Southampton FC 0-1 Nottingham Forest | Post Match Analysis

the first home game of the new Premier League season ended in that one-nil defeat against Nottingham Forest Saints had two-thirds of The Possession but just one shot on target not a classic Glenn um lots of hype before the match it didn't quite deliver how do you you sum up that one um it was that I think the build the buildup was decent I think everyone was was up for the game uh certainly you know players fans everyone I spoke to was was was up for it and um and then they then whistle went and it was a somewhat bewildering um performance I'm going to use a few words I think like bewildering worrying um strange it it was it was odd um it I'd love to know how Russell Martin thought we were ever going to score a goal setting up like that um I don't know if we're going to get into the Tactical side of things later or or do you want to do it now but it was just just bizarre that the first half we got to halim at nil nil that's about the only real sort of good thing about the first half it was a succession of chances for for Forest really where we just looked nervous players who don't usually make mistakes were making mistakes like Taylor Howard Bellis passed the ball off for a corner from 40 yards at one point and and we just seem to be there didn't seem to be anything connected about the performance um that the main talking point will obviously be where the strikers were stationed um we basically you know if you want to you want to put numbers on it it was like a 55 Z formation uh and there was there was no one occupying the central Defenders um no one do you remember Ralph Hassen at you talk about the red zone at the top of the penalty area but basically between the top of the penalty area and the penalty spot and or the six yard line and that's the Red Zone where a a ridiculously large percentage of goals come from we hardly had a player in there the entire game um the one chance we had in the first half was Kyle Walker Peters got to that area by cutting across the top of the penalty area but obviously that's that's not a a normal occurrence to have you know you're not going to create 15 chances or whatever with your fullbacks doing that so it it was weird the position of ab Bren Diaz and Armstrong is baffling to me and I for the life of me the only way I can think it was supposed to work is if Central midfielders break in into that Red Zone and Supply a goal threat now with the best one in the world arbo and small bone are good at many things but bursting at speed into that area of the pitch like Frank Lampard used to do for example that's not their strengths and if and even if they got there they'd struggle to get back uh the one time we got a midfielder into that area in the first half Flynn DS got there and then Forest got the ball broke and it was it was horrible all three of our midfielders were out of the game um so it was it was just a mess we got in at halftime nil nil that was the only good thing about it second half was exactly the same until Forest scored um you know they had they had numerous breaks and they they finally scored we didn't clear a corner um and and they scored after that you know the subs came on and I think it was about 75 minutes and we looked better through having a center forward Cameron Archer came on um and um positives were the the appearances Mattis Fernandez and and Tyler diblin in particular who who you know they they did as much as they could in the time that they had um Charlie Taylor put the most dangerous ball of the game for us across the Box Archer nearly got on the end of it because we actually had a player in the in the middle in the in the zone where you can score goals from so it was it was bewildering slightly very very disappointing um but we've played like that against kfe in the last friend we played like it to a degree against Newcastle last week certainly in the first half and we did it yesterday we haven't even looked like scoring really um against 11 players in any of those three games so I I think this is a tactical thing that needs needs to go in the bin and we need to um we need to start again it reminds me a little bit of the the start of Ralph's last season where he worked preseason one particular way and then within two G two games he'd abandoned it and gone back to to what we what we knew so I think we have to uh Russell Martin needs to open up a little bit and uh not be so cautious he talks a good game about being brave all the time but the way we set up yesterday wasn't brave for a home game against a team that's probably going to finish in the bottom half this season he was quite honest with his assessment afterwards I thought Alfie he said he you know he was Keen to state that the lack of focal point up front was not why we lost the game but it didn't help did it as Glenn said we we've just not looked like scoring for you can go back to that that friendly game as well the last three games really yeah maybe it wasn't why they lost the game the reason they lost the game for me is because they had no energy um it was really pedestrian if you look at the the statistics and they do paint a picture on this occasion they had 90 passes per shot attempted and they averaged 45 in the championship last season it was 40 against Newcastle 10 men so they were knocking the ball around with with no real Endeavor um Forest I think averaged 18 passes per shot just to put it into example for you excuse me so clearly that a problem maybe that's the reason why I mean Walker Peters had four of your seven shots