Diary of a Season: St. Mary's Redemption

[rocheyb]

Wednesday 22nd February, 2023

Preparation vs MANCHESTER CITY (Wembley)

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SAINTS: 5/4 (fav); Man City: 7/4; Draw: 11/5.

We are considered favourites going into the Capital One Cup Final against Manchester City, despite the fact that we have won 1 and lost 2 of the last 4 meetings between us, a 2-2 draw being the most recent match when two goals from Christoffer Jorgensen brought us back from 0-2 down to earn a post at St. Mary’s in October - the second of those goals coming 3 minutes into injury time.

Briefly, we did get the better of City in the head-to-head record, with a 6-0 victory over them in 2021, but they have spent close to 100-million on new players since then and have some excellent players in their early-to-mid 20s, particularly from the Slavic nations and Eastern Europe (4 Serbians and 1 each from Croatia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Romania) - all of them, now established internationals. They only have 4 Englishmen in their first team squad, though; 2 of them are goalkeepers and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain plays from the bench more often than he starts. Daniel Minor, the 2nd choice keeper who played well against us in that 2-2 earlier in the season, is the only home grown player in the squad; there are a few more in the Reserves. So I expect them to hang their heads in shame when my team containing several academy products whips them on Sunday! Hopefully.

Their recent form is not that good - they have only won 4 of their last 9 - but their leading scorer Zeljko Urosev has been in-form throughout the season. They also have Aleksander Mitrovic, a big centre-forward who I was very close to signing in 2016, but decided against it due to a poor disciplinary record (6 red cards in 3 seasons with Anderlecht). Inevitably, he’s barely troubled a referee’s notebook since.

Javi Rico has us working on Attacking Set-Pieces and although I know City have the potential to switch between a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1, I’m going to go for it on the Wembley turf with our rather open and attack-minded 3-5-2. They tend to score a lot of goals throughout the 2nd half of matches and concede them either side of half-time. They seem to be vulnerable to crosses from the right, not so much through the middle. Kostas Kabastanakis should be fully-fit and has been in excellent form recently - and he also has cup-winning form, having scored the FA Cup Final winner against Stoke City a few years ago.

Despite our now annual participation in this cup final - the fans have taken a leaf from Liverpool’s book and re-christened Wembley Stadium “St. Mary’s North” - this will be a big match for several of our younger players, so I’ll be looking for the experienced heads to keep everybody calm and focused on winning a record-breaking 5th consecutive Capital One Cup.

 

[rocheyb]

Friday 24th January, 2023

Before the cup final, though, there is another Southampton-Man City encounter to take place, in the Semi-Final of the U21s Cup, at our very own Staplewood training ground, which also plays host to all of our U21s and U18s home matches. Kevin Egan, Rodrigao, Marc Smulders, Arthur Semka and Jose Pinho - some of whom are less than 100% fit and need to get another match under their belts to be ready for first team action - are all starting.

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The U21 manager Giovanni Pulvirenti is trying my patience with his team selection. The starting 11 has the right players, for the most part - but Egan, Rodrigao, Griffiths, Semka and Pinho are all in the wrong place! Millar - at left-back - is a goalkeeper! Rutter, on the bench, is a left-back and is 93% fit, so good enough to start! Egan and Rodrigao should be switched; Semka should be where Griffiths is, with Pinho in the No.10 role and Griffiths up-top. I want us to win this cup, so if this goes wrong then Pulvirenti will be getting his P45 at the end of the season and I’ll take the U21s myself next year. Mind you, City have two goalkeepers among their five subs, so something’s amiss there, too.

- After a goalless and uneventful 1st half, Jose PINHO rounds the goalkeeper after latching onto substitute Rutter’s pass, to slot The Saints into a 1-0 lead just 21 seconds from the restart. 1-0.
- Most of the players have shuffled back into their proper positions during the course of the match.
- Egan gets caught by a route one punt down the field, in the 80th minute, and Minihan goes clean through for City - but shoots wide when it looked easier to score!
- Jose PINHO puts the result beyond doubt when he latches onto Keehan’s through ball to beat defender Hawkes for pace and, from a tight angle right of goal, level with the penalty spot, he crashes a thunderous drive into the top left corner. A great finish like that will do his first team chances no harm at all! 2-0.

Pulvirenti is reprieved. Middlesbrough’s U21s beat Spurs 2-1 away, to set up a Saints vs Boro Final, which is almost two months away.

 

[rocheyb]

Saturday 25th February, 2023

West Bromwich Albion hold Chelsea to a 2-2 draw thanks to a goals in the 87th minute and 2 minutes into stoppage time from Saints Academy Graduate, Ryan John - doing his old club a favour - and the Northern Ireland international, Rory Donnelly. So if Chelsea drop another 4 points in their remaining 9 matches, we could beat them to the title - but we would have to maintain a 100% record in our last 11. None of the other sides around us in the table played today.

 

[rocheyb]

Sunday 26th February, 2023

Capital One Cup - Final
SOUTHAMPTON vs MANCHESTER CITY
Wembley Stadium, London; Att: 90,000

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SAINTS Team News - 3-5-2: Abdel Aziz Ibrahim is in goal; Roel Rutten, Diego Reyes and Phillip Kaminski are the back-3; Luke Shaw and Kostas Kabastanakis will start on the wings; Mark Ardean-Webb’s impressive recent form gives him the nod over Shane Westley, who is on the bench; Mario Pugliese makes his first Wembley appearance; Giammarco Stangoni will hope to lifting the trophy later this afternoon; Christoffer Jorgensen and Kingsley Idris partner each other up-front; John Stones, Buti Ndou and Tom Ince are among the subs; Andrew Powell is unfortunate not to start giving his recent fine form, but may well be called from the bench.

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Man City - 4-4-2: Veteran keeper Joe Hart is fully-fit but is relegated to the bench by Michael Laudrup as Daniel Minor, who played in the Semi-Final, returns to the starting line-up for the Final; Umtiti, Mogos and Trabelsi are a strong presence in the City back-four, but I think we can get at Mizoguchi at right-back; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starts on the right of midfield; Slavko Kovac is a player that I admire in midfield; Zeljko Urosev and the England striker Martin Giddings are both exceptional players; the former Dundee United defender John Souttar is on the bench, with Aleksander Mitrovic and Michal Matlak providing back-up firepower.

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Hard tackling is going to be required against this City team, today. I just hope our players can keep their heads. The team-talk has some positive impact but the team’s confidence is high anyway, so I send them out to observe the National Anthem and the other pre-Final pageantry.

