17-05-2024, 23:29
Can't grumble too much, because we lost to a better team with higher quality players. It could be argued that we overachieved massively getting into the playoffs with this squad.
The game was frustrating though...
The most frustrating thing for me was that Southampton, despite all their possession, never looked that dangerous when going forward except when we gave them the ball with our persistent square and backwards passing. We set up Southampton's best chance in the first half when Mowatt gave the ball away trying to pass it back to Palmer, despite having forward passes on. And for their opener, it was Grady who gifted them possession with a sloppy square ball despite having easy passes on and then failing to mark the man he gave it, chasing the ball like u12s.
In addition, our set plays were dreadful. We forced plenty of corners first half, but rather than just putting them in for Bartley to attack, we tried "routines" which were easy for Southampton to defend. I've never really understood why you would choose to play balls across the floor or short when you have the best header of the ball on the pitch. We didn't have the quality to do anything from open play, so to overplay from corners was criminal in my eyes. It was ironic that we finally scored at the end when we just put one in.
When you end up 3 goals behind playing negative, you do always regret not going for it. I mean for all our tip tap and backwards passing, our best chance was when Mowatt just tossed a ball forward to Adam Reach towards the end. Had that same run been made earlier in the game, you can bet that Mowatt would've just played the safe ball back to the centre half or keeper.
The worry now is that our squad will be decimated...
2 of our best players, Kipre and Johnston will leave on a free and back to parent club respectively. Bartley will go. Mowatt will go. If the rumours are to be believed, Okay Yokuslu will probably want to go back to Turkey to finish his career. We'll be left with predominantly dross, Townsend, Thomas-Asante and the like.
We have a new owner, which is positive, but I'm not sure his pockets are deep enough for the rebuild at hand.
Time will tell...
Now let's enjoy the summer until England ruin it in June
The game was frustrating though...
The most frustrating thing for me was that Southampton, despite all their possession, never looked that dangerous when going forward except when we gave them the ball with our persistent square and backwards passing. We set up Southampton's best chance in the first half when Mowatt gave the ball away trying to pass it back to Palmer, despite having forward passes on. And for their opener, it was Grady who gifted them possession with a sloppy square ball despite having easy passes on and then failing to mark the man he gave it, chasing the ball like u12s.
In addition, our set plays were dreadful. We forced plenty of corners first half, but rather than just putting them in for Bartley to attack, we tried "routines" which were easy for Southampton to defend. I've never really understood why you would choose to play balls across the floor or short when you have the best header of the ball on the pitch. We didn't have the quality to do anything from open play, so to overplay from corners was criminal in my eyes. It was ironic that we finally scored at the end when we just put one in.
When you end up 3 goals behind playing negative, you do always regret not going for it. I mean for all our tip tap and backwards passing, our best chance was when Mowatt just tossed a ball forward to Adam Reach towards the end. Had that same run been made earlier in the game, you can bet that Mowatt would've just played the safe ball back to the centre half or keeper.
The worry now is that our squad will be decimated...
2 of our best players, Kipre and Johnston will leave on a free and back to parent club respectively. Bartley will go. Mowatt will go. If the rumours are to be believed, Okay Yokuslu will probably want to go back to Turkey to finish his career. We'll be left with predominantly dross, Townsend, Thomas-Asante and the like.
We have a new owner, which is positive, but I'm not sure his pockets are deep enough for the rebuild at hand.
Time will tell...
Now let's enjoy the summer until England ruin it in June