EFL Championship Match 41 - Southampton 3 Watford 2

Mental

Watford for the fourth time this season, having played them in the FA Cup twice and also the return fixture in the league. We are undefeated over those three games but need slightly more than to just remain undefeated today.  The most important of the three games played so far was of course the league game at Vicarage Road which we made a bollocks off in the last minute when THB made a bad decision as to whether to head away a punt upfield or let it run, and then Baz produced one of his famous dives that go nowhere and the ball went into the middle of the goal. It was a real “for fuck‘s sake“ moment…. Two points in the bin.

Whilst the first three games against Watford were amazingly against the same manager, Valerian Ishmael, eventually went the way of all other Watford managers and was sacked a month or so ago to be replaced with Tom Cleverley, the recently retired former Manchester United player who, because he played for Manchester United, won several caps for England, at a time when they really must’ve been fucking giving them away.  Cleverley the manager though, has made a decent start with Watford unbeaten in five though it is of course too late to do anything meaningful about this season with them destined to finish smack bang in the middle of the table. In theory, they should be the perfect opposition for us today, or so I thought, until they battled to a 0-0 draw at Portman Road against Ipswich a few days ago. Watford will bring a competitive edge to this game in the shape of good old Wesley Hoedt at the back and his partner Ryan Porteous, who has been a complete thug in all the games that we’ve had against them so far this season. Hopefully we get a referee who knows what he’s doing.

Yes, the midweek results were truly interesting with us picking up three points, in amongst a defeat for Leicester and draws for Leeds and Ipswich. The question of “is it back on?“, still has an answer of no but let’s revisit it after our next three games. Win today, at home to Preston on Tuesday and away at Cardiff next Saturday and it might look a bit more feasible and the answer to the question at that point we will probably be “maybe“.  I am still very firmly of the opinion at this moment, that we fucked it by not beating Middlesbrough and then losing to Ipswich.

On the subject of the promotion race, currently top are Leicester City, who have had a bit of a cloud hanging over them in the shape of Profit and Sustainability charges hanging over them from last season in the Premier League, when they of course got relegated.  The news has just come in that they can’t possibly face any points penalty deductions this season, mainly because there is nothing written in the rules that says that the EFL can impose any punishments for breaches whilst in the Premier League.  Bit of a joke really. The EFL statement, and I’m paraphrasing here, basically says that you committed these offences last season and you have massively benefited this season as a result, but we can’t do anything about it because it didn’t happen in our league. The final pisstake will be if they get promoted, found guilty and get a points deduction next season. With more and more clubs falling foul of the rules and just dragging it out through a legal process, I feel there needs to be a change of approach from the people who administer the game.  In Leicester‘s case, I don’t feel that they should be allowed to be promoted until they have proved that they haven’t broken any rules. So – put a date on it and tell them they have to prove innocence before then.  That would speed the process up rather than what we have now which is the governing body having to prove that they are guilty which is subject to legal challenge and delay all over the place. I know this is basically saying you are guilty until proven innocent, but the current system we have of sorting out these issues, let alone when they fall between two governing bodies, is an absolute joke.

Back here, Russell Martin has some decisions to make today in his starting lineup, namely restoring Jan Bednarek or the team or not and if he does, is it in place of Martin’s son, Jack Stephens or do we change formation and do the Poundshop Pep thing. Personally, I think he has to bite the bullet and bring Bednarek back in and leave Stephens out as leaving everything else aside, we didn’t do the Poundshop thing on Tuesday and won our first game in four. Bednarek and THB are our best combination and that’s all there is to it.

The one problem I have with playing to conventional back four is that it would include James Bree, who, despite what many seem to think, I don’t think has been playing well enough to warrant being in the side after being partially or wholly at fault for goals against Ipswich and Coventry.  He does not fill me with confidence. The other question pertains to whether Stuart Armstrong comes back into the team in place of either Joe Aribo or Russell Martin’s other son, Will Smallbone. To me, this is an absolute no brainer as Joe Aribo has been our best player over the last three games.  Bring on 2pm.

It's 2pm and the team news and perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s the same lineup that played against Coventry. The only tweak appears to be on the bench with Ryan Manning replacing Shea Charles.  Of more interest in the concourse is Leeds versus Blackburn on the screens with Sammie Szmodics scoring with ten minutes to go and Blackburn holding on relatively comfortably.  More incentive.

Away we go with Smallbone to Aribo in the middle of the park, out left to KWP and onto Adam Armstrong to have a run at Porteous.. but all he does it switch it onto his right foot to sling it into the box and there is Smallbone, completely unmarked, rising to head easily into the net past a static Bachmann, as he looks at a static Hoedt and a static Pollock. What a start. Get in.

Watford really don’t look arsed as Bachmann kicks one short out Dele-Bashiru on the edge of the box and he pisses around with it and Smallbone slides in and pokes it to Brooks.  One return ball later and Smallbone is through and the option of squaring to Arma is there but the eyes light up and he lashes it over the bar.