1st Half Highlights
- 1sec: Both teams are wearing their usual home strips as City kick-off the 2023 Capital One Cup Final, attacking from left-to-right.
- 3mins: Diego Reyes has to intervene as Martin Giddings carries the ball into The Saints area from the left hand side, conceding a corner. Kaminski heads the cross out by Lacourt redirects it to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the left of the 6-yard box; his volley is parried by Ibrahim and Luke Shaw clears into touch.
- 4mins: City press forward during a bright opening for them, but headed clearance by Reyes and Stangoni spark a Southampton counter. Kingsley Idris controls the ball inside his own half and turns away from Kovac, using his pace to leave the Serbian midfielder in his wake. He advances down the middle to 40-yards from the City goal, with the back-four in position, but Giammarco Stangoni’s overlapping run invites the pass, the Italian chipping too high from just behind the D.
- 6mins: Another strong run from Martin Giddings requires an equally strong sliding tackle by Phillip Kaminski inside the area, which he times impeccably to send the ball out for a corner. Saints fail to clear the near-post corner, Urosev pulling it back to Kovac and, when his shot is blocked, Trabelsi squaring for Giddings whose shot from 12-yards is pushed over by Ibrahim.
- 7mins: The Saints go straight up the other end and from a left-wing throw, work the ball into the near side of the area. Mark Ardean-Webb and Mario Pugliese try to plot their way through a crowd of defenders, Stangoni eventually shooting across goal right-footed, but wide. A lively start to the Cup Final.
- 10mins: Ibrahim takes a free-kick just outside his area, and Luke Shaw heads it infield. Giammarco Stangoni’s first-time pass frees Idris from the attentions of Trabelsi, and his slips the ball across the D and into the area for Christoffer Jorgensen to strike, but Daniel Minor’s quick reactions are enough to push the ball onto the right-and post and the rebound comes straight back to him. The closest we have come to a goal, so far. Then Idris has a shot blocked inside the area after good approach play by Stangoni and Jorgensen through the centre.
- 12mins: Jorgensen lays the ball back to Stangoni, 40-yards out, and latches onto the return inside the area, with three defenders chasing. Umtiti gets across him with a good tackle but the ball falls to Stangoni - but on his weaker foot; Minor shows good reflexes again to keep the scoreline blank.
- 13mins: The Saints are turning the screw! Kabastanakis slips the ball to Stangoni, whose influence is beginning to tell, on the right of the area. He takes on Umtiti and crosses from the byline to the far post, where Luke Shaw heads it down for Kingsley Idris to shoot from close range - but this time it’s the left-hand post that denies Southampton the opening goal and the ball is hacked out for a corner.
- 14mins: A City attack breaks down the edge of the Southampton penalty area and from Diego Reyes’s pass, Christoffer Jorgensen is able to run across the centre-circle and play Luke Shaw into space on the left-hand side. Shaw forces the Japanese full-back Mizoguchi back to his own byline and then pulls the ball back to Mark Ardean-Webb who is advancing in central midfield. He returns the ball to Shaw, now just inside the left edge of the area, and his short infield pass presents Giammarco Stangoni with a shooting chance from 8-yards. Minor again produces acrobatics to parry the shot, but as it falls a couple of yards outfield of the left-hand post, STANGONI is onto it in a flash to fire home from an acute angle. 1-0 to The Saints in the Cup Final.
- 17mins: A 25-yard free-kick by Kostas Kabastanakis, in a central position, force Minor into another sharp save. The shot was well-struck and travelling quickly, the keeper saving low down to his right.
- 18mins: Stangoni drops deep to pick out Luke Shaw, as he makes a run across the right-back and plays a straight pass for Idris to squeeze between two defenders and send a left-footed effort towards the far corner. Good hands again from Daniel Minor.
- 19mins: Luke Shaw intercepts a pass intended for Oxlade-Chamberlain and carries the ball out to the left-wing before crossing to the edge of the 6-yard box. Jorgensen gets up well but can only glance it across goal. Then, another sloppy pass, this time by Umtiti, is stolen from Insigne by Kabastanakis. He finds Stangoni infield and his forward through ball puts Kingsley Idris in his weaker right-foot - proven by the way he shanks it across goal when he really should have extended Southampton’s lead.
- 31mins: The Saints protect possession by shifting it around in midfield until Ardean-Webb and Pugliese combine to find Stangoni hovering to the right of the D, where he short pass to Idris on the left prompts a first-time shot that soars narrowly over-the-bar.
- 35mins: Yellow card for Giammarco Stangoni for diving, That’s Italians for you!
- 41mins: Stangoni runs with the ball from midfield into the left side of the penalty area. He cuts it back to Luke Shaw, whose first effort is blocked, but Stangoni feeds him again and his second attempt flies past Trabelsi in the 6-yard box towards the far corner - but Minor catches it, diving to his left at full stretch.
- 45mins: Minor saves again from a Jorgensen header, after Kabastanakis’s free-kick from deep is partially cleared but returned into the box by Kaminski.

HALF-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 MANCHESTER CITY

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But for Daniel Minor in the City goal, we’d already have the trophy and would be halfway back down the M3 by now! Stangoni has bossed the match from about minute 10 and we have seen City pressed back so far at times that when the ball does come forward, our defenders are completely unopposed near the halfway-line and are able to initiate the next wave of attack. Martin Giddings has made some positive runs for them and Zeljko Urosev is a dangerous player who we must not underestimate, but we should really be out of sight by now. Kingsley Idris has rushed a couple of his shots and has been the biggest culprit of wasted chances. Jorgensen has been more unlucky, so far. I assertively reassure the players that they have one hand on the trophy; “go out their and make it yours, lads!”

2nd Half Highlights
- 46mins: Straight from the kick-off, Idris and Jorgensen tiki-taka their way through the City ranks through the centre - only a last ditch lunge by Mogos denying the Danish talisman a shot from close to the penalty spot. But City launch a counter-attack, Lacourt passing to Urosev in the middle, just outside the area. He spots Insigne making a run into the space on the left and plays the ball ahead of the Frenchman, but the right-footed shot shot goes across goal and wide.
- 47mins: From the goal-kick, Pugliese wins the header but sends it backwards, Oxlade-Chamberlain knocking it down to Urosev. He plays a low pass to Urosev on the edge of the centre-circle, who frees Oxlade-Chamberlain in that same wide left area that Insigne exploited a minute ago. With the pace to elude the retreating Saints defence and going diagonally towards goal, Oxlade-Chamberlain shoots right-footed and looks for all the World that he’s about to equalise - but Abdel Aziz Ibrahim parries the ball past his right-hand post.
- 54mins: Momentary confusion caused by Jorgensen’s pass being blocked by Lacourt is capitalised by Stangoni, as he glides past Mogos and Lacourt before firing left-footed from the edge of the D, but the shot goes wide to the left.
- 56mins: Kovac chips the ball forward to Urosev, midway inside the Saints half, and he feeds Giddings in the D, but the Englishman’s shot hits Ibrahim - rather than being saved - and rebounds wide for a corner. Insigne’s near-post corner is headed into the side-netting by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
- 58mins: Shane Westley emerges from the bench to replace Mario Pugliese in the Ball-Winning Midfielder role for Southampton.
- 60mins: A patient build-up through the middle, involving Stangoni, Jorgensen and Idris, sends the ball wide for Shaw to take on two defenders and cross. Idris get his head to it, at an angle to the near post, but Minor catches the ball.
- 63mins: Kabastanakis puts a left-wing corner into the near post area and Idris’s volley is blocked at point blank range, for another corner. Lacourt heads the next corner out, but Giammarco Stangoni takes aim from 25-yards and forces Minor to concede another corner by pushing the ball over the crossbar…
- 64mins: …this time, Mark Ardean-Webb attacks it at the near post, heading just wide. Roel Rutten applauds the teenager’s effort as he returns to his defensive station.
- 65mins: Kaminski wins a header just inside the Saints half, but the ball falls to Umtiti, the City left-back. He arrows a pass to Martin Giddings in the centre-circle and his first-time pass takes Reyes out of the game and releases Zeljko Urosev to run clear on the Southampton goal - with Kaminski and Rutten both appealing for offside. The Serbian striker runs with the ball into the penalty area and tries to place his shot over the diving body of Ibrahim, but the Egyptian keeper saves with his left-hand, pushing it wide for a City corner.
- 66mins: A game of head tennis breaks out inside the Saints area, in which a prone Ibrahim temporarily leaves the goalmouth unguarded, but City can’t capitalise and Westley is able to force it behind again.
- 70mins: The occasion seems to have gotten to Kingsley Idris, who is a forlorn and dejected figure as he trudges off the field to be replaced by Andrew Powell. I put Powell to the right of the front two, moving Jorgensen to the left, with Powell as Advanced Forward_Attack and Jorgensen sticking with his role of False-9_Support.
- 73mins: Stangoni plays the ball forward from the halfway-line, through the middle, and Powell’s first-time lay-off finds Jorgensen to his left. Jorgensen surges past Mizoguchi to get down the outside left of the penalty area, pulling the ball back for Andrew Powell to strike from 8-yards towards the far corner, only for Daniel Minor to pull off his most impressive save yet.
- 76mins: City sub Mitrovic heads down Umtiti’s throw from the left corner flag. Lacourt and Insigne work the ball back to Umtiti, now on the edge of the penalty area, left of the D. He goes for power rather than precision and smashes the ball into the crowd just left of the goal.
- 78mins: Powell plays a hospital ball to Jorgensen, Mizoguchi sliding in and inadvertently sending the ball behind his defensive colleagues to put Stangoni clean through in the middle. The Saints skipper takes a couple of touches and tries to bend his shot into the top-left corner, but Minor makes a comfortable save.
- 79mins: Rutten makes a block just inside his own half, but it falls to Mitrovic in the middle, who plays Martin Giddings in for a diagonal run on-goal from the inside right channel. Rutten gives chase but Giddings gets his shot away from the right half of the D, but it’s a surprisingly weak effort that floats into the waiting arms of Ibrahim.
- 81mins: Shaw keeps the ball in play, on the left touchline, close to the halfway-line, by passing infield to Stangoni. With two defenders straggling in his wake, like beer cans tied to the back of a newly-weds’ taxi, Stangoni takes over left-wing duties, surging forward and crossing into the 6-yard box where Andrew POWELL gets a leg in-front of Umtiti to force the ball over the line. 2-0.

