Taking Southampton North!


UEFA Champions League Group Stage - Game 4 - AS Roma (Home)


Some rotation for today’s crucial clash with Roma, but the spine of the team - Asensio, Dragowski, Gitschier, Ward-Prowse, Laporte and Süle - all feature in the starting lineup. Hopefully we can see off the Italians today.

In the 7th minute Augustinsson looked to have scored a rare goal from Ward-Prowse’s pass, but the flag was up! Unlucky.

Nishimura’s 12th minute cross was headed out by Reyes, and Asensio headed it back across to Rodriguez, whose own header hit the bar! I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve done that!

In the 21st minute Rodriguez made up for it, volleying home the rebound after Nishimura’s shot was saved but not held. Nice pass from Clasie to pick out Nishimura.

Vietto replaced Sindelar in the 62nd minute.

Just a minute later Laporte doubled our lead with a powerful header from Ward-Prowse’s corner.

Doebel replaced Rodriguez in the 70th.

Muller was on for Clasie in the 75th.

Laporte almost added an identical second in stoppage time, but Perin managed to tip it onto the post.

A very good performance to see off the challenge of Roma. We were hardly threatened throughout, and ran out comfortable and deserved winners. Another match where more or less everyone performed well. We’ve sealed qualification with two matches to spare, and have virtually guaranteed top spot as well.


POM: James Ward-Prowse (9.0, 0G, 1A)
 

Injury News...


Dragowski picks up a very minor injury but it could see him miss the Watford match.


Apparently this guy broke a record this year that he will set next year! Go figure :p He’s a very talented regen who I almost signed but pulled out at the last minute. Atletico have since signed him and he’s on loan in Argentina.



Great to see Jacobsen getting some recognition!
 
The team is still doing good as far as I can see.
You keep your unbeaten run both in England and Europe, not to mention that you're already qualified for the next round in Champions.

.P.S.: That Bundesliga though... It must be thrilling to watch their matches for sure (and Köln seems to be an overperforming team in this FM, in my save they're 2nd...)
 
Zlatan Lumic said:
The team is still doing good as far as I can see.
You keep your unbeaten run both in England and Europe, not to mention that you're already qualified for the next round in Champions.

.P.S.: That Bundesliga though... It must be thrilling to watch their matches for sure (and Köln seems to be an overperforming team in this FM, in my save they're 2nd...)
Click to expand...

Yeah we're still doing well, still haven't lost this season somehow! December is going to be a massive test though because halfway through November we're yet to play Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea or City, which means we could face them all in the space of two weeks or something in December. It also means the title run in will be really tough as well.

I'm really enjoying the success of Köln. They won the Europa League in the second season of the save, and have kept hold of Timo Horn so they're a pretty strong team now which is nice to see :)
 

English Premier League - Game 12 - Watford FC (Home)


Other than ourselves, the top end of the table is extremely congested, as 5 points separate 2nd and 10th. Yes, second place are closer to 10th than to 1st. Disappointingly, it looks like United who are doing the best job of extricating themselves from the pack. Wish we’d thrashed them. Butland gets his first PL game for the club as Dragowski isn’t ready to play after his finger injury. A deep 5-4-1 betrays Watford’s intentions.

In the 6th minute Rajkovic made a world class save to deny Gitschier the opener, and Capoue cleared.

Butland made a solid stop on Seferovic up the other end in the 28th minute.

We finally got on the board in the 45th minute as Vietto was left with the simplest of finishes by Ward-Prowse’s outstanding pass.

In the 51st minute Kim Jin-Su was shown a second yellow after hacking Chambers down just before he could put in a cross.

Larsson replaced Wanyama in the 67th minute.

Rajkovic made an exceptional save in the 75th minute, tipping Ward-Prowse’s missile over the bar after the captain had been teed up by Jacobsen just outside the box.

In the 88th minute Gitschier was injured. He was replaced by Doebel, who swapped with Asensio. Vietto was also replaced by Sindelar.