It’s all us though and it seems like a matter of time.  Aribo and Adam Armstrong combine again to feed KWP who is faced with two defenders but he muscles his way past the much bigger Porteous and takes out the other with a ball across, where in front of his own goal, Dele-Bashiru slices the clearance and it looks like it’s going out for a corner but David Brooks keeps it alive and instinctively knocks it back to the edge of the six-yard box and Che  Adams is there to poke it into the net. Two fucking nil already – love it lads.

Watford look absolutely there for the taking and Aribo dances in from the right, beating three players with body swerves but just as we’re about to witness goal of the season, he loses it.  Watford have their first chance when Hoedt goes through the back of Brooks but no free-kick is give and they break down our left with Asprilla under pressure from KWP, flashes a shot wide.  Watford seem to suddenly fancy it and once more, Asprilla causes havoc, burrowing into he penalty area before dragging it across goal again.

We are suddenly not holding the ball in midfield and Watford are now the better side. We don’t seem to be able to keep possession and Watford keep picking it up in midfield and Kayembe gets into the box but it’s cleared by THB back out to Porteous who hammers it, flicking off Jack Stephens head giving Baz no chance.  Fuck, and Watford are back in it. We’ve done our usual and stepped off the gas for ten minutes and of course, we have conceded.

We have one more chance ourselves before half time as we break and Downes fires up a bomb towards Adam Armstrong, that he brings down brilliantly before finding a bit of room and firing over the bar.  A positive end after a very dodgy twenty minutes or so.

We just have to get back on it after half time.  Another goal and these will pack it in and it’ll be comfortable.  No changes and away we go.  Russell has obviously noticed that the right to left diagonal is one and it’s another big one from THB out to Adam Armstrong and once again, he takes it down well before make his way across the penalty area and over the bar again.

After that, it’s back to being not great again and Watford are swarming all over us trying to force a mistake at the back. We are passing it around like the kamikaze player from the back merchants that we are but there is a collective cringe when Baz has to deal with something horrible and bobbly coming his way.  It’s nearly 2-2 when Lewis hangs up a cross at the back post which Porteous meets and it’s past Baz but THB has got back behind him to hack it off the line.

Early subs on 55 minutes with Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Fraser on for Brooks and Aribo.  The correct players caming off I feel as Aribo has looked tired and Brooks has not been involved since Watford got more aggressive with their press and has been a bit of a passenger.   There’s another decent chance for Watford but Chakvetadze lashes at it and Row Z’s it.

The game becomes a bit of a stodge in midfield until Saints manage a nice bit of play and Adam Armstrong is put away behind the defence on the right and he gets his head up and puts it across to Wee Man, who takes one touch and smashes it past Bachman into the net but the fucking flag has gone up straight away. Unless he’s decided late that Armstrong is offside, I don’t really see what the problem is here but regardless, disallowed.  The free-kick is taken from where Fraser was though, so either Wee Man has been brainless with his run or the decision is plain wrong.  Anyway, Manning on for Bree who looks like he’s limping.

Ten to go and more subs and we look to close the game down.  For reasons unknown, the industrious Adams is replaced with Mara and in addition, Jan Bednarek is on for Smallbone, which means Stephens going to midfield and Downes taking Smallbone’s place.  It all looks a bit makeshift and it almost immediately costs us as a ball forward is misjudged by Downes in the centre of the pitch and substitute Kone picks it up behind Stephens and works his way to the edge of the box and passes it superbly into the far corner. For fuck‘s sake.

Playoffs It Is Then....

It unsurprisingly gets a bit feisty now and there are a couple of flashpoints.  Firstly, Wee Man flies into Bachmann, trying to win a ball he was perfectly entitled to go for and the Watford keeper goes for the full roll-around until it becomes obvious that Wee Man is only getting a yellow card.  Then he instantly goes from ‘dead’ to ‘perfectly ok’.  It’s the sort of thing that should get you booked for attempting to deceive an official.  Secondly, Porteous hits the deck with the finger of accusation being pointed at Sekou Mara.  I didn’t really see it but big bad hard man Porteous hitting the deck under challenge from Mara is as amusing as it comes.

Ninety minutes up and 6 goes up on the board.  The first real action if extra time is Manning getting a good ball over from the left, which Adam Armstrong volleys into the ground but it’s one of those ones it one of those ones that’s dropping in the net and Bachmann makes his first save of the game.  Bachmann has clearly enjoyed being centre stage for the last few minutes and now is wasting time every time he gets the ball.  Arsehole.

With an unlikely tilt at the top two fading away, Saints win a free kick 40 yards out as big donkey Rajovic tries a wrestling throw on Bednarek.  In it comes from Manning and Bednarek’s header is deflected wide for a corner. We are now in the eight minute of the six added.  In it comes from Manning, flicked on by THB and someone at the back post pokes it into the net.  Pandemonium. I’m up the other end and have no idea who has scored but all I know is that no flag is up, the ref is pointing the middle, we don’t have to wait ten minutes for some prick at Stockleigh Park to analyse it and even though all the Watford players are appealing for something, it's a fucking goal.  I can see a big pile of bodies in the opposite corner to me and I can see Bachmann holding his head in despair.  Good. Wanker.  Flynn Downes is announced as the goalscorer and one boot forward from the kick off and it’s done.  Mental again.

