't look comfortable with it, because as you rightly said, we don't have good enough central midfielders. (Although Johnson played well) Since we stopped playing 4-5-1 with Wes pulling the strings we have been toothless in attack. People calling for 4-4-2 were evidently wrong and I'm not sure why Hughton changed it. Unless the players get to grips with 4-4-2 we will continue to look poor attacking. People can say "every schoolboy is taught how to play 4-4-2" but football is far more tactical and difficult (obviously) at this level. After about 10 minutes I was shouting at my screen because we obviously hadn't done enough work to counter Southampton's high pressing game. We had all week to work on it. There should of been a plan. Instead the players looked confused over being tackled in their own half. Did someone at the club not do their homework? Would also add you're wrong about Howson playing a 4. He wouldn't scrape a 2 in my book. Totally useless on and off the ball.
It should also be pointed out that although Saints are below us in the league (and the QPR game aside), they have hit a reasonable run of form lately. Based on their current form only their league position is a little false. When playing well, they are a decent side. A decent side that we would have beaten but for a penalty miss.
very good summary DM, agree that Turner was our MOM. conditions were awful for football but Saints coped better. i would like to know what has happened to Howson, he is only a shadow of the player from last spring.
Yes, I maybe didn't make enough of a point of how difficult the conditions where; they were horrible enough for watching football so for some of the players, like Garrido to be stood in a short sleeve on the half-way line must have been nearly unbearable. But they were not impossible for football, because Southampton actually passed the ball around well even if it had been in warm sunshine. I definitely felt 4-4-2 was not effective, or at least not in the way we played it. We were just thumping the ball upfield, when we really needed to be crossing it to the big strikers. As for Howson, I really cannot say what the problem is. To be fair, he has found opportunities to play relatively rare, and aside from this game nobody can claim he has been much worse than of our other central midfielders. I don't think it helps when he is played as a central midfielder as opposed to behind the striker as he was generally much better last season freed of defensive responsibility. Although, that said he actually did put in a decent shift going backwards against Southampton which is why I feel a rating of 2 would be too harsh.
