I
don’t often watch much football if Saints are not involved, but earlier on this
week I made an exception and watched PSG versus Liverpool in the Champions
League. Research, I thought, into what we would be facing at the weekend. What
I saw was PSG having about thirty shots and Liverpool‘s goalkeeper Alisson
Becker, saving everything. Truth be told, Liverpool got absolutely battered in
this game but they still managed to win which is a bit of a contrast to us this
season, where we get absolutely battered every game and it is completely
reflected on the scoreboard at the end of the game.

It was thought going into this season, that Liverpool might struggle to
maintain the levels achieved under Jurgen Klopp, but Arne Slot has come in and
basically made the team better and they will win the league by a long way.  A settled sent back pairing of van Dijk and Konate
has definitely helped and the likes of Joe Gomez and Jarrell Quansah are now
bench fillers whereas last year they were playing quite a lot. The midfield is
usually three out of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch
and Curtis Jones  and you also have
Harvey Elliott, who got the winning goal against PSG, kicking around as well.
Up front, there’s a ridiculous selection to be had from Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo,
Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Federico Chiesa and shit Andy Carroll himself, Darwin Núñez. 
Even if they go with some of their fringe first team players like Elliott,
Chiesa and Núñez, you know they are going to be just a little bit too good for
us to deal with. 

You could argue that with regards to winning the league, they’ve been helped in
that by the likes of Manchester City having a relatively poor season but
Liverpool have been relentless and totally deserve to be where they are. 
They are a perfectly balanced team with the right players in every position and
even though there is a chance that big hitters like Trent Alexander Arnold,
Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah, may not be there next season – none of that is
going to help us this afternoon, nor is the fact that they have the second leg
against PSG in a few days time.  Even if
they rest players today, the thought of the Juric defensive man marking system
up against these guys at Anfield is fucking terrifying.

If Ivan has a mind to, Saints should be able to put a better team out on the
pitch than they have done in the last few weeks. In addition to Aaron Ramsdale,
there is an opportunity for Ivan, should he wish to take it, to pick three
actual central defenders, namely THB, Bednarek and ABK, as all three are fit
and available. There should be no need for Joe Aribo in defence, nor for James
Bree anywhere near the pitch.  Ivan could, if he wanted to think straight,
have KWP and Wellington as the wingbacks on the correct sides, for some natural
width and balance. Ivan also could, if he actually thought about it, have a
midfield which actually has some steel in it, as long as Flynn Downes and
Lesley Ugochukwu are both starting.  Three out of Mateus Fernandes, Tyler
Dibling, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Tall Paul could make up the front line if Ivan
deems that to be the best option available. I’m not saying for a second that
this lineup would be capable of getting a result, but it would have a better
chance.

There has been a lot of noise this week about Ivan Juric not being here next
season. The man has been linked with the job is Danny Röhl from Sheffield
Wednesday.  On the one hand, these links make a lot of sense because Juric
has been shite and Röhl has a connection with us from the past and also has a
connection with Johannes Spors, our new technical director who will be choosing
the next manager you would’ve thought.  It is also well known that we approached
Sheffield Wednesday when Russell Martin got sacked so there is obviously an
interest there, even though that happened before Spors was appointed.  For
me, none of this is exactly shocking news and it is all pretty likely to happen
but on the other hand, it was reported in The Sun.  If you’re going down
the road of thinking this is made up though, then ask yourself why would anyone
bother to make it up. No one outside of Southampton, cares about Southampton so
a story like this is hardly going to be written to drive clicks or newspaper
purchases.  It does mean that Juric is going to spend every press
conference talking about the possibility of him losing his job but that’s part
of the territory when you’ve only won one game in nine and your team is likely
to be relegated pretty soon, and also when you’ve lost your last three games,
by a combined score of 11-1.

Team news and changes ahoy and it looks like it has to be a back four with KPW,
THB, Bednarek and Manning.  The other six
names are all midfielders and wingers so no centre forward.  Ah, interesting.  Grönbæk is playing which is weird, considering
he’s not been given a minute of any consequence in recent games.  The hoped for Liverpool Reserves has not
really materialized.  Tsimikas and Núñez
being the only two who don’t often start games.

