Taking Southampton North!

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Transfer News...


Augustinsson is a player I’ve been tracking since the start of the season. I really wanted him at Malmö in FM15 but he moved to the PL, Norwich I believe, and so I couldn’t afford his wages. I’ve decided to have him join at the end of the season, because with Targett and Bertrand around I don’t think I need a third senior left back at this stage. Other clubs were making advances though, so I had to seal the deal now.
Relatively tough 4th round draw again, although still a match we’d fancy our chances in against either side.
 
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Excellent story so far, keep it up! THAT ZIVKOVIC SIGNING!

Btw, the crazy amount of injuries players have to deal with is just absurd. Too much, really.
 
xJamieWilliams said:
****** ****! That's very early to get your first goal! He could be a future star!
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I know right, I threw him in the deep end and he didn't just stay afloat, he was swimming like a pro! Very promising already!

razielioux said:
Excellent story so far, keep it up! THAT ZIVKOVIC SIGNING!

Btw, the crazy amount of injuries players have to deal with is just absurd. Too much, really.
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Thanks man :) Couldn't resist, he could turn into a star! I've had my fair share of injuries so far, that's for sure :P All part of the challenge :)
 
PatrickLFC said:
Never heard of him before, if you signed him then I lost track :P Let's hope he does though
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I was beaten to him, Monchengladbach signed him the day after my new Polish scout told me about him, I tried to get him this summer but they refused to even respond to a 20 million euro bid so I decided to find a cheaper option
 

English Premier League - Game 22 - Norwich (Away)


Starting at right back for Norwich is their new signing, a man I scouted heavily and almost went for myself. I’ll be interested to see how he copes with Juanmi. We’ve reverted to more or less our first choice team, barring injury and leave of absence. Stekelenburg gets a chance in between the sticks to see if he can keep Dragowski at bay. A win and a clean sheet are the two things I’m after.

Yoshida almost opened the scoring at the wrong end in the opening minute, but Stekelenburg managed to divert it for a corner.

Rodriguez curled an effort just wide in the 4th minute.

Yoshida made a pair of excellent blocks on Brady in quick succession in the 11th minute.

Sadio Mane cut the ball back for Clasie in the 16th minute, and then when the Dutchman was tackled, rifled the loose ball inside the near post to open the scoring.

Mane was looking lively and skinned Olsson down the right in the 21st minute before whipping in a cross, which was headed to Juanmi, who knocked it down for Rodriguez, and only a desperate block by Bassong prevented him from adding to the scoreline.

Two minutes later Rodriguez only had himself to blame after firing wide when Juanmi had put him through against Ruddy.

An excellent turn from Rodriguez in the 33rd saw him race past Bassong, but his shot was tame and straight at Ruddy.

A Targett cross 30 seconds into the second half was parried by Ruddy straight to Mane, who had his shot cleared off the line by Bassong.

Pelle replaced the uncharacteristically poor Rodriguez in the 61st minute.

Ramirez was on for Juanmi in the 74th minute, shifting Tadic to the left.

Gitschier made his Premier League debut 3 minutes later in place of Mane, with Ramirez moving over to the right.

In the 80th minute disaster struck as Hoolahan’s grass cutter from an arguably offside position left Stekelenburg with no chance, crashing in off the post.

Two minutes later we were nearly sucker punched, only a full stretch save from Stekelenburg denying Jarvis from just a few yards out.

In the 87th minute a woeful back header from Van Dijk played Mbokani clean through on goal, and he made no mistake!

In the 89th minute a brilliant ball from Tadic found Pelle in behind, yet he was denied by Ruddy when he absolutely should have scored. Frustration!

How we threw that away I’m not entirely sure, as our first half profligacy came back to haunt us. These are the kinds of results that are going to ensure we don’t qualify for Europe this season. Our struggles at the back continued, with Van Dijk the culprit this time with a shoo-in for the worst header back to the keeper of the season. We remain 6th in the table, but with all of the teams around us still to play, we won’t stay there for long.


POM: Sadio Mane (7.6, 1G, 0A)
 
ninjaskill said:
I was beaten to him, Monchengladbach signed him the day after my new Polish scout told me about him, I tried to get him this summer but they refused to even respond to a 20 million euro bid so I decided to find a cheaper option
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**** that's unlucky, glad I managed to seal the deal before the bigger clubs got wind of him :)
 

Gitschier sends another record tumbling

This would be frustrating in the extreme! His agent is refusing to speak to us after talks broke down, and if Sunderland steal him from under our noses like this I will not be impressed!

This is an intriguing bid. I had no intention of selling Pelle, but this has made me think. I haven’t made a decision yet.
 

English Premier League - Game 23 - Stoke City (Home)


Stoke are a good side, but we really need to be winning matches like this if we’re to justify our position in the table. Van Dijk is dropped for Gardos, and Luan, Ward-Prowse and Dragowski also join the starting lineup.

In the 5th minute we took the lead somewhat fortuitously. Juanmi crossed towards the near post and both Rodriguez and Butland went for the ball. It appeared to hit Butland, hit the post and then go in. It was an own goal at any rate.

In the 22nd minute Dragowski robbed Van Ginkel after the Dutch midfielder was played in by Diouf. Good save but Van Ginkel could have done better.

Mane hit the bar with a header from Luan’s cross in the 43rd minute.

In the 59th minute a great ball from Tadic sent Rodriguez through, and he turned Wollscheid inside out before smashing the ball into the crossbar. So unlucky!

In the 67th minute Rodriguez was replaced by Ramirez. Juanmi moved up top and Tadic to the left.