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- 82mins: I’m sending Tom Ince into the fray, in place of Jorgensen, and reverting to 4-4-1-1 by shifting several players around. Mark Ardean-Webb will go into an unfamiliar right-back position and we are going to play on the counter attack now, with Powell up top and Stangoni tucked in behind him. I’ve instructed the team to Exploit the Left Flank, where the fresh legs of Tom Ince can help us to run the clock down. City have gone to 4-5-1/4-3-3, so I have had to reset the OIs twice within a few seconds.
- 87mins: From his own throw, Shaw receives the ball back from Reyes and his cross is headed into the side-netting by Powell - with some sections of The Saints fans celebrating a third goal!
- 88mins: Markovic receives the ball close to Mark Ardean-Webb, the makeshift right-back, and moves infield on the diagonal as Giddings and Insigne try to make themselves available with forward runs. But Markovic progresses to a central position, 25-yards out, and lets fly - but scuffs his shot, dragging it well wide of the left-hand post.

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- 89mins: I have now told Kabastanakis to hold his position on the right and instructed the team to defend and waste time to see this match out.
- 90mins: 2 minutes of stoppage time are indicated by the 4th official. Giddings controls a pass from Mitrovic with Rutten at his back, and turns the ball into the path of Insigne, who makes the run to cut in behind Shaw. But he rushes his shot and it goes harmlessly wide of the far post and out for a throw-in.
- 90mins+2: Ibrahim catches a cross from the left to deny Giddings a close-range finish. He kicks the ball towards Ince on the left of the halfway-line - and Mark Clattenburg signals the end of the Cup Final. Southampton set a new record, with 5 consecutive League Cup triumphs! That’s 30 matches unbeaten in this competition!

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FULL-TIME

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MAN OF THE MATCH:
LUKE SHAW (SOUTHAMPTON) - 8.3
Wide Midfielder (Left)_Support: 0 goals; 1 assist.

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VERDICT:
After a dominant first-half, the second was much more even and City had several chances to equalise when they broke through our high defensive line. So I had to alter the formation towards the end and opt for safer, protective tactics to see out the match. Andrew Powell made a positive difference for us from the bench, again, and on current form he has to go ahead of Kingsley Idris, despite the young striker’s larger goal tally for the season. Jorgensen may also better on the left side as the False-9, because he can run at the full-back and get crosses in from the outside edge of the box. But as I formulate these thoughts, Champagne is dumped on my head! I don’t know if the players hear my team-talk - maybe it will come to them after their hangovers clear tomorrow morning.

 

[rocheyb]

Sunday 26th February, 2023

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[rocheyb]

Sunday 26th February, 2023

Elias Migliorini puts a dampener on celebrations by cornering me in the corridors of Wembley Stadium and asking to discuss his future. He hasn’t featured in the first team since recovering from injury, but the real reason for that has been the U21s’ recent busy schedule of matches in which over-aged players have not been eligible, so I have not had the opportunity to get him match-fit. He’ll play for them at Everton tomorrow night, but I have promised him first team action before the end of the season.

 

[rocheyb]

Monday 27th February, 2023

Preparation vs ARSENAL (h)

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SAINTS: 4/6 (fav); Arsenal: 7/2; Draw: 9/4.

We have won 8 and lost 1 of our last 13 matches against Arsenal, but only managed a 3-3 draw in the season’s opener at the Emirates in August after being 0-2 down in the first 10 minutes. We played 4-4-1-1 that day but will line-up with 3-5-2 in this one. Under Brendan Rodgers, Arsenal play 4-5-1/4-3-3 and given how effective they were in that previous match, I’m not too saddened to learn that both Jack Wilshere and Raheem Sterling are struggling with fatigue, along with several of their team-mates, after playing Evian TG in the Europa League on Thursday night and then Newcastle United away, yesterday. The Gunners’ form is decent but they have suffered losses at home to Leicester (0-1), Norwich (2-3) and Evian (0-1) and away to Manchester United (0-3) in the first two months of this year, leaving them 5th in the Premier League.

The Chilean striker Angelo Henriquez is their top scorer, with 16 goals in all competitions. The South African Lyle Tau is next with 9 and Sterling has 8. Wilshere is their most creative player with 14 assists. The Croatian Josip Basic, who scored on his Arsenal debut against us, will miss this return match due to a dislocated shoulder.

We’re training on Defensive Set-Pieces. The squad depth comparison corresponds with the pre-match odds, while the Goal Analysis shows that Arsenal are at their most dangerous during the last 15mins and at their most vulnerable in the first half hour. With no other Premier Leauge fixtures taking place on Wednesday, this is the first of our two games in-hand over Manchester United and Chelsea, so we need a win.

 

[rocheyb]

Wednesday 1st March, 2023

Premier League - Matchday 28
SOUTHAMPTON vs ARSENAL
St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton; Att: 51,944

SAINTS Team News - 3-5-2: Ibrahim remains in goal; John Stones comes in for his first Premier League start of the season; Roel Rutten moves into the Ball-Playing Defender role; Phillip Kaminski makes his 6th consecutive start for The Saints; Giammarco Stangoni is rested to the bench, providing Jorginho with an opportunity in the Advanced Playmaker role; Tom Ince and Kostas Kabastanakis are on the wings; Shane Westley and Mario Pugliese in the holding midfield positions; Christoffer Jorgensen captains the team and is partnered up-front by Andrew Powell who, with 9 goals in his last 6 matches, is preferred to the out-of-form Kingsley Idris; Kevin Egan, Jose Pinho and Yvo Lucas join Stangoni among the subs.

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Arsenal - 4-5-1/4-3-3: Wojciech Szczesny remains The Gunners’ goalkeeping stalwart; Kurt Zouma starts but is in need of a rest; Yegor Raevskiy is in slightly better condition; Jack Wilshere is joined by my former player Jonjo Shelvey in central midfield; Viktor Fischer has only recently returned from injury, but starts on the left-wing; Sterling also starts despite being tired.

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We should win this, given our superior fitness. I instruct normal tackles and tell the players to pick up where they left off at Wembley on Sunday.

1st Half Highlights
- 1sec: Wilshere and Henriquez get us started for Arsenal, in their changed strip of yellow shirts, blue shorts and yellow-and-blue hooped socks, attacking the Chapel End to the right.
- 6mins: Jorginho, on the right touchline, passes infield to Kabastanakis and the ball is worked into the middle by him and Pugliese, until Westely’s forward pass is picked-up by Jorginho, running across the D. He finds Tom Ince on the left corner of the penalty area, where he beats Corchia before firing over at the near post.
- 8mins: Arsenal get in down their left side from Jack Robinson’s throw. Onazi crosses from the byline, Ibrahim pushing the ball over the bar to deny the lurking Henriquez the chance to head home from close range.
- 22mins: John Stones finds himself pushed forward on the left of the penalty area and crosses for Jorginho whose header goes wide of the left-hand post.
- 26mins: Tom Ince play a short diagonal pass from the left side of the halfway-line, to Jorginho. He turns and runs at Onazi and Shelvey, making progress as far as the D before sliding a pass to Andrew Powell, who runs onto it to smash the ball into the top-left corner from a tight angle. But the flag is up for offside. No goal.
- 32mins: Tom Ince gets the ball back from his own left-wing throw and moves horizontally into the area before back-heeling for Shane Westley to strike wide of the left-hand post.
- 36mins: Pugliese, Kabastanakis and Powell pick their way through a crowded right side of the Arsenal penalty area before Powell’s low shot is parried on the ground by Szczesny, Raevskiy clearing into touch.
- 38mins: Szczesny saves on his goal-line, in the centre of goal, from Kabastanakis’s 30-yard free-kick.
- 41mins: Jorgensen receives a short pass from Jorginho on the left side of the D, turning Kurt Zouma and shooting in one movement, but wide of the left-hand post.
- 43mins: Powell passes to Jorgensen inside the centre-cirle and the Danish striker charges out to the left wing, leaving Zouma in his wake and crossing behind Corchia to force Szczesny to push the ball behind for a corner. Kabastanakis pulls the corner back to John Stones, 5-yards right of the penalty spot, but his left foot shot is saved by Szczesny.
- 44mins: Ince and Jorgensen combine on the left-hand side, Jorgensen’s crossing from the byline, but Powell can’t get enough on the header, with two defenders competing for it, and the chance goes begging.
- 45mins: Wesltey’s forward pass from the centre-circle frees Jorginho to run at the heart of the Arsenal defence. He goes past Onazi but is then tripped by the defensive midfielder. Yellow card for Ogenyi Onazi. Szczesny saves from Kabastanakis’s free-kick from 25-yards out.

