Sometimes what seems a poor result actually is a turning point in a teams fortunes and that will hopefully be the case for this one.

Saints didn't play badly, they were just unable to break down a resolute Aston Villa side who spent most of the match pegged back in their own final third. The fact that Saints had 64% possession and 23 attempts on goal tells a story, but the fact that only 5 of those attempts was on target tells another. In contrast Villa only had 2 on target, one of which went in.

Saints could easily have been three up inside the first 20 minutes but were not clinical enough in front of goal and that gave Villa impetus to dig in and fight.

On the stroke of half time disaster struck, you could feel it wasn't Saints day with the lead up to Villa's goal, firstly Jose Fonte gave the ball away cheaply, Van Dijk looked to have rescued the situation and his block seemed to be going out for a throw, but it had a spin on it and it went for a corner, from that corner the ball seemed to be missed by everyone bar Lescott at the far post who put it in the net to stun the home crowd.

Second half Saints went at Villa but seemed to have little ingenuity in the final third, they got down the line enough times, but Guzan was superb in coming and catching crosses that on another day he might have left to his defenders.

The game changed through fate and that slice of luck perhaps suggests that Saints might have turned a corner, just after the hour Wanyama went of injured and on came Romeu, he seemed to add a little bit of urgency to Saints going forward and he seemed quicker that Wanyama in getting the ball forward and that helped us get Villa on the back foot.

Ironically the Saints equaliser was almost a carbon copy of the Villa goal, a corner fro the same side was allowed to travel to the far post and Romeu was there to put it in.

It was backs against the wall for Villa now, but Saints huffed and puffed but could not really seem to find a way through a stout Villa back four marshalled by Guzan ho commanded his box.

So as a result a draw was disappointing, we really should have won this well, but given Saints recent run of three straight defeats, any result is better than none and from that point of view, sometimes breaking a bad run is more important than winning, it will give us a mental boost and more confidence going into the game at Palace next week.

So from that viewpoint we should not be too despondent, we have broken the run, we now just need to recapture the form that had taken us up the table a few weeks ago, we are a better side than the last four games have shown, we do not need to panic, we just need to get back to winning ways.

Photo: Action Images

OldRed added 11:37 - Dec 6 A tough run of games coming up though, 3 points from the Villa game was a 'must' really.
2

halftimeorange added 11:49 - Dec 6 I don't know about Guzan being "superb" in coming and catching crosses. From where I was sitting it looked like we put more or less every one into his arms. Where were the offensive tactics? Every corner was the same, nothing shorter, nobody on the back post. What has gone wrong with some of our "stars"? Wanyama did not play well. Mane seems to cause a few problems with his speed but isn't a winger and is too often isolated. Where was his speed when he ambled off the pitch when we were urgently trying for a winner. Fonte, not for the first time this season gave the ball away and played us into trouble. We didn't press for the ball like last season. Let's be honest, with the upcoming fixtures in our current form we'll be lucky not to still be on 21 points and in fourteenth spot and then we'll have potentially a relegation battle against Norwich. Am I panicking - no, but my eyes don't deceive me. We do not look good and we don't have a play maker. Even Ronald must be having doubts about Clasie's suitability for this league. It could be an uncomfortable second half of the season for Saints supporters and the frustration was very vocal yesterday so the players themselves must know it isn't good enough.

2

SaintNick added 11:49 - Dec 6 Every game is a must, however not every game will be a win and we have to just keep trying to beat what we are up against in each game
4

Big_T added 12:48 - Dec 6 Yesterday was a bit better at least we kept trying to go forward, I'm so pleased Wanyama went of injured, I don't like him or rate him and I never have. If you ever watch him running towards our defense ,he doesn't he jogs never keen to bust a gut to get back. Hopefully he is out for a few games then get rid.Villa drew with ManC a couple of weeks ago. Where is Harrison Reed? his 90min effort is better than Wanyama and Classie well we saw his efforts against liverpoo

