We've not had many clear cut chances in this match, but our best chances so far have come from set-pieces and crosses. They're looking vulnerable in the air. Overall though, Southampton have executed their game-plan perfectly. Totally dominated us in midfield, and transition to attack so easily. Mane and Long stretching our defence with ease. We're lucky to only be a goal down.
I swear I hate when we give one of these performances. We look like clueless idiots, our defending is ****, our attacking play is ****, our passing is ****. We're lucky we aren't 2-0 down. Wenger needs to get into the players and tell them to actually turn and wake the **** up, there's a bloody game on with a chance to go top of the league, which you'd never think after watching that gutless performance.
Time to change our strategy and go long. We have plenty of pace up front and looks like our best chance.
Frustrating half. Credit to Southampton, they've pressed us high up the pitch and forced us into giving the ball away. We've not really been able to build up any passage of play and have been limited to half chances. Great strike from Soton, nothing Cech could do about that. I don't think the conditions are helping us much, but we might get a bit of advantage playing with the wind behind us in the 2nd half. I'm not sure that Southampton will be able to keep up that level of pressure in the 2nd half, so we should get into the game a bit more. Patience for the first 20 mins though, then if we're still behind we can push up the field a but more and try to force the play.
We need Gabriel on so we've got energy and commitment in the back 4 (instead of very tired players). We also need to start passing and moving more, or as a fallback start lumping it up to Giroud or into the channels for Campbell/Theo to run on to - it'll stretch Southampton and negate their pressing strategy.
HT. 1-0. Although we conceded to a spectacular goal from 30 yards, we're fortunate that it's the only goal we did let in. But this is a poor display so far. We can't handle the intensity of their pressing game and they keep winning the ball off us too easily. They're dominating us in midfield, with Mane and Long keeping our defence on their toes. This doesn't look like a side that has the desire to win the title, I have to say. We've struggled to get Ozil, Campbell, Walcott and Giroud into the game, but Ramsey and Flamini have been totally bossed by Wanyama. This was a game that I thought we would struggle in based on how Southampton press and how energetic their players are because we don't do well against teams that employ those sort of tactics. We need to hope they drop off in the second half because if they continue like that throughout, this game is a write off.
****ing **** decision from the ref. Blatant foul on Koscielny before finding himself unmarked in the box
That was a trip on kos but we've got all we deserved for such shocking defending , while saints have got all they deserve for their positive play. ****
