Well it was never pretty - in fact we played more football at Anfield - but who cares? Another point banked means we would be incredibly unlucky to go down from here, even if we contrive to lose four home games on the bounce.
Jussi was superb today. Those who insist Green is a better keeper have no idea about the game. His first half save from Lambert is a contender for the save of the season and two blocks in the second half have all but guaranteed our safety.
Collins was superb again today. Had we kept him instead of selling him to Villa, we might have stayed up two seasons back. Had Villa kept him, instead of selling him back to us, they would not now have a goal difference of minus 24!
And Tomkins deserves a very honourable mention too. He and Collins were so unlucky for the Ramirez goal. Both threw themselves into the block as if they were protecting a child from a bullet, and it took Sods Law with a capital S&L for the ball to bounce, pin ball style, perfectly into the path of the Southampton man.
That said, our goal was soft too. On 99 days out of one hundred, Carroll's tame free kick would never have found the back of the net, but today it did. And as the net rippled, so our safety was all but guaranteed. Especially when Fulham equalised, courtesy of an own goal, and Norwich lost their lead and then went behind thanks to a penalty and another own goal. Doctor Evil's contract with the Devil paid out on all fronts today!
Defensively we were excellent; offensively, we hardly showed up. Carroll put a good chance wide and Collison put one over the bar, but an offence had already been committed. But so what? We came for a point and left with a point. And that is now two back to back defensive performances to make the tacticians purr, even if the purists have opened their wrists in despair!
And we saw Paulista. Not on the pitch of course, but making the bench is progress!
All that said, thank God neither Rodrigues nor Pogatetz started!
Player ratings: Jussi 8 (the kicking was awful!); Demel 7, Collins 9 Tomkins 9, O'Brien 7; O'Neil 6; Vaz Te 5, Diame 6, Nolan 5, Jarvis 3; Carroll 6 Subs Collison 6, Taylor 5, Pogatetz 3
6 comments:
Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino is pleased with how his side dealt with West Ham's "abuse of the long ball" after the sides share a 1-1 draw at St Mary's Stadium.
With a couple of clever purchases, this Southampton side can do something serious next season. Wasnt a comfortable game to watch at all, but an excellent result.
Dale wrote a post a few games ago criticising Jussi without any justification. He blamed him for every goal conceded in the game when none were his fault. It was the game where Noble gave away a penalty and was awful throughout, which hardly got a mention from Dale. And lo and behold his lackeys jumped on the bandwagon and and got on Jussi's back too, failing to see it was all a ruse designed to throw people off how awful his favourite player is. Jussi put in a star performance the next game of course.
how would you know,you did not go..........liar liar your bottom is on fire.
Hmmmm maybe wants to check how Southampton's goal was assisted. Pretty sure that was a great example of long ball. Pochettino is a good manager but very disrespectful.
FOUR COMMENTS? I also notice you are still rating the players even though you weren't there. Why would you rate them anyway? Do you think you're important? The vast majority of west ham fans don't. I've only had a look at this car crash of a blog cos i want to watch hammer fraud have his breakdown.
FOUR COMMENTS? I also notice you are still rating the players even though you weren't there. Why would you rate them anyway? Do you think you're important? The vast majority of west ham fans don't. I've only had a look at this car crash of a blog cos i want to watch hammer fraud have his breakdown.
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