HALF-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 0-0 ARSENAL

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In an uneventful first-half, we created a few chances but nothing clear cut and Szczesny has been equal to everything, so far. Arsenal haven’t threatened or created any chances at all, but while the scoreline remains goalless, they are still very much in the game. The performances are not great but our players are in better condition than theirs at the break, which will hopefully tell come the final whistle. I keep the team as is for now and manage to motivate most of the players, in the hope of a better second-half display. Kevin Diaz has replaced Raheem Sterling for Arsenal.

2nd Half Highlights
- 50mins: Yellow card for Jack Robinson of Arsenal.
- 54mins: Viktor Fischer heads over from Wilshere’s near post corner, from the right.
- 55mins: Midway inside the Arsenal half and on the left-wing, Tom Ince plays a diagonal pass back to Shane Westley. He and Jorginho work the ball to Pugliese in the middle, just advanced of the centre-circle. The Italian chips a pass forward to Jorgensen who controls it on the turn, about 30-yards out, and uses the run of Powell to escape both Zouma and Raevskiy and shoot left-footed from the edge of the penalty area, beating Szczesny inside the right-hand post as we look to give The Saints the lead. That’s Christoffer JORGENSEN’S 30th goal of the season. 1-0.
- 56mins: Arsenal have brought on Eduard Sobol and switched to 3-4-1-2 formation, with Kevin Diaz in the No.10 position.
- 60mins: Sobol shoots across goal and wide with an Arsenal free-kick from 25-yards out, just right of the D.
- 61mins: Yellow card for Phillip Kaminski.
- 63mins: Pugliese chips a forward pass from midway inside the Arsenal half to Andrew Powell, inside the D. The Welshman controls it on the turn and advances to the penalty spot, by Szczesny is able to smother the shot and deflect the ball for a corner. Kabastanakis’s low cross prompts a scramble but the ball is hacked clear for a Saints throw-in.
- 64mins: Westley passes to Ince on the left wing and he crosses, 30-yards from the byline, into the danger area. Jorgensen gets between Zouma and Raevskiy to win the header, flicking it to the back post for Powell to convert from the 6-yard line, but Szczesny makes a World-class save, diving full-stretch to his left to get his left hand onto the ball and push it wide. Kurt Zouma heads the corner from Kabastanakis straight back to the Dutch winger, who produces a much fiercer delivery to the near post and Andrew POWELL reacts quickest to head home from 6-yards. 2-0.
- 65mins: Giammarco Stangoni has come on to replace Tom Ince on the left of midfield for the home side.
- 66mins: Arsenal go on the attack, but it breaks down when Roel Rutten intercepts Diaz’s pass in-front of the Saints penalty area. He passes short to Jorginho and the young Brazilian turns and plays a delightful left-footed, 45-yard pass into the run Andrew Powell, springing beyond Arsenal’s high defensive line. With Raevskiy desperately trying to make up ground, Powell runs into the area and from a tight angle right of goal, smashes past Szczesny and just inside the far post with a rising shot. Two goals in three minutes for Andrew POWELL 3-0.
- 67mins: Arsenal pull one back immediately. Wilshere and Diaz work their way past Pugliese and Westley in midfield before Diaz feeds Tau in the middle, 20-yards out, and Angelo HENRIQUEZ runs onto the short infield pass to shoot low past Ibrahim from the edge of the box. 3-1.
- 69mins: Szczesny does well to catch a long-range, central free-kick effort by Kabastanakis, lowdown on the goal-line.
- 73mins: Jorgensen and Jorginho bundle their way through a couple of challenges, Powell angling the loose ball to Kabastanakis for a shot across the face of goal that goes wide.
- 74mins: Mark Ardean-Webb replaces Shane Westley in midfield.
- 76mins: After finding it difficult to get out of their own half for a minute or so, space suddenly opens up for Arsenal through the middle, Diaz finding Wilshere on the halfway-line and his pass to Henriquez enabling the Chilean to free Lyle Tau in-behind Kaminski. Tau gets into the D and strikes the ball with his right-foot, but Ibrahim makes the catch.
- 77mins: Giammarco Stangoni takes the ball midway inside his own half and attacks Arsenal down the left wing. There is no challenge to stop him getting all the way forward to level with the 6-yard line, crossing to the near post where Jack Robinson’s defensive header prevents Jorgensen from converting. But Jorginho’s looping header from the edge of the area drops back to the Danish forward, Robinson having to react quickly again to block the shot for a corner.
- 80mins: Pugliese’s headed flick-on from Ibrahim’s goal-kick finds Jorginho in the Arsenal half, and he goes past Raevskiy, the covering Zouma getting across to block Jorginho’s 20-yard effort, before he goes down under Zouma’s challenge. Jorgensen’s first-time strike of the loose ball flies narrowly over.
- 81mins: Jorgensen heads Pugliese’s high pass from deep down to Jorginho, who finds Powell on the right of the D. The Welsh international striker goes for goal and is only denied his hat-trick by the woodwork - the ball hitting the join of right-hand post and bar. Szczesny then has to push the ball over the bar to deny John Stones, who runs from deep to meet Kabastanakis’s high looping cross from the left with a firm header at the back post.
- 82mins: Jose Pinho comes on in place of Kostas Kabastanakis on the right of midfield.
- 83mins: Jorgensen gets the ball into the Arsenal net but it is ruled offside after a partially cleared corner leads to a low John Stones drive through a crowded 6-yard box.
- 84mins: Stangoni heads out a left-wing cross by Sobol at the back post, but Raevskiy wins it in the air from Jorginho in the D, knocking it down for Kevin DIAZ to strike right-footed past Ibrahim, into the bottom right corner, despite the presence of several red shirts in the box. Arsenal are right back in this match! 3-2.
- 90mins: Yellow card for Jack Wilshere for a trip on Jose Pinho, after Jorgensen had exploited Arsenal’s high line to play the Portuguese forward in on the counter-attack.
- 90mins+2: Yellow card for Kurt Zouma for a shove in the back on Powell, in midfield.
- 90mins+3: The free-kick is taken short and Southampton knock the ball around just inside the Arsenal half to run down the clock. Then a heavy challenge by Sobol on Jorginho on the home side’s right sends the ball to Powell who lays it back to Ardean-Webb. He exchanges passes with Pugliese just behind him before passing to Jorginho in the middle of Arsenal’s half. The Brazilian turns away from Onazi to play left-footed pass to the left corner of the penalty area where Giammarco STANGONI takes one touch to control and one touch to win the match for Southampton, with a fierce low drive beyond the despairing dive of Szczesny and just inside the far post. 4-2.

FULL-TIME

View attachment 361540 4-2 View attachment 361539

MAN OF THE MATCH:
JORGINHO (SOUTHAMPTON) - 9.0
Advanced Playmaker_Attack; 0 goals; 2 assists.

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VERDICT:
Having done very well to get ourselves three goals up, we came close to throwing it away by allowing Arsenal to pull two back. But we deserved the win for our constant attacking play and I’m pleased that my decision to put Stangoni on the left of the midfield - which I had put in place just before it went to 2-0 - paid off with the winning goal, my thinking being that he had the pace and directing running needed to exploit some tiredness down that side of Arsenal’s back-3. Andrew Powell continues his impressive form and he and Jorgensen demonstrated again that they can work well together with the Dane working predominantly in the centre-left area. I tell the players that I am very happy with the result and the performance.

 

[rocheyb]

Thursday 2nd March, 2023

Preparation vs SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (h)

View attachment 361537

SAINTS: 1/10 (fav); Sheff Wed: 15/1; Draw: 5/1.

We are overwhelming favourites for this FA Cup Quarter-Final, and I will look to involve some squad players against the team currently occupying 11th spot in the Championship. They usually play 4-4-2 and are managed by the former Saints boss, Nigel Adkins. Our only previous meeting in this save was a Capital One Cup Quarter-Final at Hillsborough in 2012, which we won 2-0. The squad comparison is heavily in our favour, as expected. Wednesday concede a lot of goals immediately after half-time and are vulnerable to chances created on the flanks - so I don’t think they’re going to enjoy themselves very much at St. Mary’s on Saturday. We’re working on Attacking Set-Pieces.

