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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 23:11:17
Oh dear! I don't think I've seen a poorer Saints performance since the capitulation at Anfield two years ago. I was worried to see Boufal on the bench as the midfield is hard-working but not creative. JWP and PEH were both very poor today giving the ball away so many times but also not being able to move it quickly. Romeu did okay but there were also no options and so the ball went backwards or square far too often. Teams like City, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool play out of defence well, using the keeper to pass back and forth, draw the forwards on to them and then take them out of the game with a clever pass upfield. We can't do it and always look nervy and like we're going to lose the ball - today we did, almost every time. And then we resort to hoofing it up the field and instantly losing possession as big centre backs tidy it up.
Today, Long played with his usual effort and speed and won a lot of headers but there was never anyone there to get hold of them.
Twice at 3-1, Gunn got the ball and with some swift movement two or three players could have been open but the whole team just sauntered out and he had no one in space to give it to. And throw-ins... For the last three or four seasons we seem to have become incapable of making anything out of a throw-in. How often do we see Bertrand or Valery/Cedric just standing there waiting for someone to give them something?
The real shame of it today was that for the first 10-15 minutes we were in their faces, rattling the defence and winning the ball more often than not and a good effort by Redmond (not such a good one from PEH - as soon as he lined himself up it was just a question of just how high it would go). Then JWP gave the ball away and they pop down and get the lucky first. It completely took any wind out of Saints' sails and from that minute the game was always lost.
It must be time for Armstrong to get a run of games and prove one way or another if he's up to it - and Boufal may be a luxury player but at least he tries things and his attitude this season has been exemplary.
Che Adams looks out of his depth and in the earlier games this season he seems to fall behind play and not be in the middle for a cross. I really hope he doesn't turn out to be another Charlie Austin.
Sorry for the waffle but needed to unload a bit.
Horrible game to watch while suffering a major hangover.
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 00:43:48
When I chose to support Southampton (actually Southampton chose me in a sense) back in the mid-60s, I was a child without a care in the world. If I'd known then what agony I would suffer as a Saints fan, I might have gone for the easy option of Manure or one of the other biggies but I wouldn't have had half as much fun. But by God, my blood pressure! This was a great game for the neutral. We pounded a poor bunch of Cherries for the first 25 minutes with some sublime play but then they started to join in and it became a lot more difficult. For all the to and fro, I believe we were overall the better team and deserved to win but then Armstrong did what he did and the equaliser was inevitable. Having said that he was being hampered and had he gone down, he might have got a foul.
Yes, it was a fun game but it was seriously marred by Bournemouth's cheating when they were level and ahead. Funny how none of their players rolled in agony when they fell behind again. The play-acting to waste time with spurious injuries was disgraceful and the ref should have got a hold on it. It wasn't even subtle. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Bournemouth as friendly local rivals but after that display of shamateur dramatics, they've fallen a peg or several in my estimation. And golden boy Eddie Howe would have been perfectly happy with those tactics. Not impressed.
