Saints had a phenomenal amount of possession but once again paid the price for individual error and lapses in concentration as they went down for the third game in a row.

If this game had been a boxing match it would have been stopped at half time, Villa were on the ropes and had survived by the skin of their teeth, the only problem for Saints was the fact that they were 1-0 up with just about their only real chance of the half.

Once again it was down to individual error, this time Yoshida's as what looked like an innocuous through ball caught him in two minds and let Agbonlahor in for a run on goal that saw Saints outnumbered but the Villa striker remain cool to slot it past Gazzaniga who stood no chance.

This should have been at best an equaliser though as Saints had had several fine chances beforehand, in fact the game had alreadyb had a moment of controversy, Guzan had slid out of his area and realising he was about to be dispossessed flicked the ball away with his hand, just about the only man in the ground not to see it though was referee Jonathan Moss who waved play on to concerted boo's from a crwod who hd just witnessed an appalling mistake by the referee, this moment was crucial in that Moss would have had to send Guzan off and it would have reduced Villa to 10 men early in the game.

Saints didnt play badly but paid the price as i warned for having ring rusty players out there, Yoshida in his first Premier appearance of the season was clearly not match fit in the sense that he wasnt mentally attuned to the speed of thought needed and like on too many occasions last season he let an otherwise reasonable display be marred by an appalling lapse in concentration.

Saints had plenty of chances though both in the first half and in the second when a great cross from Clyne picked out Rodriguez 3 minutes after the break and the number 9 showed his ability with his head and guided home a great header from around 12 yards.

This should hav sparked a Saints landslide, but once again they found themselves caught out from speed of thought, Cork had initially won a good challenge but then found himself disposessed and before he could do anything El Ahadmi had whipped in a cross that caught everyone unawares, after watching it on tv it was the type of cross that defences dread, just far enough out to keep the keeper from getting it and too far back for the central defender to win on the back foot, it was the speed of thought that caught us out and the accuracy, this meant that it was undefendable, Im sure that there will be some that feel otherwise and initially at the time I was disapointed in the goal, but it was superb thinking and delivery.

But 5 minutes later Saints were back in it, Fonte now on for Clyne put in a cross Terry Paine would have been proud of, right to the back post where Lambert was waiting as he usually was in the past few seasons, this was using Lambert's strengths and he headed it back across goal were once Osvaldo had reacted first he couldnt miss.

Once again and with 20 minutes left you felt there would only be one winner, but again we got caught on the counter attack, we backed off too far and Delph lashed in a shot from distance that few keepers would have stopped.

So for 77% possession and 21 shots on goal we only got 6 on target and scored twice, Villa on the other hand played us like a cheap violin, they only had 6 shots but 3 went in.

The problem is that teams have sussed our way of playing out, they sit back and let us press knowing that ultimately we just dont create enough true chances and then they catch us on the break, in his defence Pochettino did try to change things and use a plan B, but we arent having the luck of the green and the likes of Yoshida and Cork were found wanting at crucial moments, more to lack of game time and match fitness than anything else, Villa didnt do much in our half, but they knew what they had to do when they got the ball and executed it ruthlessly.

We on the other hand were allowed to pass it around around the half way line, but too many times we didnt have that cutting edge, given that when we got the ball into the area Lambert & Rodriguez aerial power caused problems we didnt use that enough and too many times Lambert was out wide right delivering the ball when to be blunt he should have been the target.

Our problem is that for all our possession we dont create enough true chances, 21 shots tells a story of the fact we had a lot of the ball, only 6 on target tells us that too many of these shots were no more than half chances that didnt trouble Guzan.

Perhaps the biggest dissapointment for me was the amount of ball Luke Shaw got on the left, but never truly took on his man, too many times he played the short sideways ball or even went back, when he did beat his man or got the room to cross he rarely put in a ball that caused a problem for the Villa defence, Shaw is a great defender and his pace gets him out of trouble at the back, but for some reason he seems loathe to use it going forward, he gets into the opposition half with ease, but cant seem to get the ball into the box as much as Clyne does on the other side with much less possession.

