Taking Southampton North!

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UEFA Champions League Group Stage - Game 2 - Maccabi Tel Aviv (Away)


We travel to Maccabi Tel Aviv looking to record our 10th straight win - 11th if you count the penalties against Watford. I have faith that the rotation players can get the job done against the Israeli side. Sindelar is back, albeit on the bench.

It took a set piece for us to open the scoring though, as Tadic’s 25th minute free kick found Süle, whose header was his first goal of the season.

Sindelar replaced Persson in the 61st minute.

In the 65th minute Doebel played Tadic in, and his shot hit the inside of the post and bounced on the line before being rescued by De Lucas, who was inches ahead of Sindelar.

Miguel replaced Augustinsson in the 72nd minute.

Giovanni managed to get a fingertip to Sindelar’s effort in the 75th minute.

Larsson replaced Clasie in the 78th minute.

In the 84th minute Sindelar played a lovely pass through to Doebel, who made it to the byline and whipped a ball across the goal for Jacobsen to convert at the back post. First of the season for the Norwegian!

Tadic then scored his first of the season just two minutes later to cap off a fine display, after Sindelar cleverly flicked Jacobsen’s cross to him.

A very comfortable away win in the end saw us make it two from two in the group stage, and 10 wins in a row in all competitions. As you can see, Roma drew again! We’re already 4 points clear in our group. Nice to have Sindelar back too.


POM: Dusan Tadic (8.7, 1G, 1A)
 

English Premier League - Game 8 - Manchester United (Away)


I couldn’t dream of being in better form coming into today’s clash with Man United. We’re the away side, which evens things up a bit, but I consider us favourites, and I’ll be bitterly disappointed if we don’t come away with a win. Dimarco keeps his spot ahead of Augustinsson, but Chambers is selected before Nishimura. Persson starts up top.

Dario Rodriguez picked up an injury, and was replaced by Tadic in the 32nd minute.

Higuain opened the scoring 3 minutes later after a blistering run from Bruma and pass from Herrera. If he wasn’t offside then it was very, very close.

Persson looked to have equalised in the 48th with a volley from a Chambers cross, but of course his was called offside.

In the 63rd minute Doebel replaced Wanyama. Asensio dropped into midfield and Tadic went to the right wing.

Sindelar replaced Persson in the 69th minute.

In the 71st minute we finally drew level! Asensio sent Dimarco down the left and Gitschier volleyed his cross in at close range!

In the 83rd Asensio picked out a sensational ball for Sindelar, but he was denied by De Gea.

Sindelar then should have scored in the 93rd minute from Chambers’ cross, but once again De Gea was too good.

A very ordinary performance made even more frustrating by the fact it was against United. Every single player was rated between 6.6 and 7.0, with the sole exception of Dimarco. We should have won that game. Really disappointing way for our winning streak to come to a halt, especially against these guys. I’d rather lose to anyone else than draw with United! We’ll whip them at St. Mary’s!


POM: Ander Herrera (Manchester United - 8.1, 0G, 1A)

Best Southampton Player: Federico Dimarco (7.9, 0G, 1A)
 
In great form and a nice gap opening up at the top hopefully you can add to it over the next few games
 
ninjaskill said:
In great form and a nice gap opening up at the top hopefully you can add to it over the next few games
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Just so frustrating that we beat everybody except United! The league is almost looking like a foregone conclusion though, all my supposed challengers are dropping points left, right and centre! I would have taken a top 3 finish this season after the summer overhaul but right now we have to be favourites
 

English Premier League - Game 9 - Fulham FC (Home)


Vietto is back from injury and starts up top against Fulham today. I’m certainly expecting us to bounce back from our poor performance against United. Jacobsen and Jurcik are handed starts due to the injuries to Rodriguez and Laporte. Fulham are parking the bus big time! Look at that formation! I’m surprised actually, it’s a huge risk playing a striker when they could easily have squeezed another DM or a sweeper in there!

In the 18th minute we managed to circumvent the bus, with Dimarco whipping a low cross for Asensio to turn home at the back post!

In the 39th minute it was the exact same combination who provided our second goal, Dimarco’s cross coming from wider this time, but providing another easy finish for Asensio, who is on 9 goals already now, matching his tally from last season!

Sindelar replaced Vietto in the 65th minute.

Doebel replaced Jacobsen in the 75th minute.

Balic replaced Wanyama in the 83rd.

Sindelar rifled home an exquisite volley from Asensio’s 88th minute corner to cap off a comfortable win.