Loan players Eh?

This club is going to fucking kill me, I swear.

Being 2-0 up we should’ve course won comfortably but that’s not the Southampton way is it? Oh no, we’ve got a throw in an hour of being incredibly average and allowing the opposition, who have absolutely nothing to play for, to probably be the better side over that period in which they scored two goals.  Having been handed a potential olive branch (let’s call it that) with all the other sides at the top falling over, we look destined to absolutely not grasp it… and then we score in the 98th minute In front of about 80% of the crowd that was there at the start because loads had fucked off home at that point. Ridiculous football club, just ridiculous.

It absolutely seemed like it was going to be a stroll in the park after we took the lead within two minutes as Watford couldn’t really be arsed to close down the cross from Adam Armstrong and no one was picking up Will Smallbone in the middle. Nice and easy, 1-0. It all looked plain sailing straight after that with David Brooks and ultimately Che Adams benefiting from a shite missed clearance in front of goal.  Watford looked like they couldn’t have been less bothered and Saints at that stage looked like they were going to score six or seven.

As is always the case though, when we step off the gas for any period of time, we concede a goal. We step off the gas so often, I wonder if we are trying to save money. We are absolutely incapable of playing below full throttle and not throwing a goal in. There had been warnings before Porteous’ deflected strike hit the net.

In the second half, to me, though we had a couple a half chances and then the disallowed goal for Ryan Fraser.  In real time I of course thought that he should never be offside in that scenario and I was blaming the Wee Man for being a little bit brainless but when you look at a replay, Wee Man has got it spot-on and there is absolutely no way that that should be given as offside.  That would have killed the game stone dead but I never really felt like we were in control and Watford deserved their equaliser which was to be fair, a lovely finish by Kone.  It was a goal that had started with a typically embarrassing effort of a challenge by our centre forward substitute Sekou Mara, who gets worse with every passing game.  Downes and Stephens didn’t cover themselves in glory either.

It looked like everything was shite in extra time but thanks to Watford time-wasting, there was enough time left for us to win the corner which Ryan Manning produced from and THB and Flynn Downes did the rest to send everybody still in the ground absolutely bananas.

As you expect from such an up-and-down game, it was a bit of a mixed bag with regards to individual performances. Joe Aribo wasn’t quite the force of the past couple of weeks and looked tired. Adam Armstrong on the other hand had a really good game and bizarrely, had a really good “first touch” game, which is not always a strength of his to put it politely. I thought the star of the show however was THB, particularly in the second half when we were under pressure.

The substitutions were interesting to say the least. The right players in Brooks and Aribo were replaced but the replacements Ryan Fraser and Stuart Armstrong didn’t exactly set the world alight.  Stu in particular really struggled to get to the pace of the game.  Because we didn’t have Shea Charles on the bench, we made another substitution which resulted in Jack Stephens going into midfield which was a substitution made to close the game down at 2-1 and when that didn’t work, it looked like that substitution, as well as taking Che Adams off for Mara, had been a massive mistake as we now needed a goal. However, we came out smiling.  Was it handball?  Inconclusive I'd say - hits his chest first and you can't really see after that.  Most of the Watford players appealed but I kind of think that everyone is conditioned to appeal these days if it's anywhere near an arm, so I wouldn't take that as too much of a guide.

Russell Threatens to Punch Legal Threats in the Face

Watford manager Tom Cleverley made an absolute prick of himself post-match.  Complained about the time being added on to injury time, which was mainly caused by his goalkeeper wasting time. Complained that there was a handball on the winner, which isn;t really conclusive. He also complained that we apparently should’ve had a red card for a challenge on Daniel Bachmann, who rolled around until it was obvious that there wasn’t gonna be a red card and then got up and was perfectly okay. Go fuck yourself Tom.  Tom didn’t complain too much about the Ryan Fraser disallowed goal which would’ve killed the game stone dead and because that decision wrongly went in Watford’s favour, it enabled them to go straight up our end and equalise.  Get the Fraser decision right and the extra time and the possible handball would be irrelevant.  He made some bizarre comment about there being millions on the line for Leeds, Leicester and Ipswich.  Yes mate, don’t know why you care about Leicester in particular but both of they need the millions to spend paying off the squads that they’ve got that they can’t afford.  Fucking ex-Man United dickhead.  Oh yes, it’s the first game he’s lost so of course he has to make every excuse under the sun. It’s ingrained. Fucking idiot.

I said after the last game that we needed to win this one, Preston on Tuesday and Cardiff next Saturday and if we manage that, then we could be right back in it.  Nothing really has changed but if we are looking at the teams we need to catch, then Leeds defeat at home to Blackburn, Leicester’s defeat away to Plymouth and Ipswich not managing to beat Middlesbrough at home, have meant that it’s two game weeks in a row where we have been the only team in the top four to win. Stranger things have happened. It’s also massively funny to see Leeds and Leicester shitting the bed, whatever happens from here on in.

Part 1 of our three part challenge to get seriously in the mix again has been completed.  Part 2 is on Tuesday at home to Preston.  Up the fucking Saints.