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Southampton At Crystal Palace The Verdict

It was another game of two halves for Saints, but despite a lot better showing in the second half than the first, Saints couldn't take their chances and get something out of a game that they really needed to and really should have.

I don't know why but this season Saints seem to be able to take points from the higher sides like Chelsea & Arsenal, but then follow that up by losing games narrowly against side around them that they really should do better in.

This was a game where not many could have a gripe with the side put out by Ralph Hasenhuttl, but it was a side who seemed to play with little motivation, gone was the urgency of the previous week and where against Arsenal you always thought that after a dodgy opening spell we could get something out of the game, the belief didn't appear to be there in this one.

The stats went in Saints favour, 56% possession, 14 attempts on goal opposed to 12 by the home side and 4 on target compared to 3by Palace, but the only stat that mattered was goals scored.

Second half we revived a little and were the better side, but we couldn't seem to finish, Che Adams failing to take a couple of good chances and Stuart Armstrong hitting the post.

The good news is that hopefully when we take on Newcastle then we will have players back, Romeo Lavia completed 45 minutes against Middlesbrough in the B team and we could do with him back to release James Ward Prowse to a more forward role, that could bode well for the final two games before the World Cup break.

We can't say in this game it was about creating chances, it was about taking them, we have to do better, goals change games, if we had got one back second half we could have gone on to win this game, but truth is we didn't.

This is a side with potential, but it needs a striker, I think the problem here is the chopping and changing, Che Adams needs support, Adam Armstrong has come under pressure from some, but he is playing out of position , for my money give him the opportunity up front with Che Adams, he could score goals in the Championship, give him a chance now in the Premier, we have nothing to lose, goalscorers get goals at any level.

The job now is to get through to the break in two weeks time not in the bottom three, I am confident that come January with all the injured players back and with the addition of a striker we can move upwards, but firstly we need to get some points that keep us out of the bottom three for at least six weeks in the World Cup break.

Again a disappointing result, the real frustration being our inability to beat the sides around us, but not only that, to lose yet again by only a single goal.

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