A good way to bounce back from the disappointment of the Man United draw. We didn’t give Fulham a sniff all game, restricting them to a solitary shot. Dimarco continued his incredible form since signing, and poor Augustinsson, who has been named in the Premier League Team of the Season the last two years, must be wondering how he’s going to get back into the side! Vietto was understandably rusty but it was nice to see Sindelar back on the scoresheet.


POM: Marco Asensio (9.3, 2G, 1A)
 

UEFA Champions League Group Stage - Game 3 - AS Roma (Away)

Roma surprisingly drew their first two CL matches, putting us in the box seat to win the group, but they’ve been performing very well in the Serie A, and are slight favourites at the Stadio Olimpico. Key players Gitschier, Asensio, Ward-Prowse, Dragowski and Süle all start, but the rest of the side is rotated. We'll look to counter today.

In the 35th minute Ziyech’s long free kick found Depay, who headed not once, but twice, off the bar! Incredible!

Gitschier should have fired us in front in the 42nd minute from Augustinsson’s low cross, but he shot straight at Perin and the save was made.

Doebel smashed a header against the bar from the resultant corner.

Dragowski made a flying save from Ziyech’s long range effort in the 45th minute, though it may have been going wide regardless.

From the corner we launched a scintillating counter attack. Asensio to Sindelar and on to Doebel, who raced to the byline and whipped it across goal for Asensio. Perin got a hand to his shot but couldn’t keep it out! Double figures for the Spaniard!

Persson replaced Sindelar in the 59th minute.

Larsson replaced Clasie in the 69th.

Jacobsen replaced an uncharacteristically quiet Gitschier in the 77th minute, shifting Asensio to the middle and Doebel to the right wing.

In the 89th minute we were sucker punched though, as Gerson had an effort from 30 yards, which Dragowski pushed aside, and Cheryshev converted the rebound from a sharp angle. Dragowski got a touch to it but it hit the inside of the post and trickled in.

Disappointing to throw away the win like that, as we would almost certainly have sewn up first place if we’d held on. Still, a draw away keeps us 4 points clear of the Italians, and with the home fixture to come I’m confident we can seal the deal then. We countered well as we’d set up to do, just needed to hold on at the end, or be a bit more clinical earlier on.


POM: Hakim Ziyech (AS Roma - 8.0, 0G, 0A)

Best Southampton Player: Sven Doebel (7.9, 0G, 1A)
 
Manolas is a great defender. Too bad that we (Olympiakos) sell him in real life !!
 
How are some of the ex-saint graduates doing? e.g. Harrison Reed / Matty Targgett / Sam Gallagher / Lloyd Isgrove doing elsewhere?
 
kolas79 said:
Manolas is a great defender. Too bad that we (Olympiakos) sell him in real life !!
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Yeah he's a quality player for sure, played well against us too.

Herowolf said:
How are some of the ex-saint graduates doing? e.g. Harrison Reed / Matty Targgett / Sam Gallagher / Lloyd Isgrove doing elsewhere?
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Hesketh joined Aberdeen in the summer. Targett is doing well and is at Newcastle now after leaving Villa. Not sure about the others, I'll have to check and get back to you

Cahoon said:
Agreed!
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Good attitude my friend! :D
 

English Premier League - Game 10 - Everton FC (Away)


Laporte is back for our clash with Everton. We destroyed them in the League Cup just a couple of a weeks ago, so I’m certainly expecting another win today. Vietto starts up top.

Vietto was denied at the near post in the 44th minute from a Chambers cross.

In the 52nd minute Gitschier sent a ball through for Vietto, and he skinned Tobias Figueiredo before slamming it into the roof of the net! Fantastic strike!

Within seconds of the kickoff we’d won the ball and Doebel was streaking down the left. He whipped in a cross, but KSG managed to get a hand to it to prevent it reaching Vietto. Certain goal otherwise.

In the 65th minute Gitschier sent a lovely through ball in for Vietto, who was denied not once but twice by KSG from close range.

Doebel and Wanyama were replaced by Rodriguez and Larsson in the 79th minute.

Prins replaced Ward-Prowse in the 85th, which saw Gitschier move to the right and Asensio into midfield.

In the 92nd minute Dyche’s attempted through ball was intercepted by Laporte, who passed it back to Dragowski - but Ings got there first and swept it home!

What an infuriating way to drop points! We were very comfortable all match, but right at the death literally gifted them a point. Incredibly, Laporte’s performance up until that point had been so good he still received the Man of the Match Award! Very frustrating result. This makes it 3 draws in our last 5 games, so our form has definitely cooled down.


