| Southampton 2 v 3 Liverpool FA Premier League Sunday, 24th November 2024 Kick-off 14:00 |  |
Southampton V Liverpool The Verdict Monday, 25th Nov 2024 09:48 A performance from Saints that veered from one end of the spectrum to the other, but ultimately a battling performance was ruined by all 3 goals being gifted to Liverpool in one shape or form. The team news before the game was a little baffling for Saints supporters, despite the likes of James Bree & Ryan Manning on the bench and indeed Charlie Taylor being completely ignored, we appeared to be taking the field without a left back, guessing how we would line up was just that, guesswork ! When the game kicked off it seemed that it was a back three with Flynn Downes dropping back into the centre of defence and Kyle Walker Peters and Ryan Fraser as wing backs.
But the game started as Saints fans feared it would, Liverpool had most of the ball and the lions share of the chances and it took Alex McCarthy to make a few decent saves to keep the score level. But just as it looked like we had found our pattern and had weathered the storm came our first shot in our own foot, Alex McCarthy had the ball after a simple save and had no need to rush things, it was about slowing things down and taking the sting out of the game, but within seconds of catching it, he rolled it out to Fernandes, who had two men up his rear end, he laid the ball back to Flynn Downes who was on the dead ball line, he shanked his clearance and Szoboszlai finished what was a simple chance, although an accurate finish was needed. Indeed looking at the player ratings, Alex McCarthy has the lowest marks, that is unfair, he made some vital saves that could easily have seen us 3-0 down, but that was undone by his pass out for the first goal conceded and the lack of timing for the second. So once again we waste 30 minutes of hard work to stay in the game and impose ourselves on it by giving a goal away by playing to the instruction of the manager of playing this tippy tappy football even when the players instincts must tell them it is the wrong thing to do. Of course if Downes had cleared the ball properly then the goal would not have happened, but the truth is that this type of football forces mistakes from our own team. However we didn't let this rattle us and we kept going and it was about getting into the break without further damage, however with minutes to go before half time came a stroke of good luck, Tyler Dibling picked up the ball and ran at Liverpool, he got to the edge of the penalty area and was tackled, the referee pointed to the spot.
Having seen the replay literally dozen's of time now, I can see why Liverpool were peeved, it was a close call was it inside or outside the box ? the truth is that VAR went with the refs decision that it was inside, if it was being viewed from a different situation, ie the ref had given a free kick outside the box, then they would have stuck with that. Adam Armstrong's penalty was poor, but luckily it came straight back to the Saints striker who coolly finished to send us in level at the break.
Now we had something to play for and we started to get more of the ball, bizarrely, the goal that put us 2-1 up started from a mistake, Alex McCarthy came for a cross and caught it, but when he hit the ground he dropped it, luckily it was a Saints player who got to the ball first and laid a pass to Ryan Fraser on the right, he in turn played a lovely ball up the line to Tyler Dibling who ran forward and then played a brilliant cross field pass to Adam Armstrong, it looked like it would go nowhere, with 3 Liverpool players converging on the Saints striker, however he checked his run, turned and laid a perfect pass into Matteus Fernandes who finished with aplomb placing the ball into the corner to give Saints what had looked at one time an unlikely lead. The game was going to be tough enough to see out, but again we shot ourselves in the foot, watching the replays I think that Mo Salah was offside, but he carried on and Alex McCarthy completely botched up his timing to come out for the ball and his hesitancy cost us dearly with Salah getting to the ball with the keeper stranded in no mans land and a simple tap in.
Now Liverpool were back on the front foot, but we dug in and survived the next 18 minutes, although McCarthy was now very dodgy on crosses, we held firm, then came a stroke of bad luck, a cross into the box looked to be going nowhere Suguwara seemed to be caught in two minds whether to clear it or let it run out for a goal kick, he opted for the latter but couldn't get out of the way of the ball in time, it hit him and popped up and hit his outstretched arm, at the time I thought that this was harsh, but after watching the replays, I think that awarding the spot kick was the right thing, his arm initially was not in a natural position it was outstretched and if it hadn't have hit it it would probably gone to the Liverpool player just behind our man, harsh on Suguwara, but this is the Premier League and once again we were found wanting in a situation that should have been dealt with better. Overall there were many good things to take from this game, at times we showed that we can play football, we showed spirit, but the problem was this was all undone by the manager's obsession to keep playing football in tight areas, it is hard to see how anything will change if we keep playing this way, but it seems that Russell Martin is going to stick to his guns to the maximum, as I said something has to change and that means either the manager has to change and adapt his tactics or the manager has to be changed. Another talking point from this game is Paul Onuauchu, there were some who heralded his performance before he went off injured on 52 minutes and there can be no doubt that it was a spirited one and that he put in a shift. But on the other hand a few neat little shuffled in the centre circle is not going to win us games, Onuachu was meant to be the target man, but I can't remember him getting a touch in the final third let alone the penalty box.
I don't blame the player himself here, I blame Russell Martin, just what is the point of playing this type of player, when he doesn't fit into the style you want to play as a manager, Onuachu is all about getting on the end of the ball in the box, but we don't play that way, so he has to keep dropping deeper and deeper, he didn't have a bad game, but if we want someone just battling in the centre circle then we should play a midfielder. Likewise Cameron Archer, he is about running the channels, how many times do we watch him make a run only to find that the pass never arrives as the ball is passed sideways or backwards again. Worryingly I don't think that Russell Martin knows how to get us out of this position, he is not willing to compromise or adapt, in fact this display and the one at Wolves showed that he seems to be applying the level of possession football to an either greater level, the goalkeeper feels he has to get the ball out quickly and is playing his team into trouble, defenders are afraid to clear the ball and are looking for the short pass even when it isn't on, midfielders are scared to play through balls unless the chance of the pass completion is 99% and the strikers are left isolated.
All this has lead to where we are now and we don't deserve to be there, we cannot kill off games, we cannot change tactics when we have a lead, we can't vary the play during a game to suit what the situation is at the time, we don't do the basics when the basics are what is needed, we have to play to instruction and ultimately that leads to errors. So that is 12 games played and 10 defeats, when are things going to change ? All Photos Via Reuters Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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