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Comment | Southampton At Birmingham City The Verdict
at 09:44:00
I have said it before that good managers are lucky ones and TE seems loaded with it. Because arguably the success we have enjoyed in most of our games so far have depended on large slices of it, last night more than the others, so here’s hoping it continues. Because let’s be honest we could have been three down before HT if Brum had been on their game, but Lady Luck was with us and a point won was a real bonus whereas it was definitely two points lost for them.
You make a point about not being able to handle their press. But I would disagree, yes it wasn't pretty at times and we did make a mess of it on a couple of occasions but I didn't see much panicking as per the Russell Martin era, and no doubt about it, when we broke, which we did on several occasions, we did catch them napping, albeit our finished product was lacking. I see this improving with each game as the new arrivals start to gel.
And talking of new arrivals, to me the real surprise was JWP, cool, calm, nearly scored, looked as if he had hardly been away; I think he just might turn out to be the bargain of the year. |
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Comment | Tonda Eckert Being Interviewed By The FA Today
at 08:43:12
If Tonda gets anything other than a suspended sentence Dragan Solak will keep the FA in court with appeal after appeal for so long they will have to jack up the price of Wembley tickets to £1,000 a seat just for row ZZ |
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Comment | Will Anyone Meet Leo Scienza's Southampton Release Clause Fee
at 10:39:53
One other rather more important point:
Leo has by all accounts done one helluva lot for the Foundation, so I just wonder whether be isn’t more wedded to the club than some may think…
“Southampton Football Club winger Leo Scienza made headlines for his special act of kindness toward a young fan, Oliver North, whose family had been going through an incredibly difficult period.
The Gesture: While sidelined from playing due to an injury, Scienza met the young supporter in the stands following a 2-0 victory over Norwich. After Oliver's father reached out on Instagram to say thank you for a quick photo, Scienza personally replied and went above and beyond by arranging a special follow-up experience. He invited Oliver back to St Mary's Stadium, gave him a personal tour of the facilities, spent quality one-on-one time with him, and even played a game of mini-golf together in the stadium's Level1 entertainment zone.Community and Charity Work
Beyond this specific individual gesture, Scienza is heavily involved in supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in the local community through the club's official charity, the Saints Foundation.
His efforts include:
SO14 Active Project: He routinely visits and promotes the SO14 Active initiative, which uses sports-based activities to improve physical and mental wellbeing in Southampton's most deprived areas.
Refugee Support: He works with the charity's Football for Refugees sessions, drawing from his own humble beginnings playing barefoot in Brazil to connect with those trying to integrate into the city.” |
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Comment | Ross Stewart Shows That Saints Players Will Put Their Own Interests Before Morals
at 12:41:35
Personally I think you are talking a lot of nonsense about player loyalty.
Ross Stewart and/or his agent is just exploring all options, no more no less. The fact is that I and probably most fans would be amazed if he finds another club as long-suffering as the Saints, but I absolutely see no problem in him trying.
Because it cuts both ways: if we find someone to replace him then he will suddenly find he's not in such a nice situation, especially given that no one is going to play a premium for a player whose fitness is no better than debatable |
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Comment | Dragon Solak Would Not Sack Tonda Eckert
at 10:54:29
PS. Some may have missed this but DS also stated that he had had fantastic support from Parsons and Spors.
So for better or ill, they clearly are not going anywhere… |
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Comment | A Thank You To Tonda Eckert
at 10:04:42
Sorry Nick check your facts:
The Premier League does not have an explicit, dedicated "no spying" rule, but such behaviour is strictly prohibited and heavily penalised under its broader "utmost good faith" regulations
“…While the Premier League lacks a clause specifically mentioning espionage, any club caught spying would be charged under Rule B.16 of the Premier League Handbook, which mandates that all member clubs conduct themselves with the "utmost good faith, honesty, and professional behaviour" toward one another…” courtesy Lewis Silkin lawyers. |
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Comment | Southampton FC Issue Statement On Spygate
at 13:49:24
My immediate reaction is that this smells a bit.