yesterday he was the only person who I felt in you know the first team um who actually made a difference you know popping up in certain areas making things happen um forests were obviously more direct and I don't think you need to throw the book out and change everything um but it is it is interesting to see Berton Diaz Armstrong on the wings where they are not really getting into the box they had a couple chances against Newcastle but as Glenn points out both of them were against 10 men I asked Russell Martin about it he just simply said like like you said there that wasn't why we lost the game we played that at the end of last season it makes us more solid as a team um and maybe we will tweak it maybe we won't but I think that maybe we will tweak it thing as a suggestion that all right yes they're probably going to tweak it and I think they definitely have to the biggest takeaway for me on the game um is that it's going to cause panic and it's going to cause sort of reactions um normally I'm quite sort of level-headed and I say you know there's no need to go overboard there's no need to sort of throw everything out and and panic start calling people useless because I don't think any is useless I think they've got the team they started for me is their best 11 the players who came off the bench did make a good impact majority of them um but on this occasion I think they do have to just grin and bear the criticism because when you set up like that at home against team are in the bottom half and Forest by the way they're 11 I think actually looks quite good we spoke to Michael on the podcast last week and he said that they're not thinking about relegation this season and when you see their players you know Gibbs white Hudson ad doya langa Chris Wood the defense you don't actually sort of slate them as a relegation team but to play that way at home to disappoint the fans like that on a really big occasion I felt um explains why people are going to be annoyed about it and I don't think they can have too many complaints I think they just got to put it to one side work on it and uh put it right and it's difficult to call out any players because I thought you know actually man for man they kind of did what they were asked to do yesterday it wasn't down to sort of individual performances um Martin you were kind of Milling around and chat to a few people after the game I know what was what was the vibe like what was your opinions of that game yesterday massively disappointing everyone was so disappointed I thought the fans brought incredible energy before the game people were there two three hours before kickoff the fan zones were brilliant such such good energy around the stadium best I've seen for a league game you outside the playoffs I thought it was brilliant and I just expected us to start on the front foot and we didn't we just didn't start on the front foot and it really surprised me the setup I thought in Newcastle we played really well we thought we were outstanding up there passed the ball well though we looked quite toothless there I I thought he would have started RG yesterday gone with a nine through the middle that was the one thing we we really lacking I went on a few podcasts last week Forest ones chatting to to the guys at Forest and and the thing I always kept coming back to is I wasn't sure how we were going to hurt them and and and it turned out that way we did we did they pressed us unbelievable yesterday and everybody said that afterwards the Press they put on us if wasn't just twos and threes it was five sixes and sevens and that's the one thing that Newcastle didn't do last week they give us so much space and so much time to play we didn't get that yesterday but for me you cannot set up like that at home you have to go with an out and out forward somebody to play off the last man because where the goals are going to come from we've got to find goals yeah we've got more compact I agree with Russ we've got more compact it work really well in the playoffs and and we needed just to Nick that one goal but in the Premier League it's so hard to get opportunities we had the one shot on target yesterday we won't win a game setting up like that at home because Forest are a side that only just stayed up last season I thought they were good yesterday I thought the mid the two the two midfielders totally dictated the game for them yesterday thought they were they were great on the ball they'd got forward they got men in the Box everything we didn't do they did yesterday and a lot of other teams would have take a lot from that I think anybody that would have watched that game yesterday man united will be looking at that next game at St Mary's brenford the weekend they all be looking at the way way we set up and I I think he would have to tweak it and he will have to make changes quite quickly is that where the the two new signings can come in Glenn make a difference you think if we're going to be playing like that then obviously you need those Central Midfield players arriving into the box and and perhaps that's asking a bit too much of small bone and a Rebo as well as they've played that's not as you say it's not that they're not those sort of Frank Lampard style players are they so is that where the new signings might come in well they might do um I mean I thought Fernandez looked promising he looked to play forward um which is that was a bit of a frustration to me with both both small bone and Aro yesterday and praised Aro for the way he played up at Newcastle but I think he he struggled yesterday um and will