1

TimSaint added 12:53 - Dec 6 The players were very complacent, thinking they just needed to turn up to win. When we failed to convert our early chances, you could see the confidence slowly drain from players and fans alike. Too often we gave the ball away cheaply, failed to press and allowed Villa to play and slowly get into the game - when we should have been out of sight. This culminated in their goal with poor defending from firstly Fonte and then 4 defenders and a keeper in the 6 yard box. I was not really surprised at the barrage of Boos that rang out on half time, but felt it was a little harsh on us as we should have been well ahead and had ultimately been sucker punched by the bottom team. 2nd half was a bit better in terms of pressing and moving the ball a bit quicker, but ultimately we were short of the mark again. Mane and Tadic drifted out of the game and although they were perhaps our most creative, I could see why Koeman changed them and tried something different in order to try to win it. It was a very frustrating afternoon and definitely 2 points dropped - which may prove crucial considering our next 4 or 5 fixtures. Our shots to goals conversion rate took another hammering yesterday and we must be the worst in the league for this, by a country mile. I guess it just goes to show that all the chances and possession count for nothing - it is all about the goals :o) and hopefully these will start to flow soon. COYS

1

Consigliere added 13:24 - Dec 6 If I had to choose a word to sum up yesterday's game, that word would be "mediocre", at least in terms of Saint's performance for much of the game. Villa were just dire and against a better team we would have had a spanking. Sure, Mane played pretty well until he got tired and I thought that Bertrand did quite well running out of defence but generally this was a lacklustre performance and it is difficult to know why. We are still in with a shout for a top 5 place, the cup run is over so the time for raising the bar is now. Once again I think that the root of the problem is that we don't attack quickly enough. Liverpool gave us an object lesson in how to do this during the week - lightening fast attack out of defence and no messing about with endless cross-field passing which gives the opposition defence time to recover. Towards the end of the game this message seemed to be getting across but by then it was all a bit late. More of this and earlier on please Ron!

7

halftimeorange added 14:34 - Dec 6 Another observation. Why does Mane not mark anyone at opposition corners? If he is going to stand away from the melee about to take place in the goalmouth then he could at least take up a position which would allow him to break away up the field should the ball come out in his direction. The point about our failure to attack quickly is valid and we never have anybody waiting for that loose ball and Mane is the obvious candidate (other than Long) to show a clean pair of heels.

4

IWOZTHERE added 14:39 - Dec 6 I'll just bang on again about too much pretty, intricate stuff. Too many clever backheels, (even Steven Davis is joining in now), resulting in really slow build-up. Excellent when the confidence was high and a settled side was in unison, but at the moment we should just be doing the simple things well. I think we need an 'out and out' winger to allow Mane to play a more central role. I worry about the next few games and RK's options . After all the chopping and changing (and results), several players who might make up the heart of the team must be really lacking in self-belief: Clasie, Yosh for example. Others like Romeu, Juanmi, Soares may also think they haven't got Ron's full trust.Wanyama may just be 'doing a Clyne' ! Personally, I think Romeu and Juanmi have points to prove and might be worth a run, possibly others who also haven't been 'scarred' by the run of poor results. I would agree with the 'play the youngsters' lobby but it would be unfair on say Reed, to expect much from him at a time when too many of the team are playing like strangers.

5

FrankSaint added 15:10 - Dec 6 I think there may be an underlying complacency. Maybe a catalyst would be a policy to have at least one academy graduate in the starting line up. It would motivate the whole squad and make the established players take less for granted. Remember Reed was MOTM against Everton and that kicked off a good run. Has he started a league game since?
7

FrankSaint added 15:12 - Dec 6 Ps I'm counting Ward-Prowse as an establised player.
1

DPeps added 15:14 - Dec 6 Football is a game of opinions and people see matches differently. I'll try to be as positive as I can... Another game where we played well for 30 mins and poorly for 60. Finishing was bad, pressing was ineffectual. Villa could have won and they are arguably the worst team in the league. They didn't even play that well! I agree with Nick that the first goal was key. We should've scored first but we didn't. The ruthlessness up front and tight defence from the last couple of seasons have disappeared for the moment. I fear that we're quite predictable. We had a poor run last season but this seems different. Last season we had been playing at a higher level before the blip and I remember that we were unlucky in a few games that we lost - e.g. Man Utd and Arsenal when we put in good performances but made errors. This time around we're getting the results our performances deserve, while our league position is flattering because the bottom half of the PL is very poor quality. Palace next will be very tough because they are an improving side. Agree with Nick that it's best to see the Villa game as a turning point. The alternative is too bad to think! Really hope we can turn it around soon