So a third defeat in a row and a worry for Saturday with the in form Manchester City heading our way, we need to halt this run of defeats fast, a draw with City would be good in the fact that we would halt that run, the problem is though this is a recurring theme, plenty of possession, plenty of shots, too few real chances and recently too many lapses in concentration, we have been found out a little, we need to get back to doing what we do best and re discover our form.

Photo: Action Images

slynch added 11:17 - Dec 5 Saints 2 Yoshida 3.
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SonicBoom added 11:25 - Dec 5 My mate was saying exactly the same about Shaw last night. Gets into their half then doesn't just push it past their full back and go. Maybe last night he thought that the guy marking him was just as quick which he did appear to be , and Shaw doesn't really have a trick other than speed so that seemed to sap his confidence.
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Fordy added 11:58 - Dec 5 To be fair to Shaw he did put in a brilliant cross in the first half. But he had so much space that it was a shame he didn't do more with it. I have noticed in the last couple of games that as he is going past players they are deliberately pushing him off balance. Probably not enough to give away a free kick but enough to take him off his stride. Chelsea did this all the time. I don't know what the solution is other than bulking up more like Bale has. I don't think you can really criticise us going forward last night. We scored two and created quite a lot against a team who had parked the bus. It was good to see MP take some risks but my only real concern is that despite Osvaldo playing better he is still very similar to Lambert. There were a couple of occasions last night where they were less than a metre apart having both gone for the same space. There were also a couple of occasions where JRod put the ball across the six yard box and nobody was there. Would MP have been better off buying a poacher or even keeping Billy Sharp? As for the defence Maya looked rusty but was also playing alongside someone he'd never really played next to as well. And would those goals have happened if Morgan was on the pitch? I think the first he would have read the situation and seen that a simple ball would have left us two against two. You can blame Maya and he did make a mistake but if we leave ourselves two against two against Aguero and Negredo on Saturday we will be asking for trouble.

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St_Guido added 12:11 - Dec 5 Very fair assessment IMHO Nick. I have to say that despite despairing at the result, it was great entertainment.
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bstokesaint added 12:21 - Dec 5 It's hard to be too critical of a team such as Saints at the moment who have performed so well against the likes of Man Utd and Liverpool, as well as embarrassing smaller clubs such as Fulham and Hull in men versus boys dominance. However, we do definitely need to bolster our squad if we are to contend for Europe. I think other than Cork, I feel nervous about any of the 'old skool' replacements we use when one of the first teamers is out; Yoshida, Hooiveld, Gazzaniga, Fox, and more recently Ramirez and Mayuka. That's not because these players all lack the ability 9some do) but they are so under-used it's hard to expect them to just fit straight in without lapses/ rustiness. We've got quality, but we really need to add it. I'm not blaming Gazzaniga for the goals, but I don't feel as confident with him in the sticks as I do Boruc. I'm not convinced he'll ever become our no1 and we do need another decent CB to deputise, or to rotate more frequently. Then we need a more lethal threat upfront to make the most of our dominance. With 77% possession we need to turn this into a handful of goals. The right player might just help us do that. We've discovered a couple of gems in Clyne and Lovren, now we need one up the front to get the best out of what we currently do have.

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stmichael added 13:37 - Dec 5 I think Luke Shaw looks like he needs a breather. It is alot to ask an 18 year old to play every game bith physically and mentally and the same goes for JWP. But Luke looks jaded to me and might explain his reluctance to hit the by line.
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saintstowin added 13:57 - Dec 5 That was tough to take, especially coming as the most winnable of our run of games. I wonder if the players felt pressure because of that? I agree about a lack of game time proving a problem with being match ready, but when do we play people if not in home winnable games? I guess playing a bit during earlier in the season home winnable games is one answer mentioned before! 77% is Barcelona-esque and for me the similarities don’t end there because I’ve watched them try and try (albeit often eventually succeeding) to create clear cut chances and put games to bed. It is often easier to defend against a team you know are content to move the ball around at an even pace. We just couldn’t finish last night. One thing that stood out for me is the whole issue of the pressing/high line of defence. To me it led directly to the big spaces being open for them to score from after balls played out of defence by Villa. It felt like we didn’t need to press forward as much and a more calm and measured approach, fewer players bombing on (probably with the outcome actually being less time on the ball) would have done the trick against this opposition. Especially with key midfield and defensive positions being occupied by Saints players with less game time in this system. But sometimes these games do come along unfortunately. Despite the errors most other days it would have been a 4-1, even 4-0 game. As a long distance supporter Man City is my first trip this year and I think we may just get something. Can’t wait!

