Taking Southampton North!

The funny thing is that their only shot on target obviously goes in lol I went out to Madrid with pretty much exact match stats
 
darren151991 said:
The funny thing is that their only shot on target obviously goes in lol I went out to Madrid with pretty much exact match stats
Click to expand...

Yeah it was a pretty poor piece of goalkeeping but a sweet pass to pick out the striker and we were already up so I wasn't too concerned. Shame to hear that you went out like that though :/
 

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


A few changes today, as Ward-Prowse makes his first start in two months after recovering from injury. Gasperoni is suspended so Wanyama steps in, and there are changes to the backline and up front as well, where Sindelar starts ahead of Vietto.

In the 11th minute Chambers tripped Cullen as he entered the box, and a penalty was given. Sigurdsson did the honours.

Within a minute we were on the attack, and Doebel switched the ball from the left flank to Chambers on the right, before racing into the box to meet Chambers’ cross, but he saw his header rebound off the bar!

In the 24th minute Dimarco skipped around his man and cut into the box before putting a cross to Asensio at the far post, who was left with an open net and squared the game.

In the 55th minute Dimarco, by far and away our best player so far, picked up a knock and had to be substituted. Miguel was his replacement, and Vietto came on for Sindelar simultaneously.

Jacobsen came on for Doebel in the 64th minute.

In the 75th minute disaster, as Asensio clumsily knocked Renato Sanches over in the box. Not close to the goal, facing the other way, really stupid foul. Sigurdsson bagged his second from the spot to put the Swans back in front.

In the 77th minute Vietto played a one-two with Gitschier and found himself in space, but his shot was tame and easily saved.

A shock result today as Swansea claim victory at the Liberty thanks to a pair of very soft penalties. Asensio (8.4) played very well for the most part but gave away the decisive penalty, whilst the only other player to stand out, Dimarco (8.7), went off injured early in the second half. Chelsea retain top spot by a solitary point after a draw at Anfield earlier in the day.


POM: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City - 8.8, 2G, 0A)

Best Southampton Player: Federico Dimarco (8.7, 0G, 1A)
 

Injury News...


Dimarco has a strained wrist, but with key matches against Tottenham and Man City in the next week, I’ve opted for him to play with protective equipment. First time I’ve ever done that, and he’s possibly the only player I would do that for, because in every other position on the pitch I have confidence in my depth options, but Jorge Miguel still hasn’t proved his reliability to me yet.

Poor Arraial is injured again. Fortunately it’s minor, but still. He’s not even supposed to be injury prone, according to his report.

Our FA Cup Draw is decent. Not as easy as it could have been, but not as hard either.

 

English Premier League - Game 15 - Tottenham Hotspur FC (Home)


Spurs are our next opponents, and we are looking to bounce back from a poor performance against Swansea and claim 3 points to keep the pressure on Chelsea. It won’t be an easy task though, as Spurs have been playing very well this season. There’s a number of changes to the lineup from the Swansea fixture. Dimarco starts despite his injury, and our former player (who never appeared competitively for us) Mikkel Duelund starts for Spurs.

My decision to start Dimarco appeared to be vindicated in the 6th minute, as his cross was picked up by Vietto, who then cut it back for Gitschier who was left with a simple finish.

In the 14th minute Asensio’s cross was brought down by Gitschier, who returned the favour to Vietto by squaring, and he blasted it past Lloris to double our lead!

Candreva hit the side netting after skinning Kalas in the 21st minute.

Gitschier’s header from Nishimura’s 30th minute cross seemed destined for the top corner but Lloris skilfully plucked it out of the air.

40 seconds later Wellington picked out Vietto, who nimbly dodged Alderweireld’s sliding challenge and raced goalwards, but his vicious low strike was diverted wide by the fingertips of Lloris.

In the 54th minute Candreva picked up a loose ball on the edge of our box and sent it forwards to Vietto. The striker was still well inside his own half, and he turned and released Gitschier through the middle. The German prodigy surged through the middle and with his weaker right foot (rated as ‘Very Weak’) struck the ball perfectly across the advancing keeper and into the net for his second! Sensational goal!

In the 57th minute former Saint Duelund hit the post after being picked out inside the area by a superb Eriksen pass.

In the 60th minute Dimarco’s cross was headed down by Gitschier to Asensio, who turned and shot. Lloris parried his effort, and Gitschier hit the rebound onto the post! So close to a hat trick!

Miguel and Jacobsen replaced Dimarco and Candreva in the 67th minute.

Jacobsen should have been on the scoresheet in the 74th minute but fired tamely at Lloris.

Prins was on for Asensio a minute later.

A very comfortable victory against a dangerous Spurs outfit, and we were never really troubled at all. A shame for Gitschier who was denied a hat trick by the woodwork after scoring a sensational goal to secure his brace not long before.


