Second best by a stretch today?

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ShockingBadBuy

ShockingBadBuy

Often disappointed, never discouraged
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Can't fault the effort or commitment today. But (draws breath) ... we gave the ball away too easily when we had it, struggled to get it back when we lost it, fluffed our chances when they came, lacked creativity in the middle third, hit it long too often, looked as ineffective as we have done in a league game for some time, and were significantly short of Southampton's levels over 90 minutes. Despite their relative lack of chances, they did the basics so much better than we did, throughout.

I'm a huge fan of Fleck. The influence he has on games is underestimated by some on here. And he did good things today. But I also think that Freeman was seriously unlucky to lose the shirt, that we missed his pace breaking from midfield, his eye for a pass, his ability to keep the ball, and the dynamism he brings to us when we have possession in the middle of the park.

Didsy poses us a real conundrum. He's a technically accomplished player, who is capable of stuff that is beyond most of our squad, and we don't half need that kind of footballer in this division. Can we keep playing him, though, when he misses chances like today (espec the one in the first half)?

VAR? It may be fucking shit. But if we have several players offside in the oppo's area, from a dead ball, can we really complain?

Really disappointing. For the 10-15 mins we were on top, second half, we looked like we had the beating of them. In the end, sad to say, I felt we were second best by a stretch.
 

I think we have too many players who need to be on top form every match to compete, which obviously they cant be. It's only small percentages but we need to cut out simple errors and make our chances count. We wont see many more beatable sides than Southampton at the lane this season.
 
I personally thought we were the slightly better team for long periods today. It was an enjoyable, exciting game that was pretty even in terms of chances.

For their goal It was a poor pass to Lunny by Norwood. Lunny should have moved to the ball and Norwood should have flattened him rather than tug him and let him go. Then the defence were all at sea as he wandered round them. Absolute shocker.

We’re getting punished for mistakes we need to cut out. How the fuck we haven’t scored today I don’t know. McGoldrick has enough chances to beat them on his own.

Most of the momentum we’d been building and any chance of an equaliser was practically killed off by Billy’s stupid tackle late on.
 
I watched on a stream which failed after about 20 mins of the first half, but began working again so that I managed to see the whole of the second half.

My take would be that a draw would have been about right on the balance of play, so I cant agree that we were second best by a stretch.

What I would say though, is that Southampton had players with greater pace and quicker feet, and always looked threatening on the counter. In some ways we looked a bit pedestrian by comparison. Mousett is the only player in our squad who offers us something like that, in my opinion. I like the look of Robinson but I think he's still got a bit of developing to do (and I'm confident he'll grow as the season goes on).

As others have said, I would have liked to see Mousett on around the hour mark instead of Sharp and I'd have been happy to see McBurnie stay on the pitch.
 
This was a painful one because we had chances and missed. Made too many mistakes again, and they had the moment of quality. Oh and I hate VAR, even if it was correct. That really changed the energy in the game.

I guess this season will be determined by how much we can improve our focus and concentration, as well as how much quality we show.

Did think Southampton were decent so no complaints.
 
Mistakes cost matches in the Premier League. We've got to cut them out.

I thought Fleck was the best midfielder by some way and didn't think bringing him back was wrong. But if I was Besic, Morrison and Freeman... I'd be thinking 1st team chances won't be far off, as Norwood and Lundstram looked off it.

Not sure about McBurnie yet, I hope he gets in the groove.

Knowing Wilder, he'll pick the same team against Everton. Give those players a chance to atone and if they don't there may be changes in the games after that!
 
For me I will take away from the game is that we completed well which bodes well for the future, we did create a lot of chances but so did they if anything I cannot believe there was only one goal in the game.
On paper it was arguably the 'easiest' game of the first five, but from what I have seen so far they were the best team we have played, disappointed but as with the Leicester game it is still early and we are going toe to toe with all of them, keep the faith.
 
Harry's Game said:
It was pretty even until VAR got involved I thought we were shading the second half.. after that we lost it a bit and Southampton dominated the next twenty minutes and it was enough to win the game.
Click to expand...
Not sure what anyone’s issue is with VAR today. It was offside and a sending off.
If we’d taken the chances in the first half it would have been a great performance but we were wasteful again and were punished.
Onto Everton.
 