POM: Aymeric Laporte (7.5, 0G, 0A)
 

Capital One Cup - Fourth Round - Sheffield Wednesday (Away)


Sheffield Wednesday are a decent side but our rotated team should have too much for them, even on the road. Rodriguez makes his first start since returning from injury, whilst a few other young and backup players get their chance, with even more on the bench. We’ll have to be wary of Hatem Ben Arfa.

Terje Jacobsen opened the scoring in the 5th minute with a lovely close range volley from Augustinsson’s cross.

Sindelar dribbled his way into an opening in the 32nd minute but Westwood made a fairly comfortable save in the end.

Thompson equalised on the stroke of half time after we didn’t clear a corner and it fell kindly for him.

In the 51st minute it was once again Jacobsen on the end of Augustinsson’s cross, this time leaping to head into the roof of the net from point blank range.

And just two minutes later a superb counter saw Augustinsson pick up his third assist with a short cross which Sindelar rifled home with a low volley.

Thompson made a vital block on Sindelar after Prins picked him out in the 64th minute.

Doebel replaced Prins in the 68th, with Rodriguez moving to the centre and Jacobsen to the left.

Poor Rodriguez then picked up a knock, and was replaced by debutant Fenn in the 73rd, with Balic moving forward.

Within two minutes Fenn made a brilliant sliding tackle to stop Hrgota dribbling around Butland for a tap in, but it fell perfectly for ex-Saint Sims, who fired home for his first of the season and only his third Sheffield Wednesday goal.

Lovell replaced Jurcik in the 78th.

In the 85th minute Lovell’s powerful header from Balic’s corner was saved, but in the scramble that ensued, Fenn was tripped, and Jacobsen knocked home the loose ball to complete his hat trick! What a day for the young man!

Jacobsen deservedly claimed the match ball after a superb hat trick, whilst Augustinsson picked up three assists as he fights to regain his first choice status, though his match rating of only 8.2 suggests more than a little involvement in the defensive lapses. Still, can’t complain with a 4-2 win away from home against Premier League opposition when I put out a team of kids. Not that our first choice team isn’t a team of kids, but you get my point. Job well done, on to the next round! Arsenal and Chelsea also cruised through, but West Ham needed penalties!


POM: Terje Jacobsen (9.5, 3G, 0A)
 

English Premier League - Game 11 - West Bromwich Albion (Home)


So apparently we lost to West Brom in our last meeting. We seem to have forgotten what losing is like. Hopefully we can extract some kind of revenge today. Jacobsen keeps his starting spot, albeit on the opposite wing, after his wonderful midweek performance.

In the 14th minute Jacobsen’s floated cross found Asensio, who crashed his header off the bar! Gitschier and Vietto were involved in a goalmouth scramble from the rebound but it was cleared.

In the 21st minute Ward-Prowse picked out the run of Vietto with a raking pass, and he made his way into the box before being tripped. Asensio buried the spot kick to put us in the lead!

In the 38th minute Asensio turned provider for Vietto, chipping a ball in to him, and the Argentine powered his header into the top left corner!

Vietto picked up his second in the 56th minute after timing his run perfectly to meet a floating Dimarco cross with a powerful volley.

In the 67th minute Asensio darted into the box after a cleared corner, and forced a diving save out of Romero. Vietto and Gitschier scrambled for the loose ball again, and this time the German bundled it home!

In the 78th minute Vietto was denied twice at close range by Romero after another Dimarco cross.

Balic and Tadic replaced Ward-Prowse and Asensio seconds later.

Larsson replaced Gitschier in the 81st minute, shifting Balic forward.

Dragowski was called into action in the 85th minute, making a fine save to deny Dagerstål from close range.

A comprehensive performance sees us resume our dominance in the league. Fantastic to see Vietto getting amongst the goals again, and Asensio scored his team-leading 11th of the season. Superb performances across the park though, and some key players got a bit of rest at the end - would have been more if I hadn’t forgotten to pause - as we welcome Roma to St. Mary’s next. Liverpool threw away a 2 goal lead and lost in the 90th minute to Sheffield Wednesday, which sees our lead at the top stretch to 8 points, though Man City can slash it to 6 if they beat Spurs.


POM: Luciano Vietto (9.4, 2G, 1A)
 

With no one offering us even a semblance of a title challenge in the Premier League, I cast an envious glance at Germany, where the top 4 teams are all locked on 23 points! Our young loan player Canindé is second in the assists chart too.


Injury News...
My strikers continue to fall with alarming regularity. At least he scored a hat trick in that game!
 
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