5

DPeps added 15:20 - Dec 6 Oh, and I thought Juanmi and Romeu looked good when they came on.
4

harrydunn999 added 15:53 - Dec 6 We repeated the same mistakes as Wednesday. Liverpool were there for the taking as were Villa. When you are on top you have to capitalise, inside 20 minutes of both games- we should of been at least 2-0. Look at how many goals Liverpool converted from chances, look at how many we had yesterday to get one scrappy goal. Pelle and mane have no threat to losing their starting position. Shane long can score and work his butt off like he did at City,but he knows next game he will be dropped for Pelle. Mane starts because he guarantees pace,he could and should be a 20 goal minimum striker. Yoshida and now caulker have been slammed for poor defensive play, yet as fans we stand and applaud a striker missing a glorious chance-often as yesterday not even working an average keeper. The club obviously expected J-Rod to challenge Pelle this season. But I also feel Koeman needs to switch formations when playing poorer sides. 3-5-2 has destroyed teams on occasions he has started with it(not a half time shake up with wanyama at the back). Mane playing thru the middle with Pelle and long coming on for 30 minutes would be destructive against half the league. It would also allow a better midfield balance, wanyama and classie are not offering the protection and drive that schnedierlin spoiled us with. As Micheal Owen knows well if you don't score you don't win !! The season is in real danger of sliding away, yes we have come a long way in 5 years- but that doesn't mean we should just accept players not playing for the shirt and putting a shift in for 90 minutes.

6

lotus added 16:14 - Dec 6 i have a mix feelings here.all these misses in the first half ;which happened not only in this game,are a real problem.on the other hand villa played well against liverpool and leicester. in the next two games'it can cost dearly'specially against spurs.i saw bromich draw against spurs'and i was very jealous'on how they controlled and prevented mostly all spurs attempted. and could even won maybe January window could help

1

TeamCortese added 16:50 - Dec 6 The problem at the moment is we're not clinical enough in front of goal and it's primarily to do with Pelle and Mane. I would like to know their goal conversion ratio? I also think teams are starting to figure us out and we lack imagination in midfield. We need a playmaker who can dictate possession, create chances and chip in with a few goals. At the moment that's suppose Davis or JWP and both are not good enough. I can't for the life of me not understand why he hasn't tried Gaston Ramirez or Tadic in that position. If it's to do with their defensive frailties then take them off or get defensive midfielders to do it instead. That will solve a lot of problems with attack. Moreover we need better competition upfront. Jay Rodigruez has become too injury prone and Juanmi needs at least a season to become settled. This has left Pelle and Mane too comfortable. With regards to defence Koeman needs to decide a partner with Wanyama and stick with it. He's changed things around too much imo. I think it should be Romeu. Clasie simply isn't good enough at the moment. Also Wanyama needs to stop trying Hollywood passes and do his job. He's making too many mistakes and I know if Morgan was around he would never have done that in the first place.

3

saintmark1976 added 18:00 - Dec 6 Whilst I appreciate that I am a little off topic.As the old football expression says "the table does not lie". Given the business plan as explained at the recent club forum, where we find ourselves is where we should expect to be in my opinion. Unless we make expensive signings in the window or something goes spectacularly wrong on the pitch it is were I expect us to be at season end. The question now is whether the owner is simply happy to continue with what appears to be the business plan of buying cheap and selling those who improve for big profit and buying cheap again to repeat the process. All the evidence and in particular there being no desire to increase the ground capacity indicates to me that she is happy with the situation and nothing will change going forward. In short R K can only work with what he has got and my impression of his recent comments and body language is that he is coming to the end of his tether with his current situation and the expectations being placed upon him. Indeed, to me the whole scenario does not look too far away from that of Gordon Strachen and the Dark Lord when funds were asked for and refused. I hope the outcome is not going to be the same.

