[Archived] Southampton 3 - 2 Rovers

[krislu]

Your not even a real blackburn fan so dont talk utter pants. Living in oslo, you just dont think or have the same feelings as people in this country.

Sorry greg but that was one of the most pathetically immature comments ive ever read.

maybe so and I apologies as I was, and still am very angry. But I do not like it when people who only see rovers play once a season slagg the team off when they have not seen the match and go on people opinions and not their own.

so i apologies for that statement and to the ppl it offended.

I can only talk for myself, but last season I saw something like 14+ Blackburn games live on telly, which IMO gives me the right to have an opinion regarding our performances...

Looking forward to seeing us play Arsenal and ManU in the coming week, which also is live on tv

[broadsword]

That refereeing performance, strewth!

Presumably there'd be the same level of slagging if Stead's shot had gone in and the penalty for Soton hadn't been given?

But yes, we are awful in defence.

[herbergeehh]

Your not even a real blackburn fan so dont talk utter pants. Living in oslo, you just dont think or have the same feelings as people in this country.

Ridiculous post, but I see where you're coming from - I disagree with 99% of the opinions in your post, Krislu.

Friedel - fair enough, allright game but looked uncomfortable with his injury.

Emerton - solid performance except on that horrible first goal !

Short - see above

Johansson - see above + poor passing

Gray - not very good today, but not horrible either.

Flitcroft - get him out ! Didn't defend well, didn't attack at all.

Ferguson - great goal, characteristic run! Not much more than that though, but when Tugay is the main distributor it's probably quite hard to star...

Tugay - good game, not the best defensive player, but some good distribution and not too risky either!

Matteo - out of position, get him in front of the back four ! Liked the way he just let Fernandez push him though, made the frenchie look like a twelveyearold...

Stead - good game allround, it's dangerous every time he gets the ball !

Yorke - didn't see him much, and when I saw him he was backtracking.

Dickov - good game, I'm sure Higginbotham didn't like him much..

Neill - fair enough, wasn't tested really...

Andy D'Arso - (Please don't use that word again) you!

[LeChuck]

Matteo - out of position, get him in front of the back four !

Surely a contradiction there? Matteo is a centre back, that's where he has to play. Not only will the defensive be stronger but the midfield will gain more balance too.

[American]

Good to see Ferguson getting a goal, and the way he got it. No chance of Flitty doing that.

Actually, he scored one or two like it last season...

[herbergeehh]

I see your point, but I'm not sure he's out of position if he plays between the defenders and the midfielders.. also, we've got Amo and Short in central defence, I think they're good enough - and Nissa played okay tonight aswell.

My team against Arsenal:

Friedel-

Neill, Amo, Short, Gray

Matteo

Emerton, Ferguson, Tugay

Stead, Dickov

Gamst Pedersen, Gally and Yorke/De Pedro will come on to play the last half hour, and secure a 2-2 result !

[Kennysuperbuyer]

We now have a complete squad of mediocre players. The one bright light is Jonathon Stead, but he is missing having Andy Coles experience to call on and that is why Yorke has been starting only Yorke is actually finished as a premiership striker. Dikov must take over the role and help Stead and Paul Gallagher who does look a good prospect.

Rovers were unlucky today but at the end of the day we have been beaten by a poor team who are in turmoil themselves.

[Kennysuperbuyer]

Tell me herbergee how is Bjorneby shaping with management in Norway. Is Henning Berg playing back in Norway as i know that he fancied management as well.

I think both have the potential to be good managers perhaps at Ewood one day.

[krislu]

I disagree with 99% of the opinions in your post, Krislu.

Emerton - solid performance except on that horrible first goal !

Thank God for that!

[Ricky]

Your not even a real blackburn fan so dont talk utter pants. Living in oslo, you just dont think or have the same feelings as people in this country.

Sorry greg but that was one of the most pathetically immature comments ive ever read.

maybe so and I apologies as I was, and still am very angry. But I do not like it when people who only see rovers play once a season slagg the team off when they have not seen the match and go on people opinions and not their own.

so i apologies for that statement and to the ppl it offended.

From the time you posted I guess you weren't at the game either so I guess we can't take your views seriously either.

[Jordan]

heres a prediction, after 5 games we will be in the bottom three,

Don't look now but we are 17th at the moment - still Utd are 18th Could well be bottom three tonight if results go against us.

Dont forget we were top of the league for 6 minutes!!!!

[G Somerset Rover]

Any one with news on amo's non-appearance? Injured?

[Shevchenko]

Tell me herbergee how is Bjorneby shaping with management in Norway. Is Henning Berg playing back in Norway as i know that he fancied management as well.