Away we go and Saints were set up with a back four and a compact four in
midfield in front of them. The two farthest forward are Fernande and Grönbæk
and they’re not very far forward to all, so out of possession it’s a 4-6-0 and
in possession it’s much the same.  Liverpool
start knocking the ball about and work the ball over from the left and despite
all our compact shape, Curtis Jones still has a free shot from within the
penalty area which he pulls wide of the post.

A harmless ball gets played down our left and Bednarek and Manning both go for
it with no calling whatsoever and clatter into each other. Bednarek has clearly
come off the worst and after a lengthy stoppage, is off to be replaced by ABK.  The stoppage seems to throw Liverpool off a
bit and a long punt forward by Ramsdale is chased by Sulemana and Trent shins
it off a corner.  In it comes from Smallbone,
met by THB and straight at Alisson.  The excitement
is that we have actually had an effort on goal.  When Saints get on the ball in midfield, we
actually look quite decent and work the ball out to Sulemana against Trent and another
corner.  This time it’s headed clear and
teed up by Grønbæk for Fernandes to have an effort from 25 yards, which is
decent and once again is straight at Alison.

It’s clearly obvious that Ramsdale is going to have to have a great game today
and he starts off well, throwing himself at Trent’s feet as he burrows his way
into the six yard box. Liverpool create a few chances but nothing clear cut and
Núñez heads over because that’s what he does.  He’s not great again a few minutes later when
he has time on the edge of the box to turn and hit it, but Ramsdale falls on it
easily.

We are still playing some good stuff when we go forward and Dibling awakens
from the nap he’s been having for the past three games and finds Fernandes,
before Matty puts a great cross curling in between defender and goalkeeper,
into an area where we could really do with having a striker, but instead of
that, we’ve got all 5 foot 9 of Grønbæk, who can’t get his head to it.

Manning takes a throw on the left and sends Smallbone off towards goal and he
has not been tracked by the dozing Liverpool defenders. Van Dijk tries to
shield it back to Alisson but two of the world’s best players make an almighty
bollocks of it and run into each other, with Fernandes trying to disrupt.
Anyway, the ball bounces out to Smallbone who has no route to pass it to
anybody or to shoot, but he unlocks Blad Genius Mode and goes through Alisson’s
legs and into the unguarded net. Fuck me ragged, we are winning.  PSG 0 Southampton 1.  Get in.

Saints have a spring in the step as the game restarts and KWP brings the ball
away down the right, taking it past Darwin Núñez, who just takes a big kick at
him and catches him somewhere around the knee. KWP reacts and there’s a little
bit of handbags and referee Lewis Smith brandishes the yellow card at the
complete fucking idiot. Why isn’t that a red? Oh, hang on a minute, we are off
to VAR.

Hi Lewis, it’s Matt at Stockleigh Park

Hi Matt, how you doing?

Shitting myself mate… only done three Prem Games before

Me too mate, this is my seventh

I’ve been fast-tracked by Howard

So have I mate, because all the experienced refs are shit

Anyway, we have a potential red card for Núñez

Why?

Because it’s deliberate and he’s just booted him high, nowhere near the ball

Don’t do this to me Matt…

OK, calm down, what’s the problem….?

It’s 60,000 plastic Scousers at Anfield and Slot blamed a ref for costing them
the league last week.  It’s only my
seventh game.

Do you want to have a look at it on the screen?

No… just clear it please

Ok mate, no worries.

Half time and 15 minutes of relative ecstasy despite a standard refereeing/VAR
nonsense at Anfield.  We are so fucking
back, baby!!!  I’m sure that Liverpool
and Slot will respect the irresistible force that they are up against today and
just accept defeat… or maybe not. As the teams come out for the second half,
it’s pretty obvious that Slot was not very impressed with Liverpool‘s first
half and Tsimikas, Jones and Szoboszlai are replaced with Robertson Mac Allister
and Elliott. They are so shit scared of the mighty Southampton that they have
to bring on their Argentinian World Cup winner.