But Saints are safe (as, realistically, we have been for several weeks) so that doesn't matter too much but it still leaves a bit of a taste. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 19:46:59
I don't remember feeling worse after a game than today. Palace last year perhaps but at least in that game, we knew for the whole of the second half that it was coming. We totally outplayed an awful Cardiff team for the first half but barely had a sniff in front of goal. Second half was more of the same for the first half hour and then as soon as Cardiff came out to play, we struggled. Yes we're short of a striker but there were chances in the second half but no one was prepared to have a real dig until Valery's run. Hojbjerg was all over the place today. Yes he won the ball several times and put himself about but on at least 5 occasions just passed the ball to open space, twice of those could have led to decent chances if he'd checked to see someone was there! Long did some good work but lost the ball too easily on occasion, Bertrand the same. Valery had his best game for us and seemed to have the confidence to take people on but his crossing is still an issue. It was good to see Stephens and Vestergaard marauding forward in the first half and they created danger but didn't do it second half. Good to see Bertrand back and he had a decent game - didn't pull up trees but he is still a classy player. Substitutions were a bit odd - Austin is a total waste of space and did nothing, Elyounoussi has proved to be a waste of money - he has done nothing this season. Gallagher didn't have a chance to do anything. For me he should have been on before Austin. He'll never establish himself on 10 minutes every now and then. Cardiff were wasting time and diving around from the start and Atkinson fell for it most times. He was awful. He's always awful but today he outshone himself and gave the worst refereeing display I've seen this season. Utterly gutted but somehow I still think we'll stay up. Huddersfield have gone, Cardiff will not sustain their current run, God knows what Newcastle will do, Brighton are being dragged in and Fulham will continue to leak goals for fun. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 18:38:41
Great atmosphere and so much intensity (for most of the game) from all the Saints players. Bednarek playing again is like having a new player. He's been excellent since his return. Stephens is in good form and a couple of marauding runs show just how much more forward looking the whole team is. Great to see JWP finally finding some form beyond the odd game. I'm not getting overexcited but the last few weeks have been so much more positive. All we need now is a partner for Ings and to move on those who are surplus to requirements - top of that list has to be Austin. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 17:49:07
It's looking better, apart from the terror that strikes when the goal comes into view. I must admit I was surprised to see Stephens and Hoedt paired again as they have been accident prone when playing together. I was very happy to see they both played very well - solid and calm. When Saints went for it, we had Bournemouth on the back foot but we don't seem to be able to play the ball forward quickly enough. And that starts at the very back. McCarthy's distribution is slow but mainly because outfield players don't give him enough options in space to rid himself of the ball. I'm afraid Austin is a busted flush - I really don't see how he beats Gabbi or Long into the starting 11. He was simply awful. When Long and Gabbi came on they injected pace and threat. Long won some good headers and if the excellent cross from Redmond at the end had been an inch lower, he'd have scored and won us the game - Austin wouldn't have even been there. Redmond is playing really well these days but he and Bertrand could still connect better down the left. Elyounoussi shows moments but seems not to have the nerve to run at players. Hojbjerg was strong again and is the hub of midfield these days. Lemina is wasteful in possession - his song which ends "never gives the ball away" is hugely inaccurate! Not the best of games but with a bit more luck and a goalkeeper not making several good saves, we could have come away with the points |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 11:26:09
Very similar to last week except we didn't concede. Saints were brilliant in the first half again but just couldn't get the final ball right. It looked as if Long had missed a sitter but saw the replay and not many would have scored in that situation. Really strong first half and a bright start to the second until we scored. Then the usual jitters set in and although the defending was pretty epic for the most part, my heart can't stand much more of that, thank you very much. And then the second goal - what a moment, the reaction reminded me of when Chaplow scored against Manure in the cup but it was even better because we knew we'd won. Got to say that's about the best away support I can remember in the last two or three years. It's always good but yesterday was immense. I hardly heard the Palace fans throughout the game and yet they're usually the best home crowd. Well done all the lads, although Austin needs a bit of a reminder and not just because of the penalty. If Southgate was watching, I'd say McCarthy has a good shout for the internationals. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 14:38:02