smallbone seem to go into Safety First mode so the the ball gets played to him he's he's not he's not on the half turn he's not looking to go forward he's just squared up and he just knocks it straight back and that happened quite a few times and the difference when Fernandez and dibling came on because dibling is all just watch him forget where the ball is for a second just watch Tyler dibling for couple of minutes on the pitch he is he's he's got a head like an owl h honestly he's looking around all over the place all the time he knows where the space is when the ball comes to him he knows that he can turn and he's always looking to drive forward now I'm not saying that we should throw an 18yar old in the team straight away but I do think we need to trust him more with more minutes on the pitch um Fernandez it was a promising start but it was only 15 minutes he he looks quite a a slight sort of player you know he's not he's not particularly he's not a big Power lad um but he he looked like he could he could handle himself so that was promising I'd be interested in him playing against against Cardiff in midweek and and seeing how he gets on with that one with regards to uh big Les on the bench On LAN from Chelsea can't really say I don't really know any I don't really know anything about the guy we know that the player he's he's described as um you know a big powerful rangy running you know box-to-box midfielder and stuff like that but until we see him can't say but um on on the face of it I would say that you know that mid that Midfield certainly for home games needs needs freshening up a bit and uh I'm hoping that that UK in particular um Can can prove to be as as as good as I hope he's going to be which will enable us to open out a little bit because we'll have a few you know we'll have um better legs in Midfield basically to be able to get get out the park and we we won't need to you know basically have five Defenders and five midfielders hopefully we can go to a back four and still you know find the balance between attack and play and defensive play because it's just not there at the moment is the plan Al for you think still to manage those minutes for for tidler dibling because I just seem to remember when we had good like 17 18 year old players before we just used to Chu them in and they'd have a really good run of games and all right they get signed by Spurs or Arsenal or whatever and they'd be off but you would see these kids a lot sooner it just seems to be they're being a bit more perhaps protective and and and maybe we're not going to see him starting but he's got that role to play From the Bench they just kind of managing him a bit more I think there's maybe two sides to it I think the first one is the sort of tactical demands um he is really focused obviously on work against the ball tactically despite the fact they have 80% of it every single game um and I feel like there's just a lot to learn in his position so I that's one side of it um obviously the pros of bringing Tyler dibling in probably outweigh the cons to that because he is is forward thinking he direct I've watched him for three years in the academy and he hasn't really changed he's always played uh when he's play number eight he's always played in that way um the other side I think may be medical because you know Romeo Lavia for example came in played 10 games and no one's seen him since he's an invisible man um the Premier League is a big a big physical test so do you want to put in a young lad and then you know potentially hamper his career so you think you've got to be careful with these guys but I think Russell Martin's really warming to the idea of giving Tyler more and more minutes because at the start of preseason it was a case of you know let's take the pressure off these guys I think that is still the case and he's given him more and more every single week and now he's starting to say you know he's actually really special he's our most attack biggest attacking threat and it wouldn't surprise me if he get sort of 25 30 minutes but I think he'll still be too early to to Chuck him in but you never know especially play like brenford uh Martin what was your take on the changes yesterday obviously we got to see couple of the the new faces uh coming on um enough to give you a bit of Hope there yeah I just think the changes were made too late really for me I I thought they needed to be made a lot earlier in the half because the second half panned out we started slightly better I thought we were on the front for a little bit more for the first 5 10 minutes they weather a relatively small storm but I thought that the impact that Tyler did BL made when he come on was quite incredible he got fans off the feet he's Brave he's strong I watched him in the warmup he's really bulked out the size of his his upper body now he's stronger he spent a lot of time in the gym he looks like a player that's Fearless to me and that's what we need we need somebody that's Fearless somebody that's prepared to have a go prepared to go past people and that's what he brings I think he brings so much to us yeah there's a lot of pressure on him but I think what Alfie said there is absolutely spot on I I I think what he can bring now for Russell's gonna just need to believe in him now we've always believed in young talent in the past he's the one Shining Light I think from that Academy that's coming through at the moment Sam Amo is goingon to be brilliant but this young boy can make an impact here and now in the Premier League and I think that's what we need Archer