Liverpool start the second half with ridiculous intensity and our first touch
of the ball is to deflect it away from a corner. In it comes, missed by
everybody and knocked back to Elliott who drives in an angled shots through a
crowd of players and Ramsdale reacts ridiculously to push it around the post.

It’s just the start though with Liverpool seemingly intent on getting the ball
out to Luis Diaz on the left at every opportunity. He gets his head down and
takes on KWP on the outside beats him and lays it back from the goal line and
Darwin fucking Núñez beats ABK to the cross and knocks it into the net first
time. There you go. Wanker.  Shouldn’t
even be on the pitch.

Liverpool continue to put us on a ridiculous amount of pressure and Diaz is
determined to make a difference and blasts in another shot which Ramsdale
manages to beat away. The ball goes pinging about our penalty area, no one
takes command and drops down towards the penalty spot and Núñez collapses to
the ground under pressure from Smallbone and the referee points to the fucking
spot on the combined appeal of the crowd, as well as van Dijk and Mac Allister
who are standing right next to him. Soft as fuck. We are off to VAR again and
this will be utterly pointless. Saints players or surrounding the referee, whilst
Núñez writhes on the ground like he has actually been fouled. Cheating bastard.


Hi Lewis, Stockleigh Park Creche Here Again

Clear foul isn’t it mate?

Yeah, renowned hardman Smallbone has absolutely ploughed through the back of
him there

That’s what I thought. Hard-man assassin. 
He’s Irish, like Roy Keane

Do you want to look at the screen?

No mate, what good can come of that?  I’m
shaking Matty…

Why’s that?

Virgil shouted at me.  Gonna ask for his
shirt later.

Mo Salah with the penalty after the pointless VAR review.  Up he steps and bang, Ramsdale goes the right
way but it has ripped past him into the top corner. Great pen to be fair but
fuck off.

In order to stem the tide, Ivan goes to the bench and brings on Sugawara and Archer
in place of Dibling and Grönbæk.  KWP has
been pushed forward on the right.  Saints
do get a little bit of momentum again and Smallbone plays Archer away down the
right wing and this will probably offside eventually, but he bears down on the
Liverpool goal from an angle and hammers in a shot that Alison has to beat
away.

Another Liverpool attack is incoming though and some pretty shaky defending by Smallbone
and ABK allows Diaz to pick up the ball on the left and cross it back into the
middle, but he’s made the mistake of putting it on Salah’s right foot and he
slices it wide from 8 yards out. He only scores penalties and gifts against us.

Twenty to go and Smallbone is replaced by Lallana who gets a decent welcome
from the Liverpool fans who used to watch him on the bench and in videos from
the treatment room. Part of the reason that Salah has been acquired is the
performance of Ryan Manning and he is given some time off with ten to go as he
and Big Les are replaced with Joe Aribo and Tall Paul. We actually have two
strikers on the pitch.

Before our new strike force can set about rescuing the game, we have to deal
with a big long diagonal ball from right to left and it’s Sugawara against Diaz
and Sugawara has himself in the correct position and then shits himself as he
always does when he’s trying to defend and sticks an elbow out to keep the ball
away from Diaz before absolutely losing his head and knocking it past Ramsdale
out towards the penalty spot, meaning THB has to slam into a tackle to clear
the ball for throw. We are off to VAR again and this is absolutely pointless
because there’s no way this is not gonna be given us a penalty.

Hi Lewis – easy one for you

I didn’t give this one, was too far away

No matter – that’s what I’m here for – gonna send you to the screen as it’ll be
good experience for you

I will stride across like Howard taught me… ah yes, thrown his arm at the ball…
ha ha

Hilarious isn’t it?

Yes mate, proper shit, deserved penalty for being shit.

Salah again and he smashes it into the opposite top corner this time so it’s
two penalties today to cover up the fact that he hasn’t had particularly good
game whereas at St Mary’s, he had a penalty, also given away by Sugawara
handball and the gift from McCarthy going walkabout. For fuck‘s sake.