Romeu replaced Mane in the 75th as we shifted to a 4-3-3.

Davis replaced Wanyama in the 79th.

We held out for the narrow win in the end, and I am pleased with the win, even if luck played a part, and certainly with the clean sheet. We were definitely the better side and deserved the points on the balance of play. Rodriguez had another poor game which is a little bit concerning.


POM: Dusan Tadic (8.3, 0G, 0A)
 

Caulker requests to have his loan terminated. I strongly considered it but with Fonte still on leave I’m just an injury or two away from having a crisis ahead of fixture congestion, and knowing my luck, that would be what would happen if I did so. He stays, for now at least. He came and spoke to me a couple of days later and I told him I’d give him a chance, so he will have to seize it.


Transfer News...
Fortunately, we managed to make an offer to Cazares, and he chose us over Sunderland. Clever man :P

Reading will be our hosts in the 4th round of the FA Cup.
 

English Premier League - Game 24 - Crystal Palace (Away)

Crystal Palace are second to last in the table, and therefore we are heavy favourites. Caulker gets a chance from the start, and Davis makes his first start since his injury.

An excellent move in the 9th minute culminated in Luan finding Rodriguez with a cross, but he was denied by a fine save.

Wanyama scored from the resulting corner but was ruled to have handled the ball.

Luan found Mane inside the box in the 13th minute, but he was also denied.

McCarthy made yet another great save in the 32nd minute, this time from Tadic who had met Rodriguez’s cut back.

Totally against the run of play we fell behind in the 41st minute. A long ball found Bamford, whose low and hard cross bypassed no less than 5 Southampton players before finding Chamakh for an easy finish. Very poor defending.

In the 49th minute I was horrified to see yet another cross, this time from the right, float right past everybody before being slammed home by Bamford at the back post! This time “only” four defenders were beaten by it.

In the 52nd minute Gardos was replaced by Ward-Prowse, shifting Luan inside to CB.

Ramirez and Pelle replaced Mane and Rodriguez in the 57th minute.

A minute later some great interplay from Ward-Prowse and Ramirez took the ball to the Palace box and Pelle, who laid off to Juanmi for an easy chance - straight at McCarthy! Atrocious miss.

In the 90th minute we finally got on the board, Ramirez’s cross being turned home at the back post by Tadic, who was playing left wing in a 4-2-4. It was only a consolation goal.

Another awful performance. Not only have we lost our attacking spark, with Rodriguez and Juanmi in particular going cold, but our defence is as leaky as ever. We should not be losing a game with 20 shots and 60% of possession.


POM: Patrick Bamford (Crystal Palace - 7.4, 1G, 1A)

Best Southampton Player: Dusan Tadic (7.2, 1G, 0A)
 

English FA Cup - 4th Round - Reading (Away)


We might be the away side but I’ll be pretty disappointed if we can’t beat Reading today, even with a rotated lineup. Cazares makes his debut, and Gitschier and Slattery both get another chance to impress in the first team.

In the 6th minute they sliced through us but fortunately Blackman fired wide with just Dragowski to beat.

5 minutes later Dragowski made a point blank stop to deny Blackman, but the ball was sent back in and the striker first timed it into the roof. Nothing the keeper could have done to stop that one.

Just seconds after kickoff we were level though. Gitschier sent a brilliant pass to Ramirez, whose excellent first touch took him inside his man, and he buried it in the far corner.

Yoshida picked up a knock and was replaced by Luan in the 22nd minute.

Some lovely interplay between Cazares and Slattery in the 29th minute allowed the latter to tee up Gitschier, who was only denied by a sensational save.

Reading scored in the 39th minute but their striker was correctly ruled offside.

In the 54th minute new signing Cazares picked up his first Saints goal with a cracker of a free kick from 25 yards! The keeper got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out!

In the 65th minute Long replaced Pelle.

In the 72nd minute Hesketh replaced Slattery.

Hesketh played a clever pass for Long in the 81st minute, and the Irishman beat the keeper, but unfortunately struck the post.

In the 90th minute Cazares almost had a second when Gitschier slipped him through but a defender made a desperate block to deny him.

A good win in the end, as we got the job done. Cazares was impressive on debut, with Romeu, Luan, Gitschier Caulker and man of the match Ramirez also having good games. Can’t complain too much as we progress to the 5th Round. It’s also our first away win in a while, which is nice.

POM: Gaston Ramirez (8.3, 1G, 0A)
 
Love that picture of Rodgers haha!

Did Mane moan at rejecting the Madrid offer at all?
 
PaperClipFMer said:
Love that picture of Rodgers haha!

Did Mane moan at rejecting the Madrid offer at all?
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If anyone can save Palace it's him :D

He didn't actually, but that's probably because PSG had approached earlier and been rejected, and we spoke then :)
 

Transfer News...


This was my alternative to Iborra, who rejected us earlier in the window. He’s old but he’s still got a couple of years left in the tank, and his personality means he will be an excellent tutor.

My second deadline day signing is another regen. I had the deal agreed a couple of days ago but wanted a more thorough scout report to be sure. He can play anywhere across the attacking midfield strata and looks to have a great deal of potential. He’s immediately begun learning from Palombo.
 
Unlucky against Palace but Bamfordiho is a machine ;) KIU though made some nice signings in the window there
 
Sam91 said:
Unlucky against Palace but Bamfordiho is a machine ;) KIU though made some nice signings in the window there
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Hahaha of course you'd think that :P He did have a good game

Thanks mate, reasonably happy so far :)
 
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