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richardmdcooper added 15:32 - Dec 5 I didn't get to see the game but on the face of it, some strange decisions by Poch: 1. Why start Maya over Fonte? If Fonte was fit enough to come off the bench, surely he was fit enough to start? 2. Why bring Fonte, rather than Chambers, on for Clyne? (particularly if he wasn't fully fit). Who played at right back after that - I was trying to figure out the formation but couldn't do it. 3. Why bring Osvaldo on for JWP when it sounds like we were completely in the ascendancy at that time. Was JWP injured?

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Zambucco added 17:26 - Dec 5 I had the impression that the full back had the measure of shaw, and that he was apprehensive about taking him on, possibly not wanting to give away possession. I have not thought this in previous games, where he seemed to be able to scoot past defenders. Sunday against Chelsea he did seem to be bundles off the ball all too easily, as for bulking him up, for a 17 year old he is pretty big when you stand up close to him. But possibly mentally he needs to toughen up. Yoshida definitely at fault for the first goal, in a manner that he committed seceral times last season. The last goal I was directly behind the goal and was screaming for Gaz to cover that part of the goal, as to me it was obvious he would shoot and that there was only one place he was going to put the ball. yes I do lay a lot of blame on him for that goal. Saying that the player was unchallenged on his run, would that have happened had, Morgan or Victor been in the pitch. Bottom line, we need to score more goals, we need to convert more chances and the chances need to be better.

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montecristo added 20:35 - Dec 5 I cannot see any way that Saints are going to tur over City on Saturday.I fear we may get a drubbing. We need to face facts. The inevitable has happened key players for whom we have no back up to speak of have got injured possibly by being over used in the first place. I agree that Cork is the only replacement worthy of the name. Ramirez has been disappointing and doesnt seem up for the challenge of getting fit enough for the Premiership. Its a shame coz he has the ability.I strongly feel that MoPo doesnt rotate the squad anything like enough, and those like Yoshida who dont get a look in are either not really up for it or are not mach fit. One things for sure, we need to get an attacking mid in January, Llalana is not enough at this level. And stop playing Lambert like a jack of all trades, let him do what he does best which is score goals and be a a target man. Im sick of seeing him back in midfield or out wide and the only reason he goes there is because he is actually better at it than most of our first team which is a worry.I would play Cork at full back on Saturday and bring Davis in in midfield.But I would so like Ramirez to be given another chance, he might take it.

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ItchenNorth added 21:01 - Dec 5 Disappointing result for sure but on another night that performance would have seen us win. Gazza had absolutely nothing to do all night apart from pock the ball out of the net. We were completely dominant in possession but it was clear to see (certainly at 2-2) that we were at risk of the counter attack. There winning was top draw though. Glad to see Osvaldo grab a goal but why was he dropped in the first place ?! For all Pochettino's tinkering it was right to be brave and make the change early (Ozzy 4 JWP on 40mins). JWP was not playing badly. Yes Cork was at fault for one but I actually thought we got better when he was introduced. Who ever we select in midfield, this one one area where we are strong. Not idea why he didn't play Fonte. There were plenty of positives but Pochettino needs to learn from that and consider what is out best 11 and roll with it now for a decent run of games.