4

simmo400 added 18:49 - Dec 6 We have to accept we are a mediocre team. We have sold all are good players. We have bought mainly average players so we're going to be an average team. We cannot and will not improve losing our best. Accept this as the Southampton way now. Mid table is the best we can hopefor this season and should we loose a couple more relegation looms. Year after year we have sold and it will catch up with us very soon.

0

ItchenNorth added 18:57 - Dec 6 Wheres Gaston when ya need him.
5

schatfield added 19:34 - Dec 6 Same old saints, come out of the blocks at 100mph, bombard the net but not really test the keeper. Get sloppy, allow a goal in, heads drop. Still, at least Eastleigh won in the Cup!
1

SonicBoom added 20:07 - Dec 6 Strange tactics again from Ron. Puts Juanmi on before Long. Why? I also saw long criticised when he came on. What for? Failing to do in eight minutes what the others couldn't do in 82 minutes. Ron needs to sort this out now. Nick you can spin it however you like but but struggling at home against by far the worst team in the division, does not feel like we've turned any corner or broken any run.

1

leighsaint added 20:29 - Dec 6 For the first time since Mopo's reign I sat behind the goal arrived early with my 2 grandchildren from the Midlands. Neither are Saints fans even if their Dad has been since the 60's. They had never been to St Mary's before, so I arrived early and watched the warm up. Srek had his warm up with Kelvin & Gazza doing absolutely nothing to help who was putting shots on goal. Then goalies all went off about 15 mins before kickoff. The subs then took over shooting on goal with no Kelvin or Gazza or any other keeper. Their shooting was as though they didn't give a toss no trainer was with them they just went through the motions to waste time before the kickoff. I hate what Mopo did to this club but this never happened with him there was always a trainer with the subs. At half time for the first time in years I stayed in my seat. 6 subs came out again no goalkeeper to assist them, again no Trainer they just had a kick about and when most of there shots went high wide and hit the corner flag no body gave a toss. No wonder we can't score if this is what happens in training. We do not look fit we do not press and at the moment we cannot shoot on target. I begging to believe there is trouble at the club. Since my first game in 1946 I believe there is something behind the scenes that is causing concern

2

aceofthebase added 20:31 - Dec 6 We are not 6th we are 12th. That's not progress and not much to cheer for. A better performance, not saying it was good, and bad misses that should have won us the game. It's time to put Reed and Seager on the bench at least. Finally well done Bournemouth a tremendous result against Chelsea and I hope neither of us are in a relegation scrap at the end of the season.

3

SaintBrock added 21:15 - Dec 6 We've been found out, Les sold all our best players and bought a load of second-rate journeymen that nobody else wanted to replace them. This is not sudden, it's been evident all season, 5 wins from 15 and they still talk the talk as 'though we have the potential to be a top 4 team. BS baffle brains!
2

heroholmes1 added 21:44 - Dec 6 Couldn't agree more with Big T. Romeu and Reed want to play and will fight to try and win the game. If we get an offer that's any way near our money back on Big Vic. We should bit their hands off he's great at winning the ball back but wouldn't need to if he didnt lose it so much. So slow on the ball, slow getting back to defend, let play somone who wants to take the game to the other team.

3

SaintNick added 00:11 - Dec 7 Im sorry but sometimes I feel some people are just waiting for things to go wrong so they can have a go, they like to think its all some plot where Katharina Liebherr just wants to sell players and pocket the change, Clyne and Schneiderlin are not at the club this season because they were offered more money at bigger clubs with a better chance of winning something, end of. We cant replace them with someone immediately better as otherwise those big clubs would have signed them ahead of our two. The southampton way forward is going to be that, but its not mediocre its reality, call it want you want but our position now is still better than virtually every other season since 1985, so its not mediocrity its progress

-1

Blogs 32 bloggers

Colchester United Polls