Saints are still showing great spirit to go about trying to get another goal
and Lallana and Sulemana get the ball out to KWP on the left and as he goes
into the penalty area he’s clearly held back by Quansah and we appeal for a
penalty but there’s absolutely no fucking point And we don’t get a free kick
either because the referee has decided not to give anything. Quansah is of
course a centre back it right back and this gives Sulemana all the
encouragement he needs to absolutely piss past him and fire over a brilliant
cross but despite having two strikers on the pitch, neither of them gamble to connect
with the ball that flies across the 6 yard line.  The end.

Well, the first thing to do is to say well done to the boys for getting out of
Anfield without getting humiliated. Like the games away against Arsenal and
Manchester City from earlier on this season, when we knew we’re going to be up
against it from the first minute to the last, we applied ourselves pretty well.  Ultimately though, none of that can totally
make up for the difference in class over 95 minutes.  For the first half in particular we were
excellent today as the team stayed compact and frustrated Liverpool which
ultimately meant us taking the lead, but the key moment was the non-sending off
of Darwin Núñez., which the referee absolutely bottled.  I note with interest that he didn’t get sent
to the monitor to review that one, like he did with the second penalty.  So, not only did Liverpool have eleven men for
the second half, it was of course Núñez who scored the equaliser and it was him
that got hatcheted down for the penalty. If you want to argue about whether he
should’ve been sent off or not, then imagine if that had been Ryan Manning
aiming a massive kick at Mo Salah.   What
do you think the decision would’ve been?

So having scored the equaliser, Núñez then collapses like a motherfucker under
pressure from renowned hard man Will Smallbone, who barely touches him but down
goes the shitbag, feigning injury after crumbling in on himself.  It’s fucking embarrassing but the young
referee Lewis Smith, completely played to the crowd and points to the spot and
of course, VAR isn’t going to overturn it because there is the slightest
contact? There’s no forward motion from Smallbone, but Núñez just brushes
against him and collapses. Same as it’s always been at Anfield both before and
after VAR.

Lewis Smith Shites His Pants

Liverpool upped their game in the second half with Arne Slot having made his
displeasure at their first half performance abundantly clear with making three
substitutions at halftime.   We basically didn’t get a kick in the second
half until we had gone past the ninety-minute stage and then we had a couple of
moments. The third goal was down to a substitution that we had made where Sugawara
was entrusted to play right back in a back four and in his usual manner, he
totally lost all composure when put under pressure and gave away a stupid
handball to gift Liverpool their third.  Playing
Sugawara behind KWP during that period of the game was a balls by Juric but
overall he got his tactics right today. I’ll admit I couldn’t understand the
logic of the 4-6-0 formation that we played but it did the job in that first
half, especially.  We got penned in when
Liverpool upped the pace however. 

A number of players had decent games today with Ryan Manning being an excellent
in the first half against Salah, and there were committed displays from KWP, THB
and ABK, in front of the ever-impressive Ramsdale. The much maligned, often by
me, Will Smallbone had an excellent first half as well, crowned by the goal.
The reason he had a good game was because the rest of the team was set up in
such a way that it masked his deficiencies because he didn’t get caught in open
space with no players around him it’s almost as if the team was set up to get
the best out of the players that we have. 
Too little too late but that was decent.

It was a slightly better day for the manager today. Our two false strikers,
Grønbæk and Fernandes both had good moments and both worked hard to keep the
team compact but ultimately, we still let in three goals even though only one
of them was from open play. I severely question whether you can play this
formation in a home game but I suspect that is what Ivan is going to try next.  We of course played with a back for today and
didn’t do the man for man marking thing which has been an unmitigated disaster.
I guess we’ll never know but I wonder if Juric decided to abandon it himself
and change the shape or was it under pressure from the players who must have
been thinking after the Chelsea game, that the Juric method of defending is
absolute shit.  It’s amazing how your back line can look more structured
if your players aren’t following their man all over the pitch.

Just the ten games left now and focus shifts onto what will be the mathematical
relegation game. Lose at home to Wolves next week and we will be most of the
way there.  We have to put all our eggs
in the basket of beating Wolves though, or else Derby‘s record is still going
to be a problem.  Can Juric pick a team
to go out and win a game.  Tune in next
week.