 

[rocheyb]

Saturday 4th March, 2023

FA Cup - 6th Round
SOUTHAMPTON vs SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton; Att: 52,000

View attachment 361535

SAINTS Team News - 4-4-1-1: Louis Cruse comes back into the team to keep goal; Dragan Hrustic and Rodrigao are the full-backs; Roel Rutten continues at centre-back, partnered by Kevin Egan; Mark Ardean-Webb and Diego Reyes will look to control midfield; Tom Ince remains on the left-wing with Buti Ndou on the right; Jose Pinho starts as the Shadow Striker with Yvo Lucas ahead of him; James Ward-Prowse is on the bench with Arthur Semka, Marc Smulders and Kingsley Idris.

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Sheff Wed - 4-4-2: The Australian goalkeeper Adam Federici is retiring this summer; the centre-back Fraser Strachan is a 17 year-old recruit from Hamilton Academicals and lacks match fitness; midfielder Mertgul Ozdemir is on loan from Fenerbahce; 31 year-old striker Jordan Ayew has 89 caps and 41 goals for Ghana; Scottish striker Mark Beck has 18 goals in all competitions for Wednesday so far this season.

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Normal tackles and a positive pre-match team-talk.

1st Half Highlights
- 1sec: Wednesday kick-off in their all black away strip, attacking from left-to right.
- 1min: Kevin Egan clears a Wendesday attack with a long, high clearance up the centre of the pitch. Yvo Lucas brings the ball down and moves to the left, passing infield to Mark Ardean-Webb about 40-yards from goal. Tom Ince receives the pass on the left wing and brings it back infield before angling a low pass to Lucas on the edge of the penalty area, left of the D. Lucas turns the ball towards the penalty spot, enabling Jose PINHO to steal a yard from his marker to strike into the bottom right corner before Federici can get down to it, with 35 seconds on the clock. 1-0.
- 6mins: Tom Ince draws a save from Adam Federici with a lopping header over a ruck of players, after a partially cleared corner is knocked back into the box by Ndou.
- 7mins: Mark Ardean-Webb finds Dragan Hrustic on the left, midway inside the visitors’ half. Hrustic passes forward to Ince who crosses low to the front post area where Jose PINHO connects to volley home his 2nd goal of the match, beating Federici at the near post. 2-0.
- 10mins: Buti Ndou gets forward to cross from the byline, on the right, and Lucas shakes off his man to shoot at the near post, but Federici forces the ball into the side-netting with his shin. Then a cross from Lucas on the right is headed off the line by Haynes, Ndou knocks it down to Ince by the right corner of the 6-yard box and his lay off is well-struck by Yvo Lucas but Federici gets down smartly to parry it and Haynes hacks clear.
- 13mins: Lucas’s central free-kick is saved by Federici.
- 17mins: The Australian veteran keeper is pulled into action again, as Tom Ince’s free-kick from deep threatens to drop dangerously but for a shove over the bar.
- 19mins: Diego Reyes passes forward from midfield and Ardean-Webb pushes it out to Hrustic on the left. He feeds Ince down the wing and the England winger’s cross is headed on by Lucas to the far corner of the 6-yard box where the unmarked Buti NDOU shoots home with a low drive for his 1st goal of the season. 3-0.
- 24mins: Ndou plays a one-two with Pinho on the right to attack down the wing, crossing to the edge of the 6-yard box for Yvo Lucas to head against the crossbar, Mason clearing before Ince can reach the rebound with the goal unguarded by the prone keeper. Then, Ince passes diagonally infield from the left to Ardean-Webb. His short pass to Pinho prompts a one-two with Lucas, the return pass running over the penalty spot as Jose PINHO sprints through the centre of the D to smash it into the bottom left corner from 8-yards, with Federici unable to get near it. A hat-trick for Jose Pinho. 4-0.
- 25mins: Wednesday switch to the same 4-4-1-1 formation as us - but it doesn’t do them any good! Ndou, on the right and on the halfway-line, passes short to Ardean-Webb. He finds Pinho 25-yards out with four defenders around him. Undeterred, Jose PINHO runs through what little resistance Haynes and Hancox can offer, shooting from the edge of the area, across the keeper and into the far corner. 5-0.
- 27mins: After a forward pass from Reyes, Lucas feeds Pinho again, surrounded by defenders inside the D, but Federici saves lowdown in the centre of goal.
- 30mins: Pinho goes close again with long-range effort that whistles over the bar, after Hancox heads clear a left-wing corner and Tom Ince knocks the ball down outside the area.
- 37mins: Holder latches onto Ayew’s looped pass on the left corner of The Saints penalty area, but Rodrigao slides in to hook the ball out. Ozdemir picks up the loose ball, shifting it to his left-foot and firing towards the top left corner, but Cruse is well-positioned to make the catch.
- 38mins: Wednesday’s sheer numbers in defence force Southampton to keep probing for another angle of attack, the ball coming across to Hrustic on the left and his forward pass finding Tom Ince. He rides through Mason’s tackle and then crosses to the edge of the 6-yard box where Jose PINHO climbs well to head inside the near post - Federici should have saved it but can only help it on its way to the back of the net! 6-0.
- 40mins: Hrustic and Ince create another opening from the left, this time Ince sending over a high cross with his right-foot from the corner of the area. Pinho runs across the keeper as the ball is dropping, so Federici does well to thrust up a hand to punch it away.
- 43mins: Federici reacts with athleticism to push the ball over the bar to deny Rodrigao, after the young Brazilian overlaps beyond Ndou down the right wing to latch onto the South African’s pass and attempt a shot from close to the touchline. But Federici undoes his own good work by missing Lucas’s cross from the right-wing corner, the ball dropping over his head and hitting a defender to drop in the centre of goal, 3 yards from the touchline, and in the ensuing scramble, deflecting off the shin of Keith DALTON for an own goal. 7-0.

HALF-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 7-0 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

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This is the largest half-time lead I’ve ever had in FM - certainly in a competitive match, anyway. We can attack them from all angles and they can’t maintain any positive possession. Jose Pinho is on a double-hat-trick and is rating a perfect 10.0 at the break!

2nd Half Highlights
- 49mins: Pinho hits the right side-netting with a free-kick from 20-yards.
- 54mins: On a rare foray forward for the visitors, Ozdemir plays Bowden in-behind Hrustic on the Wednesday right. His angled shot is well-hit, but Louis Cruse demonstrates excellent concentration to make the save.
- 58mins: Buti Ndou’s throw from the right is returned to him by Pinho, but he leaves it for the overlapping Rodrigao who take-over with a high cross to that strands Federici on the near post and presents Tom INCE with a tap-in from 3-yards. 8-0.
- 59mins: James Ward-Prowse will continue his rehabilitation from injury by replacing Mark Ardean-Webb for the last half hour.
- 61mins: Jordan Ayew latches onto Ozdemir’s pass in the inside-right channel but his shot across goal lacks accuracy and goes wide of the far post.
- 63mins: Patient play by Dalton and Ozdemir enables Grego-*** to evade Rodrigao on the left corner of The Saints area, but he can’t beat Cruse with his low shot.
- 69mins: Ince goes down close to the left byline as Wednesday clear the ball upfield. The referee waves play-on so Kevin Egan and Diego Reyes move the attack to the right flank, and Buti Ndou, whose cross from the right corner of the area finds Yvo Lucas ghosting in behind two defenders close to the penalty spot, his header bouncing wide of the far post.
- 73mins: Ward-Prowse and Buti Ndou work an opening for Rodrigao to cross from the right side of the byline, Pinho arriving late at the near post and heading into the side-netting.
- 71mins: Roel Rutten will get a rest as Phillip Kaminski replaces him at centre-back.
- 75mins: Ayew, Bowden and Ozdemir engage in a patient build-up for Wednesday, playing Holder in through the middle. But again, when faced with a sight of goal, a Wednesday player lacks the necessary composure and allows Louis Cruse to make a comfortable save.
- 77mins: Ince plays Hrustic in down the left wing and his near post cross is met by Jose Pinho with a close-rang shot that Federici blocks with a shin. From the clearance, Southampton get the ball out to Rodrigao and he crosses to the centre. Pinho flicks his header over Federici only for the far post to deny him his 2nd hat-trick.

