Southampton At Brighton The Verdict
Sunday, 1st Dec 2024 20:40
This was yet another game where when the teams came out you wondered what the hell the manager is doing and also yet another game where we were the victims of a poor VAR call.
When the team selection was announced before the game, it would be fair to say most Saints fans I was with before the game were perplexed, the first surprise was the inclusion of Joe Lumley, given how he was overlooked at the tail end of last season when Alex McCarthy was hauled from the stands before the game against Preston and jumped in above him, I would suspect that he was as surprised as the Saints fans that he should now be making his League debut and indeed his first ever game in the Premier League against Brighton.
This seemed a trifle harsh on McCarthy, yes he was at fault with two of the goals against Liverpool, but the first was down to his instructions from the manager and not his own error, he had followed the game plan.
Then there was the inclusion of Ryan Manning, he seems to be in and out of the team and even the squad on a week to week basis, he was joined by Yuri Sugawara, who has himself been on the bench for the last few weeks.
The rest of the line up was fairly predictable, although the subs bench was also a bit strange, Ronnie Edwards and Nathan Wood or Nathan Wood-Gordon as he now seems to be called, slotted in.
For most of the first half the game seemed to follow the usual pattern, we passed it around at the back and seemed to have stemmed the tide, then we give a goal away on the half hour mark.
There weren't many Saints supporters at half time who were hopeful of getting anything out of the game other than yet another defeat.
Brighton who were now sitting in 2nd place in the Premier League as it stood, would surely win with ease now.
But with 14 minutes of the second half the game swung when Flynn Downes fired through a crowd to equalise and it seemed to raise the spirits, the introduction of Ryan Fraser offered us an attacking option and he looked to be back to his best.
Saints seemed to have belief and then came the moment in the game that could have given us all three points, Tyler Dibling made a run and fed Fraser who crossed for Cameron Archer to fire the ball home, as we all know Archer was onside, Adam Armstrong wasn't but appeared not to have influenced the play, but this was Saints and VAR and again as we all know the goal was disallowed.
Perhaps this stirred us on a little as we kept our shape and in fairness Russell Martin made the right substitutions that meant that we both kept it tight and also posed an attacking threat.
The referee added a lot on for added time, 10 minutes was justified, but he played 13, but we got through.
So an unlikely point and one we can build on, Brighton are a good side as was evidenced by their brief sojourn in second place this weekend, we have something to build on now, it is still a tough ask, but we are just 4 points off safety, in truth we should already have those points in the bag, we have thrown more than that away, so if we do cut out the errors then there is hope.
This was a game where the fringe players such as Ryan Manning, Joe Aribo, Ben Brereton Dias & Even Sulemana all played roles, Jack Stephens had to concentrate on defending and not trying to play a hybrid role going forward and his game was all the better for it.
Perhaps playing the better teams suits us, we have to sit deeper and defend and then go on the break, the last two games has seen us battle a very good Liverpool side and almost get something out of it, indeed we should have but for our own errors and VAR and then this game.
Things are of course far from right, but a point is a point and I would rather take the positives from this game, than look at the negatives.
A decent team performance for one where we dug in and showed that we still have team spirit, the season still has a long way to go and you never know this point might be vital come May.
All Photos Via Reuters
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davidargyll added 20:56 - Dec 1Fair result on the balance of play, as luck was with us in H1 (had there been better finishing by Brighton, we’d have been three down) but against us in H2 (VAR decision)But what really concerns me is our discipline, or lack of. Because back in the day we used to have a reputation of being a nice family club with a disciplinary record to match.
But now…
At 44, yes 44, YELLOW CARDS we have the second-highest number in the PL with only Chelsea having (three) more! Plus two red cards (the highest).
Ok, so last season, we had the equal highest number of cards in the Championship, and got promoted. But this season i think the lack of discipline is much more because:1. The players are struggling to cope with the speed of their opposite numbers;2. They are making up for their lack of skill by fouling;3. Poor coaching has lead to poor positioning;4. There is a real lack of leadership on the pitch.
Some will say this shows passion! I think it shows that the manager is really not in control.
OK, so yellow cards are not in themselves a disaster, but last season, the team with the highest number was Chelsea(!), followed closely by Sheffield United, and we all know what happened to them…||
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