I think both have the potential to be good managers perhaps at Ewood one day.

Bjørnebye is currently the assistant to our National coach Åge Hareide, what he adds to the team tactially I couldn't say.

Henning Berg seems to have settled for a TV pundit job so far.

[Jan]

Argued with Souey??

[Jan]

Have just watched the first half and it was MUCH worse than has been conveyed here. Brad Friedel can't even walk properly- wht's he doing on the pitch. The balls from defence were one of three types:- panicked balls which fell to the opposition; short passes to Tugay's imaginary friend- which went to the opposition; or long hoofed balls, which went to the opposition.

We had comedy defending for their goal, and the only names I heard the whole half (you know what I mean) were Beattie and Phillips.

As for formation or tactics- No idea.

Oh and Dominic Matteo has never been and will never be a left-sided midfielder.

However there was one beautiful turn and shot from Stead.

Second half isn't as bad tho. Wasn't a penalty EVER.

Finally- there are some men who look sexy with long hair. Nissa isn't one of them- GET IT CUT!!

Edited August 21, 2004 by Jan

[Kennysuperbuyer]

Tell me herbergee how is Bjorneby shaping with management in Norway. Is Henning Berg playing back in Norway as i know that he fancied management as well.

I think both have the potential to be good managers perhaps at Ewood one day.

Bjørnebye is currently the assistant to our National coach Åge Hareide, what he adds to the team tactially I couldn't say.

Henning Berg seems to have settled for a TV pundit job so far.

Thanks for the information. Has Egil signed a contract at Viking do you know?

[herbergeehh]

I disagree with 99% of the opinions in your post, Krislu.

Emerton - solid performance except on that horrible first goal !

Thank God for that!

For what exactly?

[herbergeehh]

Østenstad has signed for Viking, Bjørnebye is as mentioned assistant manager for Norway, while Henning Berg has retired.

Expert commentator for Norwegian TV2 during the Euro2004, doubt it'll be a career..

[AJConroy]

A few thoughts having watched the game live and then again on Sky's 10.15 highlights:

Flitcroft - thanks for the service but please, no more. He was lost today.

Matteo - he is not a left midfielder and a barely credible leftback.

Johanson - not sure he is Premiership quality. Why not Matteo?

Friedel's injury caused one problem. When either Johanson or Short took a goal-kick, the rest of the defence dropped deep in order to protect the kicker as they followed through. Otherwise, and this happened a few times in the first half, the oppositions players were played onside. Knowing our luck at the moment, this could cost us.

Stead, Ferguson, Brad, Tugay and Neil were good today.

St Mary's should be a great stadium. Light, airy, clear sight lines but somehow it always seems a little souless to me.

And there is the most bizarre massive poster between two of refreshment bars in the away supporters stand. Did you see it? Is it a south coast twist on Munch's Scream? Maybe it Le Tiss wailing at the state of his club?

A draw at Arsenal would be good. Roll on Wednesday - looking forward to it.

[Scotty]

I disagree with you about the tactics. I actually think he knows what he wants the team to do and in some respects it is working. In both of the 2 games we were probably the better team until we gave away a crap goal. The problem was though that I couldn't really see us scoring.

When we change the formation we instantly look more like scoring but then also look more likely to concede. My gripe is that whilst Souness clearly wants us to be harder to beat we are more or less the same as last season but more boring.

I would put up with boring and picking up points for a while but boring and not winning is obviously not good enough. The silly thing is that my main reason for being a Souness fan has been the football we have played. Now he is going against that and I think against what he believes in. I can see this formation working at times in picking up more points if we can cut out the mistakes but I don't think i'll enjoy it.

I can't see the point in getting rid now because Strachan apart I've not seen any decent suggestions to replace him and I think there is more risk of us going down with some of those. However if we are going to play boring football then whilst I don't want him out then I can't say i'd be upset if he goes.

Meant to add that at times today in the first half I really did think that things just seem a bit stale now and maybe a change, any change wouldn't be a bad thing.

Good post MB. I can also see what Souness is trying to do, unfortunately though he's not doing it very well. The problem with playing so negatively is that, as you said, we carry no attacking threat at all. This means that we are at the mercy of a refereeing mistake or a defensive mix-up in every game. It also hands the initiative to the opposition straight away - instead of them worrying about us we seem to be worrying about them all the time.

It was ok at the back-end of last season when we were fighting for our lives, but to start off this season playing the same way seems ridiculous to me. It's as if we're already fighting a relegation battle without even having a go to see if the team is capable of better.