A really bright first half with lots of intensity, hussling Leicester into mistakes and creating some good moves which just lacked a finish. Bertrand and Redmond finally seem to be starting to link well down the left. Deserved to lead at half time but the big Leicester centre backs were pretty solid and although there were loads of corners, we never looked like getting on the end of them. Leicester stepped it up in the second half but we still played well and then we scored... a cracking strike from the skipper but then it was a sudden change from attack to nervous jittery defending... AGAIN. The equaliser within five minutes was inevitable. Hojberg was unlucky with the first booking and, I believe with the second. He seemed to genuinely lose balance on his way through but then threw himself down. If it was a dive, the club should ban him for being a prat knowing that Moss is always looking for an excuse. God knows what happened with Maguire's goal. A catalogue of mistakes and bad luck. But did Moss add extra time to the added time after they spent more than a minute celebrating? Did he buggery. He managed to add it at Everton last season but by my watch there should have been another 40 seconds after the free-kick at the end. Two weeks running we've been denied the opportunity to take a corner at the death. Disappointing result but an entertaining game and Saints played some lovely stuff in the first half so not all doom and gloom. But, by Christ, we have to learn how to hold onto a lead. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 21:38:46
Cracking atmosphere from first to last. If only we'd played with that spirit and tightness at the back for the rest of a very uncomfortable season. Hoedt's best game since Palace away and Yoshida and Stephens were very good too. Shame about the last seconds but thankfully it didn't dampen spirits although I had a sudden flash of horror as I imagined Swansea had had a good second half and won 11-2. As many (including players) have said, this season has been a serious reminder that we can't rest on laurels and cruise to 8th. I hope most of the players stay and build on the last few weeks and that we get one or two new folk in including a proven striker. We've basically got a good squad (with one or two vacancies available) that have not played well enough all season until the last few weeks. With the change of manager came a change of heart. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 19:01:19
Phew!!! That last 20 minutes has caused me to double the dose on my blood pressure tablets. Nail biting to say the least. So many times this season it's been like that only for the defence to finally give up a goal, usually scored by Giroud! Not this time. Yes there were times when we were screaming for a forward pass but once again, there was no one there. But forget the critical analysis for once. Everyone put in a major shift today. Tadic was a master and exhausted by the time he went off. Lemina gave flashes to remind us how good we all thought he was at the beginning of the season before he went into some weird shell. The back three were mostly steady but did get caught for pace on several occasions. And McCarthy was immense. Two unbelievable saves - one with his foot at almost point blank range and the deflected effort at the end is save of the season. So a great effort from everyone, including the crowd. By far the best atmosphere of the season, especially at the final whistle. But here's a question... with five minutes left and the game as tense as it was with so much at stake, how the hell can people leave? I don't care if you're parked in front of someone or have to get a bus - get the next one. Okay, if we're losing and out of it, go if you must, but in a situation like today, decent fans (and most did) stay and cheer the lads on. COYS |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 22:39:41
Within 10 seconds when the pass upfield from the kick-off went straight off for a throw, I thought: "Well, that's that, then." And it never really got any better apart from a 10-15 minute spell after Tadic and Redmond came on. There was suddenly a bit of creativity and, in Redmond's case, pace. But the starting line-up had no flair at all unless you count Lemina but he played like a zombie until about 70 minutes in. Bertrand had no help down the left so he and Moses just cancelled each other out and it was the same for Cedric. Loads of balls hoofed up in the general direction of Austin and Long. Austin barely left the ground and Long was easily snuffed out. Only much later did we start to put genuine pressure on the Chelsea defence and they wobbled. Sadly we haven't got anyone with the ability to score a goal. Perhaps most of the team that finished the game should start against Bournemouth with Two of Long, Austin and Gabbiadini. And find a place for JWP. If next Saturday we haven't scored or at least created chances in the first 20 minutes, the crowd will get jittery and that will spread to the players and Bournemouth could take riotous advantage as Chelsea did last week. Hughes says Saints have got to throw the kitchen sink at the rest of the season. Well, today, he gently tossed a flannel and some cold water. At least we're now spared dozens of "when are the tickets on sale?" posts and I won't have to part with any more cash for the final, |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 12:10:30