POM: Moritz Gitschier (9.3, 2G, 1A)
 

Asensio came again wanting to join Real Madrid. I really wish I could point out the fact that we beat them home and away to kick them out of the Champions League last season, and then dispatched them comfortably in the Group Stage this season to finish top of the group and undefeated, but I can’t. Instead, I’ve promised to win this season’s Champions League. I genuinely think we can do it though. If I fail this time I will have no choice but to sell him at the end of the season though, because he’ll only have a year left on his contract. This hasn’t got rid of his previous unhappiness sadly, and his morale is still decimated.

 

English Premier League - Game 16 - Manchester City (Away)


A tough match against Man City comes with just two days of rest since the Spurs match. It’s a similar lineup, with only Doebel and Süle coming into the lineup. City are underachieving hugely this season but we can’t expect that to continue indefinitely. They still have a world class lineup.

Doebel almost fired us in front after just 30 seconds, but Hart got down well to save at his near post and concede a corner instead.

In the 36th minute Kane blasted a shot from just outside the box after De Sciglio wandered infield and fed him the ball, and it went straight through Dragowski and into the net. Keeper should have done much better.

Cook scythed down Wellington in the 51st minute, and he was forced off with injury. Ward-Prowse was his replacement.

How Sterling wasn’t called offside in the 55th minute I don’t know, but fortunately Süle and Dimarco did enough after tracking back to make him skew his shot wide. Or maybe that’s just Sterling’s finishing for you.

Jacobsen was on for Doebel in the 58th minute.

In the 69th minute Candreva came on for Vietto. He went to the right, Asensio to AMC and Gitschier moved up front.

In the 89th minute we came so close to an equaliser, as Candreva headed Dimarco’s cross into the path of Asensio, but Otamendi thew himself in front of the shot and it went behind for a corner.

Poor, poor, poor. One step forwards, two steps back. A thoroughly ineffective attacking performance was compounded by poor goalkeeping and an injury to my in-form centre midfielder, resulting in three dropped points. City were there for the taking and we blew it. We should never lose a match where they have just two shots on target after trying their luck from range all game. All of the front 4 - Vietto, Gitschier, Asensio and Doebel - ended with match ratings of 6.5.


POM: Mattia De Sciglio (Manchester City - 8.1, 0G, 1A)

Best Southampton Player: Masao Nishimura (7.3, 0G, 0A)
 

Injury News...


To make matters worse, Wellington’s injury was serious, and he’ll be out for the next 6 weeks - the Christmas period and probably the entirety of January. Great.


He’s joined on the sidelines by another youngster, Amrani, who will also miss more than a month.

Particularly considering we could have been handed Bayern or Barcelona, this Champions League draw is quite friendly. In all honesty I’d fancy us against every single side in the competition with the possible exception of Bayern, and maybe Juventus. Barcelona aren’t as strong as they used to be, and we already know we’re better than Madrid. If someone could knock out Bayern and Juve for us I would not complain. Poor Liverpool have the task of taking on the Germans as reward for topping Barca in the group stage.

 
bashuijsmans said:
Dont beat Feyenoord, Let them win please :(
Click to expand...

I take it they're your team? Unfortunately I really want to win the CL this year, not least so I can keep Asensio! Still, if they beat me then I'll certainly refer back to this and say it was planned :p
 

English Premier League - Game 17 - Queens Park Rangers (Home)


We seem to be making a habit of playing against teams in 5th place, which is where QPR sat before today’s earlier fixtures. We ourselves are down in 4th after our two recent losses, but are only two points off the top so no need to stress just yet. It would be nice to find some consistency though. QPR’s 5-4-1 formation is unnecessarily risky in my opinion, with a striker instead of a defensive midfielder. Burtic starts in goal since Dragowski hasn’t been too sharp recently.

In the 2nd minute Doebel was denied at close range after slipping through the defence off a pass from Prins.

Gitschier opened the scoring in the 18th minute by planting a header into the far corner off a Dimarco cross before cartwheeling away in celebration.

In the 20th minute a switch of play saw Gasperoni play Nishimura into the box out wide, and the fullback raced along the byline before drilling a shot across the keeper. It his the inside of the post, beating the keeper’s dive, but then rebounded off his back and in for an own goal.

In the 35th minute Vietto pounced on a loose ball and struck it home after a Gitschier cross caused chaos in the box.

Vietto blasted narrowly high and wide after cutting inside from the left in the 52nd minute.

Prins’ 57th minute half-volley from Nishimura’s cross was charged down by Phillips, and Asensio blasted the rebound straight at the keeper.

Gitschier picked up his second in the 61st minute as he crashed a header off the bar and in from another Nishimura delivery.