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ItchenNorth added 21:06 - Dec 5 Wtf, predictive text I hate you ! !
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SaintNick50 added 21:13 - Dec 5 Jack Cork plays the ball quicker, is slightly further forward and makes more positive passes than Wanyama. I hope he is given a bit of a run now to show it has been a huge mistake leaving him out. Bring back Jack Cork and keep him in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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ExiledSupporter added 23:15 - Dec 5 Like other correspondents I haven't seen the game at all, but as Nick suggests existing weaknesses seem to have come to the fore and been exaggerated by the growing injury crisis. To summarise 1) we don't have a viable playmaker (for different reasons none of Ramirez, Lallana or Ward-Prowse are able to fill the role at this level; squandering money on Gaston is now obviously a major wasted opportunity from the summer of 2012) 2) our ability to deliver threatening crosses from the wings continues to be abysmal and we have no ability to play balls through the channels that I suspect both Rodrigues and Osvaldo are well equipped to exploit. Fonte's cross (a la Paine) to Lambert sounds like exactly what we need to do more of to take advantage of Ricky's considerable but limited skills. I have heard that JWP has excellent ball delivery skills, I've seen little of it; Lallana is far too inconsistent and a little too self indulgent. Rodrigues continues to be wasted on the left. We have no players who can put dangerous balls into the oppositions box. 3) we have no speed in the forwards, nobody has enough pace to disturb opponents, nor even as much trickery as Puncheon! 4) we don't have sufficient depth in the squad to rotate players, but the consequence is that our core players become weary and prone to injury and those available to replace them are hopelessly out of touch. Cork is a case in point his utility to the squad is potentially considerable but he isn't even called on (until this match) when other players are subbed off by reason of injury or poor form. 5) Fonte and Lovren have made an excellent job of playing with a high line, but their understudies don't think or turn quickly enough and we should at least modify our tactics to take account of both the strengths and weaknesses that we have on the pitch at any given time in the match. 6) though it doesn't appear to have been apparent tonight our goalkeeping strength is pitifully weak. KD no longer will suffice and Gazzaniga has some way to go to prove his value...have we been deluding ourselves? 7) despite achieving a transformation in our style and fortunes, is there just a little too much of the 'sh*t or bust' about MP's reluctance to play more cautiously when prudence suggests otherwise in the interest of getting something out of a game.

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zonehead added 01:02 - Dec 6 I think mourhino found a trick pushing 2 upfront to stop us playing out from the back, villa did the same and although 70% we got caught out, we will win more than lose though , this isthe best saints and fittest since GWS
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Sango123 added 02:02 - Dec 6 We have problems playing against team who play very compact with fast attackers who play on the shoulders of the last defender. Usually when we break with our 2 fullbacks as wingbacks, our 2 central defenders play high up with support from our defensive midfielder. If the attacker remains onside and is fast, he will break the high line. This is demonstrated in this match and in other matches like vs NEwcastle last season when Remy break to score. The most worrying thing now is with so many injuries (Boruc, Clyne, Schneiderlin and Wanyama injured), our squad will be extremely stretched. Sorry to say but i have no idea how good our youth squad is but i really hope they are. We will need them over this busy Christmas period with so many fixtures

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ExiledSupporter added 09:45 - Dec 6 Here's a key question? Compare Laudrup at Swansea with Pochettino at Saints...both have intimate knowledge of the Spanish leagues, yet Swansea sign Pozuelo for £0.5m during the summer, who is in his early 20s and getting rave notices as a playmaker while we sign Osvaldo in his late 20s for something around 25 times that amount, don't appear to know how best to play him and his impact has been disappointing to say the least. Okay, neither MP nor NA were responsible for Ramirez, but what are the spendthrifts on our transfer committee doing, even Lowe whose only but enduring transfer success was Schneiderlein seemed able to identify good young talent when we had negligible funds. Reed and Co seem to me to have a lot to answer for. 2 (Lovren and Wanyama) out of 6 (incl. Ramirez, Forren, Mayuka and arguably Osvaldo)seems a very poor success rate when such large sums of money are being wasted.

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