Taking Southampton North!

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We’ve received what is likely to be a very tough 5th Round draw in the FA Cup. Two time defending champions Arsenal have already beaten us once at the Emirates, and will look to do so again if they can get past Aston Villa first.

I had some tough decisions to make with regards to squad registration, as I’d totally forgotten about it. The 5 players above missed out on Europa League registration, whilst Yoshida was the unfortunate man cut from the Premier League squad. I really wanted to register Gitschier and Dario Rodriguez for the Europa League, but decided not to risk unsettling half the senior squad by cutting another two players from it.


Injury News...

Another minor injury
 
Transfer Summary


Our rivals in the league went nuts with transfers, spending some serious money all over the place. The theme was similar around Europe, with the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and PSG extremely active. Making up for lost time with the first window budget having been disabled, maybe. Could be some bargains floating around in summer when someone inevitably doesn’t get the game time they want.

Here is our own activity - most of the loans out were earlier in the season.
 

English Premier League - Game 25 - Manchester City (Home)


A hugely tough game today against Manchester City. Fonte returns to the team which is a massive boost, although he may be a little rusty. New signing Palombo is on the bench, whilst Juanmi has also conceded his starting place to Ramirez.

It was Fonte’s partner at the back, Steven Caulker, who grabbed the opening goal though, after a Ramirez corner pinballed around the box, with Fonte’s back post volley being blocked on the line, and went straight to him for a volley. His first goal for us, and what a great game to get it in!

Man City’s Luan played a lovely through ball for Sterling in the 34th minute and he should have equalised, but he fluffed his lines and missed the target by a considerable margin.

Cazares replaced the ineffective Tadic on the hour mark.

Palombo replaced Ward-Prowse in the 66th minute, and both he and Wanyama dropped into defensive midfield.

Romeu replaced Ramirez in the 76th minute and became a third defensive midfielder.

In the 83rd minute we didn’t clear a free kick well, and Musa lobbed the ball back in for Luan, who with time and space, really should have done better. He tried to beat Stekelenburg near side but was denied fairly comfortably.

City were firing at goal from range, and De Bruyne came fairly close in the 87th minute, forcing Stekelenburg into a diving save.

They couldn’t make the breakthrough.

We held on for a priceless victory over a heavily fancied Man City side. Our attack failed to click again, but that didn’t matter as our defence, led by Caulker, held firm all game to deny the Citizens and ensure that Caulker’s early goal sealed all three points. They dominated us in the shot count but their chances weren’t that great - each side had two clear cut, and they had 3 half chances to our 1.


POM: Steven Caulker (8.3, 1G, 0A)
 
Big win over Citeh there mate, how good are Swansea travelling!?
 
Nice job vs City, some of the bigger sides are really struggling this year
 

English Premier League - Game 26 - Everton (Away)


We travel to Everton today, hoping to consolidate our position in the table with another win. Somehow we’re still in the discussion for top 4 at this stage of the season, despite our up and down form. I’m hoping the change in formation might see us rediscover some attacking verve.

Nothing much happened until the 28th minute when a pass from Mirallas caused confusion between Fonte and Caulker, who seemed to collide and both miss it, and Lukaku ran straight through the pair of them to slam it home. Extremely poor communication.

Lukaku almost doubled their lead in the 52nd but blasted high.

We shifted to a 4-2-3-1 shortly afterwards.

Juanmi and Mane replaced Rodriguez and Ramirez in the 62nd minute.

Mane made a brilliant run and slipped in Juanmi in the 68th, but the Spaniard fired high.

Cazares replaced Ward-Prowse in the 73rd.

In the 76th minute a long cross from Bertrand found a way through, and Mane converted it from a sharp angle at the back post!

Two minutes later Wanyama won the ball from Baines and Davis immediately sprayed it wide for Mane. The winger made a lightning run into the box and whipped the ball across for Cazares, who tangled with Jagielka and fell over - no penalty, but the ball was loose and Juanmi pounced to put us in front!

