We all predicted what the problem was going to be this season back in May and we saw nothing to change our opinions during pre season and on the opening day of the campaign it all came true and a good performance was ruined.

The Premier League can come down to fine margins, especially down in the bottom half, so it was frustrating to see a point and possibly 3 thrown down the drain.

No one is blaming Alex McCarthy, it is not his fault that he cannot play with the ball at his feet and so therefore it is folly to try and play the possession football game to the level that Russell Martin wants to play it.

But to be blunt what were we doing playing it with half time only minutes away we should have been playing safe at that point, not taking risks against a side down to 10 men, we did not need to do that.

The first half had been lively with the pivotal moment when `Schar was sent off for head butting Ben Brereton Diaz, in truth it was no more than a little squaring up to each other, but our man made the most of it and went down, yes it was soft and yes it was not good to see such. Mean made of it, but to the letter of the law it was a red card, you can’t do that sort of thing these days, even if you dont actually head butt someone

Up to this point we had been matching the home side, we looked well set up and were coping well, indeed the Newcastle goal was their only shot on target in the entire match.

This moment changed the game,but not necessarily all in a good way for Saints, we kept the ball, but for the hour or so remaining Newcastle were pushed back and once they snatched that goal, they were determined not to give one away themselves.

The second half was like an attack v defence training session, there rarely got out of their own half and formed a solid wall on the edge of their own penalty area, it meant that fashioning a decent chance was going to be difficult and it was.

78% possession produced 19 attempts on goal, but only 4 on target, 4 off target and an amazing 11 blocked, which showed the resolve in the Newcastle side not to concede a goal, they put a shift in.

Alex McCarthy did not have a save to make bar the goal, Newcastle only had 2 other shots in the entire game, one blocked and one wide.

But we could not get a truly decent chance, but then again with 9 men across their own penalty box most teams would have struggled to break the home side down.

We threw the kitchen sink at them, we used 5 subs all attacking players, although I am not sure why Sugawara was taken off, he and Kyle Walker Peter were good sources of our attacking play down the wing, so to take the Japanese player off was a little harsh.

But for all our huffing and puffing we couldn’t find a goal and so therefore went down to yet another opening day defeat in the Premier League.

But we can take heart from the performance especially the first 28 minutes when we matched Newcastle, a team with Champions League aspirations man for man, we looked fired up and confident in what we were doing, I actually think we might have got something out of the game without the sending off, that may sound strange but as we found last season, we played better against sides when we could draw them into us and break quickly, on Saturday we did not have that, we were up against a team who just closed off the game and did not let us have a inch of room in their penalty area.

So we learn’t nothing new in this game, we knew what the issue was going to be and it blew up in our face, we need a new keeper in and we need him in now.

But to take a positive, most Saints fans were expecting to get beaten in this game and most were expecting to get well beaten, we would have taken a 2-0 defeat before the game, so the big disappointment is that we missed such a great chance to take a point or even all3 at a place where not many will come away with much this season.

Photo: Action Images

SanMarco added 08:41 - Aug 19 Three things strike me about this game. Two I already knew (McCarthy useless at playing out, attack unlikely to score many) but the one I didn't know was a pleasant surprise: we looked alright, even good at times. The key now is that RM accepts the truth - at least one point was thrown away in that game by a simple fact (McCarthy) that we all know about and he seems to be in denial about. If he is not willing to LEARN then we go down. Full stop. If he does adapt there are hopeful signs. Even with us not scoring that should have been an excellent 0-0. Every point is vital. Come on RM - stubborn is sometimes good but NOT over this. I always hate this sort of behaviour that gets players sent off - whoever does it. It is cheating. That said, I thought the Saudi fans moaning about cheating brought to mind a phrase about kettles and pots and black paint...

8

harrapuk added 08:58 - Aug 19 You are absolutely right that it is the system that is at fault not McCarthy. If we are going to play possession football then surely the first rule is that it starts with a pass outside of the 18 yard line. It is simply suicidal for any keeper to try and make a pass inside the box. Can anyone recall a goal scored which started with a short pass in our box? I bet everyone can remember several goals given away which came from a mistake in or around our 18 yard box.