Definitely not our best performance but another 3 points. Some impressive ratings suggest we just lacked a finishing touch. Jacobsen was particularly impressive, with a mammoth 14 key passes, which was great to see. Gitschier’s injury could prove a massive headache, so please join me in praying!


POM: Terje Jacobsen (9.0, 0G, 0A)
 

Injury News...


A sigh of relief, as it could have been worse. He’ll miss his international games, which is unfortunate after flying out of the blocks for Germany with 4 goals in as many appearances, but shouldn’t miss more than one match for us.

Tadic joins him on the injury list

And Muller is injured on international duty again!
 

English Premier League - Game 13 - Newcastle United (Away)


Newcastle are dead last in the league, and so even at home should not be causing us any issues. A combination of tiredness, injuries and suspension force a few changes but we should still be too strong for the Toon. They are underperforming though, and could conceivably turn things around, beginning today.

Only a fantastic Dragowski save stopped Porsan-Clemente opening the scoring in the 3rd minute after a great run and a missile of a shot.

In the 37th minute Terje Jacobsen continued his fine form as he brought down a Chambers cross and made a fool of Bruma with a lovely nutmeg, before snapping a shot past a surprised Asenjo to open the scoring!

Five minutes later Vietto doubled our lead with a close range volley from Chambers’ cross, after the overlapping fullback had been released down the right by Jacobsen.

In the 59th minute, Ward-Prowse was forced off with an injury. Balic was his replacement.

In the 64th minute Vietto produced a cool finish from Asensio’s pass to pick up his second of the match.

Haïdara pulled one back with a header from a 67th minute corner.

In the 77th minute Doebel replaced Rodriguez and Prins replaced Asensio, with Jacobsen shifting to the left wing.

In stoppage time Doebel’s volley from Chambers’ cross missed by inches.

Another comfortable win, as we continue to steamroll our way through the Premier League this season. 35 of a possible 39 points so far. Ridiculous. Jacobsen, Vietto and Chambers all in fine form today. This game also proved to be Steven Gerrard’s last as Newcastle manager.


POM: Calum Chambers (9.0, 0G, 2A)
 

UEFA Champions League Group Stage - Game 5 - FC København (Away)


We should have too much quality for FC København today, even with a rotated lineup. Muller and Tadic make their injury returns in the starting side. A win will guarantee us top of the group with a game to spare.

In the 40th minute Laporte’s header from a corner was saved by Rochet, as was his followup effort from a sharp angle off the rebound. Good goalkeeping.

In the 44th minute Kasper Kusk did almost exactly what he did in the first match against us, dribbling across the top of the box before slamming a peach into the roof of the net! Incredible strike again.

Jacobsen replaced Doebel in the 55th minute. He went to the right wing, Tadic to the centre and Rodriguez to the right.

In the 67th minute Larsson picked out Jacobsen with a great pass, and the winger put the ball across the 6 yard box, where it ricocheted off a couple of defenders, and Rodriguez reacted fastest to lash it home.

Prins replaced Tadic seconds later.

Just a minute later we were in front! Augustinsson sent an angled ball in to Rodriguez in the box, and he squared it to provide Sindelar with a simple finish! Fantastic turnaround in the space of two minutes!

Balic was on for Muller in the 82nd minute.

After a fantastic Kusk strike saw us trailing, Dario Rodriguez turned things around completely for us in the space of two minutes. Fantastic stuff from the young Spaniard, who was unquestionably the difference today. We’ve sealed first place in the group!


POM: Kasper Kusk (FC København - 9.0, 1G, 0A)

Best Southampton Player: Dario Rodriguez (9.0, 1G, 1A)
 

English Premier League - Game 14 - Swansea City (Home)


We host Swansea today, but that’s not our main priority this week. In 3 days we face Arsenal in the League Cup, and just after that we will play the Gunners in the league. Both matches are away. Swansea have started to turn things around after a poor start to the season, and they’re easily a top half side.

In the 12th minute Own Goal almost got on the board from Chambers’ cross, but Leeuwenburgh made a very good save.

In the 24th minute Vietto opened the scoring with a quality finish from close range after Dimarco had darted into the box and put a square ball across for him.

