Ratings & Reactions: Southampton v Villa

[WooJung]

We got progressively worse with every substitution we made, if that's even possible.

[Zero7]

Take off emi just as he’s started to control the game, utter garbage smith has to go 

[OutByEaster?]

On the second half we probably deserved a draw.

On the first half we probably deserved to be thrown into the sea.

There were signs that the players care in the second half, there were signs that we had a plan and ideas and that he'd done something with them at half time.

That first half though - and that half against Wolves - and the last fifteen against West Ham - and the last ten against Wolves - and the flat performance against Spurs - ugh.

Weight.

I dunno, I genuinely couldn't tell you which way they'll go - it might just come down to what the players are saying about the manager, it might come down to finding a replacement, it might already be done. 

In terms of performance - I thought Mings was decent in both halves, Martinez made a great save and was decent, Buendia played forty five minutes of rubbish, then played twenty minutes of good then ran out of steam, McGinn was playing a role he doesn't do naturally and he was poor, Nakamba isn't anything, El Ghazi was lucky to stay on, Targett and Cash were passable, Tuanzebe is a positional worry but has pace, Watkins worked hard but his finishing wasn't great, Archer was the wrong sub, Davis couldn't get into it and Ramsey at least added a bit of energy. We weren't great individually, but we were worse as a unit - diabolical in the first half - reasonable in the second - incapable of showing our good side for a full ninety minutes.

It's a narrow defeat, but it's our fifth on the bounce.

Weight might tell.

 

[calcifer]

2 minutes ago, TomC said:

 

We deserved a draw for a much improved second half.

We huffed and puffed but never troubled their keeper.  Southampton looked the more likely. We are in real trouble, anyone that thinks we won't go down really need to take a step back, take the claret and blue glasses off and look at the form and table. We can't buy a win and have 6 toughy games coming up. 

 

 

 

 

[allani]

1 minute ago, chappy said:

Voted Martinez MOTM for a couple of good saves. Would’ve had a clean sheet of it weren’t for a great strike early doors. 
 

Rest of them ranged from average to awful. Still think Dean needs to stay (for all those reactionary Smith Out shouts… who would you bring in?!). Second half was so much better than the first but things just didn’t go our way. 
 

Wish we could keep everyone at Bodymoor for two weeks. Bailey going off to Jamaica doesn’t help us in the slightest, we need time to bed him and Buendua into the team.

Clearly missed Luiz tonight although I thought Nakamba did a better job in CM than McGinn.

Think our biggest miss is Traore. Only played about ten minutes for us this season, Hope we see him after the international break. 

The real positive for me tonight was that the second half seemed to show that Smith hasn’t lost the players yet. People banging on about 5 defeats in a row but you’ve got to remember that we really should’ve beaten Wolves in that run and I worry that that capitulation has affected us more than we’d like to show.

It's not about 5 defeats on the trot.  It's the 18 defeats in 2021.

[maqroll]

Bringing on Keinan Davis to save his job is just painful. Its all gone to shit. 

[The Fun Factory]

I don't know what to say. 10 minutes of madness v Wolverhampton has ruined our season.

I think that's it for Smith but I would say equally the blame is the summer transfer window. The explanation of bringing in 3 players to replace Grealish made no sense and this team is completely unbalanced, without a plan, and steaming towards the bottom 3. 

 

[chrisvilla4]

Feel flat after that game. Looks like no progress made whatsoever. Football broken, the player we sold for 100mil who isn't pulling up any trees would make a massive difference for us. 

[KentVillan]

1 minute ago, Zero7 said:

Take off emi just as he’s started to control the game, utter garbage smith has to go 

He had cramp. Think he had to come off, but should have brought on Chukwuemeka IMO

[AJ]

4 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Nah. We made Southampton look like Pep's Barcelona

Oh, you guys. Are we really haggling over which piece of poo is the smelliest?

The correct answer is they all stink.

 

[WakefieldVillan]

Crap first half (getting used to saying that).

Decent 25 mins after the break & might have sneaked an equaliser, which in the end would have probably been far.

Buendia going off stopped our momentum. Much improved 2nd half by him.

Not convinced by the starting line up, equally not convinced by the subs but the players have to take some of the responsibility. We are so mentally and physically weak its untrue.

 

 

[Zero7]

1 minute ago, KentVillan said:

He had cramp. Think he had to come off, but should have brought on Chukwuemeka IMO

Run the cramp off lol, but Davis was such a stupid move,

[vreitti]

Saw only bits of the end and wasn't particularly impressed. You know we're really in the shit when Keinan's on the pitch. Sad times.

[Stratvillan]

Can understand the calls for Smith to go, and tbh I'm not sure that even his biggest fans could argue against it.

But, with 4/5 starters absent, 2/3 starters hideously out of form, and subs bench full of kids.

I wouldn't bank on whoever comes in doing much better. 

[chappy]

7 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

100%

I was at Watford and that’s absolute rubbish. Take a breather and stop being so reactionary.

[MrBlack]

Sad state of affairs. 5 in a row,  no sign of stopping the rot. If he's going,  I'll be sad how it's ended,  but won't have any objections to him going.  Not a clue who we can get that will improve things but if the owners make that call hopefully they will. 

If we stick by him I pray that we find something that appears to be completely off the cards, as we really need a monumental turn around right now 

[OutByEaster?]

5 minutes ago, Zero7 said:

Take off emi just as he’s started to control the game, utter garbage smith has to go 

Emi couldn't walk in fairness.

[AVTuco]

It's interesting how all this downfall started from the Wolves meltdown. Without that, we'd be in a different place. Weird old game football.

Our problem is mental. And I'm afraid to change it we need to change the manager.

I fear relegation now.

[MrBlack]

Just now, Stratvillan said:

Can understand the calls for Smith to go, and tbh I'm not sure that even his biggest fans could argue against it.

But, with 4/5 starters absent, 2/3 starters hideously out of form, and subs bench full of kids.

I wouldn't bank on whoever comes in doing much better. 

This is the only glimmer of hope. But even then, I feel we should have demonstrated more with the teams we've put out. 

[Stevo985]

1 minute ago, chappy said:

I was at Watford and that’s absolute rubbish. Take a breather and stop being so reactionary.

Did people watch the first half tonight with their eyes closed?