when he come on I thought he needed a bit more time but he give us something slightly different we we need somebody I'm not overly sure he's going to be the number nine answer still think we need a bit more physicality up front but he will he will give us a different option and we need that you need options don't you up front you need options in all around that front three front four we don't have anywhere near enough and if we're really really going to kick on this season it's a massive week in the transfer window just to make sure they get what they need in the final 30d he said about it in the press conference yesterday um and just add add to what we've got and and give us that extra chance but but Tyler will I think he's going to be magnificent this season just just believe in him we all love him I think the manager loves him as well and let's let's see what he can get he can get out of him in the coming weeks last week Glenn it was all about Alex McCarthy I got to say he's not I don't think he's the problem I thought he played well yesterday crosses and uh not a lot he could do about about the goal but um I thought he he was all right yesterday actually yeah he was I mean there is I think there's always going to be a sharp intake of breath whenever he starts um he starts knocking the ball around trying to play two touch and whatnot um so uh so yeah he's he he answer you know I think if he if he'd had some real dodgy moments yesterday I think the the crowd would have been on on his back uh you know wrongly but that's the way it is I think if he'd have had a couple of dodgy moments that would have been the case but I thought he played well and to be honest he's the reason we didn't lose by more um he made three or four really good saves that you know and that's that's kind of what he's done since he's got back in the team he's he's made good saves and and that's and that's why he earned himself a new contract so uh you know he he will always have this [ __ ] in his armor with his distribution that's just the way it is he's he's at an age now where he's not suddenly going to get better at it um but he he certainly wasn't the problem yesterday um I mean the problem yesterday I mean if you just look at the goal we conceded it's it was a Joe Rebo had a kind of lack of appreciation of the the dangers around him if he lost that ball there was there a foul in there for you or not no no no wer they but for one second I was hating myself thinking I'll come on V do something but and I just thought that wasn't a foul it's never a foul he wasn't he wasn't strong enough and he you know most managers will be telling you to put your foot through it from there now we we kind of we don't really do that so we we kind of you know we we obviously drill it into our Midfield players and Defenders to try and keep the ball and try and spring an attack from there sort of thing but where he was with his back to uh you know face he was facing our goal with about three players behind him it was just the wrong decision I know he's a big strong lad and he wants to try and you know prove that and protect the ball and whatnot but put your foot through it man get it out even if you even if you will it off for another corner it it really um it really was was better than losing the ball there but but there was another problem with the goal as well is that when the cross came back in I mean suara kind of took it took the initial shot off McCarthy but there were there were two unmarked players at the back post yeah you know and and Gibbs white was obviously not going to miss from there so uh so but yeah go going back to McCarthy I thought he had a I thought he had a good game and uh you know he he'll he'll have the mindset of you know that most professional goalkeepers would have is I don't care if you're bringing in somewhere else I'm going to make it very very difficult for you to leave me out and and playing like he did yesterday um it would uh it would be tough for him not to be in goal for the brenford game and I I I firmly believe that he you know if we were sign a player like ramsdale it would be different because you're obviously signing a named goalkeeper who's used to playing in this league but you know we're bringing in the lad from Holland by all accounts and uh um there's uh I'd be very very surprised if McCarthy's not in goal against brenford on um next Saturday y so Martin it was the first game kicking off in front of the northern wall um kind of odd years in the making um lots of expectations around that what did you make of the atmosphere I kind of felt before the game that that theyve nailed it with the with the fan zones it was great to see so many people there so early um whereabouts were you in the stadium and what did you make of it all I was in Block one and two I like to sit down I'm not a massive fan of standing up all the time I don't mind doing it away games but I I do I do like the the opportunity to to grab some footage as as I'm watching the game for my channels and bits but I enjoyed it block one and two it was really nice to see that open again fields of Stadium up a bit more um could where I was you couldn't really hear the away fans but I believe they they were really decent further down towards the chapel but I thought the northern wall was good I thought the fans started really well just because we didn't have the energy on the pitch that we had I think I think it dampened it slightly to be honest I think if we started on the front foot like we did against West Brom in that playoff game and we and we really got