View attachment 361522
- 81mins: I decide to switch to 3-5-2 and send on Kingsley Idris for Yvo Lucas - in the hope of helping Idris get back to scoring ways and possibly achieve a double-figure scoreline. Lucas goes off to a standing ovation.
- 82mins: Idris almost scores with his first touch of the ball, getting his head to Ward-Prowse’s right-wing corner, but only managing to glance it across goal.
- 90mins+2: Ndou plays Pinho down the outside right edge of the Wednesday area, the 5-goal hero stepping around Strachan’s ill-timed challenge. His low cross finds Ward-Prowse inside the 6-yard box at the near post, but Federici’s shins come to the rescue again - the full whistle sounding as the ball is cleared upfield.

FULL-TIME

View attachment 361520 8-0 View attachment 361519

MAN OF THE MATCH:
JOSE PINHO (SOUTHAMPTON) - 10.0
Shadow Striker_Attack: 5 goals; 0 assists.

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VERDICT:
Just the one goal during the second-45, but that seems to be a feature of FM at times. I’m happy with the win and we’re through to the FA Cup Semi-Finals. Five goals for Jose Pinho - taking his season’s tally to 8 - earn him the first perfect 10.0 match rating I think have ever seen from one of my players in a competitive match. The morale of every player that featured in the match is now set to Superb, so I will follow the advice of Mullers again and forego the post-match team-talk.

 

[rocheyb]

Sunday 5th March, 2023

Preparation vs VITESSE ARNHEM (h)

View attachment 361514

SAINTS: 1/6 (fav); Vitesse: 10/1; Draw: 5/1.

1st LEG: VITESSE ARNHEM 1-3 SOUTHAMPTON

Christoffer Jorgensen’s hat-trick in Arnhem is responsible for our lead going into this European Champions League 1st Knock-Out Round, 2nd Leg tie. Vitesse did once overturn a 5-1 deficit against us to win on away goals in the Europa League, but I - and my players - are a lot more experienced now and should be able to avoid it happening again.

We’re working on Attacking Movement, as suggested by Javi Rico. Vitesse’s 3-4-3 formation does present a different kind of problem to what we usually face, but I’m confident that a midfield that will include a fully-fit Giammarco Stangoni will control possession on our home turf. The first-half is when most goals are scored against Vitesse, their goals are fairly evenly spread.

Vitesse are 13 points clear at the top of Eridivisie, having scored 53 goals in 28 matches; we have 86 from the same number of matches in a much more competitive league. We are currently unbeaten in 28 matches in all competitions.

 

[rocheyb]

Monday 6th March, 2023

View attachment 361319

Arsenal, Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion - who beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 in their 6th Round match - are the three other teams joining us in the draw for the FA Cup Semi-Finals. And we draw The Baggies for the match to be played at Wembley Stadium on 9th April, which sets up a Big-Baggie-Double-Header with our trip to The Hawthorns having now been re-arranged for just 5 days before that.

 

[rocheyb]

Wednesday 8th March, 2023

European Champions Cup - 1st Knock-Out Round, 2nd Leg
SOUTHAMPTON (Eng) vs VITESSE ARNHEM (Ned)
St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton; Att: 51,368

View attachment 361316

SAINTS Team News - 3-5-2: Abdel Aziz Ibrahim returns in goal; Diego Reyes moves back into the defensive line after operating in midfield against Sheffield Wednesday; Roel Rutten and Phillip Kaminski line-up either side of Reyes; Mark Ardean-Webb and Mario Pugliese join skipper Giammarco Stangoni in the middle of the 5-man midfield; Luke Shaw returns to the left-hand side and Kostas Kabastanakis to the right; Andrew Powell and Kingsley Idris are up-front; Rodrigao and Jose Pinho are rewarded for impressive FA Cup displays with a place on the bench for this Champions League game.

View attachment 361313 View attachment 361311 View attachment 361310

Vitesse - 3-4-3: Germain Smetsers is a Dutch international and he joins the Czech Edvard Macek, the Dane Lucas Andersen and the Turk Sevki Varligun in a strong midfield unit that will be looking to feed balls into the channels for a front-3 that has a modest 16 goals between them in all competitions, this season.

View attachment 361309 View attachment 361308

I instruct normal tackles but will keep a close eye on the midfield battle in the early stages. The team-talk goes well so I send the players out to claim their place in the Champions League Quarter-Finals.

1st Half Highlights
- 1sec: The rain pours down as Southampton kick-off, attacking the Chapel End.
- 2mins: Luke Shaw moves in from the left flank to latch onto Mark-Ardean Webb’s pass, gliding past Corozo to play Kingsley Idris into the inside-left channel, with his back to goal. He shoots on the turn but Wim Geurts sits down on the edge of the 6-yard box to block the shot with his chest.
- 7mins: Giammarco Stangoni’s angled pass finds Andrew Powell alone up-front. He withstands a challenge from Daal and another from Mormon to bundle his way past them and into the D, but he can’t keep his shot down.
- 8mins: A sweeping move down the left flank sees Stangoni play Shaw in on the overlap, the England full-back getting to the left of the 6-yard box before chipping to the far post where Kostas Kabastanakis heads home from close range, squeezing the ball home past Wim Geurts - but the offside flag rules the goal out.
- 9mins: Two last-ditch tackles within 20 seconds deny Idris and then Stangoni as The Saints press the visitors back into their own area, Kabastanakis also has a follow-up shot blocked. Sevki Varligun tries to play the ball out from midfield for Vitesse, but gives it to Stangoni midway inside the Dutch side’s half. His forward pass to Andrew Powell is then shifted left to Idris, who spots the run of Luke Shaw towards the left edge of the area and back-heels it to him, but his tight-angled effort hits the side-netting.
- 13mins: Stangoni takes the Vitesse defence on by himself, but miss-hits his shot from the D after having done the hard part.
- 16mins: Idris and Powell are both denied with more last-ditch defending inside the Vitesse penalty area.
- 24mins: Van der Wal takes the ball under control near the centre-circle and then runs at Roel Rutten, taking the Belgian defender back into his own area and shooting from the inside-right channel to force Ibrahim into action and gaining a corner. Kaminski heads the ball well clear but Kingsley Idris is injured in a collision with Corozo as he tries to retrieve the ball near the far touchline. Christoffer Jorgensen comes in to replace him, meaning a swap of roles for the two front-men.

View attachment 361295
- 30mins: From the halfway-line, Diego Reyes passes the ball back to his goalkeeper. Ibrahim comes to meet the ball a few yards outside his area and aims a pass to Kaminski on the right-hand side. But he under hits the pass; Cedric Badjeck tries to lob the ball into an empty net from 45-yards but it drops inches wide of the left-hand post. A let-off for The Saints.
- 40mins: Geurts does well to push the ball over the bar with Jorgensen challenging him for Andrew Powell’s high right-wing cross. Then Stangoni races away from Smetsers in midfield to get in on the right of goal, forcing Geurts to save at the foot of his left-hand post.
- 41mins: After swapping passes with Macek, Smetsers tries his luck from outside the box, but his shot is blocked at close quarters by Kabastanakis. The ball squirms away from three Saints defenders to Lucas Andersen on the right of the D but his shot on the turn is saved by Ibrahim.
- 43mins: Mormon heads out a corner from the left, but Roel Rutten collects the ball on the edge of the Vitesse penalty area. He shifts the ball to the left for Stangoni to strike from the tip of the D, sending it through a crowd where it hits substitute Christoffer JORGENSEN inside the 6-yard box; the Dane allows the ball to drop and shoots into the far corner from close range. His 4th goal of this Cup Tie. 1-0 (Agg: 4-1).
- 45mins+1: Powell sends a near-post header into the side-netting, after some impressive hold-up play from the Welshman leads to a right-wing cross by Kabastanakis.

HALF-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 VITESSE ARNHEM

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Vitesse look to play on the counter-attack, and can hurt us in the channels, but it can’t be part of their game plan to allow us 60% of possession. We are deservedly ahead at the break but need to more clinical in-front of goal during the second-half. I tell the players that they are playing well and to keep it going. Massimo Luongo, the Australian who has played for Coventry City and Aston Villa, comes on as right midfielder in place of Gregory van der Wal.

