Just back from working late. I'd had the Radio 5 commentary on for some of the match, and most of what I was able to hear was that Saints were more than matching ManU. With about 10 minutes to go, I was again unable to hear the match commentary, but then again I was getting rather nervous. It wasn't for about 20 minutes after the match ended that I was aware of the result. You can imagine my dismay, as I can imagine everyone else's. It's harder to bear because there's a bloody international break now, but at least it gives the Lads time to recover and learn from the mistakes. It also gives Adkins time to digest his moves, so maybe it isn't so bad. They oh so nearly did it, and they'll learn from it. I'll be watching Motd2 with my head held high.
I really hate the utter crap Hansen comes out with when talking superlatives about certain players. Yes, Van Persie is amazing, but to say that Kelvin had "absolutely no chance whatsoever" of saving that first goal is just untrue. He actually almost inadvertently saved it off his leg, and it was actually relatively straight at Kelvin rather than a true shot off VP and into the bottom corner. Actually he had a significant chance of saving it, as any more of a nick of Kelvin, and it could have taken it past the outside of the post. Sometimes I don't think that the pundits are seeing the same clips as we are.
I know it because I have already experienced it. I can easily forgive throwing away the lead against City, but this was 5pu1s style bottling.
Enjoyed your game, guys. Definitely deserved something and it's great to see the new boys showing the old guard. Well done. Can see you lot doing alright.
Well played Southampton and unlucky on the result as you did deserve something from this game. Good luck for the rest of the season.
The fact is we played very well against the most successful team in the Premiership. The atmosphere was electric at times (we even got OWTS synchronised across the stands). I don't care how many games in a row a team has stayed up after losing. We have a very tough start and nearly won both Manchester games. Seriously, were we expecting to have been in the lead going into the last 10 minutes? I guess the reaction from some has been predictable as some on here have found reason to be dispairing after losses in the last two seasons, and we will certainly have more to come.
Only a few days ago posters were coolly predicting 3-0 to ManU as a fair result, such was the attack of depressive realism that had spread amongst the forum. However, this was a game that was 2-1 to Saints on 85 minutes. Against the vast majority of teams in this league, that score would have remained the same at 90 + injury time, or possibly could eve have been added to on the home score. Let's not let disappointment cloud the judgement. Saints played very well indeed and there will be plenty of better days.
I think the starting 11 was the best set up of the three games. Lallana was looking good and Punch was the best in a while. after we took the lead i really thought we'd hold on for a point. We seemed to be playing better than the first game. KD's distribution was poor today. He did well when the ball came to him but the outlets were scary. Fonte was not much better on his outlets. I hope the new CB can really get us solid at the back. We can go forward with the best but the back is no tight. You could see we were running out of gas and I thought we should have made a change sooner than we did. We were not closing them down and MU had everyone on our half of the pitch. When we are out on teams we can really disrupt them and we look good. Seems like we are just tiring a bit right now near the end of the game. Hopefully the endurance will come as the season goes. We have one more top team to play and hopefully we can then bring our best against the lower half.
Got to say I'm totally gutted at the result, I really thought we had them, but hey that's the Premier League, we are up against the best of the best and we can't relax for a second. Despite the result, I think the team played great, we dominated for long periods and while Rickie, Lallana and Punch were on, we really had the strength to hold them. Puncheon in particular played a blinder for me. If we continue to play like that for the rest of the season, we'll be mid table easy. COYR...
Did you not worry at all that the three excellent players you mentioned, had run their socks off and looked very, very tired? I think that strength we seemed to have was slowly going to wain without any changes.
Agree with that FLT. If we'd held on Nigel would have been lauded as it was the substitutions looked bad. Reality is Punch was knackered and his influence would defo have waned. You have to tic who Fergie brought on as well.