A sense of inevitability and resignation has set in in my little spot at SMS. Not that we will definitely go down, I refuse to accept that until the last game of the season or when it becomes mathematically impossible to escape. I am just resigned to the fact that however many chances are created, our players won't take them. First half was pretty poor on both sides, we won lots of corners but did nothing with them, a trend that continued throughout the second half. In the second half we were much better and there were some good passes being made forward to the wings but Stoke crowded the box and we never really got any clear-cut chances apart from Boufal's header. I kind of forgive him as it was his first touch and heading is not really his forte. Gabbiadini was hugely disappointing when he came on, especially as for the whole season people have been complaining that he makes intelligent runs but never gets given the ball when he does so. Yesterday the ball was through to him a couple of times and he did nothing with it and topped it all with an air-shot in front of goal. I don't think we can really blame the manager for Cedric's inability to hit a barn, let alone its door from outside the box. The one time he did get a decent shot on target, Butland did well (although it was a regulation save made spectacular). A couple of positives: Sims up front with Carrillo was pacey and dangerous but he should have done better early in the second half when he broke free and shot straight at Butland. And Redmond looked dangerous too and scared the daylights out of the fullbacks. He seems to have regained a bit of belief in his ability to take the ball forward rather than constantly cut inside and pass backwards - I thought he was our man of the match, especially in the second half. Romeu was poor, constantly giving the ball away - perhaps a swap with Hojberg for the next game. Lemina shows unbelievable skill but can do a bit of a Boufal and try to do too much on occasion. The defence was pretty solid and even though Crouch was probably Stoke's most effective outfield player, he was largely snuffed out despite winning everything in the air. Strange and very irritating decision by the ref to award a free kick at the death and not let it be taken, especially as the added time had been largely taken up with the ball out of play. I bet he would have let one of the big six take it (I suspect Eddie Howe might have mixed feelings about it after what happened to Bournemouth yesterday). |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 21:23:50
Well, that was a firm blow to the gonads. Apart from a dreadful mistake by Hoedt for the first goal, we played quite well for 40 minutes and when going forward with pace, Saints did cause problems for Liverpool. A couple of decent chances were saved well by the keeper but the best fell to JWP who headed it straight to Karius with no power at all.
What happened in the second half is anyone's guess. Unlike some fans overheard on the way out, I am certain that the manager did not instruct them to limit the damage and keep it to 2-0. You only had to hear his interview afterwards to tell he was a tad disappointed with the second half display. And rightly so, it was awful. No pace, no urgency, no ideas. When Liverpool go forward, almost all of them go forward so can be susceptible to a quick break. But each time we won the ball and moved it up the field, the forwards had to wait for someone to come up in support. On one collapse of a Liverpool attack, I counted 6 Saints players walking out of defence. No wonder Tadic or JWP couldn't go further forward with Carrillo surrounded by Matip and VVD. It was lacklustre and there was a warning sign after the second goal when the Saints players' body language was that of abject defeat. It looked as though they gave up there and then and decided they didn't want to get thrashed. So it really didn't matter what the manager said at half time. Countless half-arsed passes went straight to Liverpool players or straight out of play. No one had a good second half or even looked that bothered and, while he may not be up to much, you can't blame the manager for that. One other niggle was that Firmino could and should have booked for three outrageous dives and a nasty tackle from behind in the first 20 minutes but the ref didn't even talk to him. He seems to have taken up Sturridge's diving mantle.
But, despite the poor performance in the second half, we were well and truly beaten by a much better side and it could have been four or five if they'd taken their chances in the second half (it was mildly amusing to see Lallana miss a sitter near the end). |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 11:20:40
See last week's match report! Thought I'd been transported in time to Saturday at West Brom when I saw the team sheet. At least he changed things at half time but by then Brighton had settled into their defensive groove and we were lucky with the equaliser. Stephens and Ward-Prowse were our best players, both striving to get the ball forward but so often one player moves out quickly with the ball only to have to stop and wait for the others to catch him up. When Brighton broke, they had seven or eight players rushing forward giving options. You could tell how frustrated Stephens was getting at the slowness and he probably took the ball further forward and more often than I'd seen him do in the past, purely because he felt that no one else was playing with enough urgency. Tadic is the eternal enigma - playing well for a few weeks but then having a poor one again. But with the team set-up he was always going to struggle to make an impact. Cedric was cancelled out by the pace of Izquierdo and rarely got space going forward. Boufal seemed to get a knock in the ribs within minutes of coming on and that affected his involvement for the rest of the game. Carillo looks a handful but was easily dealt with by Dunk and Duffy. Sadly Gabbiadini looks like he's almost given up.