amongst forest and we were creating opportunities the fact that we played with such slow pace and we weren't really at the races I think it maybe dampened it slightly but I think the club have nowed it really I think it was brilliant the fan zones outside and the atmosphere is brilliant I thought it was really good I think it's it's something that we needed to do for such a long time I think and it it can only help the team going forward I have Matt theier on the pitch before the game with with Kenzie and he said it's something they should have done from the very start but obviously they they spoke to the right the relevant people and the authorities and I think they've got it spot on from my point of view I thought it was I thought it was really good Martin week I'm relatively close to some of the people who've been work hard on you know the changes at the Stadium St and I went to the northern fan Zone before the game and I was actually quite surprised by how good it was I thought it was really good um it's just the decorations inside they sort of recycled the barrels an actual building as well I think at one point it might have even been a tent rather than a building so I they definitely improved on the initial plans um so I thought that a lot of those people deserve some credit so I just wanted to say that I was going to ask you because this has been a long time in the making hasn't it and and they've obviously been mooting these ideas for a long time but actually to to get on and do it and the investment that that's taken to get us where we were yesterday I mean I got there just before 2:00 and couldn't get in because it was so busy it's like what's going on and um there's still a few more things that I know they're working on too well look the key thing as well is that it's just going to bring more Revenue into the club so if you're there three hours before kickoff you're going to buy six seven points that's money that you would have been spending in a pub somewhere else so and then the game and then the game might seem better but you know also like you mentioned as well they got the pub coming in the old ticket office L the Dell which um promises to be a Club open every day of the week and stuff like that so yeah just important for the club to bring more money in and I think for the fans as well to feel more connected to their Stadium all right well we'll get on and preview the uh the brenford game in just a moment I'm going to ask you all for your player of the week is there anything else we missed um from yesterday any other standout moments for anybody it was uh not not too much to shout about really no I mean I can give you my player of the week in a in a standout stat I think K Walker Peters was the only player in the Saints team to register more than 0.01 expected goals AKA nobody else came even close to a sniff of the net so he he definitely my player of the week yeah there there was some good or bad things amongst the but we're talking about individual players individual players yeah okay you might win the odd game because someone does something brilliant but you know the negatives for me were all about the way the team was set up and the lack of energy and the the lack of goal threat but with within that I thought the the back half of the team was pretty decent I thought sugara was decent at right back you know he's he's a he's a new player who who um he he seems to have sort of like a big personality and he I think he showed that he's you know he's playing against Hudson Ado who's a decent foot decent Premier League footballer and I thought he did pretty well um so yeah I was I was impressed with him um yeah the the subs that came on I think as as people have me as we've already mentioned I thought they they made things better um I thought Flyn DS was decent as well I just thought he got booked in the first half and it seemed to me like they were trying to get him sent off basically for for the rest of the first half there are quite a few sort of niggly little niggly little tackles going in on him and I I thought he in amongst what was a pretty sort of Limp performance I thought he at least tried to raise the tempo above above very slow and uh and tried to make things happen but I mean the worrying thing for me is that it's it's turning out at the moment kind of like I feared that it might and that the back half of our team is decent but the front half is not and uh yeah we really we really do need to uh to sort that out either either this this transfer window or by different use of the players that we've got well we'll put Flyn Downs then in the vote for player of the week uh K Walker Peters as well Martin anybody else I mean I might Chuck Tyler dibling in just uh that little Cameo and as you say getting everybody up off their seats yeah Glenn spoke about Alex McCarthy I think you have to put Alex McCarthy in there look look he took a lot of crit ISM last week and for the mistake he made but I didn't think he put a foot wrong yesterday yeah he's not great with the ball at his feet but he kept the score respectable yesterday I think without him it would have been a lot more I really do I think it would have been a lot more but yeah you've got throw Alex McCarthy in there there was a good performance from yesterday he won't be the answer going forward probably we know we speak about it in a in a while I would think there'd be movement in the window this week and bringing bringing a goalkeeper in but he starts for me at brenford like Glenn said he was uh he was decent yesterday credit where credits due