2nd Half Highlights
- 47mins: From a deep left position, Sevki Varligun attempts to release Andersen through the middle for Vitesse, but Diego Reyes reads the situation and steps forward to intercept. In a flash, Southampton are on the attack, Jorgensen controlling the forward pass midway inside the visitors’ half to lay it off for the on-rushing Stangoni to run at retreating black-and-yellow shirts, his shot from the left of the D pushed over the bar by Geurts.
- 50mins: Jorgensen and Shaw combine on the Saints left, with Jorgensen receiving the ball again on the edge of the area, stepping away from Corozo and aiming a shot inside the near post where Geurts saves.
- 56mins: Temporarily down to 10-men, with Corozo receiving treatment on the sidelines, Vitesse concede a free-kick just outside the area, close to their left-wing byline, when Massimo Luongo trips Stangoni. Teenaged midfielder Mark ARDEAN-WEBB claims his 4th goal of the season with a near post header from 6-yards, to head Kabastanakis’s cross past Geurts. 2-0 (Agg: 5-1).
- 57mins: Vitesse change to a 4-4-2 large diamond formation (which Newcastle have already tried with and failed against us!)
- 69mins: Ardean-Webb latches onto another near-post cross from Kabastanakis from the left, but this time his header hits the side-netting.
- 69mins: Yellow card for Cyrill Koopman for a trip on Kaminski.
- 70mins: Stangoni and Jorgensen create an opening for Luke Shaw, overlapping on the diagonal on the left-hand side to get behind the full-back. But he takes a touch and narrows the angle for a shot, eventually hitting it into the side-netting. Then, Jose Pinho replaces Andrew Powell up-front.
78mins: Yellow card for Kostas Kabastanakis.
- 84mins: Jorgensen’s cross from the left wing is headed out by Mormon. Shaw heads it back to his Danish team-mate and Stangoni directs the squared cross just wide of the right-hand post with a glancing header.
- 85mins: John Stones comes on for Roel Rutten.
- 86mins: Luongo leads a rare Vitesse raid down the right, but his near-post cross is headed over by Koopman.

FULL-TIME

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MAN OF THE MATCH:
CARLOS COROZO (VITESSE ARNHEM) - 7.8
Right-Back: 0 goals; 0 assists.

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VERDICT:
We limited the threat of Vitesse’s 3-man attack by dominating the midfield battle and making several interceptions from their attempted through balls. Stangoni and Ardean-Webb were both impressive in the engine room and Kabastanakis was also a thorn in their side. We progress in the Champions League.

 

[rocheyb]

Wednesday 8th March, 2023

Bad news for the whole squad and for Kingsley Idris in particular: he has twisted knee ligaments and will miss the next 6 weeks - effectively ruling him out for the rest of season, along with the already crocked Sercan Calik and Sergey Radimov. 16 year-old John Griffiths scored on his debut (and his only first team outing to date) when I played him against Wigan Athletic in the Capital One Cup in October. He has the potential to become an even better player than Idris, so I have brought him into the first team squad as cover, for the rest of the season. Jay Rodriguez is also available and Jose Pinho is another who is capable of playing up-front.

Carl Storrie’s loan at Watford has been extended to the end of the season.

 

[rocheyb]

Thursday 9th March, 2023

Preparation vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (h)

View attachment 358738

SAINTS: 1/6 (fav); Spurs: 10/1; Draw: 5/1.

Tottenham were one of the teams that I found most difficult to overcome in the first few seasons of my save but we have won 12 of the last 16 matches against them, including a 4-0 triumph at New White Hart Lane back in November. They are having a bad season, having sacked Rafa Benitez in the week leading up to that match and replacing him with the relatively inexperienced Wayne Walters who has not been able to turn the tide and currently has them precariously positioned in 17th place, just 2 point ahead of Fulham but with a game in-hand. Although they are still going strong in the Europa League, they have lost their last four Premier League matches, including their most recent home game against relegation threatened Wigan Athletic, by a scoreline of 1-2. They were also recently knocked out of the FA Cup at the Quarter-Final stage, by West Brom - having done the hard part by beating Chelsea on penalties in a 5th Round Replay.

Walters has them playing 4-4-2 and we’re working on Attacking Movement to try and exploit their ageing defence, which has conceded 45 goals in the league up tip now. Their real problem is scoring goals, though, as the division’s joint 3rd lowest scorers. Bentley Gouano, who I sold to them in the summer, is the only member of their squad to have reached double figures in the Premier League this season, Matej Vydra being the next best with just 4. They have Danny Welbeck in their squad but he is injured. Javi Rico says they are vulnerable to facing a 4-2-3-1 formation and their half of the squad comparison is almost entirely reliant on the Argentine winger Erik Lamela but still comes off worse against my squad. The period before half-time is their most prolific, but they let goals in during the 15mins before that and immediately after the break.

 

[rocheyb]

Saturday 11th March, 2023

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England U21s play three games in a week next from the 17th, starting with Moldova at home and Scotland away in European Championship Qualifiers, followed by a friendly against the Netherlands at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on the 23rd. Mark Ardean-Webb, Carl Storrie and John Griffiths are all called up, along with former young Saints Idris Ekinci (now with Newcastle United) and George Carter, who was loaned out to Huddersfield Town after completing his 5.5-million transfer from Southampton to Manchester City in January. Griffiths, who is still only 16, has not played for the U21s before.

Leicester City have thrown the cat among the pigeons by holding Chelsea to a 0-0 draw at the King Power Stadium. Assuming that we keep on winning, including our two matches in-hand - which is admittedly a big assumption, not least because a trip to the Etihad awaits us shortly - then we will need Jose Mourinho’s team to drop another 2 points to overhaul them at the top of the Premier League on goal difference. Elsewhere, Fulham have piled the pressure onto our next opponent’s Tottenham, by winning 2-1 at home to struggling Liverpool - climbing to 17th place and dumping Spurs into the relegation zone in the process. Manchester City won 4-2 at Cardiff City but remain behind us in 4th. Manchester United, who are 2nd and are in a good run of league form, entertain Reading on Monday night.

17 year-old central midfielder Jake Basford has signed professional terms with a contract that runs to 2025.

 

[rocheyb]

Sunday 12th March, 2023

Premier League - Matchday 29
SOUTHAMPTON vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton; Att: 51,673

SAINTS Team News - 3-5-2: Ibrahim continues in goal; John Stones returns on the left of the back-3; Rutten lines-up as the Ball-Playing Defender with Kaminski on the right; Shane Westley captains the side form midfield; Jorginho comes in for the rested Stangoni; Pugliese retains his place; Tom Ince and Buti Ndou are on the wings; Andrew Powell and Yvo Lucas partner each other up-front; Jedvaj, Ardean-Webb, Ward-Prowse and Jorgensen are on the bench.

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Tottenham - 4-4-2: Hugo Lloris has conceded 45 goals in 27 appearances for Spurs this season; the Cameroon left-back Arnold is the only member of the back-4 who is under 30; Jesper Boons is a Dutch international defensive midfielder who joined Spurs from Anderlecht in Belgium for 13-million in the summer; the striker Bentley Gouano and substitute Russell Collins both went to New White Hart Lane from St. Mary’s.

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With our trip to Manchester City on Wednesday night, I am keeping a couple of players back tonight to be ready for that match. Jedvaj and Ward-Prowse are still staggering back to full-fitness so hopefully I will be able to bring them on towards the end of this one. I instruct normal tackles and tell the players to pick up where they left off last time.

