Southampton (H) Post-Match Thread

[Gabriel]

An average performance overall. Looked like a few midfielders were conserving energy ahead of the trip to Italy, and I was a little surprised Foden wasn’t introduced earlier. Officiating was its usual standard, but we shouldn’t allow that to distract us from the problems of our own making. Stones and Angelino were guilty of surrendering possession in the first half- clearing long and gifting possession, Sterling was too often in the space Angelino needed to attack, and we passed far too slowly. Even once we had equalised, Southampton brought fresh legs on to their right and we attacked multiple times on that side when their left was already creaking; it had nothing to do with us stretching the play, simply poor decision making on the part of a number of players.

Happy to have won, though I might not sound it, but I’m concerned about how sapped a number of players are already looking.

 

[Trojan1962]

The football authorities/ media/refs do not want a repeat of the total domination as seen last year and as a result will cheat as much as possible so it doesn’t happen again. The game is bent sadly

 

[vmsuhail]

Great win for city but that luck from Liverpool is unheard off

Going by the stats it doesn't seem to be luck. They had 25 shots and 74% possession. So Villa might have been doing a Southampton.

 

[Sir Joe Aguero]

Probably an unpopular opinion, but if we do win it this year it'll eclipse the 100 and 98 pt winning seasons IMO.

Easily. Been on the back foot since the season started. Kompany left, Sane, Laporte and Rodri injured in key periods, key players getting older, playing with 1 or even 0 recognised CBs. If we win this, it’ll be one of our greatest seasons ever.

 

[sh249]

Horrible performance for the most part, but great character in getting the win. Loved seeing that fire from all the players (and Pep) towards the end - hopefully sets the tone for the rest of the season. Had the feel of possibly being a big ‚moment‘ for us (like the late Sterling winner against them was).

 

[dublinblue12]

Forgetting Southampton drubbing the week before with 10 men, I thought it was a brilliant performance and hard fought and deserved win, could have been 9 points behind going into the pool game, delighted with that win

 

[simon23]

Great result but also concerning how predictable and pedestrian we have become this season.

I dont know why Pep has changed it but we have seemed to have changed the way we are attacking that served us so well over the last two seasons. Last 2 seasons we used to attack the spaces on the cornes of the 6yd areas with throughballs to the wide men..providing cut backs etc. This season we sem to have started looking at crossing from wider and deeper positions which just doesnt seem to effective unless its KDB doing it (and even then its not as effective as often as the other way)

Bernardo is one of my fav players but he just seems a shade off at present for some reason. KDB still doesnt look 100% either to me

Angelino looks a lot more secure than Mendy however.

You cannot fault the togetherness and application of the team either...fighting for each other at every step. Love Pep's reaction to their bench when suddenly we were in the lead and the ball went out of play and he seemed to offer then the ball! Also love Kuns refusal to go off at the nearest point when theor players hadnt done it....Pep also rightly furious about Ederson getting booked when their keeper had been time wasting since the first minute and then Ederson does it once and gets booked!!! - idiotic. Love the fact that Kun and Pep were both trying to get the crowed riled up as well - this type of spirit is not something any other manger has ever got out of any team that i have seen at city since i started watching in the very early 1980's and win or lose its soemthing to be amazed and proud of.

 

[razinho]

Have to say Stones played much, much better today (not difficult considering his last few performances). Deserves the plaudits for a pretty flawless 95 minutes.

 

[therealsvenn]

We really need a tall center forward for games like that. Crouchie would have been great.

 

[ojeme]

I thought we ground that out but we have to learn that getting it down the channels and crossing it for a smallish centre forwards against 3 8 foot giants ain’t going to work

So what's the solution?