I believe we have enough good players at the club to come up with a team and system that can balance both defence and attack. Sadly though Souness can't seem to find it. He can't even seem to play the right players in the right positions any more.

As for the two games so far, we may have been the better team in both the games, but we were playing poor teams who will almost certainly be in a relegation battle this season. And we've only got one point from those games. It will be interesting, and maybe a bit frightening, to see how we fair against good teams in the next couple of weeks.

Strachan would be my first choice as a replacement (realistically speaking) as well but I think your being unfair in dissmissing all the other names that have been mentioned. Some of them would be gambles but I thought Souness was a gamble when he first arrived and he was excellent for 3 years.

[Philly Rover ®]

I've had some fair time to reflect now, so while all of you over the pond (except possibly LeChuck) are in bed for the night, I'm finally composed enough to write down some coherent thoughts on the matter, with help from a few quotes pulled from the thread. First and foremost...

I disagree with you about the tactics.  I actually think he knows what he wants the team to do and in some respects it  is working.  In both of the 2 games we were probably the better team until we gave away a crap goal.  The problem was though that I couldn't really see us scoring.

When we change the formation we instantly look more like scoring but then also look more likely to concede.  My gripe is that whilst Souness clearly wants us to be harder to beat we are more or less the same as last season but more boring.

A very fair observation IMO. Unfortunately, as Scotty says: "I can also see what Souness is trying to do, unfortunately though he's not doing it very well." His idea of playing a battling side that's tough to break down works in theory, yet in reality, with the squad we have, it requires far too many people playing too uncomfortably out of position, and hence it fails to work in reality. The sooner Souness realizes that he can't get cute with the formation and begins rolling out a standard one that the players are more comfortable with, the better for the club's chances this season.

As for the game itself... Saints sustained periods of pressure, especially for the closing quarter hour of the first half and for some large stretches late on in the contest, but overall I thought Rovers had more than a fair share of the possession, especially for having that lineup and being on the road. True that Friedel didn't really look himself, but in reality there was nothing he could have done about the goals (and I blame the first on Short and Nissa, not on Emerton). The defending was good for stretches and absolutely shambolic at other times, and it really needs to be sorted ASAP before it drags the club into a full-fledged relegation fight before the end of September.

The goals themselves were beautifully taken, Barry's finish a clinical one and Dickov's strike well-deserved. Yorke didn't look that bad, but he really didn't offer much in the way of going forward, and I'd must prefer to see the pesky Dickov line up against Arsenal. Stead truly did look a class above the rest, and I hope he opens his account for the year soon--both to keep his confidence up and to keep the club up you might say.

As a sidenote, Emerton wasn't horrible today... true he didn't offer a whole lot going forward and he refused to really take on his man, but I certainly don't blame him for Short and Nissa's mix-up ("Well why don't we both take Beattie... wait, Phillips you say?"). Bear in mind that despite Stead's hand in Dickov's go-ahead goal, Emerton has to be the man that gets the lion's share of the credit for that.

And finally, the refereeing. Everything's already been said already for the most part, but after having a bit of a look at the replay, it's appalling how bad D'Urso really is. Being totally honest, I think he let Rovers get away with a lot of little fouls throughout the match, but then started yanking out yellows left and right when someone ###### him off. Not only was he terrible, he was terrible both ways and for the vast majority of the match, and his awarding of teh penalty combined with his stupidity in not sending off the twice-cautioned Ferguson is simply a measure of his gross incompetence.

I would put up with boring and picking up points for a while but boring and not winning is obviously not good enough... I can't see the point in getting rid now because Strachan apart I've not seen any decent suggestions to replace him and I think there is more risk of us going down with some of those.  However if we are going to play boring football then whilst I don't want him out then I can't say i'd be upset if he goes.

Meant to add that at times today in the first half I really did think that things just seem a bit stale now and maybe a change, any change wouldn't be a bad thing.

I've been a big supporter of Souness, and two games into the year is too early to call for his head, especially when you consider that Rovers were one terrible human error away from picking up a well-deserved point. (As a sidenote, it's interesting how the tide can turn in twenty minutes: after Dickov's goal, Sturrock looked well on his way to being fired whilst Souness relaxed, but at the final whistle it was almost a role reversal).

Having had time to think it over, I know that there can't be any knee-jerk reactions as regards the personnel and staff... it's probably not a completely sound argument, but Souness really has done a lot for the club and has earned a chance to at least prove himself over the first two months or so of the season. As for me, I'm giving him ten games. While I don't expect a certain point total at that point, it would certainly be nice for the club to have at least six more points by then... but as long as their performances (and formations) show significant improvement from the end of last year and the beginning of this year, I'll keep my hat in the pro-Souness ring.