1st Half Highlights
- 1sec: Spurs kick-off, in their changed strip of all sky blue, attacking from left-to-right.
- 5mins: Phillip Kaminski climbs high to meet Yvo Lucas’s right-wing cross but can’t direct the header.
- 7mins: Mario Pugliese wins the ball in a tussle with Jesper Boons just inside Tottenham’s half and plays it back to Westley in the middle. Jorginho receives the pass on the halfway-line and finds Powell in the middle of the Spurs half. As he turns to take on Murillo, Yvo Lucas draws the other central defender away, and Andrew POWELL evades Murillo’s tackle on the edge of the box, advances another few yards to strike into the top right corner, beyond the outstretched right hand of Hugo Lloris. 1-0.
- 8mins: Powell receives possession deep inside his own half and turns away from El Neny to begin a surging run up the middle of the pitch, feeding Tom Ince on the left before getting it back again on the byline and winning a corner on the left-hand side. Lucas takes it and finds Powell right in-front of goal, Lloris getting a block on the close-range shot and Powell’s follow-up. As Westley goes down under a challenge from Murillo, the ball rolls to Roel RUTTEN who is left with the simplest of tap-ins from 2-yards. Two goals in a minute for The Saints. 2-0.
- 13mins: Yvo Lucas drops deep to lay off Jorginho’s pass from midfield to his strike partner Powell, running to receive the return pass on the edge of the D and pass it first-time into the path of Tom Ince who escapes Peruzzi to smash the ball across Lloris and into the far corner. Only the offside flag prevents Spurs from going three goals down inside the first 15mins. No goal.
- 15mins: Jorginho whistles a shot past Lloris’s right-hand post from a free-kick on the right corner of the penalty area.
- 20mins: Jorginho wins a corner on the right-hand side by forcing Arnold into a sliding tackle to prevent the Brazilian dribbling to the byline. Lucas sends the cross high to the near post and Andrew POWELL leaps unopposed to head Southampton’s 3rd goal of the match - and his 2nd - from close range. 3-0.
- 21mins: Just a minute later, Andrew Powell has his hat-trick! Arnold dispossesses Lucas with a sliding tackle 25-yards out in the inside-right channel, but Buti Ndou picks up the loose ball on the flank and advances to cross from level with the 6-yard box, looping the ball over three defenders to drop perfectly for Andrew POWELL to place a side-foot volley inside the far post from 9-yards. 4-0.
- 22mins: John Stones makes a brilliant tackle to prevent Gouano getting behind The Saints defence from Vydra’s pass.
- 27mins: Another cross from Ndou on the right wing drops to Powell on the 6-yard line, but Arnold manages to poke the ball behind for a corner…
- 28mins: …Lucas’s cross is headed away at the near post but returned to him by Ndou. He crosses high with his left foot, looping the ball over Hugo Lloris and forcing Falta to head it off the goal line with Powell stretching to connect with it. Kaminski collects 30-yards out and finds Ndou on the right edge of the area. His one-two with Jorginho enables him to square to Lucas close to the penalty spot and the Dutchman’s low drive is brilliantly parried by Lloris at his left-hand post - Arnold hacking clear for some brief defensive respite for Spurs.
- 30mins: Vydra does well to run round John Stones on the Tottenham right, getting into the area but then conceded the ball to the retreating Stones, with a tackle that leaves Vydra requiring the physio’s attention.
- 35mins: From just outside his own penalty area, Mario Pugliese arrows a low pass to Andrew Powell on the halfway-line, on the Southampton left. He squares infield to Yvo Lucas, the Dutchman holding on to the ball before hitting an excellent 30-yard pass over the head of Murillo and onto the chest of the advancing POWELL, who controls the ball as he attacks the inside-left channel, striding into the penalty area and shooting right-footed beyond Lloris, into the far corner, for his 4th and his team’s 5th goal of the match. 5-0.
- 41mins: Yellow card for Mario Pugliese for a trip on Bentley Gouano.

HALF-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 5-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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On this form, Spurs are going to get relegated and I have renewed hope of winning our third Premier League title! They cannot cope with Andrew Powell’s pace, heading or shooting ability. Ndou has got in down the right flank numerous times and Lucas has been effective in the build-up play through the middle and with his set-piece delivery. I have already got one eye on my bench, thinking about who to rest for the match at City on Wednesday, but I leave the team as is for now, keeping the team-talk calm to request more of the same in the second-half.

2nd Half Highlights
- 52mins: Falta heads over the bar at close-range, from El Neny’s left-wing corner.
- 56mins: Tom Ince crosses into the area from the left wing. Lucas controls the ball near the penalty spot and passes short to Jorginho, whose effort is headed out by Arnold. Pugliese comes forward to meet the ball on the volley on the right of the D but Lloris dives to his left to make the save.
- 58mins: Mario Pugliese is replaced by Arthur Semka for The Saints, with Shane Westley moving the BWM position and Semka taking up the DLP role.
- 62mins: Lloris has to come out quickly to punch the ball off the forehead of Powell to deny him another goal from Jorginho’s run and cross on the right wing.
- 66mins: Jorginho receives a short pass from Tom Ince on the left-hand side and turns infield to run at the Tottenham defence again. He drags El Neny and Boons on a diagonal run the Spurs D, then back-heels to Andrew Powell whose thunderous effort is tipped onto the crossbar by Hugo Lloris. Phillip Kaminski heads for goal from Lucas’s high back-post corner, but Lloris catches the ball on the goal-line.
- 67mins: Ndou and Jorginho work an opening for Yvo Lucas in the inside-right channel, but Lloris saves at the expense of another corner.
- 68mins: Powell is tripped by De Vrij on the left of the D and gets up to shoot the free-kick just over the bar. Tin Jedvaj is coming on for Phillip Kaminski to line-up on the left of Rutten in the defensive three, with Stones shifting to the right.
- 69mins: Yellow card for Stefan De Vrij for an obstruction on Yvo Lucas, on the line of the penalty area, inside the D, that prevented the Saints striker from latching onto Jorginho’s through ball. Powell strikes the ball against the wall and Tottenham clear.
- 73mins: Bentley Gouano thuds a header against the left-hand post after getting up well to meet Garritano’s right-wing corner. Ndou brings it clear for The Saints and finds Lucas in the Spurs half. Yellow card for Arnold for tripping Lucas.
- 81mins: Andrew Powell is given a standing ovation by this capacity St. Mary’s crowd as he is replaced by James Ward-Prowse. Jorginho goes forward to the F-9 role vacated by Powell with Ward-Prowse taking up the AP position in the middle of the midfield-5.
- 90mins: Ince’s cross from left wing comes back to him off Ecuele Manga. He lays it back for Arthur Semka to whip the ball into the box. Lucas, under pressure from Murillo, can only get a glancing header and the ball flashes wide of the far post.
- 90+1mins: Yvo Lucas is crowded out in the inside-right channel from Westley’s through ball, but as the ball is cleared into touch Mr. Oliver blows the full-time whistle.

FULL-TIME

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MAN OF THE MATCH:
ANDREW POWELL (SOUTHAMPTON) - 9.9
False-9_Support: 4 goals; 1 assist.

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VERDICT:
Once again, a first-half packed with Saints goals and a second-45 in which our opponents sat back while we struggled to find a way through. But I’m not complaining. Three more points and 5 more goals move us into 2nd place in the Premier League and keep us well-poised to capitalise should Chelsea slip-up again at all this season. I keep the team-talk calm and say well done; I don’t want the players getting too over-confident ahead of the difficult match at Man City on Wednesday.

 

[rocheyb]

Monday 13th March, 2023

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This season’s new Youth Intake are now with us and two players in particular stand-out from the rest. Evan Farren, another left-footed striker who can also play on the left-wing is 6ft3in with decent strength, composure and good awareness off-the-ball. He should be a force in the air (…but needs to get his hair cut). Viv Screen’s lack of height makes me skeptical that he can play at centre-back, but we’ve got plenty of time to work with him and turn him into a decent defensive midfielder. The rest of the Youth Candidates are pretty ordinary and, on first impressions, unlikely to make the grade - but they’ll have the chance to press their case upon our Director of Football Max Eberl during a trial match with our U18s at Staplewood on Wednesday. I won’t be there due to the Manchester City match, but I will examine the match report.

Manchester United make light work of Reading, winning 3-0 at Old Trafford to move back into 2nd place in the Premier League.

 

[rocheyb]

Monday 13th March, 2023

Preparation vs MANCHESTER CITY (a)

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Man City: 13/8; SAINTS: 6-4 (fav); Draw: 2/1.

City’s inability to string together consecutive victories in the Premier League over the last six weeks have cost them valuable ground in the title run-in, and even if they win on Wednesday night they will still be 2 points behind us. But we have our sights firmly set on catching Chelsea and leaving Manchester United in our wake in the process - so we need the 3 points!

Martin Giddings is touch-and-go to be ready for the match, as he struggles to recover from a twisted knee. Iulian Mogos, their Romanian centre-back, is definitely out with a pulled hamstring and the Polish winger Jaroslaw Araszkiewicz will probably also miss out due to a bruised rib. They still have plenty of good players fit and available though, so this won’t be an easy encounter. They are expected to line-up in a 4-4-2 formation and I am hoping that a fully-fit Giammarco Stangoni can wreak as much havoc in the midfield as the squad comparison suggests he should, ably assisted on the wings by Luke Shaw and Kostas Kabastanakis. They concede goals just after the break but can be dangerous late-on in matches. We’re working on Attacking Set-Pieces, which Javi Rico thinks could bring success.

 

[rocheyb]

Tuesday 14th March, 2023

James Ward-Prowse and Elias Migliorini both play just over an hour for the U21s in their 4-1 rout of Eastleigh at Silverlake Stadium, as they continue to edge back to full-fitness. I would have liked to put Tin Jedvaj in that match, too, but we’re too threadbare in defence at the moment so he will be on the bench at City tomorrow.