0

IanRC added 09:00 - Aug 19 The manager was at fault for this loss because 1. He continues to pick an unsuitable goalie for this style of play 2. He gave our most creative player, Alcaraz only about 10 minutes at the end 3. He substituted our best player in the first half, Sugawara, for the ineffective Edozie (Amo-Ayew) was far more incisive when he came on So three points we can ill afford thrown away. Better news is that even before the sending off we were outplaying Newcastle at home, if we had not gifted them a goal we would surely have got a result. So play your best players instead of your favourites Martin. Also must keep Alcaraz, Walker-Peters.

5

harrapuk added 09:07 - Aug 19 I mean recall a goal scored by us which started in our 18 yard box.
0

dellboysaint added 09:17 - Aug 19 Of course it’s McCarthy’s fault……it was a shocking episode and will unsettle the defence from now onwards. He is genuinely slow to react both to shots and passes. He gives the wrong vibes…..nervous and unsure. Look at Pickford…..what a character in a pretty average side and he wins them points. I admit McCarthy played ok in the play offs but this is a different league. We need a goalie with character and belief.

16

JoeEgg added 09:19 - Aug 19 A perfect summary by Nick "The Premier League can come down to fine margins, especially down in the bottom half, so it was frustrating to see a point and possibly 3 thrown down the drain." I have to admit that I was surprised how well we coped although I dont think Newcastle are anything like as good as they think they are! Apart from needing a goalkeeper, my main concern is our inability to unleash a goalscorer. A Danny Ings type of player is what we need - a player with a history of finding the back of the net. We just dont have one - Edozie and co can do amazing things at time but sadly all our young stars NEVER look like finding the back of the net. We will ALWAYS be vulnerable to conceding silly goals playing out from the back, so our greatest need is still finding someone to do the damage at the other end!

4

HythePeer added 09:34 - Aug 19 The first game in the Premier League against currently one of the best; I didn't know what to expect. But I saw a team that can compete; I saw a team that took to them. Yes, I can come up with a list of things I would have done differently. Premier League football is a game of 38 halves, and Saints can compete.
8

saintmark1976 added 09:43 - Aug 19 Don’t worry everyone, this week we will sort out our Premiership goal keeping and goal scoring problems by purchasing yet another midfielder to play in Turkey. Makes sense to the owners and management and that’s all that matters.
0

kristianJ added 10:28 - Aug 19 I would thought that there are two culprits for this loss: (i) the board for not getting a new EPL quality keeper in before the start of the season when we all knew this was a priority as Alex Mc can’t play this type of possession game and isn’t that great anyway and Bazunu, who is good with his feet, is both injured and an even worse keeper. RM surely knows this and would want a new keeper. (ii) Alex McCarthy - it’s pretty generous of commentators not to blame him. He wasn’t under any great pressure and has needlessly passed the ball straight to one of their best players. I think we should expect most goalkeepers to be able to make a ten yard pass in the modern game. That aside it looked like we played well and were very unlucky to lose against a team that will likely finish in the top 6. If we get a decent keeper in I think we can stay up providing we stick with the style of play and perhaps the core of the playing staff that has got us this far. It’ll be tight though.

4

Bowlercow added 10:40 - Aug 19 The sending off was fully justified for the two handed attempt to push BBD over That is violent conduct and worthy of a red card any way The gaff by McCarthy just highlights the problem that supporters have been on about for ages A kéeper in the next ten days is essential because his confidence will be shattered after that game Great to see how we performed in the first half hour Surely now even the biggest doubters will have a glimmer of hope and faith in the system

3

SanMarco added 10:47 - Aug 19 harrapuk: that second goal at Ipswich last season??
2