Davis is, sadly as I've been a big fan of his, off the pace these days. He has few ideas and loses it more often than not. And Romeu has been a shadow of the player he was last season and constantly gave the ball away.
Which begs the question, what is wrong with Lemina. He had a dip in form after his injury but was showing improvement recently and really needs a run in the side, replacing Davis. And, while Redmond has few fans these days, he is a dangerous player when he's on song but I don't think he's played since getting 10 minutes at Fulham.
This squad has plenty of talent that is either not firing or being ignored.
It comes to something when the only consolation I can muster is that at least we're not being hammered on a regular basis so our goal difference may be the difference between us and some of the others at the end of a horrid season. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 00:04:00
Great atmosphere and a really good effort from the team and, even though it was an own goal, the pressure beforehand made it a deserved strike.
I've been really impressed with Tadic in the last few weeks - he's obviously aware of some of the stick he's been getting but, fair play to him, he's dug in and has really grafted and made some good moves in this game.
Cedric and Bertrand slotting back in has made the team more dangerous in attack. Lemina seems to be slowly getting back to the form he showed before his injury. It's also good to see that Hojbjerg and JWP have made themselves almost undroppable (although they might be rested for the cup game).
I've seen some pretty nasty social media comments about Obafemi's miss but I've seen many established internationals miss sitters. He knows what he did wrong (he was very honest in his interview) and he might have a couple of sleepless nights reliving it but at least he got into the right place - having seen some of his goals for the U18s, he's a good prospect and I hope he gets another run-out before too long.
Gabbiadini was disappointing. He may well be frustrated at not getting picked for a few weeks since Austin came back and then Long being favoured. But he's a professional and he should have grabbed his chance but he was lacklustre to say the least. A couple of pretty tame shots which the keeper dealt with easily and an airshot. But what was most disappointing was his lack of chasing and harrying off the ball.
And, my God, Friend seems to get worse every time he sets foot in SMS. Dembele should have been booked early on and might have got a second yellow. I was particularly livid when Stephens was booked for fouling Kane after Kane had given him a forearm slug in the throat and was pushing before falling in reaction to the slightest resistance. None of the officials for the last two or three years have been good enough but Friend is close to being the worst.
Anyway, a well-deserved point that could have been three (although they had one or two cast iron chances towards the end). The first time we've taken points from Spurs at home since we've been back up. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 19:32:13
So frustrating once again. Excellent display in the first half with two well worked goals and solid at the back - Watford didn't really have a sniff. Then the bromide in the half time tea again and we're watching a fired up Watford piling on the pressure and it was inevitable that the panic would set in. Davis inexplicably turned and gave the ball away for the first and it was only a matter of time before the second and, even though it was handball, you felt that another goal was coming.
Regardless of Saints sitting back and waiting for it, it has to be said that Roger East was beyond a joke throughout the game. Long was being assaulted every time the ball went anywhere near him and we got maybe 2 out of 10 decisions. And in the build-up to the goal, there was a foul around halfway when the defender had both hands on (I think) Tadic's shoulder and pushed him to the floor and it was given as a throw-in to Watford. Then there was the most ridiculous foul throw, the ball moves forward and the points are gone. I counted at least 15 foul throws (most by the Watford left back). It got to the stage that people around me were laughing at how many were being missed. If we can see it that far away, how do two officials constantly miss it? And the second Watford goal could make the difference between staying up or going down.
