Match Day Thread Sat 15 Feb. 15.00 - Plucky Little Southampton vs. A “Big” Club from Liverpool - no, not that one!

What a team they have become! Watch the corner that follows JWP's free kick in the first half. The corner when straight to the keeper and there was an opportunity for Everton to break with our CB's up for the corner. But a makeshift back 4 quickly assembled with JWP running back from the corner to make up the 4. Once the keeper decided to hold onto the ball, players quickly switched to their correct positions without a single word being said. This is what Ralph means when he says everyone knows what to do in any given situation.

 

If Carlsberg did 50th birthday weekends…

 

I made it!

Got in the door and up the stairs and caught glimpse of the pitch just as the players finished taking the knee.

What a performance. We’ve got something good going here. And for the first time in years, it feels like we might actually be able to build upon it.

 

It was as much a hand ball as one 10 mins later up the other end. You give both or neither so I don’t mind the consistency

 

Not a pen from where I was watching on the radio.

 

Yep just look at the points gained in last 4 games:

Man City - 1 point

Spurs - 3 points

Man Utd – 1 point

Everton – 3 points

Gotta love Shane long, my goodness, he leapt like a salmon to get his head on the ball.

And KWP is playing like Lionel Messi.

 

Sublime. Rode the early pressure and Everton quickly lost the guts. 19 shots, 11 on target to 11 with 0 on target tells you everything.

Walker Peters and Romeu becoming the players of the season for me. Both immense today but once again the whole team is playing brilliantly. Could and should have scored 4 today but the clean sheet is worth more!

 

He's not the tallest bloke but it's always a pleasure to watch him constantly outjump defenders. Well taken goal, really pleased for him.

 

Do dives only get bookings if they are in the area? Early 2nd half Gordon clearly expected a challenge and threw himself to the ground.

 

Keep seeing post like this on opposition forums when they play us

"Southampton are playing like prime Barcelona, we cant get anywhere near them, second best on every single level.

Should be 3 down BTW, Everton yet to have a shot on target..... game over IMO"

 

I’m claiming an assist for shlongs goal, when Broja went off and Long came on I leant over and said to my Dad “that’s our goal threat gone then”

Don’t know what’s more amazing, that Long scored or that he won a free kick!

We were so controlled today, so dominant and some really really nice attacking play. Could have been a 4/5-0. My stand out performers were Romeu, Stu and KWP.

Everton were awful too. Their only tactic was hoof it forward for DCL.

Norwich next up which will be a completely different challenge. COYR

Oh one last thing, although it was nice to see Sam McQueen at halftime, the sound system is just so utterly **** (seems to have somehow gotten even worse), that nobody could understand a thing that was said. Sort it out Saints, these HT interviews are pointless when you can’t hear any of it.

 

Good point about Everton's tactics. And yet people suggested Lampard would be a better manager for us than Ralph. Watching today's match just showed Lampard has got a lot to learn about management.

 

In (mild) defense of Lampard, that mostly owed to the fact that Everton's midfield was appalling, and continuously got dispossessed. Hoofing it forward was better than the alternative most of the time.

 

It tends to be "we're making them look like prime Barcelona".

They don't actually want to give us credit (which is typical of all fans when getting pasted, including us).

 

Very good Archers. I didn't realise anyone had heard me.

 

Yet we're 7th on MOTD. Nice to see how much progress we've made in the eyes of the BBC. NOT!

 

You gamblers we are evens to finish in the top ten and five points clear. Big value. Leicester have three games in hand, but also Vestergard

 

Long has genuinely been good in every appearance he has put in so far this season, caught myself thinking that an additional year might be in order for a second.

It’s not good for Adam Armstrong that he seems to have fallen behind Long in the pecking order though.

 

Shane Long has what boxers call ringcraft. It takes years of experience to learn that, and it’s why he’s always a good sub to bring on late in a game with a lead to defend. Plus, his attitude is impeccable, the perfect pro. Armstrong can learn a lot from watching Long, though probably not how to be prolific in front of goal.

 

Not an extra year on his current terms. But I can’t imagine they would need to be as I really don’t see what club could and would match them

Was thinking the same about Armstrong

Also I have mentioned before - the amount of times Long has made the bench and our use of two strikers suggests we will be looking for a replacement if he does go. But who could we get as someone who is quite likely to be a reserve striker? Most likely will need to be someone who can also play in one of the 10 roles so they have two avenues into the side. Not many of those through

Another young prospect / internal promotion is of course an idea but we will be wanting a first choice as well for Broja’s role. It will be tricky to try and bring in someone who knows they will start as a reserve but I would imagine Broja was never guaranteed to start - so we would presumably point to his situation - he was signed to be / started off as first reserve behind Armstrong and Adams and seized his opportunities

There are certain squad roles that are tricky for smaller clubs to sign players for. Namely reserve type roles like - a 4th choice CB, reserve goalkeeper, Romeu backup and as mentioned 3rd/4th choice striker

Even sides like spurs struggle to attract strikers who know they will be on the bench. At least we play two rather than one.

But how many strikers out there :
- play the disruptive role like Long, and
- can potentially play elsewhere to give them more avenues into the first team?