SanMarco added 10:49 - Aug 19 HythePeer - 76 halves surely?
2

A1079 added 11:14 - Aug 19 The one exception I take to the report is that in my view McCarthy should and has to take responsibility for that error. Whilst he may be expected to play the ball out I cannot believe that RM or any manager would say you do that irrespective of the threat. McCarthy is not a young green keeper, he is experienced and mature and he had time to assess the situation and the threat and how near we were to half time and the obvious and simplest thing to have done was to boot the ball up or off the pitch. He was to blame plain and simple. The thing is RM either gets a keeper that can play his way and is skilled and able to deliver that or accepts that McCarthy can't play that way and allows him to play the way he is best able to. I agree with you on Brereton-Diaz. I don't like what he did and I am uncomfortable with it and hope it is not something he adopts. But it was the pot calling the kettle black when it comes to Newcastle and many teams. It was good to see that we could mix it though and not be bullied. We should had have at least a draw on Saturday - but McCarthy's error and our failure to offer a real goal threat (for all our approach play) let us down - but we cannot afford to be that generous or profligate.

3

livsgrandad added 11:21 - Aug 19 I thought we had played against 11 players all game,didnt mccarthy set up newcastles goal?????? Suprised me steohens didnt give away a 2nd,he usually does.. but to be fair to jack not this week..
2

Peterx added 12:19 - Aug 19 Love the way we were playing against 11, but to take off Sugawara our best player along with KWP in the first half was misguided and Tall Paul would have been perfect for an ariel assault in the last 20. Also Alacaraz looked more direct and added quality when he came in along with Amo. Tyler Dibling was adequate but against 10 men he should have taken and chance had a go with his trade mark runs - if not in this game then when? I understand it was his debut and he is a great prospect but I just wanted him to run at them and take a potshot. Also so many chances are made in the Prem when players have a go and a poor clearance or deflection causes an opportunity, I would have liked to see some speculative shots and if they got on the counter that opened it up more for us anyway. We always try to score the perfect goal and we don't need to.

2

saintpaz added 12:20 - Aug 19 I can't believe Newcastle didn't go down to 9 men tbh, Dan Burn was a lucky man indeed as well as Joelinton and Bruno G. But we certainly need to be hitting the target more often as I think we only had 1 shot on target in the 1st half. of course a Prem-standard keeper is needed asap...Sam Johnstone anyone? Chelsea have about 8 keepers too but then of course the wages will sting!

2

AmericanSaint added 13:16 - Aug 19 Nick - you are being too generous. As everyone rightly points out here, it was AM fault, pure and simple. I don't care that RM wants to play it out, a GOOD GK will know when it is time to just hoof it and clear the space. AM knows he is not good with his feet, just look at him after the ball was in the net, he KNEW it was all his fault. Please stop defending him, like RM did. The reality is that AM is not a Premier League GK, jus that simple. So, my question is if the Board can't see this after ALL of us, knowing this, then there is something going on in the background. Getting a new GK is our #1 priority and just pay the money or we will be looking at relegation fight the whole season. We DO NOT need another midfielder as the media is reporting now - simple as that. Someone or some people need to get their heads our of their a**es. Ok, onto the next one.

4

ItchenNorth added 13:28 - Aug 19 McCarthy is to blame for the goal, not the system we play. The pass McCarthy attempted was never on, it was poor judgement not technique and that's not good enough. He had two other options, pass out to the player on the right or get rid of the ball up field. Martin's system is not pass pass pass at all costs out from the back, it's about making the correct decisions when in possession and retaining the ball. We saw Bazunu (who is great with his feet) often drop a mid/long range ball out to the wide positions on the half way line in the second half of last season.

2

ItchenNorth added 13:28 - Aug 19 McCarthy is to blame for the goal, not the system we play. The pass McCarthy attempted was never on, it was poor judgement not technique and that's not good enough. He had two other options, pass out to the player on the right or get rid of the ball up field. Martin's system is not pass pass pass at all costs out from the back, it's about making the correct decisions when in possession and retaining the ball. We saw Bazunu (who is great with his feet) often drop a mid/long range ball out to the wide positions on the half way line in the second half of last season.