In the 31st minute I was left astonished as Vietto scored an absolutely sensational goal! He Jacobsen’s chipped pass for him was intercepted by Evans, but he nicked it off the defender and ran rings around him, before cutting inside and burying the ball in the top left corner via the post! Incredible stuff!

In the 44th minute Gitschier controlled Asensio’s free kick and lashed a powerful effort at goal, but was denied by a top drawer save.

Poulsen pulled a goal back in the 54th minute with a close range header from a looping Elabdellaoui cross.

Laporte restored the two goal cushion just a minute later with a bullet header from Asensio’s corner.

In the 60th minute we swept forward on a counter from a corner, with Vietto releasing Gitschier, who played it to Asensio in oceans of space. He hit the post!

3 minutes later the Spaniard was injured and forced off. Rodriguez was his replacement, switching wings with Jacobsen.

Clasie and Doebel replaced Wanyama and Jacobsen in the 73rd.

Rodriguez netted our fourth in the 77th minute with a nice finish from a tight angle after he was picked out by Dimarco.

A comfortable win in the end, as expected, but a major concern is the state of Asensio. Badly hope it’s nothing serious.


POM: Luciano Vietto (9.0, 2G, 0A)
 
So happy Saints won 3-2 yesterday :D

On a side not what size stadium have you got so far? Mine's 54000 and the board won't build a new one even though the attendance is pretty much 95% every game.
 
Herowolf said:
So happy Saints won 3-2 yesterday :D

On a side not what size stadium have you got so far? Mine's 54000 and the board won't build a new one even though the attendance is pretty much 95% every game.
Click to expand...

Haha that was such a weird game for me to watch, because the whole time it felt like we were just cruising, but then you kept scoring and it kind of felt inevitable as well :p Skrtel was horrific - hardly out of character though. I was happy for Saints though :)

I think I might have expanded it in the first season and it's around 48500, I think 48505 maybe, but I haven't been able to expand it any further or build a new one. Average attendance is something like 91%
 

Capital One Cup - Quarter Final - Arsenal FC (Away)


It’s a rotated side that lines up against Arsenal in the League Cup today. Given our seemingly insurmountable lead in the Premier League, perhaps I should have prioritised this fixture, but oh well. If we play to the best of our ability there’s no doubt we’re good enough to get a result here. Fun fact - in 10 meetings with Arsenal, we’ve never drawn. 4 wins and 6 losses - one loss was a Testimonial though. Hopefully we can make that 5 wins today!

Maybe I tempted fate by mentioning the lack of draws, as an uneventful first half played out, with only bookings to Jurcik and Larsson worth noting. We led by 5 shots to 4, and they had the possession edge with 52%.

I introduced Persson and Doebel in the 58th minute in place of Sindelar and Jacobsen.

In the 61st minute Arsenal went ahead through a massive slice of fortune, as Nishimura’s block of Pjaca’s shot fell straight to Reine-Adelaide, who tapped into the open net.

Prins came on for Rodriguez in the 71st minute, going to the middle and shifting Tadic to the right and Doebel to the left.

Welbeck netted deep in stoppage time as we flooded forwards to try to find an equaliser.

A hugely frustrating performance - not because of the result, but because we had twelve shots, and didn’t put a single one on target! A truly woeful statistic. Their opener was also a complete fluke, which is frustrating as well. Our undefeated run comes to an end, and we’re out of the Cup. Perhaps we should have prioritised the league fixture, but oh well. On a side note, I don’t think Hector Bellerin has played a game this season without performing ridiculously well. 11 POM Awards in 22 matches, and an average rating of 8.37, and he’s one of the Ballon D’Or favourites. It’s really beginning to annoy me actually :p


POM: Hector Bellerin (Arsenal FC - 8.8, 0G, 0A)

Best Southampton Players: Ludwig Augustinsson and Jordy Clasie (7.2, 0G, 0A)
 

English Premier League - Game 15 - Arsenal FC (Away)


Our chance for revenge comes just days later, at the same venue. Hopefully our first choice lineup can get us back on track and ensure our midweek defeat was just a blip. It will be considerably more difficult without Asensio, however.