In the 86th minute Cazares put the icing on the cake with a lovely piece of skill followed by a rifle from just inside the area, which rippled the netting to put us two goals up! Good work from Juanmi drawing three men before laying the ball off to him.

Two minutes later a through ball from Kone gave Lukaku a tap in from 6 yards to drag Everton back into the game.

It wasn’t enough though, as we held on for a remarkable come from behind victory!

It’s a fantastic feeling when the three substitutes score a goal apiece to give us the three goals needed to win the game! Juanmi had an assist on one, and Mane effectively assisted one as well, so they really changed the game between the three of them. Fantastic stuff, and a very important away win and 3 points. Remarkably, we are now 4th on the ladder, though it remains incredibly tight.


POM: Romelu Lukaku (Everton - 8.8, 2G, 0A)

Best Southampton Player: Juanmi (7.7, 1G, 1A)
 

UEFA Europa League First Knockout Round - First Leg - Villarreal (Home)


The first leg of our Europa League tie is at home, which means a clean sheet today is critical. A draw would install Villarreal as favourites to progress, whilst even a high scoring but narrow win would leave us in a tricky situation. They sit 6th in La Liga and have had a great season so far, so I’m not taking them lightly at all.

The first minute was end to end stuff - first Villarreal almost scored, then we did, then they raced back up the other way where Fonte blocked a Bakambu shot, but the rebound ricocheted off the trailing foot of the back tracking Luan and fell kindly for Bakambu, and the striker was able to step inside Fonte and rifle into the top corner. Down in less than a minute!

In the 7th minute Tadic chipped a lovely free kick into the area for Fonte at the back post, but our captain was denied by a great save.

In the 25th minute Juanmi played an exquisite ball for Mane, whose shot whistled narrowly over the bar.

In the 34th minute Clasie won the ball with a sliding tackle and Juanmi passed forward to Ramirez, who squared for Tadic, and the Serbian winger hit the post!

In the 46th minute Clasie slipped the ball to Ramirez who had space opening up in front of him, so he skipped into the area, but sent his shot just beyond the far post.

Two minutes later Juanmi saw a shot drift narrowly wide too.

We were almost punished for our profligacy in the 51st minute but Dragowski showed good awareness to deny Bakambu at the near post.

Cazares replaced Tadic shortly afterwards.

Rodriguez replaced Mane in the 62nd minute which saw a reshuffle of the whole forward line, with Rodriguez ahead of Juanmi, Cazares and Ramirez, from left to right.

Four minutes later a great through ball from Juanmi was met by the run of Rodriguez, who left two defenders for dead, but scuffed his shot wide.

Ward-Prowse replaced Ramirez in the 69th minute.

We finally scored in the 82nd minute, as Luan’s cross was knocked down by Bertrand, and Juanmi finished - but he was offside! Unbelievable!

We couldn’t find a way through after that, and fell to a very unfortunate home defeat.

4 clear cut and 5 half chances, versus 1 and 2, and we couldn’t score a single goal. Very frustrating, as our eye for goal really seems to have deserted us recently, but at least the dominating performance gives me hope that with a little more luck and clinical finishing, we could ****** a result in Spain.

POM: Cedric Bakambu (8.3, 1G, 0A)

Best Southampton Player: Jordy Clasie (7.8, 0G, 0A)
 
I am sure that after the second game in Spain the headlines will talk about Southampton and its manager the come back king !!!
 

UEFA Europa League First Knockout Round - Second Leg - Villarreal (Away)


Cedric makes his long awaited return from injury in the second leg today. We need to win the game today to progress, anything less will see Villarreal go through, whilst only a 1-0 win to us would see extra time required. We’re underdogs, but still in with a chance. Pelle starts up top in the other major change.

In the 6th minute Villarreal winger Guedes surged past Targett and his cross presented Leo Baptistao with a tap in - but he was denied by Dragowski! Good save, but he absolutely should have done better.