0

ElSanto added 13:34 - Aug 19 OPinions: 1. Brereton-Diaz was a joy to watch. Southampton always been too innocent, I like having someone who can spice up a game. Hope he keeps on winding up people and causing a nuisance. He didn't do anything wrong. If he did, VAR should send him off and they didn't. 2. Top keepers make 1/2 horrible mistakes a season. With McCarthy being forced (and he is being forced) to play passes all the time I think he makes a mistake every match. Needs to change. He is a decent second keeper if allowed to play the way he knows how. Bazunu still made mistakes playing like this and more than the top keepers, so we need to find the right keeper or change our tactics slightly. 3. Loved our signings this year until we got Archer. Not sure about him. Lesley looks great though. Out of all our signings I can only see Archer being a waste. It is extremely early and I could well be proved wrong, but that is my gut feeling. 4. I can't wait for our next game.

0

Colburn added 13:35 - Aug 19 Why was McCarthy given a new contract when he can’t play the way we want him to? This seems like utter stupidity. Yes not his fault but not the fans either who did the 650 mile round trip. The talk from the Newcastle fans in the pub before the game was about how they will high press our keeper because he’s poor with his feet and he duly obliged. Part of McCarthys issue is he is too laid back and lacks sharpness as a result. That said we were fantastic first half. Aribo was like an ox and Downes and Sugawara also solid. The geordies can moan all they want but they are the divisions worst at the dark arts, time wasting and throwing themselves to the ground at any opportunity, particularly Schar, so they just got a piece of their own medicine and whinged like children. It was a red, end of story. My only criticism is that Alcaraz should have come on earlier as we looked more dangerous with him on the pitch and playing against 10 men you MUST move the ball quicker to stretch and tire them out. Our passing lacked the required intensity giving Newcastle an easier time than they should have had. Many positives to take but we aren’t winning games in this league with this style of play using this keeper.

2

andoverpedro added 13:40 - Aug 19 Bang on halftime yet again, come on its about game managment in the 45th minute that should of had a boot through it up towards half way line no ifs or buts youve had a whole half to play out from the back to conceed like that is criminal against 10 men . Second half display: Edozie must look like a world beater in training totally in effective on matchday no end product at all , sugawara look 10 times better on the over lap in first half . really needed a target man to upset their defence why oh why was onuchi (tall paul ) not at least on the bench total ineffective management .

2

harrapuk added 13:42 - Aug 19 SanMarco YouTube highlights don't show it but I will take your word for it. However, one goal scored and numerous conceded still doesn't convince me. I think RM has drummed in the passing game to such an extent that the players are frightened to put their foot through the ball even when that would be the sensible option. That's my only defence for McCarthy.
0

SanMarco added 14:15 - Aug 19 harrapuk - actually that goal was the exception that proves your rule. It was a roll out to the left-back, two long passes and just a few seconds later it was in the Ipswich net. Not a risky pass in sight!
1

underweststand added 14:24 - Aug 19 You have all covered the major points (above) so I will just agree as follows: dellboysaint, A 1079, American Saint, ItchenNorth.. We all agree. McCarthy has to take the blame.... (a few people trying to be kind because it was first game doesn't disguise the obvious.) On another day we'd might have got at least one point. Kristian J.. the Board has (so far) ignored a problem we all knew was obvious and a new keeper should have been our no.1 priority. Thank goodness we have been reminded early season, and not in two months time. El Santo ...Agreed .I long to see BBD terrorising a few big names this season. Referees are too soft favouring defenders. It's a strikers job to hound the back line. The red card was strictly according to the rules, but Ben must pick his fights more carefully in future. andover pedro....It was tough luck on Sugawara. He looked up for the fight and was just as effective (better) than Edozie's contribution. All things considered - a disappointing result, but an encouraging display especially at SJP.

3

Blogs 31 bloggers

Cheltenham Town Polls