Dragowski made a good save in the 20th minute from a sharp angled Walcott effort on the counter.

In the 36th minute I couldn’t believe what I was seeing as Arsenal scored almost an exact replica of their fluke goal in the Cup game, as a brilliant challenge from our right back - this time Chambers - dispossessed Walcott, but rolled across to the far post for a tap in for Oxlade-Chamberlain. Unbelievable.

Obviously the team was feeling aggrieved as well, because 15 seconds after the kickoff we were level, as Doebel put a long, high cross into the box, and Vietto leapt to slam a volley into the top right corner! He just can’t stop scoring right now, and takes his tally to 10 for the season! Arsenal will be having flashbacks of last time when he scored 4 against them too!

In the 58th minute Gitschier, who had been very quiet up until that point, gave us the lead! Jacobsen chipped the ball ahead of him and he took it around Koscielny, before netting from a sharp angle!

But two minutes later it was all square again, as a cleared cross was chipped back in by Coquelin for Walcott, who cracked an impressive volley in off the bar and post.

Larsson replaced Wanyama in the 66th minute. In the 70th minute Laporte missed the simplest of chances to put us back in front, as Süle headed Ward-Prowse’s free kick back across goal, and he failed to find the open net from a couple of metres, instead putting it within reach of Cech. Shocking miss!

Rodriguez replaced Doebel in the 71st minute.

Dragowski made a vital save in the 73rd minute after a long ball had allowed Walcott to slice through the defence.

10 seconds later he produced another excellent save to deny Bellerin.

Augustinsson replaced Dimarco in the 76th minute.

It’s so frustrating that Arsenal have been saved not once, but twice, by lucky ricochets that have gifted them goals. We were very comfortable in the Cup fixture until that point, and take away today’s fluke and we could have been 2-0 up. Again, not our best performance though, as we missed a couple of chances and our defence wasn’t it’s usual assured self. Encouraging signs from Jacobsen and Gitschier though, and Vietto scored yet again so it’s not all bad. At least we put shots on target this time, and Bellerin wasn’t man of the match, though he came closer than any of our players.


POM: Aaron Ramsay (Arsenal FC - 8.8, 0G, 0A)

Best Southampton Player: Moritz Gitschier (7.9, 1G, 0A)
 

UEFA Champions League Group Stage - Game 6 - Maccabi Tel Aviv (Home)


Basically the kids are playing this fixture, as we have already secured top spot in the group. Maccabi somehow sit second, and this is a great opportunity for them to seal qualification for the next round. It would be nice for us to get back to winning ways though.

In the 7th minute Sven Doebel embarked on an incredible individual run before splitting the defence for Persson, and the clinical young Swede opened the scoring.

Just two minutes later Persson had his second, as Jorge Miguel’s short cross was volleyed emphatically home from 6 yards.

Rodriguez missed by inches after a mazy run in the 13th minute.

We had a couple of chances from a 17th minute corner, but Doebel ended up hitting the side netting. A goal kick was given even though slow motion replays suggest it took a massive deflection off a defender.

In the 42nd minute Persson completed his hat trick with a clever run and close range finish, darting between three defenders to meet Nishimura’s grass-cutting cross. Muller once again dictating play in the middle of the park.

In the 49th minute Prins tried to slip Persson through. He was tripped/tackled, and the ball rolled through to Rodriguez, who couldn’t beat the keeper from close range.

Tadic and Fenn replaced Prins and Larsson in the 68th minute.

Zahavi pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute after being released by Paulinho.

Balic replaced Rodriguez in the 78th minute, swapping with Tadic.

Jurcik made it four in the 89th minute with a header from Tadic’s corner.

Balic hit the post in stoppage time after being teed up by Doebel.

I was delighted with the performance of my young side today, as they were far too good for the Israeli side, dominating from start to finish. Persson’s lethal finishing was on full display as he netted a first half hat trick, whilst Doebel impressed in a still unfamiliar right wing role. Muller dominated the midfield and just about everyone performed very well. Great stuff!


POM: Linus Persson (9.5, 3G, 0A)
 
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