Because surely Parsons et al, having had several days to find out what happened, and indeed the actual facts of the case must surely be pretty straight forward - either he was acting with our authority or he wasn't - wanting more time suggests someone somewhere is wriggling.
I still reckon that a hefty fine - £1/2m at least - will be the punishment but this statement just seems to make the whole thing even murkier… |
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Comment | Will Southampton Be Signing The Two January Loan Signings In The Summer
at 09:15:48
Cyle Larin: a terrific bullying faster-than-he-looks Championship player, I suspect he might surprise a few defenders in the PL but perhaps better as a squad member/Cup player.
Daniel Peretz, I disagree that he is better than Ramsdale. I can count on the fingers of one hand the cock-ups he's made since joining, but I’d need several hands to score the number of excellent, brilliant and match/points-winning saves he has made.
Ramsdale though, exactly the other way round; OK so the atmosphere last season was not good but all the same he still cost us quite a few points from number of howlers he made for us, and I dont think he has got any better, arguably he is worse now.
SO PERETZ EVERY TIME OVER RAMSDALE… |
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Comment | Southampton V Manchester City The FA Cup Semi Final Verdict
at 15:43:30
Much of this has been written elsewhere several times, but worth repeating what our performances throughout the FACUp run have shown:
1. We really can compete with the big boys.
2. We have the depth of squad to compete on a regular basis in the league and in the Cup.
3. He may be the second youngest in the league but Tonda is undoubtedly one of the most intelligent, tactically astute and grounded managers of all the 92 clubs.
4. Touch wood but our training facilities and playing procedures appear to be of a quality such that we haven’t suffered from a multitude of injuries which have cursed many a squad.
5. Whether or not our success is because of, or despite, SR and/or Dragan Solak taking over as chairman, I suspect opinion probably still remains divided if begrudgingly more supportive than it was (like me).
6. As we have spent a good few years finding out, changing the ownership and management of a club at any level generally takes many years to work through, despite all the optimistic noises that are made at the beginning; for every Liverpool there’s a Chelsea or a Tottenham, for every Wrexham, there’s a Reading or a Sheffield Wednesday…
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Comment | Southampton V Blackburn Rovers The Verdict
at 10:17:57
Yes, a pretty fair summary even if I think you have done a bit of a undeserved downer on Blackburn. Because, apart from their revolting, dog sick, nappy brown kit - the designer of that definitely didn’t go to Specsavers - played some entertaining stuff at times, on which basis I would be very surprised if they do go down.
And well done Cameron A. What a game! What an assist! What a goal! I am sure I am not alone in thinking that, up until a few weeks ago, he was a complete waste of space. Clearly TE saw something in him which a lot of us didn’t, so lots of humble pie-eating. And particularly good to see Kyle Larin giving him well deserved praise for the top quality cross that led to the first goal.
The only fly in the ointment was the due performance of poor Tom Fellowes. Because apart from a couple of decent crosses where he had run to the by-line, he now seems incapable - or unwilling - to run forward with the ball and either goes sideways or passes backwards, thus causing any forward momentum to be lost. And I noticed in H2 he was virtually ignored by the backs who invariably passed down the left rather than right to him.
That said, I am not without hope, on the evidence of the improvement seen in CA, as I am sure there is a quality player aching to get out, which let’s hope TE can find.
Finally, I loved the way Tonda said how we had done Pompey a favour by winning, rather than the other way round, when asked about them being Ipswich. Class. |
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Comment | Southampton v Arsenal The FA Cup Verdict
at 18:19:49
Does anyone agree with me that Arsenal look SO over-coached and lacking in spontaneity? Every movement they made seemed to be totally according to the book so that, when the impossible happened and they went behind, they just didn’t have a Plan B - and how familiar does that sound to us? For example those ridiculous little tipptappy corners they tried, half a dozen times was it? It was all so formulaic, a waste of time mainly and dare one say it BORING?!
But compare that to us who seemed last night to be playing so much more by instinct, playing down the wings and through the middle and HAVING FUN.