[LeChuck]

I've had some fair time to reflect now, so while all of you over the pond (except possibly LeChuck) are in bed for the night

How dare you suggest that I'm not in bed right now, how dare you.

Apart from that shocking accusation, it was an excellent post and really just summed up everything about the game and our current situation in general. The only thing that remains to baffle me is why Souness has ditched a shape and mentality that made him the success he was prior to last season. We never qualified for Europe and won a trophy by playing people out of position and cramming as many defensive players as possible into a line-up...so why start now?

I've been trying to refrain from posting today since I figured everything that needed to be said would have already have been done so...however, with regards to the Souness-out talk, I'd be fully prepared to give him months if he was playing a balanced team with people in their right positions. My main fear at this moment in time is that his pride and stubborness will make him continue with these strange tactical decisions. At this moment in time I have one foot in the Souness-out door...I'm prepared to wait until we have Neill, Thommo and De Pedro match fit before completely crossing the line...however, if the negative team selections continue with those 3 available then it will be time for him to go.

[Philly Rover ®]

At this moment in time I have one foot in the Souness-out door...I'm prepared to wait until we have Neill, Thommo and De Pedro match fit before completely crossing the line...

Sums up my place on the fence right now as well, and you also brought up a point that I had forgotten to mention.

This team sorely misses anyone who can create anything whatsoever from midfield. Bazza's occasional surging runs are helpful, and Tugay's passing (when on song) is an effective weapon, but without Thommo the club has no one who is willing to take control of the ball, take people on and otherwise make things happen. Say what you will about Cristiano Ronaldo's dinky stepovers and theatrics, but the kid can plain and simply dribble a football and it really does open up a world of opportunity for his teammates.

Now I'm not comparing Thommo to that sissy pretty boy Man U player, but I am pointing out that he has a similar inclination to take people on when he gets hold of the ball. Emerton has shown time and time again that he's reluctant to do it; Ferguson's job is more to run the show from the center of the park; Tugay is a sublime passer but not much else; and (if reports are to be believed) de Pedro sounds like an excellent crosser, passer and dead ball specialist, but not exactly greased lightning with the football at his feet. In short, this club is absolutely crying out for Thommo to be given a run in the side, so here's hoping that he's healthy either for Arsenal this week or Man U this weekend.

BTW LeChuck, I knew you'd be working the night shift.

[Paul]

Three excellent posts to wake up to and start the day off with a balanced view. After a good night's rest I realise I no longer support Souness, stay or go, he doesn't raise any emotion in me. In the past I've tried "rallying" get behind the team style posts, frighteningly I don't see any point. Throughout last season it was very hard to support the side, be excited by their play, and we have started on the same road this time. If the manager can't select a decent team and those who are selected don't show any real enthusiasm for the game how on earth are the fans supposed to react?

Pre-season gave us excitment and hope - the MB was posting team news, goals as they happened from a bunch of German friendlies and people were actually logging in to follow these meaningless games live!!!!! - so we, the fans, are/were "up for it".The summer had actually cleaned the wounds from last season, just as they healed over Souness opened them all again. WBA and Saints should have been 4 points and a good positive start but the team have provided us with two miserable, uninspired performances which re-inforce the doom and gloom of last year.

it's probably not a completely sound argument, but Souness really has done a lot for the club and has earned a chance to at least prove himself over the first two months or so of the season.

That arguement has been in place for almost a year. Souness has had the time to manage the problems and resolve our position. He's failed, in fact he's become even more eccentric in his team selection. I won't be joining any "Souness out" chants, I can't raise the emotion. I'm no longer angry as I have no expectation of this team and manager; they're not actually bad, they're just nothing, non-descript, uninspired, there is no spark of any sort. The pre-match hope of winning has died and I will turn up out of a sense of duty. I'm thoroughly disillusioned, hopefully the board will act in some way. We've no money to buy players, there is only one choice.

I was going to buy myself a shirt for the first time in ten years, there's £25 the club have lost. Another reason for getting the shirts out pre-season, sell them when there's room for optimism.

[stuwilky]

Anyone know about him calling the fans "smart arses" at lunchtime? A lot of very unhappy callers on Radio Lancs tonight. As one of them so succinctly put it "Souness can dish out the criticism but he can't take it."

I watched that interview live. HE was stood next to Paul Sturrock. The interviewer asked something along the lines of "what do you think of recent events at Southampton?"

He referred to people at the club shood be getting behing their manager and smart arse fans.

It it was about Rovers club andor fans and him it was a very well disguised comments. I suspect people weren't listening probably.