Saints went down to what in the last few years became their trademark 3-0 defeat when visiting Anfield, however unlike in other years at least they went down fighting, truth is this was a game that was not needed in the fixture list, ger it out of the way and move on.

Jurgen Klopp put out his cup side, one packed with youngsters, but then again in the Southampton line up only Jan Bednarek could lay claim to being a nailed first team selection this season as Russell Martin showed that his priority was also the League game at the weekend.

Saints might have put out a second string team, but it also had experience and a few players in it who were out to try and stake a claim for a spot in the starting line up and in the first half at least they gave as good as they got from a Liverpool side who had 6 of their 10 outfield players under the age of 21.

The match stats between the two sides were not much different, Liverpool had 52% possession, but the one stat that counts is goals and Liverpool finished their chances, whilst Saints didn't, had they taken them, especially in the first half, then the result could have been much different.

We should have gone in at half time if not in the lead, certainly not a goal down, but that is what happened with the home side scoring on the stroke of half time.

You felt that this was probably it now, but Saints still matched Liverpool after the turn around and as the game entered the last 20 minutes were still in it, sadly though as Russell Martin brought on some experience in Kyle Walker Peters and Adam Armstrong to try and rescue the game on the hour and then 10 minutes later Will Smallbone and Che Adams, it didn't have the required effect, within minutes with the team still trying to find it's shape and organisation after the second raft of changes, Liverpool doubled their lead and the game was gone.

Sadly just as we did in the first half, we let them catch us again in the final minute and make it 3-0, the scoreline flattered them and was not a reflection of what had gone on in the previous 89 minutes.

But in cup games if you lose 1-0 you might as well lose 3-0, it changes nothing, you are out of the cup, goal difference doesn't matter once the final whistle blow.

Truth is as we try to revive our recently flagging automatic promotion hopes, we do not need another fixture in the schedule and certainly not a trip to Old Trafford as was the prize for the winners in this game.

We can now concentrate on the League, all that matters now is the trip to Birmingham on Saturday, we have to get back to the clinical form that saw us go 23 League games unbeaten, despite what some will tell you, there is still a lot to play for this season, automatic promotion will be tough, but we need to look to make sure we are in top spot for the play offs if that is our fate.

Only real down side of this night was the short cameo appearance of Kyle Walker Peters, he came on just before the hour mark and went off just 17 minutes later.

The best part of this season was bumping into Shane Long & Steven Davis in a pub on Mathew Street after the game, how we could have done with them in our side a few hours earlier.

Photo: Action Images

Centurion added 09:46 - Mar 1 It was OK. Would have been happy to leave the FA CUP at Watford this year. The Birmingham game is immense. Need to get back to winning ways.
4

JoeEgg added 09:53 - Mar 1 I think Jurgen Klopp more than just hinted that Saints need another season in the Championship if they are determined to play Russell Martin's tippy tappy possession football. The downside here is that several of our best players will leave if that is the case and we have to start recruiting and learning again. I return to my old grumble that we cant turn good chances into goals with Mara once again the chief offender. Russell will continue t be 'proud' of the lads and tell us they were all 'brilliant! Well we will see just how brilliant the sqaud is whern we take on a poor Birmingham side struggling for success!

6

davidargyll added 09:55 - Mar 1 I did not see the game and in fact only saw the goals on TV, and certainly two of them looked fairly similar to our usual woeful defending. And that is the point isn’t it? which you seem to gloss over saying it was our inability to put the ball in the net which cost us the game. I’m sorry but that is UTTER RUBBISH! The reason why you lose games is because you let goals in, not because you don’t score enough/any! In the last 6 games our rivals for promotion have conceded the following number of goals: Leeds 4 WBA 5 Hull 5 Ipswich 10 Leicester 6 And how many have we let in? 13!!!! So comfortably the worst! And certainly nothing like required promotion form of any description! And if by general consensus Ipswich are punching above their weight, what does that say about us?! So as you can see our immediate requirement is NOT a striker, WHAT WE DESPERATELY NEED IS A MUCH BETTER DEFENCE; CARRY ON LIKE THIS AND WE REALLY WILL BE WELL AND TRULY STUFFED!!!

8

saintmark1976 added 10:03 - Mar 1 Nick, leaving aside my views on the game itself, which I have expressed in the Players Rating section I don’t understand your viewpoint concerning progression to the next round. Had we beaten Liverpool, a financially very beneficial trip to Man United would have occurred.Unlike league football where the home club retain all of the gate money it appears that in the cup the proceeds are split between the clubs. 45% each with 10% to the competition pool. In addition, being Man United the game would have been broadcast live with further revenue coming to the club. As it stands, we put out a weakened team on Wednesday, lost to Liverpool schoolboys, still managed to get K W P injured, and will receive no further monies whatsoever. The club sends me endless emails about buying additional tickets for friends and hospitality but appears happy to avoid obtaining revenue from actually playing football.A very strange way to run a business in my opinion.

10

redwight added 10:17 - Mar 1 In 1976 our priority was promotion, but I seem to remember we gave it a good crack in the cup. I do not understand this obsession with promotion which, if achieved, will be followed by a season of misery, struggling at the bottom with relegation highly probable.
9

Saintaxidriver added 11:08 - Mar 1 Don't agree with the idea that this game was somehow just an irritation we could have done without. They had injury problems and we had a chance to progress in the cup and a payday at Manure. We aren't going to get automatic promotion because we aren't good enough so this was a chance to do somethting really positive for the fans and the players. On the game our finishing has been woeful all season and this just continued. They need to get in some shooting practice that avoids hitting the keepr. Also making the most of good positions is often scuppered by our players being selfish and not looking for players in better positions or offloading the ball sooner. Mara in particular is often guilty of this. The game should have been over by half time because with a 2 or 3 goal lead we could have shut up shop and seen the rest of the game out. As far as I am concerned this was a big opportunity missed!

10

IanRC added 11:14 - Mar 1 Yet again the folly of ignoring Sulemana highlighted as once again he proved incisive. Incredible Martin does not have the kahunnas to give him an extended run in the team. Thought Shea Charles looked particularly slow and ineffective, even before his miss. We really should have been leading before then, who said Mara was a great finisher …. As it was we were very unlucky to go a goal down to a wicked deflection that would probably otherwise have been saved. Glad we are now able to focus on the league although unless the manager bucks his ideas up I fear we will be disappointed leading to departures of the likes of HB, KS and CE.

3

131153 added 12:14 - Mar 1 Having watched the game on TV I felt on the whole in many way s encouraged by the performance. It could easily have been 3-0 or 3-1 as you always have accept they will get the luck of a deflection. I felt the game ultimately hinged on the Charles miss.Clearly the Smallbone error finished us off and the third goal frankly makes no difference. Obviously flatters the Scousers who don't need flattering fullstop. I felt both Edozie and Sulemana played well but can't really find fault with the substitions of both at that time with the Birmingham game on Saturday. I feel Mara is very slowly turning a corner mostly held the ball up well. Clearly a pity he was offside in the first minute when putting the ball in the net. This type of mistake comes with a bit more experience. I couldn't quite make out where Matterface was commentating from could easily been the offices of the Liverpool Supporters Club or possibly the Klopp Appreciation Society offices. Still I guess you can't expect much more from a Skate.

2

Blogs 31 bloggers

AFC Bournemouth Polls