Soldado opened the scoring for Villarreal with a brilliant header in the 15th minute.

Suarez doubled their lead in the 21st minute with an eerily identical goal. Both of them, Mario had a throw in which was past straight back to him by Dos Santos, and he then sent in a cross which was headed home. Once is bad enough, but twice is just criminal!

In the 25th minute some nice interplay saw Clasie find Tadic, who picked out Pelle in the area, but the big striker took too long and a desperate sliding block from Ruiz sent his shot behind.

Ramirez blasted at goal from Pelle’s flick on in the 28th minute, but Asenjo tipped it aside.

Dragowski made a brilliant diving save to turn Soldado’s 41st minute effort around the post.

Juanmi started the second half in place of Pelle.

In the 51st minute Cazares replaced Mane, and Ramirez shifted to the right wing.

A minute later we failed to clear a cross properly, and Soldado finished off the loose ball. Just woeful.

Ramirez powered a header past Asenjo in the 56th minute from Tadic’s cross to put us on the board.

Davis replaced Clasie in the 66th minute.

Juanmi blasted wide after a promising run in the 76th minute.

Some really poor defence cost us today as Villarreal deservedly progressed to the next round of the Europa League. We had more shots and possession but not many real chances, whereas Villarreal took theirs. Very disappointed, as our attack still isn’t looking fluent, whilst our defence remains capable of silly errors at a moment’s notice.


POM: Roberto Soldado (Villareal - 8.8, 2G, 0A)

Best Southampton Player: Dusan Tadic (7.7, 0G, 1A)
 

English FA Cup - Fifth Round - Arsenal (Away)


Arsenal are heavy favourites here, and it’s clear from my team selection that today’s match is more about giving some youngsters and fringe players a chance. If they can get a result, even better! If not, I won’t be too worried. We’ll see how we go. Shane Long is handed a huge opportunity to fight for his Southampton career up top. Arsenal haven’t pulled any punches with their team selection, and we could be in for a tough game.

In the 11th minute Arsenal worked the ball into the box well, but Ozil’s shot was blocked well by Van Dijk.

The resultant corner was cleared but Walcott came back into the box and blasted it, taking a crucial touch off Cedric before smashing into the post.

A horrible turnover from Gardos in the 13th minute handed Arsenal the ball in a dangerous position, and a couple of passes later Welbeck was through, showing uncharacteristic composure to finish the move - his first goal of the season.

Bellerin’s remarkable run in the 19th almost ended in a second goal, but Dragowski made a great save.

Cedric made a critical block in the 26th minute to deny Sanchez.

We were almost hit on the counter in the 37th, but Alexis’s run was halted by another Dragowski save.

In the 38th minute we should have scored when Cedric found Bertrand with a cross, but he was tackled, and with one long ball, which Gardos misjudged and missed completely, Walcott was clean through on goal. He buried it.

Luan replaced the hapless Gardos - rating 5.0 - at half time.

Pelle replaced Long in the 49th minute.

In the 64th minute Sanchez was on the end of a corner but a combination of Bertrand and Dragowski kept it out. Unfortunately, Koscielny was left with an easy tap in.

Davis replaced Slattery in the 66th.

Dragowski made another good save in the 67th minute from Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Pelle gave the scoreline some respectability in the 76th minute with a good finish from Palombo’s through ball.

Oxlade-Chamberlain tried to score another crazy solo goal in the 86th minute, remembering last game, but Dragowski denied him with a good save.

Something of an expected result today, as Arsenal were definitely the better side - though take out both of Gardos’s blunders and we could have snatched a draw. Our rotated side did well enough against a full strength Arsenal outfit at home. We’re out of the Cup but I’m not too bothered really, the league is the priority this year.


POM: Laurent Koscielny (8.6, 1G, 0A)

Best Southampton Player: Angelo Palombo (7.2, 0G, 1A)
 
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