Southampton Repeat Comparable Errors in 3-1 Loss.
The Saints continued their freefall to the Championship on Sunday afternoon with a 3-1 loss in opposition to third-place Newcastle at St. James’ Park. If Southampton weren’t six factors adrift with 4 video games to play, this might be seen as a forgivable outcome. Newcastle had been coming off a 6-1 rout of Spurs, adopted by a 4-1 dealing with of Everton.
However the Saints are in determined want of factors. What usually might be seen as a spirited efficiency is now one other disappointment in a disappointing season. Successful video games in opposition to Southampton FC has change into all too straightforward for opposing groups, and Rubén Sellés and his males solely have 4 video games to show they will determine it out.
As soon as once more, in a sport they wanted factors from, Southampton began effectively. After certainly one of his trademark rampaging runs ahead, Stuart Armstrong linked up effectively with Kamaldeen Sulemana who performed a low cross into the field. After some confusion within the Newcastle backline, left-back Kyle Walker-Peters compelled a sensible protected out of keeper Nick Pope.
Armstrong would as soon as once more be influential early, as after a turnover he drove into the Newcastle field and stung the palms of Pope from shut vary within the eighth minute. However this might be the Saints’ final foray ahead for a while, as Newcastle would instantly take management.
Within the absence of full-back Romain Perraud, Rubén Sellés inserted central defender Lyanco at proper again. Southampton followers will not-so-fondly keep in mind Nathan Jones making the identical choice a number of occasions, with combined outcomes. Historical past would repeat itself, as Newcastle attacked the Southampton proper all through the match.
Former Everton ahead Anthony Gordon singled out Lyanco time and time once more. Newcastle ought to’ve scored early within the first half, with Bruno Guimarães volleying broad after a Gordon cross. Gordon himself would hit the submit a couple of minutes later after discovering himself 1v1 in opposition to Southampton keeper Alex McCarthy. Sellés moved Moussa Djenepo over to the appropriate to attempt to give Lyanco some assist, however the assaults had been nonetheless coming.
The architect of those Newcastle possibilities? Bruno Guimarães. Repeatedly he would drop deep to select up the ball unmarked, and spray pinpoint passes ahead to spring assaults. Southampton forwards Kamaldeen Sulemana and Carlos Alcaraz appeared disinterested in monitoring Guimarães, and the Saints protection was already springing leaks.
On the offensive facet of the ball, the Saints additionally had issues. Sellés once more began the sport and not using a conventional striker, and once more the lack of a press-beating out ball was evident. Newcastle, like Bournemouth on Thursday, would press excessive and Southampton had no solutions.
Too usually the ball can be performed lengthy, and in opposition to the large Newcastle backline, Alcaraz and Sulemana had no probability of successful possession. With Newcastle piling on the strain, the Saints appeared to be destined for an additional uninspiring defeat.
Southampton Strike Again
Roméo Lavia has been a much-needed vibrant spot in a dismal Southampton season. It’s thus becoming that what might be the Saints’ final breath of life within the Premier League got here by means of Lavia’s brilliance.
Southampton had been trying to decelerate Guimarães within the first half by man-marking him with Lavia, who received the higher of his counterpart late within the first half, successful the ball with a lovely sliding problem. Carlos Alcaraz picked up the ball and drove on the Newcastle backline, lastly taking part in a ball into the field for Kamaldeen Sulemana.
Alcaraz’s go was a bit of too weighty, and the play gone. However Sulemana performed a pushed cross throughout the field, and Stuart Armstrong received throughout Newcastle right-back Kieran Trippier and completed the transfer from shut vary. Southampton have now taken the lead in opposition to leaders Arsenal, and Champions League-destined Newcastle, up to now two weeks.
After the aim, the primary half would conclude with extra Newcastle management. Moussa Djenepo would go down injured off the sphere and crawl again on to cease play, displaying some veteran gamesmanship that the Saints have been missing all season. Southampton would want to proceed this game-breaking play into the 2nd half to disrupt the Newcastle momentum.
Newcastle Take Management within the 2nd Half
The Geordies got here out of the dressing room on a mission. Callum Wilson was inserted for the harmful trying Anthony Gordon, however as an alternative of instantly taking his spot, Alexander Isak dropped a bit of deeper to fill Gordon’s position.