Laporte joined the party in the 67th minute with a header from Gitschier’s corner.

Jacobsen, Ward-Prowse and Sindelar replaced Doebel, Prins and Vietto in the 73rd minute.

An emphatic win, but unless we continue to win matches, it will mean little. Superb showing from the starters again, with Gitschier the crown jewel once more. As I said, they should have had a DM in there to try to stifle him - not that it would have worked :p


POM: Moritz Gitschier (9.5, 2G, 1A)
 

English Premier League - Game 18 - Blackburn Rovers (Away)


Blackburn shouldn’t pose much of a problem for us, but then again, Wolves and Swansea shouldn’t have either. We face Liverpool in three days time, which is why there is so much rotation. Blackburn are another of this season’s overachievers, sitting in 7th almost halfway through the season.

Jacobsen opened the scoring in the 8th minute by slotting inside the near post after Dimarco had cut back the ball to him.

Ojeda produced an excellent point blank save on Vietto in the 10th minute after Candreva won the ball and put in a cross.

In the 20th minute former Southampton youth player Stephens squared things up with a back post header after a corner had been headed on at the near post by Gregoritsch.

Candreva volleyed in at the back post after a deflected cross reached him in the 45th minute, but the flag was up.

Less than a minute into the second half it was Candreva again, and this time he wasn’t offside, lashing home Dimarco’s delivery through traffic.

Gitschier picked up an injury - a sprained wrist, apparently - and was replaced by Prins in the 52nd minute.

In the 60th minute Blackburn were inches from an equaliser, Ryo striking the post before Dragowski pushed it away and Lovell cleared.

Sindelar was on for Vietto in the 62nd minute.

Rodriguez replaced Ward-Prowse in the 70th minute, swapping with Prins.

Sindelar made us safe in the 78th minute, drifting into space to cushion home a volley from Candreva’s delicate delivery.

A solid win away from home which keeps us in the running. We’re now first, but just two points clear of 4th placed Liverpool - our next opponents - in what appears to be shaping as a four horse race. Candreva was particularly good, and I feel like I can always rely on him to stand up and perform. We just have to hope Gitschier is okay.


POM: Federico Dimarco (9.0, 0G, 2A)
 

Gitschier is injured for just under two weeks, but unlike Dimarco, I won’t have him play through the injury. He’s our best player but I’m confident we can win without him on the pitch.

In spite of his injury, Gitschier pens a new contract on Christmas Eve which sees his wages increase over 5 times. Completely worth it for a genuinely world class player who will hopefully spend his whole career here. He’s still just 20!

 
PatrickLFC said:
I take it they're your team? Unfortunately I really want to win the CL this year, not least so I can keep Asensio! Still, if they beat me then I'll certainly refer back to this and say it was planned :p
Click to expand...

hahaha yes they are my favorite team. I am afraid you beat them like **** hahaha
 

English Premier League - Game 19 - Liverpool FC (Away)


A draw at Anfield would be a good result, but it’s rare that I’m happy with anything other than a win, and that is the goal today. Asensio starts in Gitschier’s role, with Doebel switching to right wing and Jacobsen starting on the left. Vietto keeps his place up top despite his poor performance last time out and Sindelar’s goal off the bench.

Mignolet produced a flying save in the 20th minute to deny Vietto after Nishimura had teed him up following a corner.

The Belgian keeper once more acrobatically kept out a Vietto effort in the 45th minute, this time a half-volley from an Asensio corner.

Sindelar and Candreva were on for Vietto and Jacobsen in the 56th minute.

Asensio picked up a knock and was replaced by Prins in the 71st minute.

Doebel, who had switched flanks with Candreva, picked up a knock shortly afterwards but I kept him on.

Substitute Prins then created our opener in the 81st minute with a burst down the right before crossing for an unmarked Sindelar to sweep home.

Our two fullbacks were the standout players as we picked up a massive three points at Anfield to pull 5 points clear of our hosts at the halfway stage of the season. Two substitutes combined for the only goal of the match. Arsenal and Chelsea can close the gap on us if they win their matches later today - against Fulham and cellar-dwelling Norwich respectively, both of whom are in the relegation zone.


POM: Masao Nishimura (8.5, 0G, 0A)
 
Nice win but, an easy team. Also you say Gitschier is world class but, I'm only seeing a 9 on long throws and that is a key attribute for me
 

Injury News...


Doebel is out for a week, which isn’t too bad really.

Johnson picks up a nasty two month injury out on loan, so is promptly recalled to the club.

Wanyama will miss over a week

And Chambers is also gone for the next month! The injury curse is truly upon us right now.

Prins is another to earn a new contract after breaking into the first team rotation.
 
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