Furthermore, the one thing I thought Arteta was good at getting into his own team’s minds was determination and resilience. Well judging by how low their heads were at half time, most already knew that the game was up.
And again did WE ever look like giving up? Not for one moment.
Wemberlee here we come … |
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Comment | Southampton V Oxford United The Verdict
at 17:07:06
I have been one of the “complete-waste-of-space” merchants when it comes to Cameron Archer.
And whilst I think he is far from the finished article and hopefully will come right (sometime in my lifetime!) i happily admit that HIS INCH PERFECT PASS TO SHEA CHARLES FROM WHICH HE SCORED WAS A THING OF GENIUS.
In other word even he invariably fluffs his lines when in front of goal, if he can make a vital contribution like he did yesterday, then he can be in my squad anytime…
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Comment | Saints Have To Sit Back And Watch The Championship With Fingers Crossed This Weekend
at 09:38:13
Far too many ifs, buts and maybes to be convincing.
The simple fact is that we will need to be incredibly lucky to get into 6th spot as it needs at least two clubs’ wheels to fall off all at the same time, nobody behind us having a purple patch and us continuing our rich vein of form. 7/1 to get promoted says it all (Millwall 11/4, Hull 13/2, Wrexham 8/1)
That Mr Still has a lot to answer for…
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Comment | Southampton At Sheffield Wednesday The Verdict
at 09:48:35
Great win, And personally I don’t give a monkeys who scores so long as they go in! We March On etc. although in all honesty, in form we may be, but we still need an awful lot to go wrong with several of the teams above us to make 6th spot
And TE I reckon generally has been managing the squad really well, with one unfortunate exception:
I do feel sorry for Cameron Archer, who made two contributions on Saturday. He “brilliantly” managed to get in the way of a certain Scienza goal. And he missed yet another sitter when it looked easier to score.
He has had so many chances, from which he appears not to have improved one jot, and arguably with his confidence clearly shot, has gone backwards. So what to do with him?
Well if we do happen to get promoted, there is no way he is even approaching a PL player.
And as it is he is struggling - to put it mildly - even to be a Championship one.
I think he should not be in the squad again this season, and should be shipped out either on loan or permanently come the summer. Sorry Cameron, but I do think you are out of your depth.
PS. If as I suspect he comes on in the Fulham game, that will be a real test, if not the final one. |
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Comment | Are Saints Arguably Stronger At The End Of The Transfer Window Than They Were At The Start
at 08:55:40
Hear! Hear!
As we all know it is so much easier to be negative at times like this. So if it does go wrong everyone can then turn round and say “Told you so, etc…”
But whilst I have been concerned that they just did not seem to be any effort being made up until the last couple of games and a serious bit up the jacksy was required, it seems to have happened on the pitch.
But now with new arrival coming in to a more positively-minded dressing room, at the very least he cannot do any worse than whom he replaced. Because let’s be honest, AA has really gone off and missed a good few absolute sitters recently (because his head had been turned …?).
And as for CA maybe this might just energise him a bit…
I did think the corner had been, at least reached if not actually, turned a couple of weeks back, but now with the usual injury caveats, a slimmed down and arguably improved squad and with other teams, eg Coventry and Stoke, really coming off the boil, I am starting to view the rest of the season with a lot more confidence.
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Comment | Southampton V Sheffield United The Verdict
at 20:37:29
Were we really watching the same game?
Yes H1 we did pretty well, but let’s be honest Leo’s shot was going nowhere but took a very fortunate deflection… and thanks very much.
But H2 I thought was no better than 50/50 in terms of better performance, and probably a lot worse, and were it not for Lady Luck and the Blades not having their shooting boots on we could well have been two or three down.
And even if they missed a few sitters, my God so did we - Aziz, AA and Leo at least a couple each…
Look, I am not trying to do a downer on the team. And a win is a (very welcome) win.
But is that really anything like required playoff, let alone automatic promotion, form?
No prizes for guessing what I think…
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