The swap would nearly instantly repay, as on the Southampton proper Djenepo and Lyanco had been compelled to provide away a succession of free kicks and corners. McCarthy was known as into motion a number of occasions, together with one save from point-blank vary from Newcastle’s Dan Burn. The strain was mounting, and Saints couldn’t discover any spells of possession to interrupt the Newcastle storm.
The Saints would lastly buckle. As soon as once more it stemmed from an assault down the Southampton proper, as Isak as soon as once more discovered acres of area between Djenepo and Lyanco, and performed a low cross into the field. Callum Wilson evaded Jan Bednarek (who had not put a foot fallacious all sport it should be stated), and looped a end previous the helpless McCarthy in web. Newcastle nonetheless had thirty-five minutes to discover a winner.
The digicam instantly reduce to Rubén Sellés screaming at his gamers to maintain their heads. Nevertheless, Sellés himself had simply acquired a yellow card, following Walker-Peters getting into the ebook for a take foul on Trippier. Southampton seemed completely clueless in opposition to the Newcastle press, unable to string greater than 2-3 passes collectively, compelled to play lengthy and hope Newcastle’s backline made a mistake.
Sellés tried to make a change to ease the Newcastle strain, bringing on Theo Walcott for Moussa Djenepo. Saints desperately wanted somebody to be calm below the Newcastle strain, and the veteran Walcott was unable to supply that respite. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Adam Armstrong, and Ché Adams would quickly comply with, however none might break the Newcastle storm.
Callum Wilson would quickly put Newcastle forward within the 76th minute (as soon as once more initiated by Isak on the Saints proper), however have it dominated out by VAR. Three minutes later the Geordies would go forward for good. That they had threatened from set items all sport, and at last capitalized on a Theo Walcott personal aim from a nook kick. Southampton has been extremely poor defending set performs all season, and to throw away factors on an personal aim was the icing on the cake.
Two minutes later Newcastle would rating once more on some woeful defending from Bednarek and Maitland-Niles. An extended clearance from Pope was allowed to bounce, and Maitland-Niles performed his clearance on to Callum Wilson, who coolly rounded McCarthy in web to fit house. 3-1, and the sport was successfully over.
Southampton would end the second half with a sputter, having barely any touches in and across the Newcastle field. Taking the 1-0 lead nearly appeared to doom the Saints, as they spent your entire second half fastened into their very own penalty space, unable and unwilling to supply any attacking risk. In response to The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, the swap of mentality was not tactical, as Rubén Sellés might be seen instructing his gamers to remain excessive up the pitch.
Sellés can have his work reduce out for him analyzing this match. The gulf in high quality between the 2 groups was evident all through, with Newcastle in a position to play by means of the Saints press prefer it wasn’t there, whereas Southampton seemed, frankly, like a Championship facet. However as soon as once more, the Saints gamers have began effectively, failed to regulate to the opposition’s modifications, and misplaced their heads upon conceding. Newcastle’s 2nd and third weren’t targets a Premier League facet ought to be conceding. Particular person errors have plagued Southampton all season, and these two undid what was sixty minutes of determined defensive work.
Within the forty seventh minute, the USA TV broadcast claimed that Southampton had a 55% probability of successful the sport. The one who got here up with that statistic should not be a Saints fan. Southampton have fallen into this sample all season, and in the present day was no completely different.
The Saints look formidable when urgent excessive, forcing turnovers, and taking part in instantly on the counter. However when the opposition presses the Saints, and forces them to indicate high quality on the ball in possession, they crumble. Moreover, you can not enable a staff like Newcastle to have many of the ball (64%) and count on to maintain them at bay. On one other day, and if not for the heroics of Jan Bednarek and Armel Bella-Kotchap, Newcastle might’ve simply had 4, 5, or six.
With Southampton seemingly destined for the Championship, focus will now shift to subsequent season. Roméo Lavia and James Ward-Prowse appear destined for an exit, and several other others could be auditioning for different golf equipment within the final 4 video games of the season. The Saints must make selections on gamers like Paul Onuachu, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Romain Perraud, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and plenty of others. Their tailspin this season has generated much more questions than solutions, and with video games operating out, the Saints will head into the offseason with query marks round nearly each place, together with supervisor.