But finally, having said all that about terrible officials, Saints brought the pressure on themselves instead of pressing on and looking for another goal. Scoring just before half time is supposed to be a big boost but it triggered the decision to sit back and let them come at us. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 23:47:38
One step forward, five steps back. After the efforts at Old Trafford, there was life in the first half with lots of chances early on and plenty of pressure against a jittery defence. Very happy for Long who worked as hard as ever but largely on his own up front. Then came the second half. God knows what was in the half-time tea. Suddenly Saints started the pitter-patter play at the back and the Palace players sniffed a bit of blood and ran all over us. It was only a matter of time before they scored although Benteke was offside before he headed on to McArthur. But once they got one back, there was only one team in it. The pitch was not in a condition to play such intricate stuff at the back and Palace just kept on winning it back. A disastrous performance in the second half. And while we surrendered and didn't really deserve the win, the ref was utterly woeful letting God knows what go on including a rugby-style straight arm hand-off on Boufal and a stonewall penalty on Gabbiadini when he was pulled back on the far post. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 22:34:48
Sooo much better. Really great effort from the starting 11 - so much more ooomph. Played well from back to front and some pretty moves that nearly ended with a goal. Long was so unlucky that De Gea denied him (and before anyone says Austin would have scored - no, he wouldn't, he wouldn't have got anywhere near the ball). The energy and commitment was all there and we didn't let Manure play. McCarthy did well without ever being sorely tested but he actually came out and claimed a couple of crosses. And the one he came for and missed put the striker off - it would otherwise have been a routine header but he did enough to prevent the striker from getting his head on it. Everyone put in a brilliant shift and while it's too early to judge, let's hope we've reached the corner and will be turning it soon. The only negative note was that Lemina was terrible when he came on, giving the ball away every time it came anywhere near him and not really making any tackles. He seems out of sorts and perhaps he's not fully recovered from his injury because before the knock he was awesome. |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 21:50:18
So poor. I'm getting tired of saying "that's the worst half of football I've seen them play in years" every week. I think some of the fans' reactions provoked a pick-up in the second half and there some signs but then ridiculous mistakes like Redmond's pass upfield to the Spurs midfield for the fourth goal. Forster has been getting some his mojo back in the last few weeks but today he was in Fairyland - awful positioning and, I hate to say it, an apparent lack of bravery. The defence and midfield were like American Football special teams - never seen together on the pitch. Long was tireless but had no support when we did break. Romeu was playing angry in the second half which at least seems to have shaken off the dream he's been in for most of the season. I was impressed with Tadic's determination when he came on but he seemed to want to solve the whole problem on his own and that led to different problems. And, while the overall performance was a horror show there was a good deal of effort from most of them. They just aren't playing well and it seems they either don't understand what the manager is trying to get them to do or he doesn't understand what they are capable of. Maybe getting rid of him would work but who else is there, we haven't even got anyone who could be a caretaker for the Christmas period. Either we get someone in within the next few days - Monk, Tuchel, [insert name] - or we have to give MP time to use the transfer window. I honestly don't hold out any hope that we'll get anyone significant in and we may well lose VVD, Cedric and Bertrand. Finally, credit to those players who came all the way over to applaud the Saints fans despite the fact that they'd been booed, and that some of them gave their shirts away. They showed some humility. Shame that Fraser didn't even cross the halfway line before trudging off. Off to Old Trafford on Saturday. Happy Bloody Holidays! |
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Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 13:20:17
Oh dear... again. Strange team sheet. Presumably VVD on the naughty step holding a for sale sign. Defence did okay apart from a couple of free headers given away which obviously gave a soft goal (although in the old days a keeper would have gone for that - when I was playing a million years ago anything in the air in the six yard box was keeper's shout - even if he missed he would have disrupted the forward). The midfield was dire, constantly giving it away and never moving up quickly enough when we got possession. Too many times a player had the ball but no one went to help with a run into space and so they easily crowded him off the ball. Davis is a shadow of what we saw for the last few seasons. Hojberg should surely start - he has energy and fight and his passing is improving. Redmond scared them a few times but always seems to make the wrong choice at the last minute. Boufal will not always get it right but he terrifies defenders and has to start. Austin was awful apart from finding a bit of space for the goal. Missed a couple of sitters and when he did hit the target it was straight at the keeper. When the keeper was hurt, I couldn't see what had happened. Now I've seen it on the box and it looks bad. I wish they could make any ban start from when Austin is fit again?! Depressingly predictable and a poor game - the ref was dire as well, I don't even think he saw the worst foul when Targett was cleaned out. |
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