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ShockingBadBuy said:
Can't fault the effort or commitment today. But (draws breath) ... we gave the ball away too easily when we had it, struggled to get it back when we lost it, fluffed our chances when they came, lacked creativity in the middle third, hit it long too often, looked as ineffective as we have done in a league game for some time, and were significantly short of Southampton's levels over 90 minutes. Despite their relative lack of chances, they did the basics so much better than we did, throughout.

I'm a huge fan of Fleck. The influence he has on games is underestimated by some on here. And he did good things today. But I also think that Freeman was seriously unlucky to lose the shirt, that we missed his pace breaking from midfield, his eye for a pass, his ability to keep the ball, and the dynamism he brings to us when we have possession in the middle of the park.

Didsy poses us a real conundrum. He's a technically accomplished player, who is capable of stuff that is beyond most of our squad, and we don't half need that kind of footballer in this division. Can we keep playing him, though, when he misses chances like today (espec the one in the first half)?

VAR? It may be fucking shit. But if we have several players offside in the oppo's area, from a dead ball, can we really complain?

Really disappointing. For the 10-15 mins we were on top, second half, we looked like we had the beating of them. In the end, sad to say, I felt we were second best by a stretch.
Click to expand...
Excellent post
 

Cut out the errors and have a striker that is more clinical then todays result is a lot different.

Hendo overall so far this season has not had that much to do during a match.
 
Flatulent_Bob said:
Not sure what everyone’s issue is with VAR today. It was offside and a sending off.
Click to expand...
Agree. The red card maybe could’ve been a yellow but certainly wasn’t a “obvious error” to be overturned.
The one for me is the handball that wasn’t given
 
We handed the initiative to a team who play a high press because of our flat midfield three. Consequently we were playing 10 yards deeper than we needed to be and that allowed Southampton to compress the game in our half. The difference was they had players with quick feet in the middle who could turn defence into attack much quicker. We were tidy in our play but slow in thought. That's the difference between the Prem and the championship.

We looked toothless for much of the game despite our possession and only began to turn their defenders when Billy came on. I don't see Southampton troubling the top 10. Its a game we needed to get something out of the fact we didn't is concerning.
 
Flatulent_Bob said:
Not sure what everyone’s issue is with VAR today. It was offside and a sending off.
If we’d taken the chances in the first half it would have been a great performance but we were wasteful again and were punished.
Onto Everton.
Click to expand...
What about the handball?
 
We had more shots than them. Sadly for us Didsy was the one not scoring the chances.
 
sufcboy95 said:
Agree. The red card maybe could’ve been a yellow but certainly wasn’t a “obvious error” to be overturned.
The one for me is the handball that wasn’t given
Click to expand...
Again it would have to be a clear error and wether it’s deliberate is very subjective. No way VAR was over ruling the decision given on the pitch.
VAR did what it’s been asked to do today.
 
Harry's Game said:
It was pretty even until VAR got involved I thought we were shading the second half.. after that we lost it a bit and Southampton dominated the next twenty minutes and it was enough to win the game.
Click to expand...

First half I felt that after the initial spell by Saints, 6 Mins, we grew and became the better side.

Saints looked a decent team, they throw themselves about a lot though. Or they did 1st half

Second half, agreed, we were definitely shading it and the goal was coming. Then VAR seemed to really pick them up. They seemed to be pressing better and their goal was something else. But take him down. He was falling all over in the first half!

After they scored it was all over for us. Don’t think we had the game plan for picking ourselves up
 
Manager second best today , wank subs and mcgoldrick should not start.
 
What is ir about us and the game after the international break! I think we lost every one last season so no surprises it started this week too! Not that that's the reason but its an annoying that it keeps happening.
 
Everyone is mental. It was an even game. We played some really good stuff and lost to a moment of individual brilliance following a basic error. They weren't levels above us and a draw would have been fair. Saying that, we have to start taking chances.

All the woe is me, we are shit, picked the wrong team, much worse than them, hoofed it bollocks is exactly that. Bollocks.
 

My biggest frustration at the moment is the flat 3 midfield. If we aren’t going to start with Freeman or McGoldrick in the “Duffy role” against Southampton at home, when are we going to?

Wilder said before the season we wouldn’t change how we play this season, well isn’t a flat 3 midfield a change in how we played last season?
 
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